Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Ward 8 families would love a military-family-focused charter at JBAB they could also attend. Set it up to take all the military kids as inbound and others on a space available basis and it would always be oversubscribed.

That's basically the idea, half of the seats will be reserved for military kids and the other half will be open enrollment. They're planning for mostly Ward 8 students and seem to have been very successful in Chicago with a mix of military and local low-income families.

How would this be different from the JBAB population attending Leckie? If it's half military and half local families? Why does it have to be a charter?

Anonymous wrote:I think Ward 8 families would love a military-family-focused charter at JBAB they could also attend. Set it up to take all the military kids as inbound and others on a space available basis and it would always be oversubscribed.

That's basically the idea, half of the seats will be reserved for military kids and the other half will be open enrollment. They're planning for mostly Ward 8 students and seem to have been very successful in Chicago with a mix of military and local low-income families.

I think Ward 8 families would love a military-family-focused charter at JBAB they could also attend. Set it up to take all the military kids as inbound and others on a space available basis and it would always be oversubscribed.

Anonymous wrote:And to add to PP, I am surprised the other PP said military families in DC are scared of brown people. Have they not seen the racial make up of the military, especially enlisted families who are more than likely going to live on base in this area because it's what they can afford?

It's just a knee-jerk reaction from a certain kind of white person at this point. No one listens to them but they get that dopamine rush from calling someone else a racist.

And to add to PP, I am surprised the other PP said military families in DC are scared of brown people. Have they not seen the racial make up of the military, especially enlisted families who are more than likely going to live on base in this area because it's what they can afford?

Anonymous wrote:I wish they would just build DoD schools. I went to DoD schools in Hawaii, Kansas, and Germany. They were fantastic schools, on post, with kids who shared the same type of life I did. It was wonderful! My kids went to a few DoD elementary schools, but obviously not here.

Those days are over. My understanding is school districts complained about not getting the tax revenue. So the DOD kids, rather than have a seamless experience (and I'm glad you had a good experience - but not all remaining DOD schools are to rave about IMO, though they may be better) are basically subject to wherever their parents are stationed. Very rarely are military bases co-located in highly functioning school districts, so to heck with the kiddies. As to fearing brown people-that's laughable. Obviously PP has zero familiarity with our multi-hued, many walks of life military. These people simply want consistent, quality education for their kids. They are not in a place long enough (2 years maybe) to "make a difference by throwing bake sales etc" though they will no doubt volunteer as able. And that's not their job. Defending the Constitution is. If Leckie is a quality school, which is the District of Columbia's job, then it would easily attract military families on its own merits.

I wish they would just build DoD schools. I went to DoD schools in Hawaii, Kansas, and Germany. They were fantastic schools, on post, with kids who shared the same type of life I did. It was wonderful! My kids went to a few DoD elementary schools, but obviously not here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or they could stop fearing brown children and send their kids to Leckie.

I presume you have your children at Leckie?

I would if I lived in the zone for the school. If everyone who lived on base actually used the school and concentrated their energy in that one place instead of spreading around the city, it would be one of the best schools in the district.

Why would you want to bus your child all three way across town if you could make your neighborhood school great?

Can I ask what school your children go to and what school you are trying to make great? And do you have this response to every family here that tries for the lottery?

The reason it would be feasible for Leckie is the military families. There is enough socioeconomic diversity to make it successful. And military spouses are pushy enough ( in a positive way) to advocate for their children and make changes if they wanted to. I'm not trying to make you feel bad or knock your choices, but I would not want my child bused across town for school, especially for elementary. I just think it's a waste of organizational talent and so much more work to spread your efforts amongst the city when you could have a viable option right outside the gates. I could be wrong though.

Bravo to you for trying it out and I hope you find a school that works better for you.

Anonymous wrote:Nah, none of the military families I know want to live in DC. No thanks.

What? There is a wait list for Bolling housing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or they could stop fearing brown children and send their kids to Leckie.

This is really short sighted. We Have two children at Leckie and it isn’t the kids, it’s everything else that makes us want to move them next year. I won’t go into detail but it’s not good at all. And just like any other family, we have the right to try the lottery for an OOB spot.

I don’t have any issue with you using the lottery. I have an issue with military families thinking they need a special preference in the lottery.

We're not a military family but I have no issue with military families getting special preference in both the OOB and charter lotteries. None. In my view, those who make the commitment to work in the service of our national defense, accepting a challenging itinerant lifestyle in the process, deserve special consideration in the lottery, period. The families will make do without a special preference in the lottery, but we should do better for them as a city and a nation, a lot better.

Anonymous wrote:Nah, none of the military families I know want to live in DC. No thanks.

Why do you think your lack of knowledge of military families is interesting or relevant?

Nah, none of the military families I know want to live in DC. No thanks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or they could stop fearing brown children and send their kids to Leckie.

This is really short sighted. We Have two children at Leckie and it isn’t the kids, it’s everything else that makes us want to move them next year. I won’t go into detail but it’s not good at all. And just like any other family, we have the right to try the lottery for an OOB spot.

I don’t have any issue with you using the lottery. I have an issue with military families thinking they need a special preference in the lottery.

This is laughable because I guarantee you wouldn’t send your child to a charter right off of base in ward 8.

Totally. We are a military family and wouldn't do that. We have jumped through 1,000 hoops for our children's education, but not all military families are in our position and the inconsistent quality of schools their children are "designated" to, added to the consequences of frequent moves, unaligned curricula and state requirements, and parental separation and stress is something that should be looked at nationwide. Even where there are base schools (DOD) the quality is so middling it's shocking. The fact that these children outperform their peers nationwide (they do) is testimony to them and their families, not the support or attantion we as a nation offer them. I'm glad this is being looked at, and not shocked that charter is the best mechanism to do so. DC government is pretty obtuse to military families ( you should see the mess they make of our taxes every year, as if military is an alien status to them) - but glad education is being addressed this creatively.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or they could stop fearing brown children and send their kids to Leckie.

This is really short sighted. We Have two children at Leckie and it isn’t the kids, it’s everything else that makes us want to move them next year. I won’t go into detail but it’s not good at all. And just like any other family, we have the right to try the lottery for an OOB spot.

I don’t have any issue with you using the lottery. I have an issue with military families thinking they need a special preference in the lottery.

This is laughable because I guarantee you wouldn’t send your child to a charter right off of base in ward 8.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or they could stop fearing brown children and send their kids to Leckie.

This is really short sighted. We Have two children at Leckie and it isn’t the kids, it’s everything else that makes us want to move them next year. I won’t go into detail but it’s not good at all. And just like any other family, we have the right to try the lottery for an OOB spot.

I don’t have any issue with you using the lottery. I have an issue with military families thinking they need a special preference in the lottery.

The only school where they will get a preference is at the charter they are founding. The lottery timeline does NOT align in any way shape or form with when the military decides to move families around. DCPS can only give them access to any school without a waiting list, or Leckie. Also even at this charter -- which hasn't been approved yet -- 50% of the seats will go to non-military families. But military families, up to the 50% of seats, could enroll whenever they arrive in DC

As for your issue with military families and whether they should have a lottery preference, you are too late. The Council already created that option a couple years back and this school has been in the works for a while. I support it wholeheartedly; these families have unique needs, are not paid nearly enough.

-DC resident who is not a military family and whose kids are too old to attend