Anonymous
Post 07/23/2015 09:46     Subject: El Haynes vs. Powell: Are we crazy to...
Anonymous wrote:OP, try to ignore all the vitriol you're getting -- you're not alone in considering demographics in choosing the best school environment for your kid. This forum loves to anonymously and baselessly throw the racism assertion around.

I feel like we faced a similar decision to you three years ago when our oldest was in PK3 at a DCPS close to our house and we got into Cap City. We just couldn't pass up the chance at a decent K-12 solution for our kids. EL Haynes is one of the most well-established charters in the city. As such, most of its families are content and so it doesn't have a lot of new slots for folks to argue the virtues of on DCUM.

I know the dual language aspect is appealing and am not really in a position to advise on how real that benefit will end up being for you, although for our family I never really considered it to be a compelling reason to choose my child's entire school experience.

Also keep in mind that once you're in a charter, you're free to move elsewhere at any point if you decide you need a better middle school than ELH ends up offering. For example, Crestwood and 16th Street Heights are grandfathered into Deal for any kid who reaches middle school age by 2022.


How do you figure? OP is stating that a near 90% Hispanic is a pro for Powell, but a great balance of 1/3 Hispanic 1/3 Black is a Con for Haynes! On paper, the Haynes diversity should be the one that's a pro. More than 1/3 Hispanic at Haynes is more than enough to allow her half Hispanic child have kids to relate to. Scores are similar, so it's not like the 40% black kids are going to damage her kid's education. There is no way you can make that statement ok. I was hoping OP made a mistake and meant to have the demo a pro for Haynes and con for Powell but clearly she meant it the way she wrote it.
Anonymous
Post 07/23/2015 09:42     Subject: El Haynes vs. Powell: Are we crazy to...
Anonymous wrote:OP, try to ignore all the vitriol you're getting -- you're not alone in considering demographics in choosing the best school environment for your kid. This forum loves to anonymously and baselessly throw the racism assertion around.

I feel like we faced a similar decision to you three years ago when our oldest was in PK3 at a DCPS close to our house and we got into Cap City. We just couldn't pass up the chance at a decent K-12 solution for our kids. EL Haynes is one of the most well-established charters in the city. As such, most of its families are content and so it doesn't have a lot of new slots for folks to argue the virtues of on DCUM.

I know the dual language aspect is appealing and am not really in a position to advise on how real that benefit will end up being for you, although for our family I never really considered it to be a compelling reason to choose my child's entire school experience.

Also keep in mind that once you're in a charter, you're free to move elsewhere at any point if you decide you need a better middle school than ELH ends up offering. For example, Crestwood and 16th Street Heights are grandfathered into Deal for any kid who reaches middle school age by 2022.


Cap City has a mediocre high school just like Haynes.
Anonymous
Post 07/23/2015 09:17     Subject: El Haynes vs. Powell: Are we crazy to...
Powell
Anonymous
Post 07/23/2015 09:01     Subject: El Haynes vs. Powell: Are we crazy to...
OP, try to ignore all the vitriol you're getting -- you're not alone in considering demographics in choosing the best school environment for your kid. This forum loves to anonymously and baselessly throw the racism assertion around.

I feel like we faced a similar decision to you three years ago when our oldest was in PK3 at a DCPS close to our house and we got into Cap City. We just couldn't pass up the chance at a decent K-12 solution for our kids. EL Haynes is one of the most well-established charters in the city. As such, most of its families are content and so it doesn't have a lot of new slots for folks to argue the virtues of on DCUM.

I know the dual language aspect is appealing and am not really in a position to advise on how real that benefit will end up being for you, although for our family I never really considered it to be a compelling reason to choose my child's entire school experience.

Also keep in mind that once you're in a charter, you're free to move elsewhere at any point if you decide you need a better middle school than ELH ends up offering. For example, Crestwood and 16th Street Heights are grandfathered into Deal for any kid who reaches middle school age by 2022.
Anonymous
Post 07/23/2015 05:54     Subject: El Haynes vs. Powell: Are we crazy to...
Stay with dual language. Students learning a second language are smarter than single language students. Test scores don't show this because tests are testing only half their knowledge. No EL Haynes student is getting good scores on a Spanish test, but Powell students are.
Anonymous
Post 07/22/2015 23:18     Subject: El Haynes vs. Powell: Are we crazy to...
Anonymous wrote:I think Haynes has a very specific ethos. I would visit and see if it fits your own.


How would you describe that ethos?
Anonymous
Post 07/22/2015 23:01     Subject: El Haynes vs. Powell: Are we crazy to...
Anonymous wrote:The new DME is from Haynes. Why would *anyone* choose Powell? It's lame. Does it have anything - anything? - to recommend it?!


LOL

put down the bottle
Anonymous
Post 07/22/2015 22:44     Subject: El Haynes vs. Powell: Are we crazy to...
The new DME is from Haynes. Why would *anyone* choose Powell? It's lame. Does it have anything - anything? - to recommend it?!
Anonymous
Post 07/22/2015 22:41     Subject: El Haynes vs. Powell: Are we crazy to...
I think Haynes has a very specific ethos. I would visit and see if it fits your own.
Anonymous
Post 07/22/2015 22:26     Subject: El Haynes vs. Powell: Are we crazy to...
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:"[S]chool 40% AA, only 36% Hispanic." Why is this a "con" for EL Haynes.


Yes this is my question as well. Makes me sick to my stomach that so many see majority brown as a pro but a mixed brown/black majority is a pro. There is no other clear answer to this than anti-black, pro-Hispanic. Sickening.


One can want a Hispanic (or whatever) experience for their child and not be anti-black. OP is EOTP, near to both schools. That's pretty close to majority AA. Plus one parent is Hispanic, so they probably have "brown" kids. For all we know, one parent could be AA.


Nope. If there was a AA parent they would not day it's ok to be almost entirely Hispanic but not ok for a mere 40% AA. No way to sugar coat or spin OP's offensive comment.


I agree. OP, please move to Bethesda now. Take your bigotry to the suburbs where you'll be "more comfortable." I hope that your half Hispanic kids don't have to deal with the type of bigotry you've displayed here.
Anonymous
Post 07/22/2015 21:38     Subject: El Haynes vs. Powell: Are we crazy to...
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:"[S]chool 40% AA, only 36% Hispanic." Why is this a "con" for EL Haynes.


Yes this is my question as well. Makes me sick to my stomach that so many see majority brown as a pro but a mixed brown/black majority is a pro. There is no other clear answer to this than anti-black, pro-Hispanic. Sickening.


One can want a Hispanic (or whatever) experience for their child and not be anti-black. OP is EOTP, near to both schools. That's pretty close to majority AA. Plus one parent is Hispanic, so they probably have "brown" kids. For all we know, one parent could be AA.


Nope. If there was a AA parent they would not day it's ok to be almost entirely Hispanic but not ok for a mere 40% AA. No way to sugar coat or spin OP's offensive comment.
Anonymous
Post 07/22/2015 21:32     Subject: Re:El Haynes vs. Powell: Are we crazy to...
Anonymous wrote:OP here: Reading that article, it sounds like EL Haynes HS students are from tough backgrounds. Glad their getting a good environment, but our kids will be coming from better situations than that. Wondering if that's the tenor of the whole school, or just a few picked for the article


I am the one who posted the article. Don't know - not a Haynes parent but thought it was a good story when I read it a couple wks ago.

The high school demographic profile looks like a lot of disadvantaged kids - significant ELL, 20% special Ed and high numbers from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. http://www.dcpcsb.org/school/el-haynes-pcs-high-school

But it is a small school, that was their first graduating class and these things can change quickly. Really think you should ask the school to be put in touch with middle and upper school parents and get their views.
Anonymous
Post 07/22/2015 21:21     Subject: Re:El Haynes vs. Powell: Are we crazy to...
OP here: Reading that article, it sounds like EL Haynes HS students are from tough backgrounds. Glad their getting a good environment, but our kids will be coming from better situations than that. Wondering if that's the tenor of the whole school, or just a few picked for the article
Anonymous
Post 07/22/2015 20:56     Subject: El Haynes vs. Powell: Are we crazy to...
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Those that say EL Haynes HS isn't good/ even an option: why? Personal experience? Perception? Data?


Any thoughts or opinions on this?



This is a feature story on EL Haynes first graduating high school class and the challenges the students overcame. Maybe it will help you decide what questions to ask of the school leadership.

http://m.wamu.org/#/programs/metro_connection/15/07/03/with_tough_love_and_encouragement_dc_charter_school_seeks_to_erase_achievement_gap
Anonymous
Post 07/22/2015 20:34     Subject: El Haynes vs. Powell: Are we crazy to...
Anonymous wrote:Those that say EL Haynes HS isn't good/ even an option: why? Personal experience? Perception? Data?


Any thoughts or opinions on this?