I can't figure out why on earth the Brent community lets that one particularly vocal parent speak on their behalf. Instead of pushing to close Stuart-Hobson, why aren't Brent parents making a serious effort to change their feeder pattern there based on the vertical alignment of their museum magnet programs? Makes total sense and the Cluster would welcome it. Why not organize around that goal instead of letting him burning bridges with people who should/could be their allies?

" The Brent parents at that time rejected that idea outright, as they wanted DCPS to get Jefferson's Academy going for them to feed into."

Or was it one particularly vocal Brent parent who has now decided that BASIS is the new "it" school?

Anonymous wrote:The suggestion of having Brent and Maury feed into SH was put forth at a meeting I attended with Brent parents about five years ago. The Brent parents at that time rejected that idea outright, as they wanted DCPS to get Jefferson's Academy going for them to feed into. I don't know any "Clusters crazies" who would not be thrilled to have SH be a destination school for Brent and Maury.

Regarding OOB numbers, while SH may have a lot of OOB, they are from a lot of families within the next boundary over. But there are pockets of high OOB numbers at the most popular middle schools, Hardy being probably the most with OOB, and their renovation cost $45 million.

If you also look at the numbers for renovation dollars, Eliot-Hine is scheduled to get a significant reno in 2013-2014 ($38m, I think). All of the money is already in the budget and committed to all of these schools, so it's not that one school will get money and the others get that amount subtracted. And if that were to happen, why wouldn't we all rise up against that being allowed anyway? Why can Ward 2/3 get many hundreds of millions to renovate two middle schools and a high school, while Ward 6 has to fight and scrape to renovate our two middles into schools that the 1000+ students in the upcoming middle school bubble on the hill could fill? The population numbers are such that we could support all of these schools, just like in NW.

I like the idea that SH could be a Hardy model, smaller middle school, EH can become the larger Deal type model and both schools feed Eastern to make it the Wilson of Ward 6-a comprehensive, strong high school with lots of course offerings and tons of extracurriculars. But with all this bickering and pitting people against each other and people suggesting that SH just be combined with EH, I fear that may never happen...

You do know that SH is trying to petition to move up their renovation to 2013 instead of 2016-2019? Why do you think that is?

The Hardy/Deal/Wilson renovation happened because it is a proven system (well at least 2 -- Hardy to a lesser extent). Proven feeders, proven that feeders lead to the MS and that the MS leads to the HS. This was all proven BEFORE the renovations. In Ward 6 there is the idea that if you build it they will come. Eastern is sketchy at best with a beautiful facility. EH is a heck of a lot better facility wise than SH and noone is flocking there. Even SH, really the only viable MS with a proven track record, loses a ton of feeder kids before 6th grade.

It isn't crazy to realize that the city decided to puts the money where they will get the most return.

The suggestion of having Brent and Maury feed into SH was put forth at a meeting I attended with Brent parents about five years ago. The Brent parents at that time rejected that idea outright, as they wanted DCPS to get Jefferson's Academy going for them to feed into. I don't know any "Clusters crazies" who would not be thrilled to have SH be a destination school for Brent and Maury.

Regarding OOB numbers, while SH may have a lot of OOB, they are from a lot of families within the next boundary over. But there are pockets of high OOB numbers at the most popular middle schools, Hardy being probably the most with OOB, and their renovation cost $45 million.

If you also look at the numbers for renovation dollars, Eliot-Hine is scheduled to get a significant reno in 2013-2014 ($38m, I think). All of the money is already in the budget and committed to all of these schools, so it's not that one school will get money and the others get that amount subtracted. And if that were to happen, why wouldn't we all rise up against that being allowed anyway? Why can Ward 2/3 get many hundreds of millions to renovate two middle schools and a high school, while Ward 6 has to fight and scrape to renovate our two middles into schools that the 1000+ students in the upcoming middle school bubble on the hill could fill? The population numbers are such that we could support all of these schools, just like in NW.

I like the idea that SH could be a Hardy model, smaller middle school, EH can become the larger Deal type model and both schools feed Eastern to make it the Wilson of Ward 6-a comprehensive, strong high school with lots of course offerings and tons of extracurriculars. But with all this bickering and pitting people against each other and people suggesting that SH just be combined with EH, I fear that may never happen...

Do you equate so-called reported test scores as a barometer for whether a school is a success? I guess, if the goal is to graduate and be accepted into a college hasn't the school proven their self-worth? What came first a good-school or great test scores?

Anonymous wrote:

Which also, goes to show you that Friendship really thought out the process on how to market their school. When they first opened up the high-school portion, they recruited the top Principal from Banneker at the time Ms. Adams and from that point on Friendship has not "wanted" for anything in regards to academics, athletics and activities.

Except decent test scores.

41% Reading
51% Math

I have to admit that they have quite a few programs for their students but what difference does it make if they aren't prepared for college.

One of their marketing tools early on was to announce that they had formely renowed retired Eastern High School Principal, Mr. Neal at the helm. Which made the surrounding community comfortable enough to send their children to the school. I am sensing the reputation of the school is still worthy because Mr. Neal has since retired but the school population has not dwindled.

Which also, goes to show you that Friendship really thought out the process on how to market their school. When they first opened up the high-school portion, they recruited the top Principal from Banneker at the time Ms. Adams and from that point on Friendship has not "wanted" for anything in regards to academics, athletics and activities.

The bewilderment for me is Friendship Middle School has anyone noticed the neighborhood children attending the school. Honestly, take time to look at the foot traffic of students who enter that building, it is quite large. Which, leads me to this scenario, if that charter school didn't exisit I think E-H would be busting at the seams.

thx, 9:37, I always find this Ward 6 Middle School, Ward 5 Middle School to be a bit bizarre, as the school boundary populations / catchement areas do not overlap with the wards.

also SH has a lot of out of boundary students, who apply with equal random possibility of entry from anywhere in the city.

11:07, the reason Ward 7 & 8 students can attend SH is because of the school boundaries. Which in actuality is the primary representation for a school population. As one DCPS instructional superintendent stated there are not enough children in one singular neighbor hood to support a school. Therefore, school boundary designations will never change.

Such as the case of Eastern High School that is why there was such a big push for Eastern to be part of Ward 7. The school enrollment showed that the majority of the students who were in the school boundaries for Eastern that more came from Ward 7 instead of Ward 6.

Anonymous wrote:Don't know why you say it can't happen to 2 MSs in Ward 6. The two feeder schools to Wilson, Deal & Hardy both got expensive renovations.

Anonymous wrote:Ward Six has ~325 of its kids in middle school. Deal is bursting at the seams with enrollment projected to be 1,300 next year. Hardy has over 500 students and has plenty of room to grow within a facility designed to accommodate a middle school If you were on the Council would you give $34 million X 3 to Ward Six and its severly underutilized schools? Of if you would only give it to two schools, which ones (Eliot Hine, Stuart Hobson or Jefferson)? Keep in mind Stuart Hobson has the fewest number of Ward Six residents. Keep in mind that Eliot Hine and Jefferson are proper middle schools, while Stuart Hobson is a retrofitted elementary school wedged into a residential area. Keep in mind that Stuart Hobson a mile from Eliot Hine.

If Stuart Hobson get is its $34 million, do you think Eliot Hine and Jefferson will get another $34 million a piece? What makes you think the Council will look favorably upon giving Ward Six all this money?

Anonymous wrote:Besides PP's accurate assessment of the situation, writing something like this completely ignores the fact that the city budget is obviously in a different place than when those renovations were approved and undertaken, still rolling in tax dollars from years of income and property tax growth.

Anonymous wrote:Another problem with the naive analogy above is that Stuart-Hobson, as part of a school cluster model long past its prime, has purposefully branded itself as serving a select few, namely the Capitol Hill Cluster School. Of course the reality is different but the advocating constituents are part of that very narrow base of insiders. So it's really hard for everyone else in Ward 6 (and that's most of us waiting for a decent middle school option) to be told for years "that's our school" and "why would anyone else have a say in it but us". And now all of a sudden it should be in everybody's interest to invest in it, quite likely even at the expense of our own future. We can all talk that talk ("sure, why can't there be both, live and let live"), including our Council Member, but you don't need to do more than one step behind the scenes and the reality is different.

The saddest part is that no one will have the political courage to provide some sort of leadership that goes beyond promising everybody everything and doing nothing in the process!

Anonymous wrote:1/2 of SH's students come from Ward 7 & 8. It only serves a few actual residents of Ward 6.

If the principal could fill the seats with Brent and Maury students, SH would be a very different place, very quickly. After several years of lackluster leadership, I'm curious to see what this new principal will do.

Why do 1/2 of kids come from wards 7 & 8? Do those kids have to take public transportation to get to school? It seems crazy to me that kids who live in walking distance from SH aren't zoned for SH. (Like my kid - we're inbounds for Brent). No way in hell would I ever send my kid to EH (or Jefferson, or whatever our zoned MS is). Nor, at this juncture, would I send her to SH, to be honest. But, she is only going to start P3 next year, so if we can eke out several years of (free) public school), I won't mind (so much) the private school bill starting in 6th . .

Stuart Hobson Modernization Petition

We, the undersigned, urge you to support full funding of $34.6 million over the next two years for the implementation of the Stuart Hobson Middle School Master Plan. The Master Plan was recently completed in partnership with DGS and DCPS, through the leadership of our School Improvement Team and with the extensive involvement of the community.

The existing building, which is over its current capacity with 420 students, is an architectural and historical gem with marble and glazed-brick walls, terrazzo-tile floors and a grand, but out of date, auditorium. The building is in severe disrepair: although stable, possesses major components that have exceeded their normal life expectancy and are in need of immediate replacement, including heating, plumbing and electrical systems. The old and small separate gymnasiums are not regulation size and the school does not have adequate outdoor recreation space. The school requires at a minimum all of the additional square feet of space provided in the master plan to meet federal and state education requirements, as well as its educational specifications as a Museum and Arts Integration School.

The District of Columbia’s current facility budget includes a total of $34.6 million allocated over the next 7 years which is way beyond standard capital improvement time frames. We request that the currently proposed funds from 2016 and 2019 be moved up to 2013 and 2014 to fund the complete development of the master plan, including configuring the north exterior area so that it can be used in its entirety as children recreation area with the code required parking beneath it. Not only will the construction be much more efficient and cost much less by doing this, but the long awaited school improvements for this great school will be less disruptive and have a much greater positive impact on our children

As the linchpin between the recently renovated and highly successful Elementary Schools and Eastern High School, Stuart Hobson will be key to the future success of public education in Ward 6. Your support for the full modernization of Stuart Hobson Middle School is of critical importance to our community.

I got the SWS fact sheet too. It says that SWS won't feed into SH because SH doesn't have room. Hmmmmm...now why would the Clusters be pushing so hard for a SH expansion date moving sooner?

The fact of the matter is that SH should be closed and rolled into EH which has more space and would be able to accomodate more children faster than waiting for the SH expansion. Why aren't the Cluster parents pushing for that?
And yes -- I do have kids at two of the Clusters.

Anonymous wrote:I don't think they will actually go there, but they will feed to one orvthe other depending on the permanent location of SWS. The official FAQ that came to SWS parents from DCPS last week made it clear that the expanded SWS will not feed to Stuart Hobson.

Logan feeds to Eliot Hine. I believe only the leading class has the.option to go to Stuart Hobson. Then, no more.

Logan parent here. We were expressly told, this year, by school officials that Logan will feed into SH. While it is certainly the case that they could have been mistaken, I'd be interested to know why some are so adamant that that is not the case. We will in all likelihood be in private next year, but for what it is worth, we would move before being forced into EH (or Watkins for that matter). Nothing personal against EH---I wish it the best---but the place is what it is.