Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: But then maybe the city-wide draw at SWS will sink the program by the upper grades anyway. What a mess.

What a bunch of pessimists. Rather than rooting for SWS or any school to fail, you could also look at SWS as a potential contributor to a revamped Hill middle school feeder pattern. In a few years Van Ness will reopen, and between Brent, Maury, Tyler SI, Watkins and SWS you could have the core of a decent middle school in the not too distant future.

... and if DCPS can't figure it out, most of the families at these schools are pretty resourceful and will find good alternatives, whether that's charters, private, parochial, OOB or moving. DCPS needs to learn the importance of retaining families for continuity, and they also need to do one or more of the following: 1)effectively lobby government against charters poaching their students in 5th grade -- MS charters offer 5th grade and up for this express purpose -- require 5th grade programs to offer PK-5 as well; or 2) offer competitive 5th grade and up middle school options (PK-8, 5-8, etc) -- in other words, level the playing field; 3) provide better guaranteed feeder options to retain students through ES -- uncertainty fuels market volatility.

What is your evidence for asserting this nefarious behavior?

Oh please! -- you're not serious, are you?

PP again--
who said "nefarious" anyway -- good business model exploiting the dysfunctionality of the DC public school system. If I ran a charter where space is at a premium and I wanted to lock in the greatest demand middle school would be the way to go (maybe HS too). I'd want to reach families who are fed up with their traditional public shool options, and I'd want to have enough time to inculcate them to whatever curriculum my charter is introducing.

For the MS+, is there even a single exception to this model?

What you offer is conjecture and not evidence.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: But then maybe the city-wide draw at SWS will sink the program by the upper grades anyway. What a mess.

What a bunch of pessimists. Rather than rooting for SWS or any school to fail, you could also look at SWS as a potential contributor to a revamped Hill middle school feeder pattern. In a few years Van Ness will reopen, and between Brent, Maury, Tyler SI, Watkins and SWS you could have the core of a decent middle school in the not too distant future.

Except that families on the Hill have been waiting for this supposed Middle School Miracle to happen for... how long? I've only lived on the Hill for ten years, but it's been at least that long.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: But then maybe the city-wide draw at SWS will sink the program by the upper grades anyway. What a mess.

What a bunch of pessimists. Rather than rooting for SWS or any school to fail, you could also look at SWS as a potential contributor to a revamped Hill middle school feeder pattern. In a few years Van Ness will reopen, and between Brent, Maury, Tyler SI, Watkins and SWS you could have the core of a decent middle school in the not too distant future.

... and if DCPS can't figure it out, most of the families at these schools are pretty resourceful and will find good alternatives, whether that's charters, private, parochial, OOB or moving. DCPS needs to learn the importance of retaining families for continuity, and they also need to do one or more of the following: 1)effectively lobby government against charters poaching their students in 5th grade -- MS charters offer 5th grade and up for this express purpose -- require 5th grade programs to offer PK-5 as well; or 2) offer competitive 5th grade and up middle school options (PK-8, 5-8, etc) -- in other words, level the playing field; 3) provide better guaranteed feeder options to retain students through ES -- uncertainty fuels market volatility.

What is your evidence for asserting this nefarious behavior?

Oh please! -- you're not serious, are you?

PP again--
who said "nefarious" anyway -- good business model exploiting the dysfunctionality of the DC public school system. If I ran a charter where space is at a premium and I wanted to lock in the greatest demand middle school would be the way to go (maybe HS too). I'd want to reach families who are fed up with their traditional public shool options, and I'd want to have enough time to inculcate them to whatever curriculum my charter is introducing.

For the MS+, is there even a single exception to this model?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: But then maybe the city-wide draw at SWS will sink the program by the upper grades anyway. What a mess.

What a bunch of pessimists. Rather than rooting for SWS or any school to fail, you could also look at SWS as a potential contributor to a revamped Hill middle school feeder pattern. In a few years Van Ness will reopen, and between Brent, Maury, Tyler SI, Watkins and SWS you could have the core of a decent middle school in the not too distant future.

... and if DCPS can't figure it out, most of the families at these schools are pretty resourceful and will find good alternatives, whether that's charters, private, parochial, OOB or moving. DCPS needs to learn the importance of retaining families for continuity, and they also need to do one or more of the following: 1)effectively lobby government against charters poaching their students in 5th grade -- MS charters offer 5th grade and up for this express purpose -- require 5th grade programs to offer PK-5 as well; or 2) offer competitive 5th grade and up middle school options (PK-8, 5-8, etc) -- in other words, level the playing field; 3) provide better guaranteed feeder options to retain students through ES -- uncertainty fuels market volatility.

What is your evidence for asserting this nefarious behavior?

Oh please! -- you're not serious, are you?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: But then maybe the city-wide draw at SWS will sink the program by the upper grades anyway. What a mess.

What a bunch of pessimists. Rather than rooting for SWS or any school to fail, you could also look at SWS as a potential contributor to a revamped Hill middle school feeder pattern. In a few years Van Ness will reopen, and between Brent, Maury, Tyler SI, Watkins and SWS you could have the core of a decent middle school in the not too distant future.

... and if DCPS can't figure it out, most of the families at these schools are pretty resourceful and will find good alternatives, whether that's charters, private, parochial, OOB or moving. DCPS needs to learn the importance of retaining families for continuity, and they also need to do one or more of the following: 1)effectively lobby government against charters poaching their students in 5th grade -- MS charters offer 5th grade and up for this express purpose -- require 5th grade programs to offer PK-5 as well; or 2) offer competitive 5th grade and up middle school options (PK-8, 5-8, etc) -- in other words, level the playing field; 3) provide better guaranteed feeder options to retain students through ES -- uncertainty fuels market volatility.

What is your evidence for asserting this nefarious behavior?

Anonymous wrote: But then maybe the city-wide draw at SWS will sink the program by the upper grades anyway. What a mess.

What a bunch of pessimists. Rather than rooting for SWS or any school to fail, you could also look at SWS as a potential contributor to a revamped Hill middle school feeder pattern. In a few years Van Ness will reopen, and between Brent, Maury, Tyler SI, Watkins and SWS you could have the core of a decent middle school in the not too distant future.

... and if DCPS can't figure it out, most of the families at these schools are pretty resourceful and will find good alternatives, whether that's charters, private, parochial, OOB or moving. DCPS needs to learn the importance of retaining families for continuity, and they also need to do one or more of the following: 1)effectively lobby government against charters poaching their students in 5th grade -- MS charters offer 5th grade and up for this express purpose -- require 5th grade programs to offer PK-5 as well; or 2) offer competitive 5th grade and up middle school options (PK-8, 5-8, etc) -- in other words, level the playing field; 3) provide better guaranteed feeder options to retain students through ES -- uncertainty fuels market volatility.

Can anyone guesstimate what percentage of kids at Logan Montessori are from the greater Capitol Hill neighborhood? At the parent meeting with DCPS a few weeks ago, the DCPS folks didn't know. I'd imagine SWS will eventually have the same numbers, right? I'm hoping that most of the kids are from the Hill.

As an SWS parent, I'm very unhappy that SWS won't continue to be a neighborhood school. I'm bummed out about it, but not at all surprised. What did the parents who pushed to move out of Peabody expect?

Anonymous wrote:Capitol Hill has too many elementary school seats. If we don't want to be citywide elementary schools, some Cap Hill schools need to close.

No one said that at the recent school closing meetings.

Fine. Close the crappy ones and keep the rest local schools. Any neighborhood school can choose a specialty approach. DCPS is not in the business of city-wide schools. That is the job of the charters, which have been barred from becoming neighborhood schools. If SWS and Cap Mont. want to be charter schools, so be it. If not, find an IB catchment area.

Although I am definitely sympathetic to the plight of the Ludlow-Taylor families, which mirrors the experience of so many of us, I don't really get why they're so bent out of shape. SWS and Logan never were a part of their catchment, no matter where they are located. Would these families be angry if SWS moved to Amidon or Van Ness? Of course not. They're just angry because they bought in a school boundary that still has a crappy school.

SWS and Capitol Monstessori are speciality schools while the Ward 3 are general ed schools.

Capitol Hill has too many elementary school seats. If we don't want to be citywide elementary schools, some Cap Hill schools need to close.

No one said that at the recent school closing meetings.

Anonymous wrote:Tommy Wells is having neighborhood office hours on January 31st at Azi's Cafe at 1336 9th St NW from 8:00am to 9:30 am. I had some interaction with Tommy's office over another neighborhood project and they were friendly but ineffective advocates with the city, but I still may go and voice my concerns over the fact that the only two city-wide lottery DCPS schools are in my immediate IB neighborhood. I am not sure why Capitol Hill needs to tolerate its elementary schools becoming city-wide schools. I imagine if a similar proposal was put forward taking the quality elementary programs in Ward 3 and making them city-wide lottery schools, it would be met with outcries from the people of Ward 3. We need to be similarly outraged if we want to be treated fairly.

Add Stuart Hobson to the list, it is a de facto city-wide school at 20% in-bounds.

I can't go to that. If you do go, please post what he replied to your concern. Thanks.

Tommy Wells is having neighborhood office hours on January 31st at Azi's Cafe at 1336 9th St NW from 8:00am to 9:30 am. I had some interaction with Tommy's office over another neighborhood project and they were friendly but ineffective advocates with the city, but I still may go and voice my concerns over the fact that the only two city-wide lottery DCPS schools are in my immediate IB neighborhood. I am not sure why Capitol Hill needs to tolerate its elementary schools becoming city-wide schools. I imagine if a similar proposal was put forward taking the quality elementary programs in Ward 3 and making them city-wide lottery schools, it would be met with outcries from the people of Ward 3. We need to be similarly outraged if we want to be treated fairly.

Looks like this thread has run out of optimism. Maybe we'll all buck up once LT gets a face-lift, and can no longer be mistaken for juvenile hall. The way you can stand outside LT looking down F St. to the Prospect school is galling. But then maybe the city-wide draw at SWS will sink the program by the upper grades anyway. What a mess. I really hope parents lobby to vote out Wells and vote in somebody who gets it. We are largely a middle-class population paying through the nose for our mortgages while some of our schools cling to a "raise the ghetto" mentality among teachers and administrators. No fair, no good.