Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New schools won't help Ward 5. New parents might. THe reason why schools succeed isn't due to the new shiny buildings it's due to parental involvement (See: Eastern High). As long as the current demographics exist Ward 5 schools will remain at the bottom. Sad but true.

Yeah, according to you, we are all worthless in Ward 5. You people amaze me. DC is so full of hypocrites like you PP. What kind of parents do you think we need over here in Ward 5. And, exactly what demographics should we begin to import.

Problem is that Ward 5 parents that have any option do not use Ward 5 schools. White and Black parents opt out. It is more of a class issue.

Maybe a shiny new school and a rock star principal can change that. I hope so. If not -- it' a bunch more money wasted on appearances.

Anyone know anything about the teachers at Eastern?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New schools won't help Ward 5. New parents might. THe reason why schools succeed isn't due to the new shiny buildings it's due to parental involvement (See: Eastern High). As long as the current demographics exist Ward 5 schools will remain at the bottom. Sad but true.

Yeah, according to you, we are all worthless in Ward 5. You people amaze me. DC is so full of hypocrites like you PP. What kind of parents do you think we need over here in Ward 5. And, exactly what demographics should we begin to import.

Problem is that Ward 5 parents that have any option do not use Ward 5 schools. White and Black parents opt out. It is more of a class issue.

Nobody wants to accept the reality that attracting kids from higher socioeconomic levels improves the schools. The other wards will have better schools when the income level of their populations rise. It's an upleasant truth. The reason that KIPP has such high test scores is that they take the kids out of their home enviromnents for almost 12 hours a day M-Fri and sometimes on Sat. It's the home environments that determine the success of the schools. Always has been.

People who say that Ward 5 demographics need to change should come for a visit sometime. There are many many middle class, educated families, white, African American, black, bi-racial, etc. in Ward 5. But few of us-not all, but certainly not most-are choosing the public schools. I could probably count over one hundred kids in Brookland in just a few minutes, all of whom are in charters or private schools. The public school options, by and large, are just not good enough, and they certainly don't offer anything special, like language immersion, or a true magnet program. The best we have over here is Montessori, and even those programs are few and far between, and of uneven quality.

Whether it's a new school that's needed, or just a kick up a notch in the current DCPS offerings, I don't know. And what it would take to lure Ward 5's middle class families to DCPS- I don't know that either. But what I do know is this: Ward 5 demographics aren't the problem.

Anonymous wrote:New schools won't help Ward 5. New parents might. THe reason why schools succeed isn't due to the new shiny buildings it's due to parental involvement (See: Eastern High). As long as the current demographics exist Ward 5 schools will remain at the bottom. Sad but true.

Yeah, according to you, we are all worthless in Ward 5. You people amaze me. DC is so full of hypocrites like you PP. What kind of parents do you think we need over here in Ward 5. And, exactly what demographics should we begin to import.

Anonymous wrote:New schools won't help Ward 5. New parents might. THe reason why schools succeed isn't due to the new shiny buildings it's due to parental involvement (See: Eastern High). As long as the current demographics exist Ward 5 schools will remain at the bottom. Sad but true.

No excuses! (this is the DCPS mantra)

New schools won't help Ward 5. New parents might. THe reason why schools succeed isn't due to the new shiny buildings it's due to parental involvement (See: Eastern High). As long as the current demographics exist Ward 5 schools will remain at the bottom. Sad but true.

Where does Mary Siddall send her own kids to school in DC?

Mary Siddall will get charter school approval for a new Basis DC school from Arizona soon. She has strong experience in education at Heritage Foundation. There is less need for the other similar school at present time.

Here is the challenge as I see it. I live in Ward 5 will not be using any of the schools for any grade that I can foresee. The schools here are too segregated, have too low of scores and lack sufficient parent involvement. This mainly because over half the parents in ward 5 chose to not use the ward 5 schools. You will find a lot of these parents in out of bound lotteries at Hardy, Eaton, Stoddard and of course the many charter schools. You could build a very nice middle school here but I think it it would not attract these families because the scores would never be there because the identified dynamics above would not appreciatively change. The question is who do you build schools for? The middle class parents who are just poor enough not to be able private, but vote or the poorer kids who have very little advocating for them? Would that money be better spent in more intensive educational services a la KIPP.

Would the other children currently in DCPS benefit from having high SES children who currently leave after 4th and 5th grades remain in DCPS?

If no, new school is out.

If yes, consider new school as Hardy is full of people happy to be there.

Anonymous wrote:The District needs more magnets and G&T fast. Put them in the neighborhoods that need support and you will see middle class people move there in droves. This isn't rocket science.

I agree that this approach is worth exploring. Many schools have a chicken and egg problem. There are inbounds children that could really help improve the school, but won't go until the school improves. Dumping resources into such schools to create an "offer they can't refuse" might get them into the school. I don't know if things would work out as I would hope, but it is worth giving this idea some thought.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The city has got itself into a pickle. It is managing to attract and engage increasing numbers of middle class families. But these families won't stick around for a crappy education and won't throw their kids at a school that has its main focus on educating the least common denominator to a minimum standard. At the same time, educating the poorest and most disadvantaged to a minimum level (ie no child left behind ) is a vital, necessary and worthy goal. City leaders need smarts and an iron will to.figure out how to do both at the simultaneously. Indeed success in either endeavor makes success in the other easier.

Do we have the leadership to figure this out?

I know this is a rhetorical question but I'll answer it loud and clear. HELLLLL NO! We got rid of the mayor that acknowledged this catch22 and was doing something about it. Now we have a mayor who is interested in fighting 1960s battles and rolling the city back. Good fucking luck.

He may have acknowledged it for some, but definitely not for all. You probably believe in separate but equal also.

And it isn't a grass roots effort kind of thing either. We need our leaders to recognize the situation and present sound, strategic, non idealogic plans that will address the needs of students at all points on the spectrum. Not a funding issue, either. Dcps for YEARS has had fat, fat per pupil spending and deployed that money in bone headed ways that only seems to entrench the issues.

Please somebody with a brain in their head take this on. Rhee broke.some ground and was smart but she was blinded by her hubs and dreams of tfa style school reform.