CHPSPO Meeting Notes – November 20, 2012

Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization
Maury Elementary School Library – 1250 Constitution Ave., NE
November 20, 2012, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

 

1) DCPS School Closing Announcement (Cathy Reilly, SHAPPE, and Daniel del Pielago (Empower DC)

ACTION:

• Dec 5 – Wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 Community Discussion on DCPS Proposed Consolidation and Reorganization, 6 – 8 p.m @ Brightwood Education Campus (1300 Nicholson St, NW)
• What does this mean to us (Ward 6 families) in the future?
• Engage DCPS online – post ideas on how to save money here.

DISCUSSION:

• Need to formulate collective vision of how to fix the schools
• When Hine and Eliot merged 5 years ago, combined population was +600, now Hine is ~300 total. Consolidation has proven to show decreased enrollment.
• No plan in place to enrich combined campuses programmatically.
• Valuable to attend a neighborhood school. Publicly funded, but privately run schools don’t fit into a neighborhood system.
• Teachers union not a strong voice; engage other unions?
• What impact has Basis had on the DCPS middle schools? (Latin, Two Rivers)
• Review data à http://dc.gov/DCPS/Files/downloads/COMMUNITY/CR/DCPS-School-Data-Snapshot-November-19-2012.pdf
• 40% of families affected in this closing were affected in 2008 closing
• A lot of other places DCPS could save $ in lieu of closing schools – Teacher bonus, IMPACT evaluation, vendor relations (food services)
• What does an all charter system look like?
• Two pronged approach: Retention of families + Market to new families

2) Class of 20xx (Drew Golin, Maury parent)

ACTION:

• Recruit captains/teams at each school by grade (public, private, charter – raising a community)

DISCUSSION:

• Captains/Teams at each school by grade (public, private, charter – raising a community)
• Own listservs for the class
• Meetings
• Start getting involved in the HS – raise funds for music program, donate to bake sales, attend events
• ‘experts’ to think about
• Hill Rag letter
• 3rd grade playgroup: 1/3 of parents whose children had been to multiple schools.
• Summer concert series with Eastern HS band.
• Attend Eastern HS games http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/eastern-ramblers-(washington,dc)/basketball/schedule.htm

3) Title IX and sports for girls in DC (Valarie Hogan, National Women’s Law Center fellow)

ACTION:

• Circulate link to flyer and survey – engage MS and High Schools, coaches, parents, teachers – elem are covered but small.
• Meeting Dec 3, 6:30PM to give more info, discuss next steps @ Crolin Morrings, 1101 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

DISCUSSION:

• Center has been in talks w/ DCPS for years and possibly ready to file a complaint. Another complaint has been filed – focus is on opportunities, not on spending.
• Charters have not been tracked, in process of understand DC’s responsibility around charters and equity vis a vis sports

4) Learn about IB Middle Years @ Atlas and Living Room Chats update

ACTION:

•  Next IB education night – Jan 22 at Westminster Presbyterian in SW , 6PM
• Stuart Hobson has first Tuesday visits
• Dec 2 Moth school information night 2-5PM.  CHPSPO will attend.

5) DCPS Library Task Force update

• Continues to meet: recommendations out by mid-December, a lot of support for staffing librarians at all schools, collection development
• Where are books going w/ all closures? (Almost of all schools being closed don’t have librarians)…

Next CHPSPO Meeting:  December 18, 2012

Upcoming Events:

• December 2:  Girls on the Run 5K – 2PM @ Anacostia Park. Cheer on Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan, J.O. Wilson, Ludlow-Taylor, Maury, and Tyler or register to run in the 5K
• December 2:  Hill School Information Night– 2-5PM @ Capitol Hill Day School
• December 3:  Title IX Sports for Girls Next Steps – 6:30PM @ Crolin Morrings, 1101 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
• December 5:  Wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 Community Discussion on DCPS Proposed Consolidation and Reorganization, 6 – 8 p.m.
• January 22:  Next IB education night – at Westminster Presbyterian in SW , 6PM