And the political reality is that no one can have nice things in DCPS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It just seems like "bring the test back to Walls" is such a doable request that makes a ton of sense, would be easy for them to implement (because they used to) and seems to have near unanimous support here. Can we just push for that?

Push away. Beat your head against a wall if you wish. But Bowser won't bring the test back, or an external standardized test score (PARCC, PSAT 8/9) with an application either. The problem is that UMC-fueled political pushback can't amount to much without the demographics to build a critical mass of political support. This says to me that tests in DCPS HS magnet admissions won't be back as long as our current mayor is in office, or during the tenure of a crony who succeeds her either, if that's in the cards.

Bringing back the test makes large swaths of kids ineligible for the school. Keeping Walls open to the whole city where most schools aren't preparing kids to do well on any standardized test including math is a better political move than bringing back tests and restricting Walls to a handful of UMC schools.

It is a f***g magnet school with selective admissions.

UVA is a highly-regarded university with selective admissions; they still turn away high-scoring kids from Fairfax to make room for lower-scoring kids from rural counties, to maintain political support in the Virginia legislature. Same with UMD turning away high-scoring kids from Montgomery County.

Just because a school has selective admissions does not make it exempt from political reality.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It just seems like "bring the test back to Walls" is such a doable request that makes a ton of sense, would be easy for them to implement (because they used to) and seems to have near unanimous support here. Can we just push for that?

Push away. Beat your head against a wall if you wish. But Bowser won't bring the test back, or an external standardized test score (PARCC, PSAT 8/9) with an application either. The problem is that UMC-fueled political pushback can't amount to much without the demographics to build a critical mass of political support. This says to me that tests in DCPS HS magnet admissions won't be back as long as our current mayor is in office, or during the tenure of a crony who succeeds her either, if that's in the cards.

Bringing back the test makes large swaths of kids ineligible for the school. Keeping Walls open to the whole city where most schools aren't preparing kids to do well on any standardized test including math is a better political move than bringing back tests and restricting Walls to a handful of UMC schools.

It is a f***g magnet school with selective admissions.

Anonymous wrote:It just seems like "bring the test back to Walls" is such a doable request that makes a ton of sense, would be easy for them to implement (because they used to) and seems to have near unanimous support here. Can we just push for that?

Why just Walls? Why not Banneker, McKinley, etc. also? G&T programs don't start in HS. Most on this board assume their kid will be admitted to Walls. That's why it's always some reason why it didn't happen and the blame game starts. If you want buy in, go all the way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It just seems like "bring the test back to Walls" is such a doable request that makes a ton of sense, would be easy for them to implement (because they used to) and seems to have near unanimous support here. Can we just push for that?

Push away. Beat your head against a wall if you wish. But Bowser won't bring the test back, or an external standardized test score (PARCC, PSAT 8/9) with an application either. The problem is that UMC-fueled political pushback can't amount to much without the demographics to build a critical mass of political support. This says to me that tests in DCPS HS magnet admissions won't be back as long as our current mayor is in office, or during the tenure of a crony who succeeds her either, if that's in the cards.

Bringing back the test makes large swaths of kids ineligible for the school. Keeping Walls open to the whole city where most schools aren't preparing kids to do well on any standardized test including math is a better political move than bringing back tests and restricting Walls to a handful of UMC schools.

Anonymous wrote:It just seems like "bring the test back to Walls" is such a doable request that makes a ton of sense, would be easy for them to implement (because they used to) and seems to have near unanimous support here. Can we just push for that?

Push away. Beat your head against a wall if you wish. But Bowser won't bring the test back, or an external standardized test score (PARCC, PSAT 8/9) with an application either. The problem is that UMC-fueled political pushback can't amount to much without the demographics to build a critical mass of political support. This says to me that tests in DCPS HS magnet admissions won't be back as long as our current mayor is in office, or during the tenure of a crony who succeeds her either, if that's in the cards.

Anonymous wrote:Disagree. Posts on these boards can be a wake-up call for parents looking at DCPS through rose-colored glasses, or erring dramatically on the side of optimism when little is called for. Not just talk. A word to the wise.

+ 100

Anonymous wrote:It just seems like "bring the test back to Walls" is such a doable request that makes a ton of sense, would be easy for them to implement (because they used to) and seems to have near unanimous support here. Can we just push for that?

Like, what if we created a petition? How many people would sign? I would certainly put my real name on one.

It just seems like "bring the test back to Walls" is such a doable request that makes a ton of sense, would be easy for them to implement (because they used to) and seems to have near unanimous support here. Can we just push for that?

Disagree. Posts on these boards can be a wake-up call for parents looking at DCPS through rose-colored glasses, or erring dramatically on the side of optimism when little is called for. Not just talk. A word to the wise.

once you see people posting with their real names here you'll know that somebody's planning to do something about anything. until then it's literally just talk.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet another worthwhile thread derailed by posters who think they're witty but aren't. The rub is that we could really use a bona fide high school magnet in this particular city. No joke.

I just wish we could take all the energy spent here and somehow channel into some pressure on the city.

They aren't about that life..it's too hard and requires real dedication. Just want to whine and complain.

In the burbs, parent pressure groups routinely form to vote out school board members who stand in the way of programs serving advanced learners. That’s what has happened in Arlington in the last ten years with the result that all six neighborhood middle schools now track in all core subjects in 7th and 8th grades, just this fall, and the several neighborhood high schools are offering more rigor. Without a real elected school board here in DC, all parents can do is organize to get rid of a mayor who doesn’t deliver for the most advanced students, a much higher mountain to climb. Essentially hopeless.

Anonymous wrote:Yet another worthwhile thread derailed by posters who think they're witty but aren't. The rub is that we could really use a bona fide high school magnet in this particular city. No joke.

I just wish we could take all the energy spent here and somehow channel into some pressure on the city.

Yet another worthwhile thread derailed by posters who think they're witty but aren't. The rub is that we could really use a bona fide high school magnet in this particular city. No joke.