Janney Vent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like all 3 of OPs kids were special needs kids. That is what I assume private schools is usually for - for kids who can’t cut it in mainstream public. (yes, I know public is supposed to provide supports to special needs students, but there just isn’t sufficient funding for that.) Not sure I see your point here.

+1. If your kid is having trouble with reading you don’t just let it go and hope for the best. It’s also up to you to advocate for your kid, including getting them tested for learning disabilities, which sounds like needed to happen with kids #1 and 2. No school — public or private — is going to save your kids and it’s totally misguided to think that they should or will.

Nope. OP here. #1 was tested and no issues. Schools stopped teaching phonics at some point. After much debate, some districts are bringing it back. #1 is now at a private. Thriving, actually excelling, with very little intervention on our part. It’s amazing. She’s a different person here. I wish I would have gone to a school like this. Every child should know what this is like. We are spending an obscene amount of money for this and can’t do it for all three so that’s why the move. Out of the DC area.

She needed help to learn to read in a way that wasn’t offered by the school, so you should have gotten her that help. “Very little intervention” sounds like there was some intervention at some point. But it’s easy to come back now and blame the problems on an entire school. Come on.

[Anonymous]

Janney parent here. There’s no need to be defensive bc someone has a negative experience. Janney is known to not handle learning differences well. If your kids are middle of the road and don’t require any hand holding, it will be fine and lovely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like all 3 of OPs kids were special needs kids. That is what I assume private schools is usually for - for kids who can’t cut it in mainstream public. (yes, I know public is supposed to provide supports to special needs students, but there just isn’t sufficient funding for that.) Not sure I see your point here.

+1. If your kid is having trouble with reading you don’t just let it go and hope for the best. It’s also up to you to advocate for your kid, including getting them tested for learning disabilities, which sounds like needed to happen with kids #1 and 2. No school — public or private — is going to save your kids and it’s totally misguided to think that they should or will.

Nope. OP here. #1 was tested and no issues. Schools stopped teaching phonics at some point. After much debate, some districts are bringing it back. #1 is now at a private. Thriving, actually excelling, with very little intervention on our part. It’s amazing. She’s a different person here. I wish I would have gone to a school like this. Every child should know what this is like. We are spending an obscene amount of money for this and can’t do it for all three so that’s why the move. Out of the DC area.

For every person who raves about their private school, there’s another one looking to transfer their kid out because it wasn’t what they thought it would be for the price tag etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like all 3 of OPs kids were special needs kids. That is what I assume private schools is usually for - for kids who can’t cut it in mainstream public. (yes, I know public is supposed to provide supports to special needs students, but there just isn’t sufficient funding for that.) Not sure I see your point here.

+1. If your kid is having trouble with reading you don’t just let it go and hope for the best. It’s also up to you to advocate for your kid, including getting them tested for learning disabilities, which sounds like needed to happen with kids #1 and 2. No school — public or private — is going to save your kids and it’s totally misguided to think that they should or will.

Nope. OP here. #1 was tested and no issues. Schools stopped teaching phonics at some point. After much debate, some districts are bringing it back. #1 is now at a private. Thriving, actually excelling, with very little intervention on our part. It’s amazing. She’s a different person here. I wish I would have gone to a school like this. Every child should know what this is like. We are spending an obscene amount of money for this and can’t do it for all three so that’s why the move. Out of the DC area.

She needed help to learn to read in a way that wasn’t offered by the school, so you should have gotten her that help. “Very little intervention” sounds like there was some intervention at some point. But it’s easy to come back now and blame the problems on an entire school. Come on.

You’re so right. Why didn’t I just think of that in the first place? I take it all back. Public schools are amazing and Janney is a beacon. I am taking full personal responsibility for my child’s lack of capabilities and my inability to support them properly. I’m so glad we talked.

[Anonymous]

I won’t name the school because it would put us. But we moved to AU park mid-elementary, and your DS transferred from a “progressive” hrcs to Janney at that point. My son is an academic high flyer, athletic, and has strong social skills. No special needs at all. He thrived at Janney. His former progressive school was known to be accommodating to SN kids, and had a disproportionate number of those kids. He never thrived there. Despite being a great student he was never recognized. All the recognition went to the SN kids, presumably bc they thought my kid would be ok regardless. Turns out that was sort of damaging. Janney is a great place for normal kids. They are well known across the city for not handling SN kids well. And the population is affluent enough that those is tents find other options rather than battling with the school. For us, that was a godsend. So if your kid is not special needs, do not hesitate to go to Janney. It will be a great experience. Its size means it has a lot to offer and there will be lots of friends to meet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I won’t name the school because it would put us. But we moved to AU park mid-elementary, and your DS transferred from a “progressive” hrcs to Janney at that point. My son is an academic high flyer, athletic, and has strong social skills. No special needs at all. He thrived at Janney. His former progressive school was known to be accommodating to SN kids, and had a disproportionate number of those kids. He never thrived there. Despite being a great student he was never recognized. All the recognition went to the SN kids, presumably bc they thought my kid would be ok regardless. Turns out that was sort of damaging. Janney is a great place for normal kids. They are well known across the city for not handling SN kids well. And the population is affluent enough that those is tents find other options rather than battling with the school. For us, that was a godsend. So if your kid is not special needs, do not hesitate to go to Janney. It will be a great experience. Its size means it has a lot to offer and there will be lots of friends to meet.

ummm 🧐

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP- you aren't alone.

There are a lot of things Ive been impressed with (referrals to the school psych for loneliness, excellent pullout structure to right-size learning), I think the teachers are mostly great (WAY better education than Key FWIW which my kids also attended). But for whatever reason they can't even seem to write a single personalized line on a child in a report card. I know they care about these kids, As a parent, that matters to me. You have 25 kids, write one line.

Additionally, the culture is SO equity-focused that (for fear of "not checking my privilege") I have avoided on numerous occasions voicing concerns about my child being harassed and hit by other kids, simply bc they are POC. Multiple repeat offenders that bite, hit, grope, use wildly inappropriate language. My kid will be ok, so I swallow it.

The Fistbook debacle asking young children to identify and write down the racists in their family...the Trans posters in the Kindergarten hall reminding kids who can't read or even comprehend yet that "everyone gets to choose if they are a boy or a girl or both or neither or something else"...the teachers who CONTINUE to mask. There is a way to teach children to be good human beings without the self-flagellating kabuki.

As a neighborhood parent, it feels like there is an abnormal amount of energy placed on things that -- in the scheme of elementary education --don't matter. My kids can't tell time and they don't know the months in the year. They don't know the states on the east coast, but they will learn about American Revolution mainly from the perspective of indigenous populations.

I'm not incensed, but I am indifferent to what is supposedly the finest ES in the city. I won't miss it, and I won't give money until they get their priorities in check. But then again, I am an outlier in a neighborhood of "In this house we believe"ers.

I'm EOTP and none of this is happening at our DCPS elementary. I wonder if this is a thing that only happens in majority white schools?

+1. I was going to say the same.

I have a current 11th grader and who attended Janney and I don't recognize this about Janney. DEI stuff was not the focus at all during our era. The school had it's issues (mainly the large class experiment and some uneven teachers) but academics were the focus--zero emphasis on race or gender issues. Heck they still celebrated Colonial Day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP- you aren't alone.

There are a lot of things Ive been impressed with (referrals to the school psych for loneliness, excellent pullout structure to right-size learning), I think the teachers are mostly great (WAY better education than Key FWIW which my kids also attended). But for whatever reason they can't even seem to write a single personalized line on a child in a report card. I know they care about these kids, As a parent, that matters to me. You have 25 kids, write one line.

Additionally, the culture is SO equity-focused that (for fear of "not checking my privilege") I have avoided on numerous occasions voicing concerns about my child being harassed and hit by other kids, simply bc they are POC. Multiple repeat offenders that bite, hit, grope, use wildly inappropriate language. My kid will be ok, so I swallow it.

The Fistbook debacle asking young children to identify and write down the racists in their family...the Trans posters in the Kindergarten hall reminding kids who can't read or even comprehend yet that "everyone gets to choose if they are a boy or a girl or both or neither or something else"...the teachers who CONTINUE to mask. There is a way to teach children to be good human beings without the self-flagellating kabuki.

As a neighborhood parent, it feels like there is an abnormal amount of energy placed on things that -- in the scheme of elementary education --don't matter. My kids can't tell time and they don't know the months in the year. They don't know the states on the east coast, but they will learn about American Revolution mainly from the perspective of indigenous populations.

I'm not incensed, but I am indifferent to what is supposedly the finest ES in the city. I won't miss it, and I won't give money until they get their priorities in check. But then again, I am an outlier in a neighborhood of "In this house we believe"ers.

I'm EOTP and none of this is happening at our DCPS elementary. I wonder if this is a thing that only happens in majority white schools?

+1. I was going to say the same.

I have a current 11th grader and who attended Janney and I don't recognize this about Janney. DEI stuff was not the focus at all during our era. The school had it's issues (mainly the large class experiment and some uneven teachers) but academics were the focus--zero emphasis on race or gender issues. Heck they still celebrated Colonial Day.

This stuff started with the BLM movement. Your kid is too old for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like all 3 of OPs kids were special needs kids. That is what I assume private schools is usually for - for kids who can’t cut it in mainstream public. (yes, I know public is supposed to provide supports to special needs students, but there just isn’t sufficient funding for that.) Not sure I see your point here.

+1. If your kid is having trouble with reading you don’t just let it go and hope for the best. It’s also up to you to advocate for your kid, including getting them tested for learning disabilities, which sounds like needed to happen with kids #1 and 2. No school — public or private — is going to save your kids and it’s totally misguided to think that they should or will.

Nope. OP here. #1 was tested and no issues. Schools stopped teaching phonics at some point. After much debate, some districts are bringing it back. #1 is now at a private. Thriving, actually excelling, with very little intervention on our part. It’s amazing. She’s a different person here. I wish I would have gone to a school like this. Every child should know what this is like. We are spending an obscene amount of money for this and can’t do it for all three so that’s why the move. Out of the DC area.

For every person who raves about their private school, there’s another one looking to transfer their kid out because it wasn’t what they thought it would be for the price tag etc.

I would like to see the data on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like all 3 of OPs kids were special needs kids. That is what I assume private schools is usually for - for kids who can’t cut it in mainstream public. (yes, I know public is supposed to provide supports to special needs students, but there just isn’t sufficient funding for that.) Not sure I see your point here.

+1. If your kid is having trouble with reading you don’t just let it go and hope for the best. It’s also up to you to advocate for your kid, including getting them tested for learning disabilities, which sounds like needed to happen with kids #1 and 2. No school — public or private — is going to save your kids and it’s totally misguided to think that they should or will.

Nope. OP here. #1 was tested and no issues. Schools stopped teaching phonics at some point. After much debate, some districts are bringing it back. #1 is now at a private. Thriving, actually excelling, with very little intervention on our part. It’s amazing. She’s a different person here. I wish I would have gone to a school like this. Every child should know what this is like. We are spending an obscene amount of money for this and can’t do it for all three so that’s why the move. Out of the DC area.

She needed help to learn to read in a way that wasn’t offered by the school, so you should have gotten her that help. “Very little intervention” sounds like there was some intervention at some point. But it’s easy to come back now and blame the problems on an entire school. Come on.

DP it is well documented.that schools messed up big time by stopping phonics. A lot of kids didn't learn to read. That is the fault of the schools and Lucy Caulkins and Fountas and Pinnell. They were also reassuring parents that everything was fine when it was not. Nobody should ever blame parents for this travesty. Parent advocacy by parents whose kids slipped through the cracks is why things have changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like all 3 of OPs kids were special needs kids. That is what I assume private schools is usually for - for kids who can’t cut it in mainstream public. (yes, I know public is supposed to provide supports to special needs students, but there just isn’t sufficient funding for that.) Not sure I see your point here.

+1. If your kid is having trouble with reading you don’t just let it go and hope for the best. It’s also up to you to advocate for your kid, including getting them tested for learning disabilities, which sounds like needed to happen with kids #1 and 2. No school — public or private — is going to save your kids and it’s totally misguided to think that they should or will.

Nope. OP here. #1 was tested and no issues. Schools stopped teaching phonics at some point. After much debate, some districts are bringing it back. #1 is now at a private. Thriving, actually excelling, with very little intervention on our part. It’s amazing. She’s a different person here. I wish I would have gone to a school like this. Every child should know what this is like. We are spending an obscene amount of money for this and can’t do it for all three so that’s why the move. Out of the DC area.

She needed help to learn to read in a way that wasn’t offered by the school, so you should have gotten her that help. “Very little intervention” sounds like there was some intervention at some point. But it’s easy to come back now and blame the problems on an entire school. Come on.

DP it is well documented.that schools messed up big time by stopping phonics. A lot of kids didn't learn to read. That is the fault of the schools and Lucy Caulkins and Fountas and Pinnell. They were also reassuring parents that everything was fine when it was not. Nobody should ever blame parents for this travesty. Parent advocacy by parents whose kids slipped through the cracks is why things have changed.

Amen. Google “phonics in public schools” and you can read all about the debacle that is now being reversed.

Also, schools are overcrowded, teachers are burnt out, bizarre DEI curriculum was fine until it got weird (ie, Is Lincoln a Racist? Was Louisa May Alcott actually trans? Discuss.)

If you have 1) a kid who is a rule follower and/or fits the typical social mold or 2) the money/time/sense to support with outside enrichment for ND kids or 3) the belief that “school is school and kids will be kids” and that everything will work out OK…you are a great candidate for public school.

If not, it’s not your fault, it’s not your kid’s fault, it’s not the school’s fault. Public education is struggling. Our society is struggling. Good luck to everyone. I know we all love our kids and want them to succeed and be happy. It’s hard. You’re not alone.

[Anonymous]

Got into Janney PK4 with IB preference, but this post is freaking me out! Thanks to OP and others for sharing their experiences, it will at least have use going in eyes open rather than assuming that because it is considered a top DCPS elementary, everything will automatically work out.

[Anonymous]

Any parents of Janney 5th graders this year on here? How has it been? I’ve heard bad things and am worried

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like all 3 of OPs kids were special needs kids. That is what I assume private schools is usually for - for kids who can’t cut it in mainstream public. (yes, I know public is supposed to provide supports to special needs students, but there just isn’t sufficient funding for that.) Not sure I see your point here.

+1. If your kid is having trouble with reading you don’t just let it go and hope for the best. It’s also up to you to advocate for your kid, including getting them tested for learning disabilities, which sounds like needed to happen with kids #1 and 2. No school — public or private — is going to save your kids and it’s totally misguided to think that they should or will.

Nope. OP here. #1 was tested and no issues. Schools stopped teaching phonics at some point. After much debate, some districts are bringing it back. #1 is now at a private. Thriving, actually excelling, with very little intervention on our part. It’s amazing. She’s a different person here. I wish I would have gone to a school like this. Every child should know what this is like. We are spending an obscene amount of money for this and can’t do it for all three so that’s why the move. Out of the DC area.

She needed help to learn to read in a way that wasn’t offered by the school, so you should have gotten her that help. “Very little intervention” sounds like there was some intervention at some point. But it’s easy to come back now and blame the problems on an entire school. Come on.

You’re so right. Why didn’t I just think of that in the first place? I take it all back. Public schools are amazing and Janney is a beacon. I am taking full personal responsibility for my child’s lack of capabilities and my inability to support them properly. I’m so glad we talked.

Why are you saying this like it wasn't always your full personal responsibility for these things??

[Anonymous]

Typical DCUM nonsense. "I take full personal responsibility for being a parent to my child." WTF were you doing before?