Anonymous wrote: take a look at Maury, Brent, or SWS, and you'll see an entirely different environment.

White LT parent here, I've only been through Maury a handful of times, but I definitely felt like I didn't fit in (which says as much about me as it does about Maury).

If Maury is a better fit for you, then obviously you're better off at Maury than at LT. But LT is a much better fit for my family, as well as other families I know.

The front offices of the Cluster, minus SWS, used to be not very welcoming, too. Slightly better under Clemens.

Anonymous wrote:We were one of the many families who bailed from LT. In a different school we now understand what our dc was missing there - and it really does come from the top. It is a problem to have such a poor leader. And it is a problem that she is so suspicious of the surrounding neighborhood.

A lot of families think that as long as the classroom is ok that is enough - but take a look at Maury, Brent, or SWS, and you'll see an entirely different environment.

+1

We were one of the many families who bailed from LT. In a different school we now understand what our dc was missing there - and it really does come from the top. It is a problem to have such a poor leader. And it is a problem that she is so suspicious of the surrounding neighborhood.

A lot of families think that as long as the classroom is ok that is enough - but take a look at Maury, Brent, or SWS, and you'll see an entirely different environment.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a white parent at L-T (apparently the only one who doesn't think the principal is that bad!). My daughter is in pre-K, and we are staying for K (& most likely beyond). I know at least two other non-AA families who also are keeping their kids in for K -- the "white flight" is not as drastic as some make it sound.

From what I've seen in my daughter's two years at L-T, Cobbs can come off as kinda flaky, but she hires good teachers and maintains a positive school environment for the kids. From what I've seen on DCUM, a lot of gentrifying parents feel like she isn't "welcoming enough" (whatever that means).

From my point of view, I don't give a damn about her customer service skills, as long as I continue see good results in my daughter's classroom. A friend's daughter is in K, and she has good things to say about her daughter's experience, so I feel pretty good about next year.

I also was very impressed with the way Cobbs handled an inappropriate (racist, IMHO) speech from a white parent at a school event. I was stunned and embarrassed by what he said, and she stood up afterward and did what I thought was great damage control on the fly.

Ah, c'mon, we need more details! What did the parent say?

I'm a white parent at L-T (apparently the only one who doesn't think the principal is that bad!). My daughter is in pre-K, and we are staying for K (& most likely beyond). I know at least two other non-AA families who also are keeping their kids in for K -- the "white flight" is not as drastic as some make it sound.

From what I've seen in my daughter's two years at L-T, Cobbs can come off as kinda flaky, but she hires good teachers and maintains a positive school environment for the kids. From what I've seen on DCUM, a lot of gentrifying parents feel like she isn't "welcoming enough" (whatever that means).

From my point of view, I don't give a damn about her customer service skills, as long as I continue see good results in my daughter's classroom. A friend's daughter is in K, and she has good things to say about her daughter's experience, so I feel pretty good about next year.

I also was very impressed with the way Cobbs handled an inappropriate (racist, IMHO) speech from a white parent at a school event. I was stunned and embarrassed by what he said, and she stood up afterward and did what I thought was great damage control on the fly.

The renovation won't change the problems with LT. Miner's pretty to look at, too. . .

Maybe.

I've lived on a little street, IB for LT for nearly a decade. Several years ago, almost all the three and four years olds on the street were at the school.

This fall, we will have double the number of toddlers we had in 2010, but none at LT. IB parents are bailing ever earlier in search of charter preschools that lead to viable K to 5 options (more of these sprouting up all the time). All signs are that LT is slipping.

Maybe the summer renovation will revive momentum for IB families to stay at least for K.

Anonymous wrote:Pro-AA and anti-white is a really poor way to describe the problems there. Yes, race is obviously an issue, but it has more to do with SES-status, education, and neighborhood affiliation. And I never got the impression that the principal is in any way "anti-white," but she certainly isn't going to bend over backward to woo neighborhood families and push out OOB families (who actually want to be at LT).

Maybe she isn't anti-white she might be anti-Asian. When I asked her if my Asian kid would be the only one above preK if we came for K she bit my head off, scolding me for asking an "inappropriate question" in front of a teacher and another parent.

She isn't going to woo neighborhood families at all, bending in ANY DIRECTION. Principal Cobbs needs to go and if there's a new Ward 6 DC CM, I'll be the first parent in there asking for pressure on DCPS to move her on. We want to be at LT, too, just not LT as is.

Pro-AA and anti-white is a really poor way to describe the problems there. Yes, race is obviously an issue, but it has more to do with SES-status, education, and neighborhood affiliation. And I never got the impression that the principal is in any way "anti-white," but she certainly isn't going to bend over backward to woo neighborhood families and push out OOB families (who actually want to be at LT).

^^ I agreee and would add that the attrition of Hill familes at some neighborhood schools reflects changing expectations. Many parents don't expect as much from early childhood programs, as the programs are largely play based and learning is more opaque. Families who feel like their children are safe, nurtured and having fun will likely be satisfied with a program. The expectations grow from K upward as the children are introduced to more academic structure. Without commenting on the success or failure of any of these programs, the schools are evaluated through a different lens from K up.

Pro-AA is a good attribute.

Anti-white is that new slang???

Anonymous wrote:So what has the principal done to be anti white people besides that one comment?

I think she's actually more anti-neighborhood and high-SES parent than anti-white per se. Go talk to her, tell her that you're a neighborhood family who wants to come and stay to the upper grades - you will be lucky to get the time of day. This has been a long thread, brimming with examples of what a disaster she is for the neighborhood. LT has more white teachers than Payne yet feels much less welcoming of whites. Hard to put your finger on exactly what makes that true.

Rumor has it that Tommy Wells is running for mayor for sure (meaning that he can't run for his Ward 6 seat again in the same election). Maybe a new Ward 6 guy, or gal, will be interested in not only listening to what the Stanton park neighborhood parents are up against at LT, but trying to do something about it on the city council.