Leslie,
Let me get this right -- is there a drop off/pick up area right now at a "renovated" Bunker Hill? I don't think so!! Furthermore, if DCPS is going to close Ward 5 Middle Schools that has all the space in the WORLD to do everything and give them away to other facilities -- one of them housing MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS (at Taft), you really need to pay the cost of under grounding parking and putting the recreational fields above that parking. Let those "leases" from Taft, Backus and the rest of leases in Ward 5 be directed to offset that.
It was their responsibility to hold the proper facilities in their inventory to be utilized by our Public School Kids first and since they didn't, they need to subsidize our kids needs now. It is a cost that is DUE to our kids and our Parents -- Sort of like Reparations.
And if you really need to provide the drop off and pickup, that same approach that they are using to put trash pick up and delivery at Whole Foods downtown and 901 Monroe will be fine. That leaves much space for the Recreational facilities above. As for a Baseball Diamond and Football/Soccer Field -- you would be able to do the same crazy overlapping configuration that was being shown at the Turkey Thicket Location -- since they seem to think that it is so great to sketch that in. All one needs to do is truly stencil in a Baseball diamond as part of the astro-turf that they will be designing.
And I am missing something -- unless DCPS is planning on having after school Baseball program, I am somewhat confused why they would be needing a baseball diamond. Seems that they would have more time to get a swim in than play baseball in the middle of a school day -- but as Rae Zapata said, there is no time in the schedule for that. Call me crazy -- I have never seen baseball being played during school hours -- time doesn't permit for that. And if they are going to have after-school sports/practice as part of the school, this further takes away the time that others will be able to utilize the Turkey Thicket Rec. Center.
As to the Curriculum at this proposed school right now -- Let's be real honest here -- this programming is truly ambitious unless I am looking at the wrong Proficiency Scores. Are you and I viewing the same FLUNKING proficiency scores or am I missing something. Not saying that we shouldn't offer Foreign language -- because even though we "can't walk and chew gum" right now, we are all going to be "french models" as soon as we attend this "magical school". I think most of our planners are missing the point that we are having a problem with our kids in these feeder schools understanding Math and English -- especially READING Comprehension. Furthermore, we spend so much time preparing kids who are NOT prepared (up to PAR in Education Standards) with a foreign language focus when that is not part of the SAT and much sooner - disqualifies them from being COMPETENT High Schoolers.
Why isn't the focus on getting them up to par and provide that foreign language in high school. I keep trying to tell you folks out there that this "Foreign Language "emerging" school is very much a marketing trick -- if the kids are already behind to attract kids away from Public Schools to further enhance the Misnomer of Charter School Success.
Those kids who test "high" on proficiency needs to be transferred out to a school that most suits them. In the years to come, we can prepare the curriculum for an improved proficiency -- but for right now, that focus is a Lofty Goal. Foreign countries have kids testing into schools -- they tend to group like kids together so that they can move at a similar pace. Whether you like it or not, the current testing is STANDARDIZED. But, no matter what you tell me, if my child can't add and subtract properly and can't read/comprehend or spell properly, I am not spending much time focusing on a foreign language.
Furthermore, I keep trying to share that if we are going to prepare kids for the "Vocational" track -- the preferred language that they should be focused on is SPANISH -- as that is what most of their co-workers are going to be utilizing. I much rather have kids exposed to art, music, culture, Strategy (board games), self improvement -- motivational - dream building - self esteem - character type classes than wasted on pie in the sky. Kids need pride, self esteem, self improvement type classes more than anything. Make school Fun and utilize technology so that kids will be more apt to participate and focus.
Leslie, I am sure that you have lots of experience in teaching and are better prepared to complete a curriculum for kids than I. I am not discounting you at all and your intentions. I am just looking at the common sense approach that I believe is needed to get kids ON TRACK -- to the point of being on par so that they can evolve towards classes like your Curriculum is suggesting. We need them to feel competent in participating so we don't lose them to frustration due to embarrassment and lack of focus.
As I close, I wouldn't be opposed to Turkey Thicket if DCPS/DGS would put forth that MOU so that we can actually see the time allotments that will be realistic in having Co-Utilized facilities. Let them create the schedule first. Trust me, if this was such a great idea, they would have no problem with this and they would have been putting forth the "Co-Location" for over a Year now -- but they thought that their approach of using Emotions of Blacks for a Middle School and Whites for a renovated more beautiful Turkey Thicket - Brookland School would override the "CON" -- but it really didn't once the reality started setting in.
Why don't you put together a proposed MOU -- that includes the time usage and the rules of what will be still available to the Community and include the separation of what belongs to DCPS and what belongs to Turkey Thicket as well as the CO-USING of both facilities by both communities -- the school using the Land on the Rec Center during school hours (with the community being able to use it as well) and the Community using the Schools' facilities (Rec and Auditorium etc) during the evening. Let's see the Co-Location and the Co-Use working.
I appreciate all the work that you do but I am out here working with kids of all ages and the comprehension level is so non-existant that one would have to be really surgical in the approach to rebuilding them. Placing higher expectation on not much of a foundation is like building a 10 story building on a foundation that can only support 3. We are only setting up a majority of our kids to failure due to frustration, embarrassment - due to a feeling of incompetence. We will continue to loose them.
Rob
On Tue, Apr 2, 2013 at 11:46 PM, Leslie Jones <lesliedwjones@gmail.com> wrote:
Would someone please explain why they feel that using Brookland/Bunker Hill would be a better option for the middle school? What I see is a space that would have to be completely gutted for a middle school and probably given an addition. This is in addition to the need to include a drop-off/pick-up area and parking. That decreases the size of the fields that are currently there, which makes me wonder if there would then be space for a soccer/football field, track and/or baseball diamond.Also-the curriculum. The initial suggestion was for an Arts Integration/World Language School. This is something totally different from a mini Duke Ellington or language immersion. In this model, all students would be expected to take a foreign language beginning in sixth grade and completing a high school credit course in the 8th grade. Teachers of all subjects would use the arts as a way to enhance the curriculum. However, this is not necessarily the direction that the school will take. Recent discussions still include the World Language, but with substantial arts courses offered for all students. Personally, I have suggested including an advanced class for each grade for students who consistently test at high levels of proficiency or advanced on standardized tests. I would also like to see the District include a GT/LD program.This is something that DCPS doesn't offer but a few neighboring districts do.Leslie Jones--
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