Starr fails to take responsibility. 1) Where have Starr’s objections and outrage been as the County has planned/approved more and more subsidized low-income family housing for the areas served by consortia and consortia-like high schools? Why hasn’t he asked the County to provide for the equitable distribution of low-income family housing in non-consortia high school areas, where the County has, instead, planned/approved HOC-supported luxury housing? 2) Efforts to improve economic integration at “red zone” schools may be undermined by the cell towers that Starr and his predecessor have allowed to be placed predominantly at consortia and consortia-like schools. This Blog reported that the Montgomery County Tax Assessment Board found that cell towers lower residential property values. 3) Starr should stop giving teachers who teach in non-consortia high schools and their feeder schools the benefit of being able to transfer their children from struggling home schools jurisdictions to non-consortia schools and feeders. Teachers’ children who are transferred from schools in consortia and consortia-like schools and feeders are likely lost assets to the home schools' populations. The home schools also lose out on the teachers, themselves, who as parents, would likely be strong and sophisticated advocates in the local schools' parent communities.
I certainly agree with the 8:31 post! However, the issue of low-income housing is also an issue of what the county calls "naturally-occurring affordable housing." According to county politicians, DHCA and affordable housing advocates, this is a VERY GOOD thing--and should be preserved and encouraged. For those of us trying to hold on in the East County it means something very different and is not a "good thing " It means a greater concentration of low-income families using Section 8 vouchers in both deteriorating garden apartments, older high-rise apartments with sad reputations and a growing number of investor-held, single-family rental homes---some with unapproved accessory apartments.. The county's housing policies go hand-in-hand with the MCPS achievement gap issue. Council has refused to appreciate this dynamic.
Like trying to pull four consecutive aces from a deck of cards.
ReplyDeleteStarr fails to take responsibility. 1) Where have Starr’s objections and outrage been as the County has planned/approved more and more subsidized low-income family housing for the areas served by consortia and consortia-like high schools? Why hasn’t he asked the County to provide for the equitable distribution of low-income family housing in non-consortia high school areas, where the County has, instead, planned/approved HOC-supported luxury housing? 2) Efforts to improve economic integration at “red zone” schools may be undermined by the cell towers that Starr and his predecessor have allowed to be placed predominantly at consortia and consortia-like schools. This Blog reported that the Montgomery County Tax Assessment Board found that cell towers lower residential property values. 3) Starr should stop giving teachers who teach in non-consortia high schools and their feeder schools the benefit of being able to transfer their children from struggling home schools jurisdictions to non-consortia schools and feeders. Teachers’ children who are transferred from schools in consortia and consortia-like schools and feeders are likely lost assets to the home schools' populations. The home schools also lose out on the teachers, themselves, who as parents, would likely be strong and sophisticated advocates in the local schools' parent communities.
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree with the 8:31 post! However, the issue of low-income housing is also an issue of what the county calls "naturally-occurring affordable housing." According to county politicians, DHCA and affordable housing advocates, this is a VERY GOOD thing--and should be preserved and encouraged. For those of us trying to hold on in the East County it means something very different and is not a "good thing " It means a greater concentration of low-income families using Section 8 vouchers in both deteriorating garden apartments, older high-rise apartments with sad reputations and a growing number of investor-held, single-family rental homes---some with unapproved accessory apartments.. The county's housing policies go hand-in-hand with the MCPS achievement gap issue. Council has refused to appreciate this dynamic.
ReplyDelete