38 ★ HillRag | July 2011

Most DC wards have one middle school. Some, like Ward 5,

have none. Ward 6 on Capitol Hill, meanwhile, is struggling to fi ll and maintain three. Low test scores, ill-maintained facilities and under-enrollment that have plagued some of the campuses in recent years, and many families have opted to send their chil-dren to elite private campuses, high performing public schools in Northwest DC, or one of the many new charter schools across the city. Th ough a grassroots par-ent eff ort has revolutionized the elementary schools on Capitol Hill over the past few years, this involvement tends to fi zzle out at the middle school level.

“Th ere’s been quite an exodus of parents that have left Ward 6,” said Stuart-Hobson parent and Ward 6 School Board Representative Monica Warren Jones.

Maury parent Joe Wheedon agrees. “As soon as kids are in fi rst or second grade, their parents start wondering, ‘Should we stay in the District or fl ee to the suburbs? Should we follow the feeder pat-terns or go to public charters?’ We’re losing a lot of good families.”

However, many Capitol Hill parents and oth-ers have invested their time and energy over the last few years to create a plan of action for improving the three middle schools of Ward 6: Eliot-Hine, Stuart-Hobson and Jeff erson. Th e Capitol Hill Public School Parents Organization (CHPSPO) researched options, surveyed the community, and drafted a plan that garnered the attention and sup-port of former schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. With new programs, partnerships and course off er-ings, the plan aims to make the area campuses into schools of choice for local families. Will this plan, and the parents behind it, turn the middle schools around? Or will the current budget crunch and the lure of private and charter schools undermine their eff orts, possibly forcing one of the schools to close?

Parent Power? It’s ElementaryWorking with then-School Board member

Tommy Wells, now the Ward 6 Councilmem-

ber, local parents mobilized a few years ago to help improve the public elementary schools on the Hill. Th ey aggressively pursued grants, public-private partnerships, and connections with DC institutions ranging from the Shakespeare Th eater to the Nationals baseball team. Th e Capitol Hill Community Foundation raised thousands of grant dollars for modernizing the school libraries. Teachers and administrators were fi red, and others were hired, build-ings were modernized, and early childhood programs opened up around Capitol Hill.

According to Councilmember Wells, these changes were successful. “Parents really responded, and came back to the school system,” he said. “Six or seven of our ten elementary schools now have waiting lists. Very active parents have really taken ownership of their schools. Just walk around any of the elementary schools and you’ll see it. It’s just incredible.”

Amanda Bassow, the current PTA president for the Capitol Hill Cluster, agrees: “It’s great to see more and more folks on the Hill choosing their neighborhood schools,” she said. “I see a lot of en-ergy now.”

While this progress bodes well for the middle school eff ort, it may take time for parents to feel con-fi dent about the generally low-performing schools.

Daniel Holt, the president of the Brent PTA and father of a third-grader, shared this anxiety. “We feed into Jeff erson, but the reality has been that al-most no one goes to Jeff erson, maybe one student a year,” he said. “Brent’s enrollment is surging as it becomes a popular school, but parents are worried about dropping off a cliff after that, with nowhere to go.”

But Holt is optimistic about the improvements planned for the Ward 6 schools, which are already piquing parent interest. “Th e Jeff erson Academy now has a waiting list, which is encouraging,” he said. “More parents are considering it now than ever before, but they’re still skeptical, as they should be.”

“We’ve always lost a large number of middle class families, and we still will,” admitted Coun-

cilmember Wells. “But the degree to which they didn’t leave for elementary school is amazing.”

What Makes a Winning Middle School?Th e Capitol Hill Public School Parent Organi-

zation (CHPSPO) grappled with this question be-fore presenting their ideas to DCPS. Many agreed that Deal Middle School in Northwest DC is a good model for several reasons. For starters, it’s big. Under a per-pupil funding system, more students mean more dollars. With more dollars, a school can provide a greater variety of activity for children at the age it matters most.

“Middle school is the age where kids fi gure out what excites them,” said Councilmember Wells. “Are they motivated by languages? By sports? By art? Th e more options you can provide in a middle school, the better. Th at’s why Deal is the ideal.”

Wells also noted that high test scores are not necessarily what make a school attractive to par-ents. “We have schools with higher test scores that families are not clamoring to get into, and we have schools with low test scores that are very popular,” he said. “For parents, the most important things are, will their child be challenged? Do they feel like they can work with the administration at the school, and what’s the likelihood their child will be going to school with their friends?”

Parents also want the physical campuses to have the same quality as the classes inside them. “Our kids deserve a safe, high-performing build-ing, and our teachers and administrators deserve decent place to work,” said Jones, who voiced con-cerns about the facilities at Stuart-Hobson. “When parents make choices about where to send their kids, they want rigor, but they also want a building free of asbestos and structural integrity issues.”

“It’s not just about aesthetics,” clarifi ed Bas-sow. “You need an environment where kids and parent want to be, a place that keeps kids and teachers excited.”

Stuart-HobsonCapitol Hill parents praise the students and

teachers at Stuart-Hobson—which operates at capacity with a substantial waiting list—but say the aging facilities are problematic. “Th e teachers are dedicated, and the students are an impressive bunch, but we are saddled with a building bursting at the seams,” said Bassow, who has a daughter at

capitolstreets news

The Future of Hill Middle Schoolsby Alice Ollstein

Ward 6 School Board Representative Monica Warren Jones

Stuart-Hobson.Th e school gym dates back to

the days when boys and girls had separate physical education class-es—with two smaller gyms instead of one large one, which makes re-cruiting sports-minded students diffi cult. When DCPS asked Stu-art-Hobson parents what they wanted in terms of renovation, they received six pages of demands. “Th e building is in need of serious atten-tion,” said Barbara Riehle, whose two children attended Stuart-Hob-son. “It has major infrastructure is-sues. Th ere are leaking windows, so the staircase fl oods when it rains. It’s a nightmare.”

Jones added that while some improvements have been made, they have been insuffi cient and in-consistent—putting some students in brand new classrooms “with all the bells in whistles” while other rooms lack proper heating, roofi ng, and hot water. “What we waste on energy costs every month is ridicu-lous,” she added.

Stuart-Hobson will not receive its scheduled Phase One renova-tions until the summer of 2012, and Riehle worries it will be “inad-equate” and “basically cosmetic.”

Yet Assistant Principal Olu-tayo Ayodeji says big improve-ments are on the way for Stuart-Hobson, including an expanded instrumental music program and a new Mac computer lab. Smart boards were installed in every classroom last fall.

Still, says Bassow, it’s diffi cult to overcome public perception. “Stu-

art-Hobson is one of the top middle schools in DC, and it’s still a chal-lenge to convince parents that this school is excellent,” she said. “Th ere are defi nitely lots of families that graduate from Watkins [Elemen-tary School] and choose not to go to Stuart-Hobson.”

Eliot-HineTh ough Eliot-Hine’s campus

has the capacity for over 800 stu-dents, current enrollment is only in the high 200s. CHPSPO President Suzanne Wells believes the clos-ing of Hine Junior High and the merging of the two schools in 2008 is partially to blame, yet she is op-timistic that the improved feeder elementary schools and coming im-provements in the Ward 6 Plan will boost enrollment at Eliot-Hine in the years to come.

Th e school will soon add a de-bate program, a Model United Na-tions, and a partnership program with the National Guard. It will also take advantage of its proximity to Eastern High School to share their track and fi eld and music education resources. Th e school is also in “year zero” of the multi-year process of attaining International Baccalaure-ate certifi cation.

Wheedon, who has committed to sending his two children to El-iot-Hine, is excited about all these new off erings, but cautions that they are contingent on increasing enrollment.

“Th e school needs to grow in order to off er the programs they’re expected to off er,” he said. “We can’t

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40 ★ HillRag | July 2011

wait for them to start programs before committing. Th e services aren’t going to come fi rst. We have to gather together as the Hill, as Ward 6, and send our children there.”

Riehle expressed confi dence in the leader-ship of Principal Willie Jackson. “Th e atmosphere was so diff erent when he took over,” she said. “He worked hard to bring in terrifi c teachers, and test score improvement rates have been impressive. He’s also always out on the corner when school is out, being a positive role model. I think he can build the population the building calls for.”

Wheedon, who chairs Maury’s middle school committee and serves on DCPS’ Eliot-Hine com-mittee, says the Eliot-Hine leadership needs to reach out to the community more if they want parents to commit to the school. “Th ey should be going to the Fourth of July parade and the Moms on the Hill school information night. Th ey should be speaking at the PTA meetings for every feeder school. We need to start having a true dialogue and answering all the questions and concerns parents have,” he said.

Jeff ersonIn the past decade, Jeff erson Middle School

went from being an in-demand, high performing school to struggling with under-enrollment and low test scores. In 2010, just 56 percent of Jeff erson students met math standards, and just 46 percent met reading standards on the DC CAS exam.

“Jeff erson used to be one of the top schools in the whole region, and we want to get back to that,” said Claudia Lujan, who has been a liaison between parents and DCPS for many years. “Th ere are a lot of ways to do it, and we’re starting with a focus on academics, and belief that every student can achieve.” Lujan is working with parent groups from Jeff erson’s feeder schools — Brent, Th omp-son, and Amidon-Bowen — to construct a plan to revamp the school.

“Th e parents who want to take a shot at turning

Jeff erson around have done a phenom-enal job so far,” said Councilmember Wells. “We have parents stepping for-ward in Southwest with new energy, and we haven’t had that in quite a while.”

One result of their eff orts is the new “6th grade academy” set to open this fall, which will expand in the next few years to include all grades. Lujan says the academy will feature project-based learning, a personal success plan for every student, and high-tech “class-rooms of the future.”

While the academy is fully en-rolled for the 2011 year, the school has struggled to attract enough students for 7th and 8th grade. However, Holt has faith in the upcoming IB certifi cation process, which he says will give more parents confi dence in the school. “Th e IB program has a great style of learning,” he said. “It also off ers third-party verifi cation, because folks from Swit-zerland have to come approve the school and make sure it’s up to snuff . So it’s like an assurance policy. DCPS can’t arbitrarily cut programs in the future, because IB has many minimum requirements.”

Principal Patricia Pride is also working to pur-sue some of the local partnerships in Southwest that have been lost over the years due to high turn-over in leadership at the school. “It’s hard to main-tain connections when there’s a new principal every few years,” she said. “But we’re really reconnecting with the community.”

Pride is currently setting up a program with the marina that would let students learn water safety, kayaking and paddle boating. She is also looking into adopting a local park, launching a spring la-crosse program, and partnering with the Nationals baseball team.

Holt is excited about the planned improve-ments at Jeff erson, but admits that convincing parents to enroll without seeing results fi rst will be

a challenge. “Th e stakes are high with middle school,” he said. “You’re not willing to enroll your kid and hope that things get better. But parents are cau-tiously optimistic. About a dozen of our fi fth graders are going to Jeff erson next year, and while some of them don’t have other options, for many it’s the appeal of the improvements.”

Dollars and SenseTh e Ward 6 Middle School Plan was

largely the result of parent brainstorm-ing, and most are enthusiastic about the fi nal recommendations. Some, however, worry that there isn’t enough money to fund all the programs and improve-

ments for all three middle schools. “We really struggled with the DCPS budget,”

said Lisa Raymond, the senior education advisor for City Council Chairman Kwame Brown. “Th ere are no funds dedicated specifi cally to middle school improvement, but the chairman has made middle schools a priority.”

“I’m very anxious about funding,” admitted Councilmember Wells. “But I don’t want to dis-courage the motivated, successful parents. Who am I to say they can’t do it?”

Jones, however, believes no amount of parent activism can make up for a lack of political leader-ship and fi nancial support. “We need a commit-ment from DCPS and the politicians who control the purse,” she said. “Parents have done the work and will continue to do the work, but we can’t con-trol the budget and how it gets prioritized.”

In the face of this budget crunch, some parents want to explore the possibility of merging Stuart-Hobson and Eliot-Hine. Th ey feel it would be bet-ter to have two fully funded and fully enrolled op-tions than stretching resources over three schools.

“With the budgetary constraints, can they sup-port three middle schools?” wonders Bassow. “I worry about having enough students to bring the dollars to support all three. Combining the schools is defi nitely worth considering. It’s worth having a broader community dialogue, because three may be one too many.”

Others, like Riehle, feel that Stuart-Hobson shouldn’t be closed. “It’s a completely crazy idea,” she said. “In the cluster, it’s the most established and well functioning school. It’s sort of a model of what the others are growing into. To blow that up is insane and completely shortsighted.”

Suzanne Wells agrees. “We typically don’t close fully successful, fully enrolled schools. Why would we do that? It’s providing a great education for the children.” She believes it is “premature” to assume that Eliot-Hine will continue to be under-en-rolled. “We should prepare for a growing number

capitolstreets news

Jefferson students learning to sail.

The marching band of Eliot Hine Middle School.

of students, both from the feeder elementary schools and from bringing some families back into the public schools when they see strong programs.”

Th e Bigger PictureTh e problems facing the

Ward 6 middle schools are not unique to Capitol Hill.

“We hear same concerns from parents across the District,” said Lujan. “Th e transition from elementary to middle school is diffi cult. Parents wanting to en-sure the environment is safe and nurturing.”

Raymond added that middle school is a crucial time for stu-dents, and determines their suc-cess down the road. “Th ere’s a lot of focus on dropout preven-tion at the high school level, but the phenomenon really starts in middle school,” she said. “If they’re having problems with attendance, behavior and grades in middle school, if you don’t intervene, by high school you’ve already lost them.”

Holt has about a year be-fore he has to choose a middle school for his daughter, and the decision is weighing on him. “I can’t send my daughter to a bad middle school. Th at would be a huge failure as a parent,” he said. “Navigating the DC school sys-tem is not for the faint of heart. You need an iron stomach. You’re constantly questioning if you’re doing the best thing for your kid.”

For the past 20 years, the Ward 6 public schools have lost students every year. But this coming fall, they anticipate 700 new students.

“It’s remarkable,” said Coun-cilmember Wells. “It’s by far the highest gain of any ward in the city. I know there will be parents who look at charter schools and private schools, but we’ll have a much greater number taking a look at DC public schools than we’ve had in many years.”

Th e Ward 6 Middle School Plan can be found on the DCPS website, dcps.dc.gov, under Community Initiatives. ★

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