so if rhee is sending her older kid to deal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Except she did not 'leave'. She was ousted in an ugly way. She also had a lot going for her record--like a Blue Ribbon Award (that's a pretty big deal; has Oyster won one lately?) There were lots of falsehoods and flak thrown in the air around her ouster--like somehow Oyster's achievement gap was criminal, when it is pretty minimal compared to some other schools in the District (not saying an achievement gap is good--but if you are going to apply that criterion, apply it evenly). What bothered me was the process. And that she was terminated effective two weeks or so before she would get some pension access and other ugly stuff like that. It was cruel, it was grotesque, and I think it left a lot of bad karma in its wake. I think there were far more even-handed ways to move Marta along if needed--like true criterion beyond 'I feel..." and a transparent review board. I think all teachers and admin deserve that, but DCPS is basically at-will these days. Don't expect dividends in staff loyalty in that environment however--even from the ones who were cheering Marta's departure. They might not have realized that the one-time process they thought they were cheering is the 'new way of doing business' that would be hanging over their necks each day at work. Sad.

I agree. I hope it comes home to roost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But pick Gray and you lose not just Rhee, but superstars like Cathy Lanier and Gabe Klein, too[, and likely get incompetents in their place.]

To me, that looks like a ringing endorsement for Gray.

Then you're a bigger moron than I'd thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:. . . . Fenty isn't as economically and administratively incompetent as Marion Barry was, but he is every bit as corrupt. Gray at least is aboveboard. God I miss Tony Williams.

LOL. Harry Thomas? Chris Smith? Eric Payne? Any of these names ring a bell? (If not, try Google.) Gray's managed to jam quite a bit of Barry-esque sleaze into his relatively short time on the Council. These guys are both "ethically challenged" -- that's no reason to pick between them. But pick Gray and you lose not just Rhee, but superstars like Cathy Lanier and Gabe Klein, too, and quite likely get incompetents in their place.

Listen, I get that Fenty's a jerk. And I'd rather have Tony Williams, too, but he's not on the ballot. Supporting Vince Gray just because he's not Fenty is chopping your nose to spite your face.

Wow, I don't think you have all your facts right. Harry Thomas made it on the council by using his late father's name who was also on the city coucil. Fenty endorsed Harry Thomas Jr. and they were the best buds until Fenty and Rhee closed half the middle schools in Ward 5. Prior to that, Thomas was just like Bowser, a rubber stamp for all of Fenty's policies.

You have a way of calling names, but the biggest sleaze is Fenty himself, as he surrounds himself by the Sinclairs and the Peaceaholics. Yeah right. And there are no coucil members named Chris Smith and Eric Payne. Why don't you use google and get the name of the 13 city council men and women, no Smiths and no Paynes. They are Evans, Brown, Brown, Gray, Bowser, Wells, Cheh, Mendelson, Alexander, Barry, Catania, Thomas and Graham

Thomas, Smith, and Payne are all central players in (separate) Vince Gray scandals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Except she did not 'leave'. She was ousted in an ugly way. She also had a lot going for her record--like a Blue Ribbon Award (that's a pretty big deal; has Oyster won one lately?) There were lots of falsehoods and flak thrown in the air around her ouster--like somehow Oyster's achievement gap was criminal, when it is pretty minimal compared to some other schools in the District (not saying an achievement gap is good--but if you are going to apply that criterion, apply it evenly). What bothered me was the process. And that she was terminated effective two weeks or so before she would get some pension access and other ugly stuff like that. It was cruel, it was grotesque, and I think it left a lot of bad karma in its wake. I think there were far more even-handed ways to move Marta along if needed--like true criterion beyond 'I feel..." and a transparent review board. I think all teachers and admin deserve that, but DCPS is basically at-will these days. Don't expect dividends in staff loyalty in that environment however--even from the ones who were cheering Marta's departure. They might not have realized that the one-time process they thought they were cheering is the 'new way of doing business' that would be hanging over their necks each day at work. Sad.

While not as ugly, this was my impression of the removal of Pope from Hardy. I don't think it was necessary or helpful to remove him but one could certainly make the case for it. But it was done so badly that Rhee made it look as if she were doing the bidding of white upper income parents from Palisades. It is not a virtue to antagonize DCPS parents needlessly.

[Anonymous]

Wow, I don't think you have all your facts right. Harry Thomas made it on the council by using his late father's name who was also on the city coucil. Fenty endorsed Harry Thomas Jr. and they were the best buds until Fenty and Rhee closed half the middle schools in Ward 5. Prior to that, Thomas was just like Bowser, a rubber stamp for all of Fenty's policies.

You have a way of calling names, but the biggest sleaze is Fenty himself, as he surrounds himself by the Sinclairs and the Peaceaholics. Yeah right. And there are no coucil members named Chris Smith and Eric Payne. Why don't you use google and get the name of the 13 city council men and women, no Smiths and no Paynes. They are Evans, Brown, Brown, Gray, Bowser, Wells, Cheh, Mendelson, Alexander, Barry, Catania, Thomas and Graham
Thomas, Smith, and Payne are all central players in (separate) Vince Gray scandals.

Stop throwing unmanned barbs and state what scandals you reference. I am unaware of the scandals and/or the people that you speak. I am aware of the names of Sinclair, Moten, Karim and Manning, but they all involved Fenty scandals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I don't think you have all your facts right. Harry Thomas made it on the council by using his late father's name who was also on the city coucil. Fenty endorsed Harry Thomas Jr. and they were the best buds until Fenty and Rhee closed half the middle schools in Ward 5. Prior to that, Thomas was just like Bowser, a rubber stamp for all of Fenty's policies.

You have a way of calling names, but the biggest sleaze is Fenty himself, as he surrounds himself by the Sinclairs and the Peaceaholics. Yeah right. And there are no coucil members named Chris Smith and Eric Payne. Why don't you use google and get the name of the 13 city council men and women, no Smiths and no Paynes. They are Evans, Brown, Brown, Gray, Bowser, Wells, Cheh, Mendelson, Alexander, Barry, Catania, Thomas and Graham

Thomas, Smith, and Payne are all central players in (separate) Vince Gray scandals.

Stop throwing unmanned barbs and state what scandals you reference. I am unaware of the scandals and/or the people that you speak. I am aware of the names of Sinclair, Moten, Karim and Manning, but they all involved Fenty scandals.

Oh, for heaven's sake. Here, I'll save you ten seconds on Google:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/11/18/vince-grays-very-bad-news-day-loose-lips-daily/

http://www.theothersidemagazine.com/v2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=209:is-the-gray-thomas-scandal-worse-than-the-barry-episode&catid=18:africa&Itemid=27

http://dcist.com/2009/11/vince_gray_is_having_a_bad_day.php

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Everywhere-a-scandal-93236864.html

[Anonymous]

9:42 There were parallels. No one's perfect. Oyster has not loved its principal since Paquita Holland retired. Oyster is a complicated, demanding community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But pick Gray and you lose not just Rhee, but superstars like Cathy Lanier and Gabe Klein, too[, and likely get incompetents in their place.]

To me, that looks like a ringing endorsement for Gray.

Then you're a bigger moron than I'd thought.

No, you're just more of an agenda-driven b*tch then you'd like to let on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But pick Gray and you lose not just Rhee, but superstars like Cathy Lanier and Gabe Klein, too[, and likely get incompetents in their place.]

To me, that looks like a ringing endorsement for Gray.

Then you're a bigger moron than I'd thought.

No, you're just more of an agenda-driven b*tch then you'd like to let on.

I apologize. That's incorrect. What I meant to say is:

No, you're just more of an agenda-driven b*tch than you'd like to let on.

[Anonymous]

Well, this is friendly! Back to Rhee and choosing Deal...it gives pause to any of us parents at Oyster between grades 4-7 who have struggled with the decision to stay or leave. Surely she would see this would be a consequence of her choice and hopefully the current principal won't sweep it under the rug, instead she and her staff must face the weaknesses head-on, and there are weaknesses even though many kids' who benefited from the early glory years of Oyster (current 8th gr) have been accepted to good high schools. The current lower grades are not having hear the quality experience at Oyster current hold-outs have had.

[Anonymous]

That's sad to hear; why have the current lower grades deteriorated? Is it the new one-language classroom model (children moving between classes) or something else? I am genuinely curious as to what you think the difference is from a few short years ago when people were singing the praises of the elementary education?

[Anonymous]

23:29 I wish folks would respect that Rhee, whatever you think of her, and I am not a fan, must put her daughter first. Their family decision should not impact yours. It's not a statement. It's a private decision. If it was anything like ours, our child drove the discussion and ultimately the decision. We would have preferred to stay at O-A, DC wanted a change.

DC started pre-K at Oyster 10-plus years ago. I cannot believe a decade and change later the school is not reaching its potential and is constantly sidetracked by the push-pull of a complex community. That's a shame.

[Anonymous]

23:29 here, I agree and support Rhee's decision or any parent to do what's best for their child. My main point was perhaps the school/principal should invite open discussion of the options parents have, and expect that Rhee moving her child after attending Oyster only two years may invite some concern or questions that should. Last year I know the principal and other managers of the school and many current parents treated the departures with a "good riddance" mentality, as if they were all just complainers whose issues weren't worth close examination. One year later with the most high profile family doing the same it's suddenly a healthy and normal choice families make, I suppose. But the complaints (bad MS math, lack of coherent sets of policies and disciplinary procedures, unhappy students and a lot of "teaching to the middle") still exist, though they may be less. Right now no one even knows who will be teaching what grade for sure and what the specials are, schedule, who's returning to teach, etc...At Deal and other schools most of the information is readily available and at Oyster MS it's still kind of a mystery.

[Anonymous]

The problem with Rhee leaving is that she is doing exactly what the families with OPTIONS do. The families without options may wish to do the 'best for their child' but ooops...they don't get the convenient option of Deal. Since Rhee has had a direct hand in what Oyster is today, the very least she could do would be to steer OA to being a competitive Middle School that would give even families with options pause. It does not have to 'replicate' Deal--it should offer something unique and compelling apart from Deal. If she pulls her daughter she had better be working double-time to give everyone else a reason to stay. She appointed the new principal-the buck stops at HER desk.

[Anonymous]

13:36 -- right on.