Comments on: There Goes the Neighborhood – A Visit to Clarendon http://cheatinginclass.com/2010/07/there-goes-the-neighborhood-a-visit-to-clarendon/ providing parents with the truth about the public education system Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:07:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Steve Buel http://cheatinginclass.com/2010/07/there-goes-the-neighborhood-a-visit-to-clarendon/comment-page-1/#comment-1808 Steve Buel Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:26:24 +0000 http://cheatinginclass.com/?p=2429#comment-1808 They will probably fix up Clarendon right after they build the promised middle school on the Whitaker site. They will probably fix up Clarendon right after they build the promised middle school on the Whitaker site.

]]> By: Zarwen http://cheatinginclass.com/2010/07/there-goes-the-neighborhood-a-visit-to-clarendon/comment-page-1/#comment-1807 Zarwen Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:01:20 +0000 http://cheatinginclass.com/?p=2429#comment-1807 They have consistently said NO to groups who have inquired, especially charter school organizations who have already gotten their charters approved. Yet there are exceptions. SW Charter was denied a lease of Smith School, but Riverdale is being allowed to lease it temporarily while their own elementary is being renovated. Kenton is on a 25-year lease to the De La Salle Catholic HS; they put a lot of money into the renovation of Kenton, so perhaps that is why they got a "yes." Edwards School was leased to the MESD before it was even officially closed as a PPS elementary school. They moved in less than 6 weeks after school got out that year. Maybe the key is the gentrification level of the surrounding neighborhood? They have consistently said NO to groups who have inquired, especially charter school organizations who have already gotten their charters approved.

Yet there are exceptions. SW Charter was denied a lease of Smith School, but Riverdale is being allowed to lease it temporarily while their own elementary is being renovated. Kenton is on a 25-year lease to the De La Salle Catholic HS; they put a lot of money into the renovation of Kenton, so perhaps that is why they got a “yes.” Edwards School was leased to the MESD before it was even officially closed as a PPS elementary school. They moved in less than 6 weeks after school got out that year. Maybe the key is the gentrification level of the surrounding neighborhood?

]]> By: Rita http://cheatinginclass.com/2010/07/there-goes-the-neighborhood-a-visit-to-clarendon/comment-page-1/#comment-1295 Rita Tue, 20 Jul 2010 03:14:01 +0000 http://cheatinginclass.com/?p=2429#comment-1295 Clarendon is down the street from my house. I was not a big fan of this building when it was operational for a number of reasons, but it is now a real blight on the neighborhood. The Neighborhood Association has on numerous occasions pressed PPS for info on their plans to secure this site, but to my knowledge has gotten the usual platitudes in response. Meanwhile, it's a complete mess and increasingly dangerous. This neighborhood is struggling to maintain itself; PPS is actively undermining it. I understand the "master plan" to keep buildings available for "swing space" when (more like if) the facilities rebuilding effort gets under way. By my reckoning, in light of economic realities, it's going to be years before any of that can even be contemplated. So what happens to these buildings in the meantime? If Clarendon is any example, they are going to be allowed to deteriorate and drag down the neighborhood. Has PPS even considered making these buildings available to communities for some useful purpose? Is there no non-profit that could use the building in the meantime? Clarendon is down the street from my house. I was not a big fan of this building when it was operational for a number of reasons, but it is now a real blight on the neighborhood. The Neighborhood Association has on numerous occasions pressed PPS for info on their plans to secure this site, but to my knowledge has gotten the usual platitudes in response. Meanwhile, it’s a complete mess and increasingly dangerous. This neighborhood is struggling to maintain itself; PPS is actively undermining it.

I understand the “master plan” to keep buildings available for “swing space” when (more like if) the facilities rebuilding effort gets under way. By my reckoning, in light of economic realities, it’s going to be years before any of that can even be contemplated. So what happens to these buildings in the meantime? If Clarendon is any example, they are going to be allowed to deteriorate and drag down the neighborhood.

Has PPS even considered making these buildings available to communities for some useful purpose? Is there no non-profit that could use the building in the meantime?

]]> By: Steve Buel http://cheatinginclass.com/2010/07/there-goes-the-neighborhood-a-visit-to-clarendon/comment-page-1/#comment-1265 Steve Buel Sun, 18 Jul 2010 02:38:23 +0000 http://cheatinginclass.com/?p=2429#comment-1265 The school district has a responsibility to keep their property up. Of course, they have the responsibility to educate kids who live in poorer neighborhoods too, and they don't do that either. The school district has a responsibility to keep their property up. Of course, they have the responsibility to educate kids who live in poorer neighborhoods too, and they don’t do that either.

]]>