CHPSPO Meeting Notes – October 16, 2018

Seaton Elementary School; 1503 10th Street, NW
October 16, 2018; 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

1. Technology Update, Grace Hu (ghgracehu (at) gmail (dot) com)

Objective is for DCPS to develop a comprehensive technology plan

• First: need basic access to technology(impacts digital literacy, testing
• Second: Have DCPS look at how they will fund technology in a way that is sustainable
• DCPS Technology Challenges and Opportunities (Excerpt from)
  • DCPS has a tech plan but it’s not funded; working on inventory so they know what is at each school; exploring leasing
• Students testified at Education Committee’s Public Oversight Hearing on Issues Facing District of Columbia Youth on October 15, 2018
• Next Steps: Without advocacy, not likely to move forward
  • Talk to Councilmembers, email campaign
  • Contact Grace Hu (ghgracehu (at) gmail (dot) com) to share your school’s data and needs re: technology, and to support ongoing advocacy towards comprehensive technology infrastructure across all of DCPS

2. Research Collaborative, Danica Petroshius

Bill pending in council for research collaborative; way for research institute to partner w/ city to support research capacity the city alone cannot support: http://lims.dccouncil.us/Legislation/B22-0776?FromSearchResults=true

Background:

• City administration does not want it, but community wants it
• City wants pursue this on their own, w/out engagement;
• Bill moved forward unanimously and expected to pass by Committee of the Whole
• The collaborative is to be led by a steering committee made up of community members to make decisions around research to be conducted
• To ensure effectiveness of collaborative, need to focus on:
  • Ensuring steering committee is representative of school community; not just agency members
  • Incubate somewhere in government so it has a real chance to take off; proposed in auditor’s office
  • Create and develop a data warehousing system; to make data transparent and useful while ensuring student/family privacy is protected

3. Shaw Middle School Discussion

Background:

• Shaw Middle School in 2008 closed and consolidated w/ Garnet-Patterson.
• Although 54M was put into DC capital budget to renovate the Shaw Middle School, it was not prioritized; instead, funding for Shaw moved to Ward 4 for MacFarland Middle School. Garnett-Patterson closed and students dispersed to Cardozo and School Without Walls/Francis-Steven MS; Center City MS was “to be built” to support feeders in Wards 1,2,5, & 6; CM Allen required DCPS to conduct study on feasibility, but DCPS has not complied

Today

• At some point around late 2017,  DCPS began considering moving Banneker High School to the Shaw Middle School location. DCPS only engaged the Banneker community on their plans to potentially repurpose the middle school as a high school.  They commissioned a feasibility study that was issued in August 2018, which essentially extolled the virtues of the Shaw site.
• Community does not support a HS (application) but needs a middle school.
• ANC6E prepared a resolution and sent to mayor that while would like to accommodate Banneker, will only support it if MS component is built into plan; DCPS needs to be more transparent
  • Top priority from community’s perspective is a middle school serving feeder patterns in schools Wards 1,2,5,6<
  • If there is to be a new Banneker on the Shaw MS site, the community would only consider supporting that if there is a middle school component
  • If there is no middle school component, then ANC will oppose Banneker moving to Shaw Middle School site

Questions/Comments:

• Q: Where are students going to MS? A: Charters; MacFarland
• Q: As parent of 5th grader, I need help in figuring out where my daughter will go to MS. What is a good choice? A: Seaton ES is planning a MS fair; provide guidance
• Neighbors internally are not aligned and w/o having been consulted with by DCPS will not have opportunity to think through implications
• When people talk about a lack of a middle school the conversation does not flow towards whether Cardozo is viable option (if more resources were to be invested, would it be?)
• Current Banneker school community, regardless of site/solution, does not want delays
• Site reflects a massive parking lot;

Next Steps:

• Key Asks: 1; Delay decision to at least have a discussion w/ community. 2: ask for a middle school
• Engage community stakeholders: Ward 1,2,5, & 6 education councils; Senior High Alliance of Parents, Principals and Educators (SHAPPE).  Suki Lucier will draft a sign-on letter.

4.  Proposed Mount Vernon PEPCO substation and loss of K St. Farm at Walker-Jones EC (Tiffany Aziz)

• Health risks to community, Walker-Jones students and educators
• Does not align with positive development contributing to the economic and social infrastructure of K street
• Loss of the Farm at Walker Jones community garden
• More information here: https://www.notinmycommunity.com/who-we-are

5. Next CHPSPO Meeting:

• November 19, 2018 (NOTE:  This is a Monday)
• MONDAY, November 19
• Agenda items proposed: DME Paul Kihn, Safe Passages/Routes, ongoing diversity, equity, inclusion conversations

Upcoming Events

• Empower Ed Teacher Voice Summit, October 20 (registration required)
• DC Council Education Committee Hearing – Care of D.C. Coordinating Committee Act of 2018 – October 22: Register to testify.  
• Feed-the-Feeder Event, October 24
• Hill-o-Ween, Eastern Market – October 26
• DC Council Education Committee Hearing – School Safety Act of 2018 and the Student Safety and Consent Education Act of 2018 –Nov. 1: Register to testify.
• DC Council Education Committee Hearing – DME Confirmation – Nov 8 Register to testify.
• DC Council Education Committee Roundtable – Plans for Shaw Junior High School Campus and Benjamin Banneker Academic High School – November 15 :Register to testify>

Visit CHPSPO on the web at http://chpspo.org