Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I want and what DCPS wants are two different things.

Despite all teh chatter on this thread, and talk of a building that's been mentioned for this unicorn test-in middle school, no one seems to know who is in charge, when it might open or how one can leran more about it.

DCPS has a strategic goal of closing the achievement gap city wide. The quickest way to do that is to lure high performing students back from charters.

If this unicorn school comes to pass rest assured that the admissions policy will be such that at least half the seats go to students of color -- just as always happens at SWW.

Those who think it's going to be a BASIS-type accelerated school with all high-SES students, better facilities and foreign trips are going to be disappointed.

Exactly, PP. Thanks a lot for this clear-headed post. It's the reverse racism that's "gross." Urban school systems must decide if their overriding goal is to serve truly gifted kids or to promote affirmative action. Trying to do both in equal measure invariably leads to parent-initiated lawsuits and the eventual dismantling of affirmative action-based admissions regimes. This happened at Boston Latin in the mid 1990s and with NYC's famous magnet schools in the early 2000s. Until DC has moved beyond the current hopelessly political correct school system development trajectory, a firmly merit-based admission system at an accelerated middle school is pie in the sky. We would need a new mayor, mostly new faces on the city council, and around ten years to have a shot, far too late for our own children.

This line of reasoning makes little sense. There are a finite number of high performing students and this is zero sum thinking. If advanced students are well served at some charters then drawing from that pool simply dilutes the pool. How does attracting high performing charter students back to DCPS serve overall public education goals?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I want and what DCPS wants are two different things.

Despite all teh chatter on this thread, and talk of a building that's been mentioned for this unicorn test-in middle school, no one seems to know who is in charge, when it might open or how one can leran more about it.

DCPS has a strategic goal of closing the achievement gap city wide. The quickest way to do that is to lure high performing students back from charters.

If this unicorn school comes to pass rest assured that the admissions policy will be such that at least half the seats go to students of color -- just as always happens at SWW.

Those who think it's going to be a BASIS-type accelerated school with all high-SES students, better facilities and foreign trips are going to be disappointed.

Exactly, PP. Thanks a lot for this clear-headed post. It's the reverse racism that's "gross." Urban school systems must decide if their overriding goal is to serve truly gifted kids or to promote affirmative action. Trying to do both in equal measure invariably leads to parent-initiated lawsuits and the eventual dismantling of affirmative action-based admissions regimes. This happened at Boston Latin in the mid 1990s and with NYC's famous magnet schools in the early 2000s. Until DC has moved beyond the current hopelessly political correct school system development trajectory, a firmly merit-based admission system at an accelerated middle school is pie in the sky. We would need a new mayor, mostly new faces on the city council, and around ten years to have a shot, far too late for our own children.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I want and what DCPS wants are two different things.

Despite all teh chatter on this thread, and talk of a building that's been mentioned for this unicorn test-in middle school, no one seems to know who is in charge, when it might open or how one can leran more about it.

DCPS has a strategic goal of closing the achievement gap city wide. The quickest way to do that is to lure high performing students back from charters.

If this unicorn school comes to pass rest assured that the admissions policy will be such that at least half the seats go to students of color -- just as always happens at SWW.

Those who think it's going to be a BASIS-type accelerated school with all high-SES students, better facilities and foreign trips are going to be disappointed.

Exactly, PP. Thanks a lot for this clear-headed post. It's the reverse racism that's "gross." Urban school systems must decide if their overriding goal is to serve truly gifted kids or to promote affirmative action. Trying to do both in equal measure invariably leads to parent-initiated lawsuits and the eventual dismantling of affirmative action-based admissions regimes. This happened at Boston Latin in the mid 1990s and with NYC's famous magnet schools in the early 2000s. Until DC has moved beyond the current hopelessly political correct school system development trajectory, a firmly merit-based admission system at an accelerated middle school is pie in the sky. We would need a new mayor, mostly new faces on the city council, and around ten years to have a shot, far too late for our own children.

Anonymous wrote:What I want and what DCPS wants are two different things.

Despite all teh chatter on this thread, and talk of a building that's been mentioned for this unicorn test-in middle school, no one seems to know who is in charge, when it might open or how one can leran more about it.

DCPS has a strategic goal of closing the achievement gap city wide. The quickest way to do that is to lure high performing students back from charters.

If this unicorn school comes to pass rest assured that the admissions policy will be such that at least half the seats go to students of color -- just as always happens at SWW.

Those who think it's going to be a BASIS-type accelerated school with all high-SES students, better facilities and foreign trips are going to be disappointed.

Anonymous wrote:What I want and what DCPS wants are two different things.

Despite all teh chatter on this thread, and talk of a building that's been mentioned for this unicorn test-in middle school, no one seems to know who is in charge, when it might open or how one can leran more about it.

DCPS has a strategic goal of closing the achievement gap city wide. The quickest way to do that is to lure high performing students back from charters.

If this unicorn school comes to pass rest assured that the admissions policy will be such that at least half the seats go to students of color -- just as always happens at SWW.

Those who think it's going to be a BASIS-type accelerated school with all high-SES students, better facilities and foreign trips are going to be disappointed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things like this should be in Wards 7,8,4 and/or 5 - which are underserved by DCPS to a far greater degree than Ward 6 - and proximity to transit should be a criteria for any city-wide option.

Ward 5 got Brookland Middle, and by and large higher SES families are staying away in droves. Ward 4 is being promised McFarland. Considering the demographics of the surrounding neighborhoods vs. actual students at Hardy and SH, I wouldn't get too excited about the prospects....[/quote

Ward 5 families with means are not using DCPS elementary schools by and large, certainly not in the upper grades. We didn't get any reason to trust our kids to Brookland Middle. It needs to start with elementary schools.