Anonymous wrote:The DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB) accepted 11 applications to open new public charter schools by the February 1st deadline. The charter schools, if approved, would open in fall 2013.

The applications offered a variety of program options: two elementary schools with language immersion (Hebrew and Arabic); four young adult education programs with one focused on job training in renewable energy technologies, one on preparing for postsecondary education and employment, another on alternative education targeted to at-risk youth and the other a virtual/online program; an elementary/middle school; a college prep high school; a Montessori program and a combined traditional and online K-12 program.

http://www.dcpubliccharter.com/News-Room.aspx?id=250

Hope they're planning to approve several of them. Charter enrollment continues to rise, DCPS enrollment continues to fall.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-schools-insider/post/dc-charter-enrollment-up-8-percent/2012/02/13/gIQAALOKBR_blog.html

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the Arabic School have its sights on having the National Islamic Center as their home base? That is in Ward 3.

There is a mosque there, which seems like it might be blurring the lines between separation of church and state. In any case, if that were allowed then one could hardly point to the Hebrew charter and suggest that it was too religious.

Personally, I would like to see both schools open. Real estate for charters is a real challenge.

This is a wild guess, but I would not be shocked at all if the founders of this school were expecting a massive donation from some wealthy Middle Eastern state--Saudi Arabia most likely, or perhaps Bahrain--to cover the purchase of a building in Ward 3 that could house the school.

meant to say ward 3...the bilingual school might have been ABC...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:schools have been quartered in ward 3 before, such as DC bilingual, and Latin(?)

DC Bilingual is Ward 1. Latin is Ward 4.

Washington Latin started off in a different location: from their website Washington Latin opened in 2006 with 179 students in grades five through seven; we will add a grade each year and graduate our first class of seniors in June of 2012. Our first location was in Christ Church of Washington at 3855 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. (two blocks west of Washington National Cathedral). which was Ward #. There was also a bilingual middle school at the Boys and Girl's club in Georgetown, not sure if it was DC bilingual....

Anonymous wrote:Does the Arabic School have its sights on having the National Islamic Center as their home base? That is in Ward 3.

There is a mosque there, which seems like it might be blurring the lines between separation of church and state. In any case, if that were allowed then one could hardly point to the Hebrew charter and suggest that it was too religious.

Personally, I would like to see both schools open. Real estate for charters is a real challenge.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:schools have been quartered in ward 3 before, such as DC bilingual, and Latin(?)

DC Bilingual is Ward 1. Latin is Ward 4.

Latin started out on Mass Ave in ward 3, in the stretch between the Cathedral and AU.

Does the Arabic School have its sights on having the National Islamic Center as their home base? That is in Ward 3.

Anonymous wrote:schools have been quartered in ward 3 before, such as DC bilingual, and Latin(?)

DC Bilingual is Ward 1. Latin is Ward 4.

schools have been quartered in ward 3 before, such as DC bilingual, and Latin(?)

Anonymous wrote:I was happy about the Arabic school until I saw that Ward 3 is the target location. Good for Ward 3 (if approved) but too far for us to consider.

Still a great idea and I hope that its approved.

I wouldn't worry about that. Getting a home in Ward 3 is about as likely as getting chartered all the way to grade 12.

I was happy about the Arabic school until I saw that Ward 3 is the target location. Good for Ward 3 (if approved) but too far for us to consider.

Still a great idea and I hope that its approved.

I am a white jew whose kid is learning Chinese and I would love it if they also learned Arabic. Languages spoken in large portions of the world I think are highly desireable. I have little interest in my kids learning Hebrew beyond biblical Hebrew in order to get through their bar mitzvahs, unless of course they love it. I do think it is worthwhile to learn a language, any language, at a young age though. BTW: Latin offers Arabic as an afterschool elective starting in the 8th grade. Friends kids who took it got to go to Qatar a couple of years ago.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:15:09-- you sound a bit anti semetic. I mean Hebrew is still a living language, spoken by an entire country of Jews, Mulims and Christians alike who live there.

At least it is spoken somewhere...Washington Latin anyone?

No, Latin isn't spoken by anyone ... unless you're a doctor or scientist. And it has no connection to anybody today ... unless you speak a Romance language. And who cares that a classical education forms the basis for much of western thought. I mean, you know, it's like totally irrelevant, duh?

Ok Einstein, relax. I never said that Latin isn't important. I just said nobody speaks pure Latin as an everyday language. I mean, you know, like get over yourself, you are sooo smart!

Now, now. It's not necessary to dump on other charters (Latin or Kipp or Roots or any other charter) in order to support your Hebrew school.

Some friendly advice: I've seen you on the Hebrew thread, and you really, really need to step back and let others defend the Hebrew school. Your posts are an embarrassment to the school, plagued as they are by bullying, toe-curling bad logic, and really sophomoric humor that you apparently find funny but that makes the rest of us role our eyes. And don't get me started on the charges of anti-semetism (sic) when you disagree with somebody, or the totally inappropriate comparisons to AAs and at-risk-behavior. Really, you're not a good advertisement for the Hebrew school. Do the Hebrew school a favor, stand back, and let the adults lobby for it.