Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking Oyster out of the feeder pattern makes as much, if not more, sense than removing Bancroft and Shepherd.

Let them continue their dual language programs at CHEC or Roosevelt.

This is an excellent idea. Even see if DCI can take them - the city supposedly wants DCPS and charters to partner together.

I thought Oyster did lose Deal (because of Adams)? But kept Wilson?

Yes, to both.

It's only a matter of time before space constraints results in a push to drop the Hardy cluster from Wilson

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone attend this meeting? I heard from an attendee that there was discussion of removing EOTP schools from the Deal/Wilson feed (i.e., Shepherd and Bancroft). Is this accurate? Were there other strategies for reducing overcrowding on the table, or was removal of feeders the main strategy being considered in the short-term?

DCPS is launching a working group to address Ward 3 population issues. All schools have a community rep and principal rep. As of April 29, Hyde, Lafayette and Shepherd had not named community representatives (parents or staff, etc). The Principal needs to submit the name - so if you are a parent at one of those schools, please bug your Principal to do it.

The first meeting is May 16. Mary Cheh, the School Board and the Ward 3 - Wilson Feeder Education Network (a group of PTA, LSAT, and other community members at schools in the Wilson feeder pattern) are also represented.

OP here. Thank you; this is helpful. However it's also troubling, as I've heard that Shepherd was not notified about this mtg (although I haven't verified that). I'm just a parent, not on the PTA or any other committees, but I will definitely try to nudge school leaders about this.

Short message for now. (Sorry at work, and now off to school chorus concert!)

1. No Chancellor. DCPS Planning Office and Office of Family Engagement. Mary Cheh there too.

2. DCPS presented some numbers on overcapacity and enrollment projections, as did I. On big picture: both agree that schools are overcrowding and will get more so, even if we differ on degree and some details.

3. DCPS also reviewed some of the solutions that W3EdNet folks brainstormed about at our February 23rd meeting (covered in NW Current) and added some of their own. No conclusions. DCPS wants "all options on the table" (so yes OOB rights and feeder patterns were mentioned). As noted (sort of) earlier, we pushed this issue with DCPS and invited them to our May meeting. They agreed to come, and the Chancellor announced a community working group on the issue, with representatives from each of the schools. It does indeed meet on May 16 and will work over the next 5-6 months on the issue. Of course, in the end it is DCPS' call.

4. I will send a link to the slide deck from the meeting when DCPS posts it.

5. I have been working with folks at all three schools mentioned to make sure that they get reps on the community working group (DCPS invites and runs it, but I have an interest in knowing who the family reps are). I am sure that DCPS reached out to the schools, but these things take time. Folks at most of the schools have volunteered and will likely be finalized soon. I also invited (as we always do, but this time with a little more vigour) people from every school to the W3EdNet meeting. We have also reached out to folks outside (but near) the Wilson feeder pattern schools.

6. Happy to have others' interest in this issue. Email me at w3ednet@gmail.com if you want to be in the loop, or participate in our meetings more broadly. (Can also follow us on Twitter or Facebook.)

Thanks,

Brian Doyle
Co-Chair
Ward 3 - Wilson Feeder Education Network

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking Oyster out of the feeder pattern makes as much, if not more, sense than removing Bancroft and Shepherd.

Let them continue their dual language programs at CHEC or Roosevelt.

This is an excellent idea. Even see if DCI can take them - the city supposedly wants DCPS and charters to partner together.

I thought Oyster did lose Deal (because of Adams)? But kept Wilson?

Yes, they kept Wilson after making a lot of noise -- an earlier plan had it feeding somewhere else.

PP doesn't know much about Oyster Adams. Removing Oyster and Adams Middle school as Wilson feeders will make very, very little difference.

Bancroft and Shepherd elementaries between them have 881 kids (according to http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov). Oyster elementary and Adams middle school together have 681. May kids leave Oyster after elementary, so Adams only has like 160 kids. Two years ago only like 15 kids went from Adams to Wilson, and that's about average. More kids typically go to Walls, Ellington and privates. Lots of kids going to Wilson next year from Adams, but it's a very unusual year and a very unusual Adams class.

In terms of practical steps to ease Wilson overcrowding, this is not a helpful idea. Some people seem to get really excited about it (some people seem to really dislike Oyster, not sure why), but it's not a helpful suggestion.

Okay, but then it should also be low-hanging fruit. So let's do it. After all, at this point every little bit helps.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone attend this meeting? I heard from an attendee that there was discussion of removing EOTP schools from the Deal/Wilson feed (i.e., Shepherd and Bancroft). Is this accurate? Were there other strategies for reducing overcrowding on the table, or was removal of feeders the main strategy being considered in the short-term?

DCPS is launching a working group to address Ward 3 population issues. All schools have a community rep and principal rep. As of April 29, Hyde, Lafayette and Shepherd had not named community representatives (parents or staff, etc). The Principal needs to submit the name - so if you are a parent at one of those schools, please bug your Principal to do it.

The first meeting is May 16. Mary Cheh, the School Board and the Ward 3 - Wilson Feeder Education Network (a group of PTA, LSAT, and other community members at schools in the Wilson feeder pattern) are also represented.

OP here. Thank you; this is helpful. However it's also troubling, as I've heard that Shepherd was not notified about this mtg (although I haven't verified that). I'm just a parent, not on the PTA or any other committees, but I will definitely try to nudge school leaders about this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are several obvious ways to fix the overcrowding problem. Almost all involve telling some neighborhoods or groups they won't get to attend in the future. That will surely cause complaining from those groups. The key question is whether families suffering from the overcapacity will complain louder than the families who want to preserve access despite causing the overcrowding. If Deal families want to fix the problem, they need to speak up rather than just suffering quietly.

Yes. Whose suffering is going to be more compelling to DCPS - those stuck in low-performing or failing schools or those who only have 3 possible baseball teams to try out for in MS?

Humorous and spot on.

Well, the camel's back is being broken by not having a sensible OOB feeder rights policy, that much is clear!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking Oyster out of the feeder pattern makes as much, if not more, sense than removing Bancroft and Shepherd.

Let them continue their dual language programs at CHEC or Roosevelt.

This is an excellent idea. Even see if DCI can take them - the city supposedly wants DCPS and charters to partner together.

I thought Oyster did lose Deal (because of Adams)? But kept Wilson?

Yes, they kept Wilson after making a lot of noise -- an earlier plan had it feeding somewhere else.

PP doesn't know much about Oyster Adams. Removing Oyster and Adams Middle school as Wilson feeders will make very, very little difference.

Bancroft and Shepherd elementaries between them have 881 kids (according to http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov). Oyster elementary and Adams middle school together have 681. May kids leave Oyster after elementary, so Adams only has like 160 kids. Two years ago only like 15 kids went from Adams to Wilson, and that's about average. More kids typically go to Walls, Ellington and privates. Lots of kids going to Wilson next year from Adams, but it's a very unusual year and a very unusual Adams class.

In terms of practical steps to ease Wilson overcrowding, this is not a helpful idea. Some people seem to get really excited about it (some people seem to really dislike Oyster, not sure why), but it's not a helpful suggestion.

Every little bit that make sense helps. The straw that broke the camel's back was just a straw after all, but the camel would have been healthier without it.

*many kids leave...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking Oyster out of the feeder pattern makes as much, if not more, sense than removing Bancroft and Shepherd.

Let them continue their dual language programs at CHEC or Roosevelt.

This is an excellent idea. Even see if DCI can take them - the city supposedly wants DCPS and charters to partner together.

I thought Oyster did lose Deal (because of Adams)? But kept Wilson?

Yes, they kept Wilson after making a lot of noise -- an earlier plan had it feeding somewhere else.

PP doesn't know much about Oyster Adams. Removing Oyster and Adams Middle school as Wilson feeders will make very, very little difference.

Bancroft and Shepherd elementaries between them have 881 kids (according to http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov). Oyster elementary and Adams middle school together have 681. May kids leave Oyster after elementary, so Adams only has like 160 kids. Two years ago only like 15 kids went from Adams to Wilson, and that's about average. More kids typically go to Walls, Ellington and privates. Lots of kids going to Wilson next year from Adams, but it's a very unusual year and a very unusual Adams class.

In terms of practical steps to ease Wilson overcrowding, this is not a helpful idea. Some people seem to get really excited about it (some people seem to really dislike Oyster, not sure why), but it's not a helpful suggestion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking Oyster out of the feeder pattern makes as much, if not more, sense than removing Bancroft and Shepherd.

Let them continue their dual language programs at CHEC or Roosevelt.

This is an excellent idea. Even see if DCI can take them - the city supposedly wants DCPS and charters to partner together.

I thought Oyster did lose Deal (because of Adams)? But kept Wilson?

Yes, they kept Wilson after making a lot of noise -- an earlier plan had it feeding somewhere else.

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone attend this meeting? I heard from an attendee that there was discussion of removing EOTP schools from the Deal/Wilson feed (i.e., Shepherd and Bancroft). Is this accurate? Were there other strategies for reducing overcrowding on the table, or was removal of feeders the main strategy being considered in the short-term?

DCPS is launching a working group to address Ward 3 population issues. All schools have a community rep and principal rep. As of April 29, Hyde, Lafayette and Shepherd had not named community representatives (parents or staff, etc). The Principal needs to submit the name - so if you are a parent at one of those schools, please bug your Principal to do it.

The first meeting is May 16. Mary Cheh, the School Board and the Ward 3 - Wilson Feeder Education Network (a group of PTA, LSAT, and other community members at schools in the Wilson feeder pattern) are also represented.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking Oyster out of the feeder pattern makes as much, if not more, sense than removing Bancroft and Shepherd.

Let them continue their dual language programs at CHEC or Roosevelt.

This is an excellent idea. Even see if DCI can take them - the city supposedly wants DCPS and charters to partner together.

I thought Oyster did lose Deal (because of Adams)? But kept Wilson?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking Oyster out of the feeder pattern makes as much, if not more, sense than removing Bancroft and Shepherd.

Let them continue their dual language programs at CHEC or Roosevelt.

This is an excellent idea. Even see if DCI can take them - the city supposedly wants DCPS and charters to partner together.

Bancroft already has dual enrollment rights to MacFarland so I think the writing is on the wall.

Re DCI - they simply won't have room if the Stokes and MV expansions go through.

Anonymous wrote:Taking Oyster out of the feeder pattern makes as much, if not more, sense than removing Bancroft and Shepherd.

Let them continue their dual language programs at CHEC or Roosevelt.

This is an excellent idea. Even see if DCI can take them - the city supposedly wants DCPS and charters to partner together.