Sunday, January 02, 2005

Young People With Children Moving Into Upper Northwest D.C. 

My wife and I could have told you about this phenomenon. Whenever we go to Cactus Cantina there are loads of young families eating there. Sort of reminds us of Cape Cod and going to the Chatham Squire for dinner.

And as Peter Whoriskey discusses in today's Washington Post, a primary concern of these parents is where they are going to send their kids to school:

What's less certain is how many of the families will stay -- or stay in public schools. Like many in the neighborhood, they are skeptical about sending their children to the District's middle schools and are equally skeptical of paying for private school.

"The big question is how many of these families will be sending their kids to Deal and Wilson," said Brian Kraft, referring to the middle and high schools that serve the area. He and his wife, Janine, moved to the neighborhood in 1998 and now have two preschool children. "That's the big question mark."


This is where the business community need to get involved. Companies can and should 1)support our schools financially; 2)have their employees volunteer to work with our students; and 3)put pressure on political leaders to fix the District's dysfunctional public education system. In these ways they can both strengthen the base of residents who will be around to purchase their products and develop a source of highly trained workers who will allow their businesses to prosper.

PermaLink | 7:58 AM | |

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