Brookland MS has a terrific playground. Hands down the best of the city.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you’re understanding of inequality is lacking. The inequality is not because of PTA funding. Sure PTA funding helps with some more resources but you take PTA fundraising out of the picture and you still would get inequality.

Really?! Because I don’t hear about Janet parents doing mold and rat abatement. There is a funding problem!

Mold and rats are problems all over DC.

OK I'm sorry, have you been to Lafayette campus? It's a palace with a massive park. It's got a digital sign. I went there and gasped (from EOTP, clearly). Not sure if it's the PTA, but please, understand what you have is NOT typical. Also understand that YES the kids who attend those schools are RICH. Just be ok with being RICH people, when your house is worth 2.5 million (oh, right, you're just upper middle class...get a grip on reality).

I was a Lafayette parent, currently Deal and Wilson. Sorry but I am not rich and many other families I know in the neighborhood are not rich. I spend a crazy percentage of my take home pay on the mortgage on my crappy house, vacation in places that most would look down on (Ocean City), and my dc's don't have the trappings you would associate with rich kids. There are certainly "rich" kids at those schools but it simply is not the case for all of us. A good number are Government and non-profit workers with advanced degrees that value education and spread ourselves thin so we can be guaranteed a spot in one of these schools.

You people are funny. What does rich mean to you? Average houses cost over 1 million. My bad - not 2.5 million! You're comparing yourselves to private school folks up the road and thereby feel less rich. Maybe drive through Anacostia one day and see what it feels like. I know you don't want to be rich, but, relatively speaking and for DC you very much are.

The implication of the post upthread was that the "rich kids" have the fancy renovated school. The Lafayette community lived with a challenging (at best) school for many years and received no more special treatment than other school across the city, what they have in terms of structure is in fact typical for renovated schools across the city. The renovation was not paid for by the PTA and it certainly was not the first in line when renovations started happening.

There is a reason that me and my friends drive across town on weekends to let our kids play at the Lafayette playground(s). Literally nothing comparable on our side of the park.

Not sure why you bother. Turkey Thicket and Takoma Park playgrounds are better. If you drive across town for a playground, go to Beauvoir.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you’re understanding of inequality is lacking. The inequality is not because of PTA funding. Sure PTA funding helps with some more resources but you take PTA fundraising out of the picture and you still would get inequality.

Really?! Because I don’t hear about Janet parents doing mold and rat abatement. There is a funding problem!

Mold and rats are problems all over DC.

OK I'm sorry, have you been to Lafayette campus? It's a palace with a massive park. It's got a digital sign. I went there and gasped (from EOTP, clearly). Not sure if it's the PTA, but please, understand what you have is NOT typical. Also understand that YES the kids who attend those schools are RICH. Just be ok with being RICH people, when your house is worth 2.5 million (oh, right, you're just upper middle class...get a grip on reality).

I was a Lafayette parent, currently Deal and Wilson. Sorry but I am not rich and many other families I know in the neighborhood are not rich. I spend a crazy percentage of my take home pay on the mortgage on my crappy house, vacation in places that most would look down on (Ocean City), and my dc's don't have the trappings you would associate with rich kids. There are certainly "rich" kids at those schools but it simply is not the case for all of us. A good number are Government and non-profit workers with advanced degrees that value education and spread ourselves thin so we can be guaranteed a spot in one of these schools.

You people are funny. What does rich mean to you? Average houses cost over 1 million. My bad - not 2.5 million! You're comparing yourselves to private school folks up the road and thereby feel less rich. Maybe drive through Anacostia one day and see what it feels like. I know you don't want to be rich, but, relatively speaking and for DC you very much are.

The implication of the post upthread was that the "rich kids" have the fancy renovated school. The Lafayette community lived with a challenging (at best) school for many years and received no more special treatment than other school across the city, what they have in terms of structure is in fact typical for renovated schools across the city. The renovation was not paid for by the PTA and it certainly was not the first in line when renovations started happening.

There is a reason that me and my friends drive across town on weekends to let our kids play at the Lafayette playground(s). Literally nothing comparable on our side of the park.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you’re understanding of inequality is lacking. The inequality is not because of PTA funding. Sure PTA funding helps with some more resources but you take PTA fundraising out of the picture and you still would get inequality.

Really?! Because I don’t hear about Janet parents doing mold and rat abatement. There is a funding problem!

Mold and rats are problems all over DC.

OK I'm sorry, have you been to Lafayette campus? It's a palace with a massive park. It's got a digital sign. I went there and gasped (from EOTP, clearly). Not sure if it's the PTA, but please, understand what you have is NOT typical. Also understand that YES the kids who attend those schools are RICH. Just be ok with being RICH people, when your house is worth 2.5 million (oh, right, you're just upper middle class...get a grip on reality).

I was a Lafayette parent, currently Deal and Wilson. Sorry but I am not rich and many other families I know in the neighborhood are not rich. I spend a crazy percentage of my take home pay on the mortgage on my crappy house, vacation in places that most would look down on (Ocean City), and my dc's don't have the trappings you would associate with rich kids. There are certainly "rich" kids at those schools but it simply is not the case for all of us. A good number are Government and non-profit workers with advanced degrees that value education and spread ourselves thin so we can be guaranteed a spot in one of these schools.

You people are funny. What does rich mean to you? Average houses cost over 1 million. My bad - not 2.5 million! You're comparing yourselves to private school folks up the road and thereby feel less rich. Maybe drive through Anacostia one day and see what it feels like. I know you don't want to be rich, but, relatively speaking and for DC you very much are.

The implication of the post upthread was that the "rich kids" have the fancy renovated school. The Lafayette community lived with a challenging (at best) school for many years and received no more special treatment than other school across the city, what they have in terms of structure is in fact typical for renovated schools across the city. The renovation was not paid for by the PTA and it certainly was not the first in line when renovations started happening.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is a list of current DCPS modernization:

Bancroft Elementary
Banneker High School
Bruce-Monroe ES at Park View
C.W. Harris Elementary School
Capitol Hill Montessori @ Logan
Coolidge High School
Eaton Elementary School
Eliot-Hine Middle School
Garrison Elementary School
Houston Elementary School
Hyde-Addison Elementary School
Jefferson Academy
Kimball Elementary School
Lawrence E. Boone Elementary (Formerly Orr)
MacFarland Dual Language Middle School
Maury Elementary School
Murch Elementary School
Recently Completed Projects
Shepherd Elementary
Thaddeus Stevens School
West Education Campus

Is this list supposed to reflect full modernization? If so, then Shepherd should not be on the list, since to date it has only received a partial renovation.

Not sure what this list is. Eaton is slated for reno but hasn’t started. Murch is done. What is this list?

It's the group currently being renovated. So that can be in the planning phases etc.

Here's a list of the completed ones. Only 3 of the 35 are in ward 3.

https://dgs.dc.gov/node/843682

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you’re understanding of inequality is lacking. The inequality is not because of PTA funding. Sure PTA funding helps with some more resources but you take PTA fundraising out of the picture and you still would get inequality.

Really?! Because I don’t hear about Janet parents doing mold and rat abatement. There is a funding problem!

Mold and rats are problems all over DC.

OK I'm sorry, have you been to Lafayette campus? It's a palace with a massive park. It's got a digital sign. I went there and gasped (from EOTP, clearly). Not sure if it's the PTA, but please, understand what you have is NOT typical. Also understand that YES the kids who attend those schools are RICH. Just be ok with being RICH people, when your house is worth 2.5 million (oh, right, you're just upper middle class...get a grip on reality).

I was a Lafayette parent, currently Deal and Wilson. Sorry but I am not rich and many other families I know in the neighborhood are not rich. I spend a crazy percentage of my take home pay on the mortgage on my crappy house, vacation in places that most would look down on (Ocean City), and my dc's don't have the trappings you would associate with rich kids. There are certainly "rich" kids at those schools but it simply is not the case for all of us. A good number are Government and non-profit workers with advanced degrees that value education and spread ourselves thin so we can be guaranteed a spot in one of these schools.

You people are funny. What does rich mean to you? Average houses cost over 1 million. My bad - not 2.5 million! You're comparing yourselves to private school folks up the road and thereby feel less rich. Maybe drive through Anacostia one day and see what it feels like. I know you don't want to be rich, but, relatively speaking and for DC you very much are.

Not everyone owns. Compared to the rest of the world, we are fine. But we aren’t rich.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is a list of current DCPS modernization:

Bancroft Elementary
Banneker High School
Bruce-Monroe ES at Park View
C.W. Harris Elementary School
Capitol Hill Montessori @ Logan
Coolidge High School
Eaton Elementary School
Eliot-Hine Middle School
Garrison Elementary School
Houston Elementary School
Hyde-Addison Elementary School
Jefferson Academy
Kimball Elementary School
Lawrence E. Boone Elementary (Formerly Orr)
MacFarland Dual Language Middle School
Maury Elementary School
Murch Elementary School
Recently Completed Projects
Shepherd Elementary
Thaddeus Stevens School
West Education Campus

Is this list supposed to reflect full modernization? If so, then Shepherd should not be on the list, since to date it has only received a partial renovation.

Not sure what this list is. Eaton is slated for reno but hasn’t started. Murch is done. What is this list?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you’re understanding of inequality is lacking. The inequality is not because of PTA funding. Sure PTA funding helps with some more resources but you take PTA fundraising out of the picture and you still would get inequality.

Really?! Because I don’t hear about Janet parents doing mold and rat abatement. There is a funding problem!

Mold and rats are problems all over DC.

OK I'm sorry, have you been to Lafayette campus? It's a palace with a massive park. It's got a digital sign. I went there and gasped (from EOTP, clearly). Not sure if it's the PTA, but please, understand what you have is NOT typical. Also understand that YES the kids who attend those schools are RICH. Just be ok with being RICH people, when your house is worth 2.5 million (oh, right, you're just upper middle class...get a grip on reality).

I was a Lafayette parent, currently Deal and Wilson. Sorry but I am not rich and many other families I know in the neighborhood are not rich. I spend a crazy percentage of my take home pay on the mortgage on my crappy house, vacation in places that most would look down on (Ocean City), and my dc's don't have the trappings you would associate with rich kids. There are certainly "rich" kids at those schools but it simply is not the case for all of us. A good number are Government and non-profit workers with advanced degrees that value education and spread ourselves thin so we can be guaranteed a spot in one of these schools.

You people are funny. What does rich mean to you? Average houses cost over 1 million. My bad - not 2.5 million! You're comparing yourselves to private school folks up the road and thereby feel less rich. Maybe drive through Anacostia one day and see what it feels like. I know you don't want to be rich, but, relatively speaking and for DC you very much are.

If you think the parents sending their kids to Ward 3 schools are “rich”, well then you’ve never seen real wealth. And you are better for it.

Anonymous wrote:Here is a list of current DCPS modernization:

Bancroft Elementary
Banneker High School
Bruce-Monroe ES at Park View
C.W. Harris Elementary School
Capitol Hill Montessori @ Logan
Coolidge High School
Eaton Elementary School
Eliot-Hine Middle School
Garrison Elementary School
Houston Elementary School
Hyde-Addison Elementary School
Jefferson Academy
Kimball Elementary School
Lawrence E. Boone Elementary (Formerly Orr)
MacFarland Dual Language Middle School
Maury Elementary School
Murch Elementary School
Recently Completed Projects
Shepherd Elementary
Thaddeus Stevens School
West Education Campus

Is this list supposed to reflect full modernization? If so, then Shepherd should not be on the list, since to date it has only received a partial renovation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you’re understanding of inequality is lacking. The inequality is not because of PTA funding. Sure PTA funding helps with some more resources but you take PTA fundraising out of the picture and you still would get inequality.

Really?! Because I don’t hear about Janet parents doing mold and rat abatement. There is a funding problem!

Mold and rats are problems all over DC.

OK I'm sorry, have you been to Lafayette campus? It's a palace with a massive park. It's got a digital sign. I went there and gasped (from EOTP, clearly). Not sure if it's the PTA, but please, understand what you have is NOT typical. Also understand that YES the kids who attend those schools are RICH. Just be ok with being RICH people, when your house is worth 2.5 million (oh, right, you're just upper middle class...get a grip on reality).

I was a Lafayette parent, currently Deal and Wilson. Sorry but I am not rich and many other families I know in the neighborhood are not rich. I spend a crazy percentage of my take home pay on the mortgage on my crappy house, vacation in places that most would look down on (Ocean City), and my dc's don't have the trappings you would associate with rich kids. There are certainly "rich" kids at those schools but it simply is not the case for all of us. A good number are Government and non-profit workers with advanced degrees that value education and spread ourselves thin so we can be guaranteed a spot in one of these schools.

You people are funny. What does rich mean to you? Average houses cost over 1 million. My bad - not 2.5 million! You're comparing yourselves to private school folks up the road and thereby feel less rich. Maybe drive through Anacostia one day and see what it feels like. I know you don't want to be rich, but, relatively speaking and for DC you very much are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you’re understanding of inequality is lacking. The inequality is not because of PTA funding. Sure PTA funding helps with some more resources but you take PTA fundraising out of the picture and you still would get inequality.

Really?! Because I don’t hear about Janet parents doing mold and rat abatement. There is a funding problem!

Mold and rats are problems all over DC.

OK I'm sorry, have you been to Lafayette campus? It's a palace with a massive park. It's got a digital sign. I went there and gasped (from EOTP, clearly). Not sure if it's the PTA, but please, understand what you have is NOT typical. Also understand that YES the kids who attend those schools are RICH. Just be ok with being RICH people, when your house is worth 2.5 million (oh, right, you're just upper middle class...get a grip on reality).

I was a Lafayette parent, currently Deal and Wilson. Sorry but I am not rich and many other families I know in the neighborhood are not rich. I spend a crazy percentage of my take home pay on the mortgage on my crappy house, vacation in places that most would look down on (Ocean City), and my dc's don't have the trappings you would associate with rich kids. There are certainly "rich" kids at those schools but it simply is not the case for all of us. A good number are Government and non-profit workers with advanced degrees that value education and spread ourselves thin so we can be guaranteed a spot in one of these schools.

Here is a list of current DCPS modernization:

Bancroft Elementary
Banneker High School
Bruce-Monroe ES at Park View
C.W. Harris Elementary School
Capitol Hill Montessori @ Logan
Coolidge High School
Eaton Elementary School
Eliot-Hine Middle School
Garrison Elementary School
Houston Elementary School
Hyde-Addison Elementary School
Jefferson Academy
Kimball Elementary School
Lawrence E. Boone Elementary (Formerly Orr)
MacFarland Dual Language Middle School
Maury Elementary School
Murch Elementary School
Recently Completed Projects
Shepherd Elementary
Thaddeus Stevens School
West Education Campus

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you’re understanding of inequality is lacking. The inequality is not because of PTA funding. Sure PTA funding helps with some more resources but you take PTA fundraising out of the picture and you still would get inequality.

Really?! Because I don’t hear about Janet parents doing mold and rat abatement. There is a funding problem!

Mold and rats are problems all over DC.

OK I'm sorry, have you been to Lafayette campus? It's a palace with a massive park. It's got a digital sign. I went there and gasped (from EOTP, clearly). Not sure if it's the PTA, but please, understand what you have is NOT typical. Also understand that YES the kids who attend those schools are RICH. Just be ok with being RICH people, when your house is worth 2.5 million (oh, right, you're just upper middle class...get a grip on reality).

Not a Lafayette parent but up until 3 years ago Lafayette had not been renovated in many decades, it was one of the last WOTP schools to be modernized. It is serving I think almost 800 kids. I would guess that very few if any of the houses of students are worth 2.5 Million. Over 1 Million, sure, but 2.5, that is private school territory. Are they poor, absolutely not, not even close. But you should get a grip on reality.

Almost 900 kids. 4 Short years ago it didn't have any classroom walls, had almost no control over heat and noise and rats and mice were a significant issue. It hadn't been touched since the mid 1970s. Save your outrage.

Yes, if it makes sense for DCPS to invest in the physical plant of any school, it should be the largest elementary school in the entire system (900+ kids). Apparently, it is already bursting at the seams.

Someone else can make a list of all the renovated DCPS schools that have declining enrollment and/or are failing.

I don't know if they are declining/failing, but the school modernization project is ongoing, and lots of schools outside NW have or are in the process of getting full modernizations and/or new buildings. Boone (formerly Orr) just got a new building. Harris is getting a modernization and a new cafeteria and gym. Houston is getting a modernization that will add 30,000 square feet. Kimball is getting an almost entirely new building. And plenty of other non-WOTP schools have already been updated or rebuilt. DCPS and DGS have a formula to determine how schools are prioritized that includes how many other schools in that ward have already been modernized, the percentage of at-risk/ELL/SPED students, student demand and neighborhood population, and the condition of the building, and then they factor in swing space availability, cost, and district priorities (ex: prioritizing middle schools). They intentionally spread the renovations around all eight wards--WTOP schools do not get any kind of special priority, and it has nothing to do with PTA/HSA fundraising.

Anonymous wrote:
+1000. And, not to start another new topic, but this is why the whole Wilson name change movement is just another example of clueless limousine liberals trying to make some sort of cosmetic social justice warrior statement that will have ZERO effect on the kids there that are really struggling. Take the time and money that is being spent on this and invest in real solutions to trying to close the achievement gap.

You have no awareness whatsoever of who is behind the movement to rename Wilson, but instead of doing the absolute minimum work to find out, you derail this thread in order to post inaccurate nonsense based entirely on invented stereotypes that you find appealing. You need to do better.

One of the reasons behind efforts like the effort to rename Wilson is that perception matters -- both the perception of black people by others and black people's perception of themselves -- including black kids that make up one side of the achievement gap. White society has a comfortable narrative that the civil war was over 100 years ago, racism is no longer a problem, and the achievement gap is about bad parenting. The less comfortable truth is that white society has predatorily victimized black and brown people repeatedly in ways that derailed progress that those communities have made. Woodrow Wilson is an example -- by re-segregating the federal government, he decimated DC's emerging black middle class. By using eminent domain to take over black owned land where Ft. Reno is now, he uprooted a thriving community. This story has been repeated over and over and over -- from slavery times to the backlash against reconstruction to segregation and Jim Crow to today's voter suppression and unequal policing. Efforts to rename institutions that honor racists who actively worked against the black community matter in reducing the achievement gap.

OP, your title suggest that you think the reason DCPS schools aren not improving is because Wilson feeder parents donate to their PTA. That is an awkward misplacement of blame for how a school system should be run.