PHNEE Newsletter - November 2021

The next Ed Equity Corner is
Wednesday, November 10, 2021 from 7-8:30 pm.

RECAP: In October, PHNEE welcomed DPS Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero to EdEquity Corner. We introduced him to PHNEE's mission and heard some of his thoughts on school choice, student-based budgeting, and school rankings. We appreciated his candor and willingness to answer questions from the community, including some hard ones.

If you missed it, check out PHNEE's Facebook page for a recording. Thanks for visiting, Dr. Marrero!

COMING UP: Many of us have breathed a sigh of relief this year, as students returned to full-day in-school instruction. But, the pandemic's impacts continue, and teachers are facing hard realities in the classroom this year. At this month's EdEquity Corner, we are giving teachers voice, to find out how the community can help. This will be an important conversation that all should take the time to attend.

Set Comfort Aside

PHNEE member Erin Pier's last article for the Greater Park Hill News is a must-read. Click here to find out why she is stepping back from writing her column and what you can do as a Park Hill resident to "set comfort aside."

What's In a Ranking?

In October, you may have seen the news that 6 DPS schools were listed among the top 25 in the nation according to U.S. News and World Reports’ new K-8 school rankings.  But before you look to see which DPS schools are on the list (and if yours made it), you might want to read Matt Barnum’s Oct. 26 Chalkbeat piece, U.S. News’ school rankings gain local traction, but could fuel segregation.

Barnum’s piece explains several reasons why experts are criticizing the new rankings. In chief, experts take issue with the ranking’s methodology – reliance on standardized test proficiency measures – which doesn't necessarily portray whether schools on the list are instructionally effective.

Another concern is that standardized test scores tend to convey a school’s demographics, which is where US News’ rankings become problematic.  Since schools with higher average test scores tend to be whiter and more affluent, ranking via test scores often affirms and worsens the racial and class biases some parents hold when they think about certain schools. The potential consequence is reinforcement and exacerbation of school segregation. See Chalkbeat, How GreatSchools steers you toward whiter, more affluent schools.

So, if you're inclined to rely on US News’ report to decide whether a DPS school is “good,” read Barnum's piece, and think more about what that actually means.

And, check out more resources on this topic, including PHNEE’s One Park Hill video linked in the picture below, and this video from Vox and Chalkbeat.

Help PHNEE Plan Shared Experiences!

PHNEE is gearing up to start planning some exciting community events and could use your help! If you'd like to get involved with planning events that bring Park Hill's kids together as one community, join us!

Some of our past activities that have been huge hits include the annual MLK Day Parade, One Park Hill Day, and the Summer Passport Program. As these events get closer, and as we develop new events, PHNEE is seeking volunteers to either lead, or help plan them. Volunteers can help in either small ways or large - there's a job for everyone.

Contact info@PHNEE.org, if you'd like more information, or want to join us.

What We're Reading

This Chalkbeat article outlines the effects that schools' responses to Covid and discourse around CRT have had on politics, especially in suburban districts.

Two years after efforts to "flip the board" all seven members of the DPS board of education are supported by the teachers' union. DCTA president Rob Gould sees the results as "a vote of confidence in teachers." DCTA backed candidates won the election despite over $1 million spent by education reform groups.