- Public charters respond to column about school diversity [Washington Latin PCS, BASIS DC PCS, Washington Yu Ying PCS, Capital City PCS, Two Rivers PCS, and E.L. Haynes PCS mentioned]
- Washington Post's Jay Mathews was misled [BASIS DC PCS, Washington Yu Ying PCS, and Washington Latin PCS mentioned]
- They both came here illegally. Only one will be helped by Obama’s immigration action [Next Step PCS mentioned]
- D.C. as Unlikely Ed Role Model
Public charters respond to column about school diversity [Washington Latin PCS, BASIS DC PCS, Washington Yu Ying PCS, Capital City PCS, Two Rivers PCS, and E.L. Haynes PCS mentioned]
The Washington Post
By Jay Mathews
November 24, 2014
As I wrote in my most recent column, I am gathering information from D.C. school admission officials and the city’s public charter school leaders best able to respond to Erich Martel’s concerns about the number of white students in some schools.
Some officials already have responded to the column; Here are two of the responses, and I welcome anyone else involved with the schools mentioned to do the same on this space. I am planning a column for Dec. 15 that will sum up what they have told me, and I plan to go deeper into the question of whether it is good or bad to have some D.C. schools with unusually large percentages of white and middle-class students.
— Jay Mathews
Charter school enrollment and testing are straightforward, not a conspiracy theory
By Scott Pearson
In his Nov. 23 Washington Post column, Jay Mathews made a series of allegations about admissions and testing at some public charter schools, citing the theories of a former DCPS teacher.
Here’s the real story: Every one of the eight schools Mathews and the former teacher cite currently participates in My School DC, the single, random lottery that determines placement for new public and public charter students. My School DC reports to a committee chaired by the Deputy Mayor of Education and made up of DC Public School and charter school leaders.
The application process through My School DC is straightforward. Families complete an application for each student, listing their school choices in their preferred order —1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice, and so on. Students and their parents can select up to 12 schools.
My School DC then uses a matching algorithm to assign each student a random lottery number and attempts to match each student with his or her first choice, then second, and so on.
So if 60 students want to go to a certain public charter school that has only 30 open slots, My School DC will send the school the 30 names of those to be admitted with the rest of the students going on a waiting list in random order. The school must accept the 30 students and are not told the name, gender or ethnicity of any of the students that were matched.
Thus it’s the parents and students – and not the schools – who get to decide which public charter school they would like to attend. Parents and students are the ones who have a choice.
Because public charter schools are not neighborhood schools, parents are able to choose a quality programs anywhere in the District. Students that attend BASIS DC PCS or Washington Yu Ying PCS , for example, live all across the city. Here are the maps for these two schools showing where the students live and the school is. Similar maps for every charter school in the city can be found at http://www.dcpcsb.org/report/student-location-maps.
To ensure that schools are not employing discriminating enrollment practices, the Board reviews all public charter school Web sites and admission materials. In 2012, the Board also implemented another strategy – the mystery shopper initiative, where staff poses as parents asking enrollment questions.
Also, Matthews mentions the DC CAS or DC Comprehensive Assessment test. Federal law requires every school to give an annual assessment in reading and math to everyone of their students in grades 3-8 and high school.
There’s no conspiracy. Students and parents make the choice and the independent My School DC uses a random lottery to fill the available public charter school seats.
Scott Pearson is the Executive Director of the DC Public Charter School Board. The Board oversees the 112 public charter schools in the District.
Head of Washington Latin Public Charter School responds
To the Editor:
I was shocked by today’s column by Jay Mathews that quotes Erich Martel’s claim that Washington Latin PCS (WLPCS) and other DC public charter schools with significant percentages of white students have somehow cheated the enrollment lottery in order to improve our DC CAS scores. You cite no evidence of this claim, nor could you. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education conducts the Common Lottery and offers spots to students randomly. One cannot cheat the system. Suggesting otherwise without any evidence, as Mr. Mathews does by quoting Mr. Martel, seems irresponsible.
More importantly, your column raises questions about whether diverse schools are good for their students and public education in general. We believe the answer to both questions is yes. With a diverse student body that mirrors the racial demographics of the District, WLPCS represents an important model for truly public education that serves all citizens together. Our results show that we are serving all students: the WLPCS achievement gap is far narrower than that of all public charter schools and the District. This reflects what research has shown: minority and low-income students perform better in quality schools with racial and income diversity.
You note that several of these big questions will be addressed in future columns. I hope you will explore these issues based on fact rather than innuendo.
Martha Cutts
Head of School
Washington Latin PCS
Washington Post's Jay Mathews was misled [BASIS DC PCS, Washington Yu Ying PCS, and Washington Latin PCS mentioned]
The Examiner
By Mark Lerner
November 25, 2014
A firestorm erupted in D.C.'s charter school movement yesterday after the Washington Post's Jay Mathews wrote a column giving legitimacy to a claim by Eric Martel that several academically high performing schools including Washington Latin PCS's lower and upper schools, BASIS PCS's middle school, Washington Yu Ying PCS's elementary school, Capital City PCS's lower school, Two Rivers PCS's elementary and middle schools, and E.L. Haynes PCS's elementary school score well on the DC CAS because they have manipulated the random student lottery admissions process to enroll a greater proportion of white kids. No evidence of the supposed mechanism schools are using to illegally control their student bodies was provided to substantiate his highly inflammatory claim.
The column led Washington Latin PCS (upon whose board of directors I serve), and Scott Pearson, the executive director of the DC Public Charter School Board to respond forcibly in writing. Here is a portion of the letter by Mr. Pearson:
"Here’s the real story: Every one of the eight schools Mathews and former teacher cite currently participates in My School DC, the single, random lottery that determines placement for new public and public charter students. My School DC reports to a committee chaired by the Deputy Mayor of Education and made up of DC Public School and charter school leaders.
The application process through My School DC is straightforward. Families complete an application for each student, listing their school choices in their preferred order —1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice, and so on. Students and their parents can select up to 12 schools.
My School DC then uses a matching algorithm to assign each student a random lottery number and attempts to match each student with his or her first choice, then second, and so on.
So if 60 students want to go to a certain public charter school that has only 30 open slots, My School DC will send the school the 30 names of those to be admitted with the rest of the students going on a waiting list in random order. The school must accept the 30 students and are not told the name, gender or ethnicity of any of the students that were matched."
But my question is why Mr. Mathews would pay any attention at all to comments by Mr. Martel? I have been reading his opinions for years. Mr. Martel is an active participant of the Concerned4DCPS listserve. Members of this group want to turn back the clock completely regarding school reform in the nation's capital. If they could they would have a genie appear out of a bottle and magically revert to when there were no charter schools and the school board ran DCPS without Mayoral control.
As a reminder this was a terribly sad period for public education in D.C. Little instruction actually took place in classrooms and it was practically impossible to get rid of a poor teacher. Guns, drugs, and violence where often more prevalent in the halls of schools than textbooks. Many portions of facilities could not be utilized because the ceilings and walls were crumbling.
What is so shocking is that any experienced education writer in this town knows about the out-of-the mainstream views of Concerned4DCPS supporters. It is especially strange to see someone repeat their claims who has been such as strong advocate of charter schools. Mr. Mathews says that he will print a follow-up column on this issue on December 15th. Let's hope he comes to his senses.
They both came here illegally. Only one will be helped by Obama’s immigration action [Next Step PCS mentioned]
The Washington Post
By Danielle Paquette
November 21, 2014
Thursday evening, two mothers attend English class at a northwest Washington night school. The teacher halts a vocabulary lesson about household objects to play President Obama’s immigration announcement on a projection screen. The women stare at the Univision live-stream, bracing for words that could change everything.
Both are undocumented. Both fled their home countries for the relative safety of America. Both paid men called “coyotes” to sneak them across the Texas border. Both are studying for the GED at the Next Step Public Charter School in Columbia Heights, their neighborhood, where 34 percent of residents identify as Latino. Both dream of better jobs, an economic shot for their kids.
One of these mothers will be helped by President Obama’s immigration move. The other will not.
A matter of five years separates them. The difference will define their futures: One mother arrived in 2007. The other, seven months ago.
In a primetime speech Thursday, the president announced an executive order to defer the deportations of 4 million immigrants. Federal border control agents, he said, will refocus on “actual threats” to our security: felons, gang members — and anyone who recently crossed the border.
“Felons, not families,” Obama said. “Criminals, not children. Gang members, not a mom who’s working hard to provide for her kids.”
One of the key aspects of the new plan, which will end up being pivotal for these two women, is that undocumented parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents who have lived in the country for at least five years can apply this spring for a three-year period of deportation relief. As many as 3.7 million immigrants meet that criteria, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
Obama is also expanding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a 2012 program that offers renewable work permits to nearly 600,000 young immigrants brought here illegally as children.
“Wonderful progress,” says Giulianni Hardy-Gerena, a case manager at the Next Step school. “But it’s heartbreaking to hear Obama say some people can stay just because they’ve been here longer.”
The woman who stands to gain
Ivania Ramirez sits in a front row desk, hands clasped in her lap. Her three-year-old daughter, a U.S. citizen, plays with a Thomas the Train toy in the downstairs daycare. Daniela is wearing her favorite sweater. In English, it says: Cats have more fun.
Ramirez, 24, is learning English for them both. She’s the sole breadwinner now, making apple tarte tatins and banana splits for minimum wage at a fancy downtown restaurant.
Ramirez will be provided temporary legal status under the president’s order, merely because she came to the U.S. more than five years ago. Seven years ago, Ramirez followed her boyfriend to the District from El Salvador. Her mother worked in a clothing factory. Her father, a mattress factory. The family of five squeezed into a two-bedroom apartment.
Two years ago, her boyfriend tried to strangle her.
She called police. He was deported.
She swore to find better work, to send home money. Now, she planned to become a flight attendant – independent of men, free to aspire for more.
A Univision reporter translates Obama’s message to during the Thursday live-stream. Ramirez feels tears of joy.
“If you’ve been in America for more than five years,” the president says, “if you have children who are American citizens or legal residents… You’ll be able to apply to stay in this country temporarily, without fear of deportation.”
The woman who won’t be helped
The same words – “more than five years” – startle Rocio Turcios, a petite 19-year old woman. Her pink hoodies stretches over her swollen belly. Her 2-year-old son is in the daycare with Ramirez’s daughter.
She feels queasy.
“This deal does not apply to anyone who has come to this country recently,” Obama continues. “It does not apply to anyone who might come to America illegally in the future.”
Turcios didn’t know she was pregnant when she left Honduras. A gang threatened her family, who owned a small clothing business: Give me half your profits, or one of you will disappear.
The coyote brought Turcios and her 2-year-old to Mexico, where he demanded more money before they continued. She had none. She walked with her toddler to the Texas border through thorny bushes, bleeding, and flagged down border control.
Turcios was released to her 29-year-old brother, who has lived in the District for a decade. An interview is scheduled at a local immigration office in March. She will ask for a two-year work permit — in English.
She cleaned the Nationals stadium for five months, before it hurt her to stand long. Next, she hopes to teach English to immigrants, like her, who escaped pain and found more pain.
Her baby will be born American. The due date is Dec. 19.
Turcios wonders how she can stay to raise the child.
D.C. as Unlikely Ed Role Model
The Huffington Post
By Richard Whittier and Andrew J. Rotherham
November 24, 2014
A decade ago, the debate about Washington D.C.'s public schools turned on school vouchers. How many students in the city's beleaguered schools should get a lifeline out and how many national Democrats would break ranks and support vouchers? As a new report released last Friday makes clear, the questions now are how fast can the city's booming public charter school sector grow and how quickly -- not if -- the city's traditional public schools can improve as well.
How D.C. went from punchline to touchstone in a relatively short period of time is an important question. Education advocates are always ready to hop planes to Finland and Singapore, but America's capital city offers some lessons closer to home.
There are two reasons behind Washington's unexpected improvement (unexpected because for years, there was a consensus that D.C., considering the generous per-student spending, was probably the worst-run school district in the country). And they are reasons other cities might want to study because D.C. is not an educational snowflake. What's working there is portable.
First, the evidence is clear that America's most dysfunctional urban school districts stand no chance of improving without leaning on high performing charter schools.
In D.C., about half of the city's public school students now attend charters. Data released last week shows that the best charters are growing and the worst are closing because parents aren't choosing them or they're being closed by city authorities.
Those low performers either get shut down or taken over by better charters, and a very public ranking system leads parents to make better choices about which charter to pick. Currently, one-third of D.C. charter students are enrolled in the top charters.
This is a credit to the way D.C. authorizes and manages its charters and is a black mark on other jurisdictions - like Ohio, for instance - that are not yet as serious about charter quality as they are about expansion.
The fact that troubled urban districts must now lean on charters is a byproduct of two decades of toxic education politics. Both superintendents and teacher union leaders have resisted real change, which means the best that most traditional urban schools can hope for is either holding steady or making tiny improvements. Charters in D.C., by contrast, have been subject to a tough winnowing process: Perform or perish.
School districts such as New York City, where a new mayor and schools chancellor appear determined to both resist top charters and, more importantly, ignore the lessons learned from the successes they have with low-income minority students, are likely to pay a price.
That points to the second lesson of Washington: Leadership matters, and despite the happy talk about "collaboration," improving large, dysfunctional and politically controlled urban school systems means some acrimony is almost inevitable. In D.C.'s case it was the bombastic Michelle Rhee who laid the foundation for today's improvements -- improvements clear from federal data showing that despite lagging problems, D.C. is the fastest improving urban school district.
Rhee made hard decisions about personnel, performance evaluations, and right-sizing a school district that couldn't afford to keep operating half-empty schools. She cleaned out no-show employees, parasitic vendors, and other drags on the system. Every one of those decisions antagonized some adult constituency or another. Usually that's a deal-breaker or results in weak half-measures. Washington was an exception.
Rhee was certainly not the long-term leader for the city's schools, but she was the right leader at the right time. Other cities can hire leaders with a different style than the notoriously combative Rhee but there is no evidence they can attain dramatic improvements without the same hard decisions.
Sadly, failing urbanized school systems are all too common. From large rust belt cities to smaller urbanized towns, these pockets of failure persist -- mostly because political leaders are too feckless to make the hard decisions. Washington's example shows that there is no way around those decisions but there is a payoff at the end -- for the students these systems are supposed to serve in the first place.
Andrew J. Rotherham is a co-founder and partner at Bellwether Education and executive editor of RealClearEducation.com. Richard Whitmire is the author most recently of On the Rocketship: How Top Charter Schools are Pushing the Envelope.