Agreed. The anti-charter people disrespect and disenfranchise the 40% of DC Public School parents who have thought through the issues and made a choice. They push “poor kids with disinterested parents” who are “stuck” is DCPS forward as their cannon fodder—rather than acknowledging that DCPS schools across the board have improved and gained enrollment since charters started in DC. These people actually turn my stomach

Anonymous wrote:I guess that depends on your defintion on "nefarious." In many cities, PUBLIC charters are a rare, bright educational spot for communities without options. They have propelled COUNTLESS kids into college and out of poverty. They provide the structure and high expectations that are otherwise missing in many student's lives.

Recognizing that you watched a John Oliver clip on private charters once, do some thoughtful research on public charter schools before writing the whole movement off as a profiteering bible beaters bent on miseducating the next generation of voters.

Parents aren't idiots, and they also aren't martyrs -- they are going to choose the best option available for their kids, and take whatever funding they can to help make this a reality.

This is the part of the "charters are bad and evil" argument that most amuses. It assumes that 40% of all parents in DC are too dumb to know what the true believers know. The sheer ego on the part of those people astounds.

I guess that depends on your defintion on "nefarious." In many cities, PUBLIC charters are a rare, bright educational spot for communities without options. They have propelled COUNTLESS kids into college and out of poverty. They provide the structure and high expectations that are otherwise missing in many student's lives.

Recognizing that you watched a John Oliver clip on private charters once, do some thoughtful research on public charter schools before writing the whole movement off as a profiteering bible beaters bent on miseducating the next generation of voters.

Parents aren't idiots, and they also aren't martyrs -- they are going to choose the best option available for their kids, and take whatever funding they can to help make this a reality.

Anonymous wrote:What is up with this, how did this self-appointed group get to "recommend" a charter to compete with Leckie ES?

https://www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/stories/k-12-education/amplifying-parent-voice-in-education-and-community

All these faux parent groups are Astroturf funded by people with nefarious intentions

Ward 8 schools can't fund their own PTOs, so funding for parent organizations helps get them off the ground and advocate for the things that they care about.

Walton funds all sorts of things, the latest I see on their website is campus chapters of Audubon at HBCUs, which ALSO frequently don't have funding to travel, host events, etc. Is that "astro-turf" for the chickadees? Do you have something against BIPOC becoming environmental advocates? Come on.

They are billionaire heirs, trying to do something decent with their money. The idea that support for DC charters is to keep our children "dumb and malleable" is laughable. I imagine they just believe, as 40% of DC parents believe, that schools, families and teachers all need to be ACCOUNTABLE, which is why my fingers are persinally crossed for a charter seat in a few weeks.

Anonymous wrote:Also their “free” give-aways to attract low-income families don’t hurt.

I filled out a survey and got paid. My HHI was in excess of $500k.

P.S. Putting a word in quotes doesn't change the meaning. I'll show you. You are "unserious", "closedminded" and a "conspiracy theorist". Putting those things in quotes doesn't make them any less true.

Anonymous wrote:It seems unethical to claim to be about parent power and then constrain the agenda to meet a funder agenda. Who really has the power.

No horse in this race because I think the naval gazing you all do on this topic is laughable and completely disconnected from actual concerns of parents who don't care whether it is a charter or DCPS, they just want their kids safe and education, but..

People like PP are a joke. You complain that these are top down orgs that only cater to their overlords. Then you complain that engaging parents and soliciting feedback is a smoke screen designed to obfuscate a secret agenda. In framing the conversation this way you've created a circular construct where your conclusion is the premise is a conclusion. No one with a brain would take such unserious thought or commentary seriously. You are preaching to only like (closed) minded people. But if you have that much free time, continue.

Anonymous wrote:Crazy because I was doing some research on this group and wound up here. It was very peculiar to me because I see a ton of advocacy from them but never an open call to get involved and they have been silent on some key issues. Thanks for the heads up.

Every once in a while I get an email from parent members llooking for others to join.

It seems unethical to claim to be about parent power and then constrain the agenda to meet a funder agenda. Who really has the power.

Crazy because I was doing some research on this group and wound up here. It was very peculiar to me because I see a ton of advocacy from them but never an open call to get involved and they have been silent on some key issues. Thanks for the heads up.

Also their “free” give-aways to attract low-income families don’t hurt.

Is the Walton foundation the same as Walmart? I love their efforts to hire differently abled people. Happy to have them in DC. That charter has been a need for a long time- the one by Boling. Its a brilliant idea for the kids down there who will be in DC for only a few years at a time. I hope local kids enroll too. If the neighborhood public is any good, it can compete. I LOVE when caregivers are empowered to vote with their feet. Best thing ever happened in American public education.

Anonymous wrote:PAVE is somewhere between a grass roots and AstroTurf .org. There are real parents (I know a few) who are part of it and aren’t paid. They collaborated on what were their priority issues - it wasn’t wholly dictated by the funders. They go to Council hearings, PCSB meetings and sometimes testify. Most of them view the donors as providing services to make them more professional and effective give, such as the a website, online advocacy tools etc.

I was asked to join and asked a lot of questions. Decided not to because I didn’t have time.

Wanna bet? You have to give people enough slack or they will notice they are on a leash. AstroTurf that has just enough veneer of freedom to trick people who really do care.

PAVE is somewhere between a grass roots and AstroTurf .org. There are real parents (I know a few) who are part of it and aren’t paid. They collaborated on what were their priority issues - it wasn’t wholly dictated by the funders. They go to Council hearings, PCSB meetings and sometimes testify. Most of them view the donors as providing services to make them more professional and effective give, such as the a website, online advocacy tools etc.

I was asked to join and asked a lot of questions. Decided not to because I didn’t have time.

Anonymous wrote:I went. I heard. Charter agenda masked by parent voice. Tricky.

There are DC parents who really do support charters, including the parents of about 40% of kids in the city.