Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has Chisolm always had a dual-language track? Why? And what led to the decision to go fully dual language?

All the other dual-language schools in DCPS are located in areas with a high percentage of Spanish speakers. My understanding was that in those places, dual language options were created both as an opportunity for the native Spanish speakers to succeed in their native language and as an opportunity for others to benefit from learning a second language. In practice it doesn't seem to always play out this way (i.e., the Spanish speaking population got priced out of the neighborhood or "dual language" instead became a signal for school quality or peer group), but it does seem like the original intention. In contrast, the neighborhood around Chisolm doesn't have, and as far as I know has never had, a sizeable Spanish speaking population.

From what I've heard, now that Chisolm is fully dual language, many of the lower-income families zoned for Chisolm are opting to attend Chisolm's sister school, Payne, because they don't want Spanish. If true, I'm not sure a new middle school option is a good or equitable use of DCPS's limited resources.

Not true only 2 families transferred to Payne, please don’t spread this narrative if you don’t have facts

I’m pretty sure it’s been more than two families that have transferred to Payne and you stop trying to share the narrative you want that seems better.

Living in a district with many options, a nice percentage of families have fled in the last years to other schools besides Payne as the lottery has opened that door for opportunity.

So what they may not have all gone to Payne but they’ve definitely left.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also want to add that the parents promoting the school have no idea about ieps and 504 plans. Chisholm serves a large population of these students. The parents have no idea.

Incorrect AGAIN, Black parent here whose child has an IEP at Chisholm, who still wants a middle school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has Chisolm always had a dual-language track? Why? And what led to the decision to go fully dual language?

All the other dual-language schools in DCPS are located in areas with a high percentage of Spanish speakers. My understanding was that in those places, dual language options were created both as an opportunity for the native Spanish speakers to succeed in their native language and as an opportunity for others to benefit from learning a second language. In practice it doesn't seem to always play out this way (i.e., the Spanish speaking population got priced out of the neighborhood or "dual language" instead became a signal for school quality or peer group), but it does seem like the original intention. In contrast, the neighborhood around Chisolm doesn't have, and as far as I know has never had, a sizeable Spanish speaking population.

From what I've heard, now that Chisolm is fully dual language, many of the lower-income families zoned for Chisolm are opting to attend Chisolm's sister school, Payne, because they don't want Spanish. If true, I'm not sure a new middle school option is a good or equitable use of DCPS's limited resources.

Not true only 2 families transferred to Payne, please don’t spread this narrative if you don’t have facts

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the white parents are claiming equitable reasons for the middle school, when the reality is that they want their own kids to benefit. They are the ones who are selfishly doing this. We should invest in our title one schools. Also a lot of parents from Chisholm live far in northeast and drive like 20 minutes so it’s not all local hill people.

Black Chisholm parent here, with a fluent daughter we had to turn down OA do the drive. Maybe it’s hard for you to believe but not only White parents want a path forward for their children

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the white parents are claiming equitable reasons for the middle school, when the reality is that they want their own kids to benefit. They are the ones who are selfishly doing this. We should invest in our title one schools. Also a lot of parents from Chisholm live far in northeast and drive like 20 minutes so it’s not all local hill people.

Black Chisholm parent here, with a fluent daughter we had to turn down OA do the drive. Maybe it’s hard for you to believe but not only White parents want a path forward for their children

Anonymous wrote:Also want to add that the parents promoting the school have no idea about ieps and 504 plans. Chisholm serves a large population of these students. The parents have no idea.

Anonymous wrote:Has Chisolm always had a dual-language track? Why? And what led to the decision to go fully dual language?

All the other dual-language schools in DCPS are located in areas with a high percentage of Spanish speakers. My understanding was that in those places, dual language options were created both as an opportunity for the native Spanish speakers to succeed in their native language and as an opportunity for others to benefit from learning a second language. In practice it doesn't seem to always play out this way (i.e., the Spanish speaking population got priced out of the neighborhood or "dual language" instead became a signal for school quality or peer group), but it does seem like the original intention. In contrast, the neighborhood around Chisolm doesn't have, and as far as I know has never had, a sizeable Spanish speaking population.

From what I've heard, now that Chisolm is fully dual language, many of the lower-income families zoned for Chisolm are opting to attend Chisolm's sister school, Payne, because they don't want Spanish. If true, I'm not sure a new middle school option is a good or equitable use of DCPS's limited resources.

Anonymous wrote:I think the white parents are claiming equitable reasons for the middle school, when the reality is that they want their own kids to benefit. They are the ones who are selfishly doing this. We should invest in our title one schools. Also a lot of parents from Chisholm live far in northeast and drive like 20 minutes so it’s not all local hill people.

Anonymous wrote:Chisholm has long had a Spanish strand program. It only recently went fully bilingual. I think it makes sense to add a program at a nearby middle school where kids continue to take advanced spanish and some of their other classes in spanish while otherwise fully mixing with the other students for their other classes. Maybe Jefferson, maybe EH (the sister school Payne already feeds there), maybe Kelley Miller or another middle school in ward 7 near Houston.

Anonymous wrote:Also, the logistics of hiring a bunch of new bilingual teachers is a serious challenge. I know several bilingual teachers, at Chisholm and another unnamed school, and their Spanish language skills are not impressive. Like, first gen born in the US, and they speak Spanglish.

I know a nonprofit that has a really hard time recruiting bilingual social workers in DC. The workforce of Spanish teachers is just not here.

Anonymous wrote:New poster. The poster above sounds like a crazy privileged white woman.

Curious, where are you and the other person going to send their kids to middle school?

Re: comment on equity. How is it geographically equitable for families who live in NE, like about 20 minutes or so away? They are clearly privileged if they have the resources and time to drive their kids to Chisholm. We need to take care of our kids, who happen to be minorities, that live in areas that aren't accessible. Wake up, equity is about race. Clearly you are white if you are preaching that it is about geographic. Get off your high horse.

Anonymous wrote:Enrollment is SY21/22: 492, SY22/23: 510, SY34/24: 565, SY24/25: 542.
So upward enrollment trends for the previous 3 years with a small drop this past year. Not really "significant", but fine. There is also a good chance that parents are looking to enroll at other schools right now because of the upcoming modernization and the inconveniences of commuting to a swing space.
Reminder, Chisholm is a title 1 school and serves a large number of students from nearby public housing.
"Equity" does not always have to refer to race. When advocating for the middle school, the argument is around geographic equity since all of the current dual-language middle schools are located in NW DC.
Adding dual-language at EH would be awesome, but they really don't have the capacity to serve large amounts of dual-language students from both Chisholm and Houston unfortunately (they actually decreased their building capacity during their modernization which seems silly). The Jefferson principal has said that she does not see a full dual-language program as part of her future vision for the school. But trust, this option has been explored, because we agree, it's a good option! Maybe she will change her mind. Would love to hear other ideas!
And one final thought, the two lead parents on the campaign are not likely to still be in DC by the time their kids go to middle school. They aren't doing it for selfish reasons, they're doing it because they think ALL children deserve these types of opportunities.