Anonymous wrote:I actually don't even know where you find these private school people. OH WAIT - this is DCUM - everyone lives in Upper Caucasia! Sorry, forgot.

I've also been a DC parent for 13 years and resident for almost 20. I know a lot of people, but I don't know any private school families barring one or two at the local Catholic (at a low price tag).

ummmm.... i live EOTP and so do the private school families I know. This is one of the options for people who are not IB for Jackson Reed (us non-Ward 3 residents are most likely to exercise school choice.) Guess what, some aren't even "caucasian!" Some had their kids in DCPS first then went private for upper grades, some charter in the same scenario, some people start in DCPS and move to charters.

I agree that this probably relates to having middle and high schoolers. IME people get a lot less judgemental. You see how quickly your kids childhood is moving and people get a little more serious about prioritizing a good education.

Anonymous wrote:I actually don't even know where you find these private school people. OH WAIT - this is DCUM - everyone lives in Upper Caucasia! Sorry, forgot.

I've also been a DC parent for 13 years and resident for almost 20. I know a lot of people, but I don't know any private school families barring one or two at the local Catholic (at a low price tag).

I live in Ward 4 EOTP and my kids are at a Title I DCPS school, and I know multiple families with kids in private schools - parochial in MoCo and Ward 3, Jewish Day School just down the street, and comically expensive private schools in Ward 3.

And though we've always been DCPS, I also know dozens of families at charters, many who are committed to language acquisition above most everything else, and other families who are focusing almost all of their free time on music or dance lessons even though their kids are young because they have their eye on Ellington. There are a lot of different options in DC and I don't think it's strange to know people who make different choices.

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Anonymous wrote:I'm having a really hard time with this election, I have serious reservations about both of these candidates.

We are a family that put our kids in both DCPS and charter, and want robust, challenging classes and well-supported teachers.

Let's start a thread -- i would love to hear from people about their experiences with JLG and McDuffie on schools.

McDuffie is disqualified from being considered because BOTH of his kids were/are at GDS. So not just any private school but the most exclusive, expensive school in the area.

This. I am stuck on the GDS thing. How do you trust someone to lead DCPS that has abandoned our schools? Also how does a council member and a CSOSA employee pay for two kids to go to GDS?

With financial aid.

Also, whoever said that GDS is the most exclusive and expensive private school in DC - I think Sidwell wants a word with you. Ha!

That is crazy. Two well-paid professionals accepting charity to attend GDS. Is that what private schools do? I always assumed they help actually needy families.

I definitely know families with HHIs in the 200ks who get financial aid from GDS. this is very normal for the private school. You should apply!

+1, these schools aren't doing charity. They give financial aid to students they think will succeed at the schools. That usually means stable homes and educated parents. The vast majority of families can't afford GDS tuition, so it's a way to improve their diversity (of all kinds, including socioeconomic). But they aren't giving out prizes for the neediest families. GDS probably wouldn't serve a truly needy family well because they don't offer the services such a family would need, and it would be difficult for truly need kids to find a sense of belonging at a school where many families easily afford the huge sticker price.

This is why a mayoral candidate who sends their kids to GDS should not be elected. He's seen the other side, and he said nope. Not my kids. How can he possibly understand anything outside of the crony type political world and its elite donors? If he does understand, he has spent a lot of money and his adult life trying to make sure his kids don't have any contact with it. Meanwhile, those of us at DCPS and charters are intentionally trying to ensure our kids have exposure to diversity of all sorts.

IMPACT has been pretty successful actually. But WTU hates it, so, of course, Janeese wants to get rid of it. Their wish is her command.

"And all of the rigorous research we have suggests that it worked basically as intended. The canonical studies on this issue — by teams from the University of Virginia, Stanford, and Brown — found that when teachers rated “ineffective” left schools, they tended to be replaced by better-performing educators, and students’ results improved. Even though some effective teachers exited too, turnover had an overall positive impact on achievement — suggesting the good of the policy outweighed the bad of any “instability” it created, as one DCPS report noted.

The same was true later years, after IMPACT underwent revisions that lessened its emphasis on test scores. What’s more, a separate paper found compelling evidence that the system was spurring educators who stayed in D.C. to improve their teaching skills. (Mathematica’s research also found that Fenty’s broader set of reforms, including IMPACT, bore fruit).

Nonetheless, nixing IMPACT has remained one of the teachers’ union’s major goals. Now it’s backing Lewis George, who has promised to deliver on it."

https://capitalcommonsense.substack.com/p/im-a-dcps-parent-janeese-lewis-georges?r=9c2s&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true

I actually don't even know where you find these private school people. OH WAIT - this is DCUM - everyone lives in Upper Caucasia! Sorry, forgot.

I've also been a DC parent for 13 years and resident for almost 20. I know a lot of people, but I don't know any private school families barring one or two at the local Catholic (at a low price tag).

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Anonymous wrote:The business establishment isn’t backing him because they like Duff’s smile.
DC’s entire business and real estate lobby has consolidated behind McDuffie.
Opportunity DC, a super PAC backed by real estate executives and large donors, spent heavily to elect him to the at-large seat in 2022, unseating the progressive incumbent Elissa Silverman.

These groups don’t back candidates out of civic spirit. They back candidates they believe will govern in their interest. When the chain restaurants lobby, the real estate lobby, and the business establishment all line up behind the same person, the reasonable question is: who is he going to govern for?

How do you not understand that this EXACTLY the criticism of JLG being made in this thread regarding her adherence to WTU dogma? And also the people who defend McDuffie's business ties do so in the exact same way that people defend JLG's special interest relationships. They'll say "well, what's wrong with business and real estate? don't we want the city to be friendly to business interests in order to encourage economic development that leads to jobs, tax dollars, and more civic spirit?" And yes, there's cynicism in this argument but there is also truth -- I do actually want a mayor who will seek to advance economic investment in the city, and who will make the city more attractive to (gasp!) real estate developers and businesses of all size who are willing to put money into the city, hire people, and make this a good place to live.

I don't like Kenyon McDuffie, but this cynical argument is actually more compelling to me than the idea that JLG will magically be better on education because she sits in the back pocket of a teachers union that I can assure you has not always worked in the best interests of my kids or my family.

I'm confused as to why you think a teachers union is set up to work for the best interest of YOUR kids and family. A teachers union is in place to advocate for labor rights for educators- such as negotiating salaries, improving work environments for them, etc. Secondly, are you that narcissistic to believe that everything should always work in the favor of your kids and your family? That's not the way life works- the world doesn't revolve around you and you don't get what you want 100% of the time. This is what it means to live in a community.

NP but that PP doesn't think that the WTU exists to serve their kids' best interests - that's their point. So people in this thread repeatedly screaming "YOU HATE TEACHERS" if anyone pushes back against the WTU's positions are very, very dumb. Teachers are entitled to a union that supports their labor rights, but they're not entitled to anyone who has other priorities being demonized because the teachers union is not their moral compass.

PP here and yes, exactly. It's the job of the WTU to advocate for its members. But it's the job of the mayor to advocate for all constituents, not just teachers. Not all DCPS teachers are even DC residents. I don't want the mayor and the teacher's union to be completely unified on school issues, that doesn't make sense. Of course WTU should exist and advocate as it sees fit. I want a voice too, though.

Parents and kids will have zero say in schools if JLG is elected. You can't have a mayor who is backing WTU 100 percent of the time. Sometimes their interests do not align with anyone else's.

If JLG is elected, WTU will demand next year that school ends every Wednesday at noon (early release on Wednesday is a growing and ugly trend). They'll say teachers need time to plan or recharge or whatever. Who will say no to them if not the mayor? JLG will never say no to the union.

This is what I worry about. Parents will be completely cut out and have no say in anything.

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Anonymous wrote:I'm having a really hard time with this election, I have serious reservations about both of these candidates.

We are a family that put our kids in both DCPS and charter, and want robust, challenging classes and well-supported teachers.

Let's start a thread -- i would love to hear from people about their experiences with JLG and McDuffie on schools.

McDuffie is disqualified from being considered because BOTH of his kids were/are at GDS. So not just any private school but the most exclusive, expensive school in the area.

This. I am stuck on the GDS thing. How do you trust someone to lead DCPS that has abandoned our schools? Also how does a council member and a CSOSA employee pay for two kids to go to GDS?

Don't you have friends who send their kids to private school? I don't actually see a problem with this. If anything, it means he acknowledges that the current public school system is lacking somehow and maybe will be motivated to make it better.

EVeryone should go read JLG's WTU questionnaire, which is linked in the thread. She wants to "ease creditialing" for teachers in order to bring on more immigrant and Black male teachers -- those are her words. And drop IMPACT. that means she does not want to focus on teacher quality at all, but on teacher demographics.

No, no I don't have any friends who use the private schools. None. And we all presumably make enough to afford some of them (not a GDS - except on charity!) but it would be a stretch.

The people I am friends with are strong supporters of public education. As should be our next mayor. Sadly, McDuffie and JLG fall short.

This is really wild to me. Maybe i've just lived in the city for too long and have been a parent for more than a decade. I have friends with kids in Title 1 DCPS, wealthy DCPS, charter and private. The whole gamut. Everyone is making choices that work for their family. I can't imagine judging each other.

Same. I also think it's older kids though, too. And having a diverse friend group. One of my daughter's best friends is at a private but they met in our public neighborhood DCPS. I know the family isn't wealth and they get financial aid because we've discussed our school situation with them and concerns about middle school, and they've told us that they would walk us through the FA process if we decided to go that route. They pay less than 50% of the sticker price.

There is also self selection bias. We also know a family who is militant about DCPS or bust and very disapproving of charters (much less private). They will be friends with us because our kids are in DCPS, but they would drop us in a heartbeat if we move to a charter or private. The mom often makes comments to me trying to fish for whether we are going to the feeder middle school. We might, we haven't ruled it out, but we're exploring all options. I can't tell her that though, she'd be mad.

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Anonymous wrote:The business establishment isn’t backing him because they like Duff’s smile.
DC’s entire business and real estate lobby has consolidated behind McDuffie.
Opportunity DC, a super PAC backed by real estate executives and large donors, spent heavily to elect him to the at-large seat in 2022, unseating the progressive incumbent Elissa Silverman.

These groups don’t back candidates out of civic spirit. They back candidates they believe will govern in their interest. When the chain restaurants lobby, the real estate lobby, and the business establishment all line up behind the same person, the reasonable question is: who is he going to govern for?

How do you not understand that this EXACTLY the criticism of JLG being made in this thread regarding her adherence to WTU dogma? And also the people who defend McDuffie's business ties do so in the exact same way that people defend JLG's special interest relationships. They'll say "well, what's wrong with business and real estate? don't we want the city to be friendly to business interests in order to encourage economic development that leads to jobs, tax dollars, and more civic spirit?" And yes, there's cynicism in this argument but there is also truth -- I do actually want a mayor who will seek to advance economic investment in the city, and who will make the city more attractive to (gasp!) real estate developers and businesses of all size who are willing to put money into the city, hire people, and make this a good place to live.

I don't like Kenyon McDuffie, but this cynical argument is actually more compelling to me than the idea that JLG will magically be better on education because she sits in the back pocket of a teachers union that I can assure you has not always worked in the best interests of my kids or my family.

I'm confused as to why you think a teachers union is set up to work for the best interest of YOUR kids and family. A teachers union is in place to advocate for labor rights for educators- such as negotiating salaries, improving work environments for them, etc. Secondly, are you that narcissistic to believe that everything should always work in the favor of your kids and your family? That's not the way life works- the world doesn't revolve around you and you don't get what you want 100% of the time. This is what it means to live in a community.

NP but that PP doesn't think that the WTU exists to serve their kids' best interests - that's their point. So people in this thread repeatedly screaming "YOU HATE TEACHERS" if anyone pushes back against the WTU's positions are very, very dumb. Teachers are entitled to a union that supports their labor rights, but they're not entitled to anyone who has other priorities being demonized because the teachers union is not their moral compass.

PP here and yes, exactly. It's the job of the WTU to advocate for its members. But it's the job of the mayor to advocate for all constituents, not just teachers. Not all DCPS teachers are even DC residents. I don't want the mayor and the teacher's union to be completely unified on school issues, that doesn't make sense. Of course WTU should exist and advocate as it sees fit. I want a voice too, though.

Parents and kids will have zero say in schools if JLG is elected. You can't have a mayor who is backing WTU 100 percent of the time. Sometimes their interests do not align with anyone else's.

If JLG is elected, WTU will demand next year that school ends every Wednesday at noon (early release on Wednesday is a growing and ugly trend). They'll say teachers need time to plan or recharge or whatever. Who will say no to them if not the mayor? JLG will never say no to the union.

Is this somethingthey want?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm having a really hard time with this election, I have serious reservations about both of these candidates.

We are a family that put our kids in both DCPS and charter, and want robust, challenging classes and well-supported teachers.

Let's start a thread -- i would love to hear from people about their experiences with JLG and McDuffie on schools.

McDuffie is disqualified from being considered because BOTH of his kids were/are at GDS. So not just any private school but the most exclusive, expensive school in the area.

This. I am stuck on the GDS thing. How do you trust someone to lead DCPS that has abandoned our schools? Also how does a council member and a CSOSA employee pay for two kids to go to GDS?

Don't you have friends who send their kids to private school? I don't actually see a problem with this. If anything, it means he acknowledges that the current public school system is lacking somehow and maybe will be motivated to make it better.

EVeryone should go read JLG's WTU questionnaire, which is linked in the thread. She wants to "ease creditialing" for teachers in order to bring on more immigrant and Black male teachers -- those are her words. And drop IMPACT. that means she does not want to focus on teacher quality at all, but on teacher demographics.

No, no I don't have any friends who use the private schools. None. And we all presumably make enough to afford some of them (not a GDS - except on charity!) but it would be a stretch.

The people I am friends with are strong supporters of public education. As should be our next mayor. Sadly, McDuffie and JLG fall short.

This is really wild to me. Maybe i've just lived in the city for too long and have been a parent for more than a decade. I have friends with kids in Title 1 DCPS, wealthy DCPS, charter and private. The whole gamut. Everyone is making choices that work for their family. I can't imagine judging each other.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm having a really hard time with this election, I have serious reservations about both of these candidates.

We are a family that put our kids in both DCPS and charter, and want robust, challenging classes and well-supported teachers.

Let's start a thread -- i would love to hear from people about their experiences with JLG and McDuffie on schools.

McDuffie is disqualified from being considered because BOTH of his kids were/are at GDS. So not just any private school but the most exclusive, expensive school in the area.

This. I am stuck on the GDS thing. How do you trust someone to lead DCPS that has abandoned our schools? Also how does a council member and a CSOSA employee pay for two kids to go to GDS?

With financial aid.

Also, whoever said that GDS is the most exclusive and expensive private school in DC - I think Sidwell wants a word with you. Ha!

That is crazy. Two well-paid professionals accepting charity to attend GDS. Is that what private schools do? I always assumed they help actually needy families.

I definitely know families with HHIs in the 200ks who get financial aid from GDS. this is very normal for the private school. You should apply!

+1, these schools aren't doing charity. They give financial aid to students they think will succeed at the schools. That usually means stable homes and educated parents. The vast majority of families can't afford GDS tuition, so it's a way to improve their diversity (of all kinds, including socioeconomic). But they aren't giving out prizes for the neediest families. GDS probably wouldn't serve a truly needy family well because they don't offer the services such a family would need, and it would be difficult for truly need kids to find a sense of belonging at a school where many families easily afford the huge sticker price.

GDS for all!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm having a really hard time with this election, I have serious reservations about both of these candidates.

We are a family that put our kids in both DCPS and charter, and want robust, challenging classes and well-supported teachers.

Let's start a thread -- i would love to hear from people about their experiences with JLG and McDuffie on schools.

McDuffie is disqualified from being considered because BOTH of his kids were/are at GDS. So not just any private school but the most exclusive, expensive school in the area.

This. I am stuck on the GDS thing. How do you trust someone to lead DCPS that has abandoned our schools? Also how does a council member and a CSOSA employee pay for two kids to go to GDS?

With financial aid.

Also, whoever said that GDS is the most exclusive and expensive private school in DC - I think Sidwell wants a word with you. Ha!

That is crazy. Two well-paid professionals accepting charity to attend GDS. Is that what private schools do? I always assumed they help actually needy families.

I definitely know families with HHIs in the 200ks who get financial aid from GDS. this is very normal for the private school. You should apply!

Combined $200K is “needy” in the private school world absent substantial assets apart from home equity. We are full pay at pricey private and couldn’t imagine how mere $200K types could swing it. But if they are good families, I’m happy to have them as part of the community. Nice to have some academics, non-profiters, fed employees too!

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know where the candidates stand on consolidating our schools? Compared to our neighboring jurisdictions we seem to have smaller schools, which would obviously strain resources.

It's not a consideration. DCPS as a system is designed to offer neighborhood elementaries accessible to IB students on foot. The suburban model doesn't work the same way in the city. If you want huge consolidated schools, move to the suburbs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm having a really hard time with this election, I have serious reservations about both of these candidates.

We are a family that put our kids in both DCPS and charter, and want robust, challenging classes and well-supported teachers.

Let's start a thread -- i would love to hear from people about their experiences with JLG and McDuffie on schools.

McDuffie is disqualified from being considered because BOTH of his kids were/are at GDS. So not just any private school but the most exclusive, expensive school in the area.

This. I am stuck on the GDS thing. How do you trust someone to lead DCPS that has abandoned our schools? Also how does a council member and a CSOSA employee pay for two kids to go to GDS?

Don't you have friends who send their kids to private school? I don't actually see a problem with this. If anything, it means he acknowledges that the current public school system is lacking somehow and maybe will be motivated to make it better.

EVeryone should go read JLG's WTU questionnaire, which is linked in the thread. She wants to "ease creditialing" for teachers in order to bring on more immigrant and Black male teachers -- those are her words. And drop IMPACT. that means she does not want to focus on teacher quality at all, but on teacher demographics.

No, no I don't have any friends who use the private schools. None. And we all presumably make enough to afford some of them (not a GDS - except on charity!) but it would be a stretch.

The people I am friends with are strong supporters of public education. As should be our next mayor. Sadly, McDuffie and JLG fall short.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm having a really hard time with this election, I have serious reservations about both of these candidates.

We are a family that put our kids in both DCPS and charter, and want robust, challenging classes and well-supported teachers.

Let's start a thread -- i would love to hear from people about their experiences with JLG and McDuffie on schools.

McDuffie is disqualified from being considered because BOTH of his kids were/are at GDS. So not just any private school but the most exclusive, expensive school in the area.

This. I am stuck on the GDS thing. How do you trust someone to lead DCPS that has abandoned our schools? Also how does a council member and a CSOSA employee pay for two kids to go to GDS?

With financial aid.

Also, whoever said that GDS is the most exclusive and expensive private school in DC - I think Sidwell wants a word with you. Ha!

That is crazy. Two well-paid professionals accepting charity to attend GDS. Is that what private schools do? I always assumed they help actually needy families.

I definitely know families with HHIs in the 200ks who get financial aid from GDS. this is very normal for the private school. You should apply!