Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The difference in the facilities budget does feel unfair (DCPS school renovations are funded through the Capital Budget and DGS, while charters have limited funding through the schools budget, which is why we see these insane renovations for DCPS schools but charter schools feel more modest.)

Only a handful of DCPS schools have gotten "insane renovations," and those were politically driven.

Most DCPS buildings suck, and when they do get renovated, it is at minimal quality. Then they don't get maintained.

You want to rely on DGS for your facilities? We'd be happy to trade places on that one.

Not even close to accurate. Full lost here. https://dgs.dc.gov/dgs-projects/completed-dgs-school-projects. Including...
Benjamin Banneker Academic HS (2021)
Duke Ellington School of the Arts (2017)
Roosevelt High School (2016)
Coolidge High School (2019)
Bard High School Early College DC (2023)
MacArthur High School (2023)
Eliot-Hine Middle School (2020)
MacFarland Middle School (2018)
Marie Reed Elementary/Education Campus (2017)
Alice Deal Middle School (2022)
Bancroft Elementary (2018)
Eaton Elementary (2022)
Lafayette Elementary (2016)
Murch Elementary (2018)
Van Ness Elementary (2015-2017)
Maury Elementary (2019)
Kimball Elementary (2020)
Garfield Elementary (2024)
Smothers Elementary (2023)
J.O. Wilson Elementary (2026)
Tubman Elementary (2026)
Malcolm X @ Green Elementary (2026)
Thomas Elementary (2027-8)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The idea was that charters wanted to be separate, to have autonomy, and were willing to give up certain economies of scale in order to do so. But it often feels like they want separateness when it serves them and not when it doesn't. And they can't have it both ways.

We'd save millions of dollars each year if we shut down a few low-performing charters. The kids could go to nearby schools that are not any worse. Then everyone can have a raise.

It really, really grates on me that they are constantly hating on the WTU but when the WTU does all the work (and takes the political blowback) to obtain a pay increase, charters show up with their hands out.

This is all nonsense (and curiously maudlin). This was never "the idea." Charter schools were authorized by Congress because DCPS was seen as a failure. Congress wanted to give families in DC a choice between the two systems. People have been voting with their feet, and charters have been stealing market share from DCPS for decades. It's only a matter of time before most kids in this city go to charters, again because parents think it's the better option for their kids. Given that, it makes no sense for the city to actively discriminate against children whose families made a choice Congress said they were free to make. Obviously, all kids should have an equal educational opportunity.

Your argument makes no sense. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. Ultimately charters are businesses as well, raise money. Add more at risk students. A typical title 1 school has triple or more than MV.

You are also free to choose a charter. No one is taking that right. There is no law to fund it exactly like DCPS because charters do not have to follow the same rules.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS is stuck with its buildings for the long term and has to plan for long term needs and deal with long term maintenance and compliance in 100+ year old buildings. It was a huge struggle for our school just to get the bathrooms made non-awful. GDS takes forever to fix anything. Being part of a larger system has really significant down sides.

Have you been inside Yu Ying, or the new Latin Cooper building? They're as nice as any, certainly way nicer than our Ward 5 Title I.

And of course, why invest in charter buildings when everyone, including the PCSB, is saying the sector is going to contract?

Yes, those buildings are nice--and cost the schools specifcally money to build.

Have you been the Lafayette Elementary? Dorothy Heights? Both absolutely stunning.

Seen the giant project that Whittier is getting for their temporary campus during their remodel? Millions and millions of dollars so those kids don't have to ride a bus to a flex space.

DCPS schools are getting tons spent on their remodels.

Just looking at it from the sidewalk, it seems a little nuts this is the plan.

The parents in the neighborhood pushing it were so annoying. Some of them didn’t even have kids on the school yet. Would have been so much simpler to just bus the kids.

+1 I drive past the space they're building for Whittier almost daily. It's wild that the city agreed to wreck/occupy the public park space and spend all those millions to build a temporary swing space rather than bus the kids to a brick and mortar, perfectly fine building a couple miles away. I heard they're going to tear it right back down when Whittier is done with it too and that (unlike Burroughs) it won't be used for additional schools.

Agree it boils down to politics...the JLG/our Ward 4 Councilmember pushed hard for the temporary swing space and got lots of credit when it went Whittier's way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The idea was that charters wanted to be separate, to have autonomy, and were willing to give up certain economies of scale in order to do so. But it often feels like they want separateness when it serves them and not when it doesn't. And they can't have it both ways.

We'd save millions of dollars each year if we shut down a few low-performing charters. The kids could go to nearby schools that are not any worse. Then everyone can have a raise.

It really, really grates on me that they are constantly hating on the WTU but when the WTU does all the work (and takes the political blowback) to obtain a pay increase, charters show up with their hands out.

This is all nonsense (and curiously maudlin). This was never "the idea." Charter schools were authorized by Congress because DCPS was seen as a failure. Congress wanted to give families in DC a choice between the two systems. People have been voting with their feet, and charters have been stealing market share from DCPS for decades. It's only a matter of time before most kids in this city go to charters, again because parents think it's the better option for their kids. Given that, it makes no sense for the city to actively discriminate against children whose families made a choice Congress said they were free to make. Obviously, all kids should have an equal educational opportunity.

Your argument makes no sense. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. Ultimately charters are businesses as well, raise money. Add more at risk students. A typical title 1 school has triple or more than MV.

You are also free to choose a charter. No one is taking that right. There is no law to fund it exactly like DCPS because charters do not have to follow the same rules.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS is stuck with its buildings for the long term and has to plan for long term needs and deal with long term maintenance and compliance in 100+ year old buildings. It was a huge struggle for our school just to get the bathrooms made non-awful. GDS takes forever to fix anything. Being part of a larger system has really significant down sides.

Have you been inside Yu Ying, or the new Latin Cooper building? They're as nice as any, certainly way nicer than our Ward 5 Title I.

And of course, why invest in charter buildings when everyone, including the PCSB, is saying the sector is going to contract?

Yes, those buildings are nice--and cost the schools specifcally money to build.

Have you been the Lafayette Elementary? Dorothy Heights? Both absolutely stunning.

Seen the giant project that Whittier is getting for their temporary campus during their remodel? Millions and millions of dollars so those kids don't have to ride a bus to a flex space.

DCPS schools are getting tons spent on their remodels.