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Ok_Culture_3621 OP t1_je8871h wrote

> Mendelson, who chairs the D.C. Council committee that oversees education issues, pushed back. “I don’t agree that the D.C. public schools are inmate factories.”

You don’t agree, Chairman Mendelson? Oh my, how generous of you.

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NorseTikiBar t1_je89rq8 wrote

Not coming from a position of strength there, Representative from motherfucking Alabama.

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duodmas t1_je8gjke wrote

Southern congressman dogwhistling, what else is new?

As an aside, it's a humorous bit of logic to say that DC schools are crime factories because of chronic absenteeism. Wouldn't that mean that schools are the opposite of crime factories?

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Cythrosi t1_je8oy8m wrote

Ah the blessed Congressional oversight some here were so desperate for. This entire hearing was largely spent shouting at or talking over the DC reps invited and entirely done for sound bites for campaigning. There was little discussion of things like the USAO issues, issues with police testimony aligning with the body cams, issues with the forensics lab, etc. Just a bunch of dogwhistles and completely uneducated assertions about the District and its residents.

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Deanocracy t1_je8qj54 wrote

We have only one issue. With USAO and their directives.

Need only sunlight on the problem. Demand media do it.

Instead wapo writes new stories that are press releases. Allowing them to say a crime lab shutdown n 2021 prevents prosecution when we can show lack of prosecution in 2019.

Neither party is your friend. Demand better now by every institution

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AnonyJustAName t1_je9iody wrote

A different committee oversees DOJ/USAO, this was the committee with oversight over DC. A joint hearing would have made sense.

Agree it seemed to be a waste of time. It seems they are going to hold more. Anyone here live in DC at the lead up to the control board? Feels kind of where this may head.

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20CAS17 t1_je9jpqn wrote

This whole hearing was revolting. Just Republican grandstanding, nothing serious, as per usual.

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Cythrosi t1_je9jxfw wrote

Unless the GOP takes the Senate and Presidency next year, there isn't going to be a control board. The Dems were absolutely hypocrites in regards to the criminal code reform, but they aren't going to go all in on a complete take over of the DC city government.

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EastoftheCap t1_je9kqsy wrote

Don't local activists talk about the "school to prison pipeline" in DC all the time?

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twenty-six-sixty-six t1_je9o227 wrote

is it really a dogwhistle? the public schools do suck. i lived next to one with a math proficiency rate of 3% and a reading proficiency rate of 5%. as far as being inmate factories, i don't think it's entirely fair to blame the schools when there are so many other problems (like entrenched poverty), but they definitely aren't helping very much

it is kind of nasty for an outsider to point this out though

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mriphonedude t1_je9pj45 wrote

Strong words coming from the person who represents a state that incarcerates more people per 100k than any democracy on earth

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Sujjin t1_je9qzwk wrote

>Congress reviews all DC legislation before it can become law. Congress can modify or even overturn such legislation. It can impose new and unwanted laws on the District. This retains authority over the District's local budget, most of which is funded only by taxes levied by the District on its residents.

Given DC is at the mercy of congress the fault really does lie with them.

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BarracudaAcademic539 t1_je9r5cy wrote

Rule should be you can only post on this thread if you have a kid in DCPS, and I’m not talking about the opt out charter schools.

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InterestingNarwhal82 t1_je9rexj wrote

“School to prison pipeline” is different from “crime factory.” The school to prison pipeline argument seeks to address how systemic racism leads Black kids, especially Black boys, to be disciplined more harshly than their white peers, leading to a decrease in academic learning time and greater chance of dropping out. Then, systemic racism leads them to be unfairly targeted by LEOs, receive harsher punishments for misdemeanors than their white peers, and wind up in prison at higher rates (compared to the overall population) than their white peers.

Calling a school with a high POC:white ratio a “crime factory” is a racist dog whistle.

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AnonyJustAName t1_je9rhcs wrote

Got it. Hopefully not. My sense was that was mostly about finances but some @ crime so I wondered if that was a goal again. Hope the committee with oversight over DOJ joins or has own hearings. The fact that DC AG has a much higher prosecution rate using same lab and MPD should be looked into. It's not Graves, this has been a trend since late in Obama administration, across Trump and now Biden. So many cases declined and also undercharged and pled.

The provision where MPD cannot look at BWC footage before writing reports (not police involved shootings, everything else) seems unusual and like it is a cause of many cases not going forward per USAO. The rate of no papered cases seemed to tick up around the time BWC were implemented, maybe that legislation should be revisited?

The goal of public safety and incentives of USAO careers need to be better aligned, particularly as there is no electoral accountability. The reduction in funds for USAs could be gas on the dumpster fire in DC since we have no ability to fund elected prosecutors, court capacity, etc. Ugh.

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economaster t1_je9sa8h wrote

But this is just measuring the education level of the population as a whole not the schools. I assume the smart people leave that backwards state. Doesn't really reflect on the quality of schools though. For example DC has one of the highest education rates in the US but our schools are a dumpster 🔥.

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economaster t1_je9spm8 wrote

The dude is a racist twat, but he's not wrong that DC public schools are a dumpster fire. For example, in the latest 2022 PARCC results math proficiency for DC students grades 9-12 was <11%...

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InterestingNarwhal82 t1_je9v44e wrote

Nope. They don’t. Keep defending subtle racism (or not so subtle in this case).

From a policy standpoint, one attempts to draw awareness to systemic racism that categorizes Black boys from pre-k, and the other is just an insult based on the racial makeup of schools in a particular area. But do go on about how they’re the same.

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BoozAlien t1_je9vqr0 wrote

I watched most of it and was thoroughly disgusted, though I suppose the normalcy of the GOP's behavior at this hearing is why it's gained no traction in the news today.

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alldaylurkerforever t1_je9xaxj wrote

it's a straight up dog whistle.

When people think of DC, they think black people.

So when you say the schools are crime factories, you're implying all these black kids are criminals.

(I know some people on this sub believe that, but it is straight up racism)

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BrightThru2014 t1_je9xfth wrote

Two things can be true:

  1. f*ck this racist dogwhistler;
  2. DC schools are absolutely atrocious with some of the worst test scores in the nation, and maybe among all developed nations, and consistently fail to keep vulnerable children out of the school-to-prison pipeline (a term used by the ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/issues/juvenile-justice/juvenile-justice-school-prison-pipeline).

The rightfully indignant response to 1) should not lead to a "closing of ranks" to acknowledge 2).

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gravygrowinggreen t1_je9yah3 wrote

Hmm, seems you may have graduated from a school even worse than a DC public school.

I'll try small words.

1995: congress pass law. law make school hard and cost much to maintain for city. law passed by congress make school hard and cost much. congress interfere.

Did that help? If not, let me know, and I'm happy to work with whatever level of literacy you have achieved in life. We can try pictures!

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alldaylurkerforever t1_je9ydpr wrote

Oh sweet summer child, whenever ANY GOP politician talks about big cities or DC, they are always primarily referring to black people.

Because to the GOP and its voters, black people are the most dangerous people in America. And the GOP will do anything in their power to subjugate them.

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fireside68 t1_je9yenb wrote

>This whole hearing was revolting. Just Republican grandstanding, nothing serious, as per usual.

You knew it.

I knew it.

Anyone with a functioning brain who wasn't just happy to see someone yell at people they don't like knew it.

But I saw the post yesterday where folks were all excited about oversight, forgetting now that over half of Congress is batshit fuckery and that it's ONLY about sound bites for future ads, nothing to do with actual governance.

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Surefinewhatever1111 t1_jea0230 wrote

>The rightfully indignant response to 1) should not lead to a "closing of ranks" to acknowledge 2).

But it always does because the tryhards will use anyone and everyone, including kids getting trash education, as martyrs for their own cause. Kids leave DCPS (graduate is too generous) without the skills to succeed and go sideways in astronomical numbers. If the failing individual schools was any other organization they would be shut down.

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Surefinewhatever1111 t1_jea0cu7 wrote

It's always said "Thank God for Alabama or we'd be last" all across the country but DC isn't doing a good job either. DCPS is failing students and families and setting them up for bad life outcomes. It's absolutely criminal that you can "graduate" from DCPS and have reading and writing at several grades below 12th.

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Catch-a-RIIIDE t1_jea109r wrote

And yet, it's stated by the author to be one of the most intrusive examples of Congressional overreach in DC affairs.

Sure, it may not be Congress fucking with budgets and stuff today, but it's clearly laid out that this was Congress using it's unilateral authority in the only region it has it to test their own ideological education platforms (in this case Republicans and charter schools) at a high cost to the District and public education within it and with zero regard for results (because we're still here 28 years later talking about just how shitty DC schools are and Rs are still single-mindedly focused on charter schools as the fix it wasn't in DC).

It isn't the intent of the article that matters here, because Congressional interference to the detriment of DC public education is still the backdrop and even within two paragraphs is well established.

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gravygrowinggreen t1_jea10ul wrote

The 1995 law makes Administration of DC's many schools incredibly complex and expensive compared to a system with saner design. Charter schools/school choice/school vouchers, are all methods of looting public tax dollars for private individuals, and their presence in a school system in the long run makes things worse overall. While nothing directly leads from charter schools to turf fights on school grounds, the pervasive effects insure negative outcomes for society overall. In other words, systemic issues create numerous problems, many of which appear to not be directly related. Charter Schools aren't the sole or direct cause of your wife's experience, but it is a contributor.

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PatchOfParticipation t1_jea1cvd wrote

No one missed anything. Alabama public schools are objectively shit. Especially when Gov MeeMaw diverts education funds to build prisons and water parks.

I say this as someone with firsthand experience with one of the state’s better school systems.

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pickletype t1_jea44a3 wrote

Do you believe this argument is still credible understanding that over half (52%) of DCPS & PCS teachers are Black, while only 28% are white? This would suggest that you believe Black teachers are the ones driving the "systemic racism" against Black kids.

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touchmeimjesus202 t1_jeac4ko wrote

My kid goes to a dcps school and it's really amazing. We have some great schools in the city, his school is ranked 8 out of 10 in great schools.

I'm confused

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BarracudaAcademic539 t1_jeat784 wrote

Not mad but I do think that charters inhibit the betterment of neighborhood schools.I send my kid to a neighbor school and many highly engaged neighbors see theirs to charters. I’d love to have the neighborhood school have those engaged parents and their PTA fund raising ability helping out DCPS and all those kids who’s parents don’t “GAF”.

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Surefinewhatever1111 t1_jeawb67 wrote

>charters inhibit the betterment of neighborhood schools.

Absolutely nonsense. They had DECADES to improve themselves before charters and never made an effort to do so. DCPS, especially the Central Office, is a jobs program for Ward 9 and the shills who depend on it.

No one in my neighborhood who cares about their kids sends theirs to the local.

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BarracudaAcademic539 t1_jeb3lic wrote

“Improve themselves”? Schools are only as good as the parents that send their kids to them. The best teachers and administrators can only make so much of a difference. I’ve seen this with both my kids going to two different city schools. This is the falacy of public education. The main factor are the parents. Schools can do little to move the needle beyond what the home environment provides.

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Ghost0468 t1_jebgxje wrote

Specifically in Alabama - substantially less resources, more widespread poverty, and things like that. Of course if you guys want to get upset about comparing it to another state, then maybe let’s compare it to some of the cities that are supposed to be our peers (based on GDP per capita). San Francisco - 90.2%, Seattle - 86%, San Jose - 91%, and you could go on. The point is that DC has a major issue and it should be resolved. Being angry cause a specific politicians said something is absurd.

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rolandjays365 t1_jebhw6m wrote

I hope this piece of shit takes a short walk down H Street. And punk ass Mendelson sits down when he pees.

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Motor_Truck9006 t1_jebjmf2 wrote

I have a better idea for you. How about you compare DC to cities with similar demographics to DC. Not a city like San Jose who has 3% black. San Francisco is mostly whites and asians, is that comparable to DC? (Formally known as chocolate city) I say no.

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geedunkgeek t1_jeccqd8 wrote

The rule should be only the folks who end up with these “graduates” in their workforce can comment, because parents overestimate their little snowflakes’ intelligence. Most of these kids can barely read, so I have no clue how they’re graduating from the 8th grade, let alone high school. It’s an embarrassment.

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geedunkgeek t1_jecdb2t wrote

His comment was racist as hell, but the schools here (overall) really do stink. Hard to keep enough teachers in the district (I mean, in ANY US school district) with such low pay, low numbers, and growing/unreasonable expectations. Teachers aren’t valued enough, and it’s really not their fault these kids are failing. It’s the political school administrators and the parents who are to blame.

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annang t1_ject9ry wrote

It’s not unusual to say you shouldn’t be allowed to see what the video shows before you write a report, so you can’t lie to make your report match the video. It’s standard in every reform recommendation for how to use BWC. Because testi-lying is rampant. No one is no papering cases because an officer says they turned left and it was actually right. They’re no papering cases because the gun isn’t where the officer swears it was, or the search wasn’t consensual or legal, or the officer is still making arrests despite having multiple documented credibility problems.

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MajesticBread9147 t1_jeczcpn wrote

Yes, but The schools are fine to him because nobody he knows sends their kids to public school.

Pretty much every conservative complaining about public schools don't have kids in them.

Vast majority of the wealth in the deep and rural south is old money dating back generations, just don't ask them how their family got it.

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