Well, I have just finished reading all of these posts. I think the person who raise paternalism hit the nail on the head. None of us has any idea whether parents will chose the Hebrew charter school or not, or whether parents will think Hebrew is useful or not, or whether these children will use Hebrew later in life or not. We don't even know whether our own children would enjoy Hebrew immersion or not. At most, we know what WE want for our children. Sounds like some us of would chose the Hebrew school and some would not for OUR kids. We really have no right to make generalizations about what other DC parents will want or won't want, or the utility of the Hebrew language for kids and families we don't know. And while I don't consider myself a lazy person for not being involved in the charter school process thus, far. I do think that the application process appears to be vigorous, and that is presumedly why the Charter Board is paid to sit, and make judgments about the community support and financial viability of a given school, and everyone who has posted was free to voice their opinions during the process, so it's unclear why there is so much negativity and judgment when people elected not to participate in the process. I guess it's just part of the standard-issue DC apathy. No wonder we don't have statehood.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
That involves too much intellectual activity and hard work. They would rather just bay anonymously at the internet.

You're right - anyone with an opinion different from your own is bigoted, dumb, and lazy.

Hmm. Did you follow the charter school application process at all? (No...) Did you complain about your "different opinion" during the application process, which included multiple public hearings? (No...) Are you applying different standards to the Hebrew Charter re:, e.g., "utility," than to other "niche" schools (in most cases, yes...) Are you bitching anonymously (Yes..) If the shoe fits, wear it!

I don't happen to equate stating my opinion as bitching. I AM NOT AGAINST THEM GETTING THE CHARTER, I JUST WOULD NEVER EVER WANT TO SEND MY KID THERE AND FEEL LIKE MANY MANY PARENTS WILL FEEL THE SAME. I am simply expressing that opinion. I absolutely do not apply different standards to other niche schools, but again you seem to keep harping on the fact that everyone MUST be applying some double standard. It is simply not true. I don't know how many different ways people can say this. Sorry if this doesn't fit into the boxes you have conjured up of lazy idiots lashing out at the school. I would have been done with this thread a long time ago if people didn't repeatedly call me a bigot, which for some reason got me worked up.

Opinion stated, and done .

Them? When you use the word "them," other posters don't need to call you a bigot. You said it yourself.

Whoa, paranoid!

When will this thread die? Y'all just go on with your bad selves and your Hebrew.

I am more than confident that the school will work because of the demographic it will attract. I predict that the children will be bright and shiny and the parents will be very committed and supportive of the mission.

And the other 80% of DC's children will keep on truckin'

Thanks for the info about the classes. That looks like a pretty good deal. This brings up a relevant point for the Sela people, if they are reading this thread. Is there going to be a component to the school for non-Hebrew speaking parents to learn some basic Hebrew to help our kids succeed at the school? Like a parent's night class? I thought YY had something like that for their parents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I wasn't sure about the school at the beginning, but now I am fully convinced it's going to be great! Thanks all you Negative Nellies! It's ironic that we're spending so many tax dollars on bullying programs, but when I listen you parents, I see why that's necessary! Anyone out there interested in setting up an Italian language charter school for these haters to tear down next year? Let's start a new thread, I'm feeling motivated!

I agree 100%. I will volunteer on the Italian school, and I think I am going to look around for a good adult Hebrew class! Do you have to be Jewish to take a Hebrew class at a synagogue or the JCC? Has anyone tried Rosetta Stone?

Anyone can take Hebrew at a local synagogue or JCC - no religious identity is checked at the door. Kind of like no religious identity will be checked at the door of Sela.
http://washingtondcjcc.org/jewish-living/classes.html

Hebrew Classes: Beginner to Advanced - July 2012
8 Tuesdays, July 10 - August 28 , 6:00 - 9:15 pm in one hour class sessions by learning level.
Cost: $195, Discounted Member Price $130 Birthright Alumni $100

Hebrew Classes: Beginner to Advanced - May 2012
8 Tuesdays, May 1 - June 19 , 6:00 - 9:15 pm in one hour class sessions by learning level.
Cost: $195, Discounted Member Price $130 Birthright Alumni $100

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I wasn't sure about the school at the beginning, but now I am fully convinced it's going to be great! Thanks all you Negative Nellies! It's ironic that we're spending so many tax dollars on bullying programs, but when I listen you parents, I see why that's necessary! Anyone out there interested in setting up an Italian language charter school for these haters to tear down next year? Let's start a new thread, I'm feeling motivated!

I agree 100%. I will volunteer on the Italian school, and I think I am going to look around for a good adult Hebrew class! Do you have to be Jewish to take a Hebrew class at a synagogue or the JCC? Has anyone tried Rosetta Stone?

Wow, I wasn't sure about the school at the beginning, but now I am fully convinced it's going to be great! Thanks all you Negative Nellies! It's ironic that we're spending so many tax dollars on bullying programs, but when I listen you parents, I see why that's necessary! Anyone out there interested in setting up an Italian language charter school for these haters to tear down next year? Let's start a new thread, I'm feeling motivated!

Thank you, 10:39, for being another voice of reason.

+1000

Anonymous wrote:Where can you find the applications online?

Google 'dc charter board' and there is a link from main page of website.

Frankly, I don't care where you send your kid to school. That's completely your decision. My children are too old to send to the Hebrew language immersion school, so I don't really have a horse in this race. Still, as someone who tries to be an active public citizen, nothing burns more than people who choose to do nothing and whine about it later. I would be more excited about a Portuguese immersion charter. However, I understand that I have no right to decide what other parents want for their children - that is the function of the charter school board, and market forces, not me. That's not rude, that's ego subjugation.

If you truly want to weigh in on "widespread interest," then I expect you will attend all of the public meetings and write letters of support or disapproval for next year's crop of schools.

Frankly, I don't care what you expect and don't know why you feel a need to be so rude. My child is still very young, and I had not understood the charter approval or application process until I was introduced to the issue through this thread. I appreciate it being brought to light, it raises some interesting questions that I had not thought about previously.

We should support all approved charters and hope that they succeed (singing kumbaya is optional). I think "widespread interest" is subjective and hard to quantify. The Board requires applicants to demonstrate community support, sound curricula, and a realistic budget. They were satisfied that all of this years charters, including the Hebrew one, met that test. Everyone on this post had an opportunity to voice approval or disapproval for the concept. Just as we all will be able to do so in the future for other charters. The real test, as several people have mentioned, is whether or not a given charter can fill its seats. It's not whether you would chose the school for your kid or whether you (paternalistically) think that parents of the underserved would choose the school. The whole point of the Board is that they represent the community, and they weigh the charter applications with the public comments of people who choose to participate in the process. If you truly want to weigh in on "widespread interest," then I expect you will attend all of the public meetings and write letters of support or disapproval for next year's crop of schools.

Accordingly, with charter granted, I think we should all band together and support the school - and hold them accountable if their test scores do not meet national standards. I suspect we will all be surprised on that front.

I think a lot of people on this thread agree with this - I can't imagine anyone wanting a school that has been approved to fail! However, aside from the issue of supporting this particular school now that it exists, the larger question of whether widespread interest in the subject of the charter should be a criterion for approval remains valid, and should be explored further for future applications.

And why should we band totether and support this school in particular? Should we sing kumbaya also.

I would rather my tax dollars not support a baseball stadium, multiple wars, Adrian Fenty's heated swimming pool, and sundry.

However, I accept that in a representative democracy, various processes are established for approving or rejecting expenditures and initiatives, including charter schools. I was initially on the fence about the Hebrew charter (as I am about charter schools generally - being the child of two former DCPS teachers), now I support the school. I agree with statements that people who oppose the school had ample opportunity to participate in the process, and for whatever reason, chose not to. Accordingly, with charter granted, I think we should all band together and support the school - and hold them accountable if their test scores do not meet national standards. I suspect we will all be surprised on that front.