Anonymous wrote:So any update on the #freshmen at Wilson this year?

Word on the street, er, Snapchat is that the 9th grade principal confirmed the 700 number at an assembly yesterday. So, it's still a rumor.

Anonymous wrote:I think Eastern HS needs a fresh start - new principal, etc. Someone who can turn it around and make it at least a 50% neighborhood school.

DCPS already tried this. When they renovated the school, they also completely reconstituted it. New admin, started over with a freshman class, AND implemented IB at local parents' request.

The "neighborhood" families still didn't show up.

Truth be told, that case is likely the reason why DCPS doesn't give a damn about what anyone on this board thinks. DCUM people are (generally) all talk and no action, unless that action is finding a new and creative way to filter out undesirable students.

Have you even visited Eastern? Classes may be labeled IB or AP but the content is not up to par. Subsequently, their AP and IB scores are not impressive at all. Have you ever spoken with the principal? He seems clueless about why neighborhood families would want more rigor or advanced classes that actually lead to good results. I went to open houses, spent time at Eastern, witnessed a couple of fights there and decided that Eastern unfortunately still has a long way to go.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Eastern HS needs a fresh start - new principal, etc. Someone who can turn it around and make it at least a 50% neighborhood school.

Eastern would 'turn around' in a heartbeat if neighborhood families enrolled. The curriculum is there (IB classes). They also have a track for higher achieving students (students apply to be included). I think DCPS has provided a carrot...but people seem to be wanting an heirloom tomato.

Come on, Eastern's much lauded International Baccalaurate Diploma program has a pass rate of about 50% with average points totals in the mid 20s (the IBD equivalent of a D+ or C-).

The vast majority of us can't even get through DCPS MS on the Hill - we have no access to Stuart Hobson, and little reason to believe that our middle school-age children would be safe, happy, or challenged at Jefferson Academy or Eliot-Hine, let alone 9th grade at Eastern.

DCPS has provided nothing more than a dead-end street for in-boundary UMC families at Eastern, which is criminal given that we're now the majority of in-boundary residents.

Do you have kids in DC public schools? It certainly doesn't sound like it.

Jefferson's at-risk and non-at-risk students both outperform DC averages on the PARCC in ELA (admittedly, math still needs work). 100% of their white students got a 4 or 5 on PARCC last year and over 90+ of them did so on the math section--that's better than Hardy or Deal. They have a just-refurbished building that looks really nice, and it's easy to get to because it's 3 blocks from L'Enfant Plaza and on several bus lines. I don't know why you'd think your kids couldn't be happy, safe, or challenged there. There are middle class families there of various races. Same with Eastern--they have an IB curriculum and lots of kids who are passing it, they advertise different events like an open greenhouse session and a movie afternoon in the library, they have sports and music and gardening. Kids who do well there should do well in the college admissions process too. DCPS can't force a bunch of rich families to enroll in the school just to make you happy. But all the rich families on Capitol Hill are guaranteed a spot at Eastern and are free to enroll at any time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Eastern HS needs a fresh start - new principal, etc. Someone who can turn it around and make it at least a 50% neighborhood school.

Eastern would 'turn around' in a heartbeat if neighborhood families enrolled. The curriculum is there (IB classes). They also have a track for higher achieving students (students apply to be included). I think DCPS has provided a carrot...but people seem to be wanting an heirloom tomato.

Come on, Eastern's much lauded International Baccalaurate Diploma program has a pass rate of about 50% with average points totals in the mid 20s (the IBD equivalent of a D+ or C-).

The vast majority of us can't even get through DCPS MS on the Hill - we have no access to Stuart Hobson, and little reason to believe that our middle school-age children would be safe, happy, or challenged at Jefferson Academy or Eliot-Hine, let alone 9th grade at Eastern.

DCPS has provided nothing more than a dead-end street for in-boundary UMC families at Eastern, which is criminal given that we're now the majority of in-boundary residents.

Do you have kids in DC public schools? It certainly doesn't sound like it.

Eastern is a Title 1 school, with 61% at-risk students and 25% students with disabilities. Given those demographics a 50% pass rate is actually laudable. I imagine that DCI's will be similar, with perhaps a slightly higher average score.

The truth about all of the comprehensive high schools is that if you dropped all the Wilson students into Eastern and vice versa suddenly the whole city would be clamoring to get into Eastern. Eastern's issues are driven by the students now enrolled. If the student body changed, so would the outcomes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Eastern HS needs a fresh start - new principal, etc. Someone who can turn it around and make it at least a 50% neighborhood school.

Eastern would 'turn around' in a heartbeat if neighborhood families enrolled. The curriculum is there (IB classes). They also have a track for higher achieving students (students apply to be included). I think DCPS has provided a carrot...but people seem to be wanting an heirloom tomato.

Come on, Eastern's much lauded International Baccalaurate Diploma program has a pass rate of about 50% with average points totals in the mid 20s (the IBD equivalent of a D+ or C-).

The vast majority of us can't even get through DCPS MS on the Hill - we have no access to Stuart Hobson, and little reason to believe that our middle school-age children would be safe, happy, or challenged at Jefferson Academy or Eliot-Hine, let alone 9th grade at Eastern.

DCPS has provided nothing more than a dead-end street for in-boundary UMC families at Eastern, which is criminal given that we're now the majority of in-boundary residents.

Do you have kids in DC public schools? It certainly doesn't sound like it.

Anonymous wrote:So any update on the #freshmen at Wilson this year?

Until the principal holds a coffee or back to school night, or the PTSO is briefed nothing is reliable.

Anonymous wrote:I think Eastern HS needs a fresh start - new principal, etc. Someone who can turn it around and make it at least a 50% neighborhood school.

Eastern would 'turn around' in a heartbeat if neighborhood families enrolled. The curriculum is there (IB classes). They also have a track for higher achieving students (students apply to be included). I think DCPS has provided a carrot...but people seem to be wanting an heirloom tomato.

So any update on the #freshmen at Wilson this year?

I think Eastern HS needs a fresh start - new principal, etc. Someone who can turn it around and make it at least a 50% neighborhood school.

Anonymous wrote:It would be consistent with The Plan to put Olympic-quality pool and tennis facilities at the new Banneker. I wouldn't complain.

You mean this The Plan?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Plan_(Washington,_D.C.)

Anonymous wrote:It would be consistent with The Plan to put Olympic-quality pool and tennis facilities at the new Banneker. I wouldn't complain.

Which Banneker kids wont be able to access.

It would be consistent with The Plan to put Olympic-quality pool and tennis facilities at the new Banneker. I wouldn't complain.

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Anonymous wrote:It is too bad that Walls is so tight on space and is already overcrowded in their building. Their 9th grade class is only around 150 students. It would be helpful if they could expand to 200 per class but they have absolutely no extra classroom space. Also no sports facilities. The soccer teams have to commute all the way to RFK to practice. All the money that DC spends on modernization, can’t they negotiate something with GW to expand Walls?

THis!

No chance because many kids at walls are not at risk. Expand Bennekar, no problem, even against neighborhood resistance. Not one word about Walls. In fact the push now is for Walls to have more equal representation across all wards.....

GW's enrollment is increasing and even if they had space, I don't think DCPS can afford it. Walls isn't a comprehensive high school with all the amenities and opportunities that come with it. If you want sports, go to your neighborhood high school. The solution is to get people to enroll in the other high school options.

The problem is that due to overcrowding Wilson and Deal are becoming less comprehensive. They are essentially commuter community colleges. With so many kids there are limited options to play varsity sports, take leadership roles, or have a school identity.

DCPS is providing supposed alternative options to Wilson such as Bard, Coolidge Early College and expanding Banneker. Non of these excite me as we just want access to a good comprehensive high school. I don’t want to send my kid to college early. So the only option I have is to somehow get my kid into Wilson maybe via Hardy. I doubt these new fangled choices will decrease the pressure on Wilson.