Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:THIS. All the kids tend to get shortchanged without a good cohort of middle-class neighborhood parents onboard to push back against crappy management practices.

You should listen the Nice White Parents Serial Podcast. It is basically about the long history of white parents trying to be saviors.

Also, do you think that schools fail in places with high poverty because of bad management and not, for instance, a whole host of other issues? If only Jack Welsh was running the schools all those poor kids would be at Mann or Lafayette.

This thread started with people butt hurt at those who won't send their kids to the school. Can you make up your mind?

Anonymous wrote:THIS. All the kids tend to get shortchanged without a good cohort of middle-class neighborhood parents onboard to push back against crappy management practices.

You should listen the Nice White Parents Serial Podcast. It is basically about the long history of white parents trying to be saviors.

Also, do you think that schools fail in places with high poverty because of bad management and not, for instance, a whole host of other issues? If only Jack Welsh was running the schools all those poor kids would be at Mann or Lafayette.

THIS. All the kids tend to get shortchanged without a good cohort of middle-class neighborhood parents onboard to push back against crappy management practices.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Couldn't progress be made at a school like Stuart Hobson if DCPS were as determined to ensure that middle-class families became comfortable sending their children to by-right schools EotP as they are to ensure that poor kids test at grade level? How do the poor kids at Hobson benefit when few middle-class/in-boundary/white kids attend year in and year out? The logic DCPS follows at the MS level makes no sense to me.

How would poor kids or kids below grade level benefit from rich kids on grade level attending their school, especially if those kids were in separate classes for all subjects?

That's the same question asked about our by-right Capitol Hill elementary schools 10 or 15 years ago. The answer is blatantly obvious - UMC parents pushing for better admins, better teachers, betters specials, better upkeep, faster and better renovations (think Maury), better after-school programs, better oversight, better field trips, better outreach to politicians in lobbying for increased budgets, grants and support for special programs. I could go on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Couldn't progress be made at a school like Stuart Hobson if DCPS were as determined to ensure that middle-class families became comfortable sending their children to by-right schools EotP as they are to ensure that poor kids test at grade level? How do the poor kids at Hobson benefit when few middle-class/in-boundary/white kids attend year in and year out? The logic DCPS follows at the MS level makes no sense to me.

How would poor kids or kids below grade level benefit from rich kids on grade level attending their school, especially if those kids were in separate classes for all subjects?

Same way it benefits the homeless not to warehouse them in a building tucked away where they can be easily ignored. If you don’t have grade level kids in the building, then you’ve just warehoused the ones getting left behind.

Anonymous wrote:Couldn't progress be made at a school like Stuart Hobson if DCPS were as determined to ensure that middle-class families became comfortable sending their children to by-right schools EotP as they are to ensure that poor kids test at grade level? How do the poor kids at Hobson benefit when few middle-class/in-boundary/white kids attend year in and year out? The logic DCPS follows at the MS level makes no sense to me.

How would poor kids or kids below grade level benefit from rich kids on grade level attending their school, especially if those kids were in separate classes for all subjects?

Anonymous wrote:Couldn't progress be made at a school like Stuart Hobson if DCPS were as determined to ensure that middle-class families became comfortable sending their children to by-right schools EotP as they are to ensure that poor kids test at grade level? How do the poor kids at Hobson benefit when few middle-class/in-boundary/white kids attend year in and year out? The logic DCPS follows at the MS level makes no sense to me.

Your post reminds me of the debate from the West Wing in "10 Little Words". That's it, that's the 10 words my staff has been looking for all week. What are the next 10 words? Give me the next 10 words after that and I'll drop out of the race.

Couldn't progress be made at a school like Stuart Hobson if DCPS were as determined to ensure that middle-class families became comfortable sending their children to by-right schools EotP as they are to ensure that poor kids test at grade level? How do the poor kids at Hobson benefit when few middle-class/in-boundary/white kids attend year in and year out? The logic DCPS follows at the MS level makes no sense to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course it's not the main problem. I'd much rather send my kid to a MS version of Banneker than Hobson.

Four or five years ago, a video clip from a city council hearing circulated widely on Cap Hill. In the clip, you heard Dave Grosso asserting that racism explained why almost all IB Brennt parents reject Jefferson Academy, where only around 20% of students tested proficient on the PARCC and no honors classes were offered. That clip pissed a lot of us off.

This. If people would acknowledge the actual problem, which is that DCPS is woefully underserving all the kids especially those that are at-risk, then maybe we could make some progress. Denying the problem and attacking people for wanting an adequate school is not going to fix anything.

Yes! If we could only just acknowledge the problem then it could be easily and quickly fixed. Public education reform is just that easy.

I wonder if people like you read what they wrote before hitting send.

Who said that? I said "maybe we could make some progress".

Do you think people haven't figured out "that DCPS is woefully underserving all the kids especially those that are at-risk"??? Are you under the impression that you are the first person to realize that? Are you completely unfamiliar with the concepts and tracking and reporting on equity and the great lengths DCPS and the DCPCSB go to show how kids progress, not just how top performers remain top performers?

So, yeah, I stand behind my prior position calling BS on your firm belief in your unique ability to see a problem that EVERYONE sees and your postage stamp argument that if only people were aware of what you are then progress could be made.

They are overwhelmed- I wouldn’t take it personally.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I guess I’m not tracking- people are upset that SH doesn’t offer advanced science and social studies but neither does the “more highly acclaimed” (please notice quotes) Deal?

I get that SH has kids that are not advanced and may even read at a lower grade level but it seems to me that they have created a space for the high achiever with the offering of advanced ELA and math. So is the real issue that SH has more students of color?

Advanced ELA and math are not enough to keep people happy if they also have to sit through chaotic and unchallenging classes in other areas and the general atmosphere of the school is chaotic.

Advanced classes at SH are a way of being in a room with kids who are on or above grade level and behave acceptably. At Deal, that is true of most of the kids so there is not the same need for advanced classes.

We just started 6th at Stuart Hobson. How do they determine who gets into the advanced classes? Also, is the administration usually dismissive? I can't get anyone to return e-mails and do not get a warm vibe. Of course, we have not met anyone in-person this year. How is the staff regularly?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course it's not the main problem. I'd much rather send my kid to a MS version of Banneker than Hobson.

Four or five years ago, a video clip from a city council hearing circulated widely on Cap Hill. In the clip, you heard Dave Grosso asserting that racism explained why almost all IB Brennt parents reject Jefferson Academy, where only around 20% of students tested proficient on the PARCC and no honors classes were offered. That clip pissed a lot of us off.

This. If people would acknowledge the actual problem, which is that DCPS is woefully underserving all the kids especially those that are at-risk, then maybe we could make some progress. Denying the problem and attacking people for wanting an adequate school is not going to fix anything.

Yes! If we could only just acknowledge the problem then it could be easily and quickly fixed. Public education reform is just that easy.

I wonder if people like you read what they wrote before hitting send.

Who said that? I said "maybe we could make some progress".

Please stop using "black" and "African american" as a synonym for "poor", "academically deficient" or "at risk".

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course it's not the main problem. I'd much rather send my kid to a MS version of Banneker than Hobson.

Four or five years ago, a video clip from a city council hearing circulated widely on Cap Hill. In the clip, you heard Dave Grosso asserting that racism explained why almost all IB Brennt parents reject Jefferson Academy, where only around 20% of students tested proficient on the PARCC and no honors classes were offered. That clip pissed a lot of us off.

This. If people would acknowledge the actual problem, which is that DCPS is woefully underserving all the kids especially those that are at-risk, then maybe we could make some progress. Denying the problem and attacking people for wanting an adequate school is not going to fix anything.

Yes! If we could only just acknowledge the problem then it could be easily and quickly fixed. Public education reform is just that easy.

I wonder if people like you read what they wrote before hitting send.

Anonymous wrote:Of course it's not the main problem. I'd much rather send my kid to a MS version of Banneker than Hobson.

Four or five years ago, a video clip from a city council hearing circulated widely on Cap Hill. In the clip, you heard Dave Grosso asserting that racism explained why almost all IB Brennt parents reject Jefferson Academy, where only around 20% of students tested proficient on the PARCC and no honors classes were offered. That clip pissed a lot of us off.

This. If people would acknowledge the actual problem, which is that DCPS is woefully underserving all the kids especially those that are at-risk, then maybe we could make some progress. Denying the problem and attacking people for wanting an adequate school is not going to fix anything.