No rush to build a new school during a recession. By the time Cardozo is at capacity, Howard Middle School may be closed, boundaries might be redrawn, the Banneker site may be available, etc. We should deal with the boundary and feeder process first (are you planning a school with 2.5 feeders--Garrison/Seaton/Cleveland English--or the SWW feeders too? Seems like the sort of thing you should decide in advance), rebuild DC's rainy day fund, and then think about a new middle school building.

In the meantime, get Cardozo a separate middle school principal, offer honors math and English classes for anyone who gets a 4 or 5 on PARCC (even if the classes are small), get the school and its feeders to interact more, and achieve more community buy-in. If few people are sending their kids there, there's no need for a bigger building because it's not going to reach capacity as fast as DCPS predicts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing that I have never understood is, if you know your kid will not attend (or likely wont because of timing)... and you are still advocating for the new school, why are you not also advocating for the existing school.

It just really bothers me that so many people want to help these future kids, but aren't willing to help the existing kids.

Because the existing school is such a hot mess and its principal so hostile to the middle school that there is really little that can be accomplished. Parent advocacy can't fix everything.

For those bashing Cardozo, please relate your firsthand experiences with the school or sending your children there that made you conclude it is so terrible no kids should go there. In the meantime, can y’all stop pretending there’s anything other than racist and classist perceptions fueling this anti-Cardozo demand for a separate middle school in center city?

Could it possibly be the rock bottom low test scores? Or maybe that the proportion of kids living in the boundary who choose to attend is also super low? Very few people of any race or class are willing to send their children to this school. Why?

So true. Out of all the MS in DC, Cardozo has the worst scores in the city. It has the lowest in-boundary student population too. It is just not good enough. No child, mine, yours, or current students, should be in a school that is doing so poorly.

Agree with you 100%... except... what is the answer? Fix the school? Or build a completely new Building for the school And hope that solves all the problems?

Both. New building for long term capacity reasons. New principal, no more having to share schedules and space with high school should make things easier. Do whatever they did at Brookland Middle because that school is doing okay.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing that I have never understood is, if you know your kid will not attend (or likely wont because of timing)... and you are still advocating for the new school, why are you not also advocating for the existing school.

It just really bothers me that so many people want to help these future kids, but aren't willing to help the existing kids.

Because the existing school is such a hot mess and its principal so hostile to the middle school that there is really little that can be accomplished. Parent advocacy can't fix everything.

For those bashing Cardozo, please relate your firsthand experiences with the school or sending your children there that made you conclude it is so terrible no kids should go there. In the meantime, can y’all stop pretending there’s anything other than racist and classist perceptions fueling this anti-Cardozo demand for a separate middle school in center city?

Could it possibly be the rock bottom low test scores? Or maybe that the proportion of kids living in the boundary who choose to attend is also super low? Very few people of any race or class are willing to send their children to this school. Why?

So true. Out of all the MS in DC, Cardozo has the worst scores in the city. It has the lowest in-boundary student population too. It is just not good enough. No child, mine, yours, or current students, should be in a school that is doing so poorly.

Agree with you 100%... except... what is the answer? Fix the school? Or build a completely new Building for the school And hope that solves all the problems?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing that I have never understood is, if you know your kid will not attend (or likely wont because of timing)... and you are still advocating for the new school, why are you not also advocating for the existing school.

It just really bothers me that so many people want to help these future kids, but aren't willing to help the existing kids.

Because the existing school is such a hot mess and its principal so hostile to the middle school that there is really little that can be accomplished. Parent advocacy can't fix everything.

For those bashing Cardozo, please relate your firsthand experiences with the school or sending your children there that made you conclude it is so terrible no kids should go there. In the meantime, can y’all stop pretending there’s anything other than racist and classist perceptions fueling this anti-Cardozo demand for a separate middle school in center city?

Could it possibly be the rock bottom low test scores? Or maybe that the proportion of kids living in the boundary who choose to attend is also super low? Very few people of any race or class are willing to send their children to this school. Why?

So true. Out of all the MS in DC, Cardozo has the worst scores in the city. It has the lowest in-boundary student population too. It is just not good enough. No child, mine, yours, or current students, should be in a school that is doing so poorly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I interact with the students, and they find it a difficult environment. It's a hard transition from elementary, where they are seen and treated as children. At Cardozo, they have to grow up quick. The middle school students are not kept separate from the high schoolers. It's rough.

Middle schoolers have a separate entrance, take classes on the 3rd floor where no high schoolers are, and use common spaces like the gym, cafeteria, and library at different times.

The middle schoolers are definitely kept separate. I toured the school and saw it myself. The only consistent interactions would potentially be before or after school when they have left school grounds. But there are plenty of other schools across the district with similar Middle/High schools attached or next door where similar interactions would occur.

Anonymous wrote:
I interact with the students, and they find it a difficult environment. It's a hard transition from elementary, where they are seen and treated as children. At Cardozo, they have to grow up quick. The middle school students are not kept separate from the high schoolers. It's rough.

Middle schoolers have a separate entrance, take classes on the 3rd floor where no high schoolers are, and use common spaces like the gym, cafeteria, and library at different times.

Anonymous wrote:Strange that the feasibility study is looking at the pros and cons of two buildings as potential MS sites rather than other options. Eg. PK-8 at Seaton or spinning off the Cardozo 6-8 program as it’s own MS, with its own principal etc, plus some building reconfiguration perhaps on site at Cardozo.

They did look at PK-8 at Seaton and concluded that there wouldn't be enough room for all the kids who need to attend the middle school.

There's no way to fit everyone in at Cardozo either, in the long run. Building reconfiguration could extend this for a few years, but after that, what?

Strange that the feasibility study is looking at the pros and cons of two buildings as potential MS sites rather than other options. Eg. PK-8 at Seaton or spinning off the Cardozo 6-8 program as it’s own MS, with its own principal etc, plus some building reconfiguration perhaps on site at Cardozo.

I interact with the students, and they find it a difficult environment. It's a hard transition from elementary, where they are seen and treated as children. At Cardozo, they have to grow up quick. The middle school students are not kept separate from the high schoolers. It's rough.

We are a minority family that has been here a while (Thomson ES in the 80s/90s). The schools have always been bleh. I was jealous of what they had with Oyster. So I hoped something like a larger K-8 SWW and K-8 Seaton esp with a Spanish focus or something would happen for us. I guess that’s not in the cards. The people I knew from back in the day that are still here and have kids in school go to Cardozo if they can’t get into anywhere else. I haven’t heard any complaints, but resignation is high and expectations are low.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing that I have never understood is, if you know your kid will not attend (or likely wont because of timing)... and you are still advocating for the new school, why are you not also advocating for the existing school.

It just really bothers me that so many people want to help these future kids, but aren't willing to help the existing kids.

Because the existing school is such a hot mess and its principal so hostile to the middle school that there is really little that can be accomplished. Parent advocacy can't fix everything.

For those bashing Cardozo, please relate your firsthand experiences with the school or sending your children there that made you conclude it is so terrible no kids should go there. In the meantime, can y’all stop pretending there’s anything other than racist and classist perceptions fueling this anti-Cardozo demand for a separate middle school in center city?

Could it possibly be the rock bottom low test scores? Or maybe that the proportion of kids living in the boundary who choose to attend is also super low? Very few people of any race or class are willing to send their children to this school. Why?

Right, no firsthand experience, that’s what I thought. You may want to check with the families of the 200 kids who DO send their kids to the school and find out about their experiences before demanding a whole new school for your kids. And if they flag issues they have with the school, maybe spend your energy, time, and money supporting the school to help make it better rather than just railing against low test scores.

Why don't you fill us in on what makes it even a minimally acceptable school for any child.

If you don't know anything about the school aside from the demographics and the test scores (note: test scores are highly correlated with income level), maybe get informed before you start making judgments about the school being a "hot mess." The current principal has only been there for a year and has never been "hostile to the middle school" either, so let's dispel that myth as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing that I have never understood is, if you know your kid will not attend (or likely wont because of timing)... and you are still advocating for the new school, why are you not also advocating for the existing school.

It just really bothers me that so many people want to help these future kids, but aren't willing to help the existing kids.

Because the existing school is such a hot mess and its principal so hostile to the middle school that there is really little that can be accomplished. Parent advocacy can't fix everything.

For those bashing Cardozo, please relate your firsthand experiences with the school or sending your children there that made you conclude it is so terrible no kids should go there. In the meantime, can y’all stop pretending there’s anything other than racist and classist perceptions fueling this anti-Cardozo demand for a separate middle school in center city?

Could it possibly be the rock bottom low test scores? Or maybe that the proportion of kids living in the boundary who choose to attend is also super low? Very few people of any race or class are willing to send their children to this school. Why?

Right, no firsthand experience, that’s what I thought. You may want to check with the families of the 200 kids who DO send their kids to the school and find out about their experiences before demanding a whole new school for your kids. And if they flag issues they have with the school, maybe spend your energy, time, and money supporting the school to help make it better rather than just railing against low test scores.

Why don't you fill us in on what makes it even a minimally acceptable school for any child.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing that I have never understood is, if you know your kid will not attend (or likely wont because of timing)... and you are still advocating for the new school, why are you not also advocating for the existing school.

It just really bothers me that so many people want to help these future kids, but aren't willing to help the existing kids.

Because the existing school is such a hot mess and its principal so hostile to the middle school that there is really little that can be accomplished. Parent advocacy can't fix everything.

For those bashing Cardozo, please relate your firsthand experiences with the school or sending your children there that made you conclude it is so terrible no kids should go there. In the meantime, can y’all stop pretending there’s anything other than racist and classist perceptions fueling this anti-Cardozo demand for a separate middle school in center city?

Could it possibly be the rock bottom low test scores? Or maybe that the proportion of kids living in the boundary who choose to attend is also super low? Very few people of any race or class are willing to send their children to this school. Why?

Right, no firsthand experience, that’s what I thought. You may want to check with the families of the 200 kids who DO send their kids to the school and find out about their experiences before demanding a whole new school for your kids. And if they flag issues they have with the school, maybe spend your energy, time, and money supporting the school to help make it better rather than just railing against low test scores.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing that I have never understood is, if you know your kid will not attend (or likely wont because of timing)... and you are still advocating for the new school, why are you not also advocating for the existing school.

It just really bothers me that so many people want to help these future kids, but aren't willing to help the existing kids.

Because the existing school is such a hot mess and its principal so hostile to the middle school that there is really little that can be accomplished. Parent advocacy can't fix everything.

For those bashing Cardozo, please relate your firsthand experiences with the school or sending your children there that made you conclude it is so terrible no kids should go there. In the meantime, can y’all stop pretending there’s anything other than racist and classist perceptions fueling this anti-Cardozo demand for a separate middle school in center city?

Exactly— all of this.

Why don't you fill us in on why the metrics are so bad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing that I have never understood is, if you know your kid will not attend (or likely wont because of timing)... and you are still advocating for the new school, why are you not also advocating for the existing school.

It just really bothers me that so many people want to help these future kids, but aren't willing to help the existing kids.

Because the existing school is such a hot mess and its principal so hostile to the middle school that there is really little that can be accomplished. Parent advocacy can't fix everything.

For those bashing Cardozo, please relate your firsthand experiences with the school or sending your children there that made you conclude it is so terrible no kids should go there. In the meantime, can y’all stop pretending there’s anything other than racist and classist perceptions fueling this anti-Cardozo demand for a separate middle school in center city?

Exactly— all of this.