The Real Problem With D.C. Public Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Did someone throw a rock into a pack dogs and one got hit? 23:03, do you feel knot coming up on that blockhead of yours.

Nope, sorry. We're not at Mann, we're at a private. And I have no dog in this hunt. In fact, the only dog here appears to be you - I believe the technical term is a bitch?

Of course you "have a dog in this fight" (to repeat your cliche)...surely you're paying significant tuition while also paying taxes that go toward education. You want to feel good that the money you're spending isn't a waste.

No, we're private school people. Money is a small price to pay.

And yet spend your time debating the state of public schools on the DCPS board insulting people with dogs in the hunt, many of whom are not as privileged as you and have no other options. What motivates your mean-spiritedness?

In the event that we conclude that DCPS is not workable, which private(s) do your kids attend?


I was thinking the same thing about this person. He/she sure has lots of free time on hand to come to a public school thread to terrorize it. I don't have the time or the inclination to butt in somewhere I don't belong, let alone stir up something when unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did someone say wealthy can buy you out of stupid and dangerous. Scary.

Yes. With enough family wealth, you can live in a nice, safe neighborhood. Even if you're not too smart, the sort of bad actors who might tempt you into stupid behavior (petty crime) are not present.

Without any wealth at all, you might find yourself living in a dangerous and unsafe neighborhood. Even if you're a bright, well-intentioned child, you may constantly be needled and provoked by bad actors who surround you. They may taunt you and try to discourage you from your goals. There may be few strong characters in the neighborhood to provide good examples.

So yes, wealthy can buy you out of stupid and dangerous. You seriously disagree? Hell, it bought Teddy Kennedy out of years behind bars for DUI and the manslaughter of Mary Jo Kopechne.

S-l-o-w-c-l-a-p. Well said, pp. Well said.

[Anonymous]

7:37 you are wrong. I personally know of 2 graduates in the 2 years at Wilson that have gone to Brown. That's just my personal knowledge--I'm sure a reasonable percentage have gone to the other ivies. You sound like an arrogant hater--go back to the private school board where someone gives a crap.

[Anonymous]

Here is the problem with DC, those with money put an insane value on a select number of 2 dozen schools and congratulate themselves if they or their offspring attend these schools. The fact is that the world is not better because of you or your offspring. Sure some people come out of these schools invent useful things or help change the better but most others go on to consulting or fiance or law school and rarely do more than make money for themselves and their kind. I am not saying go save the world by working at a nonprofit, but I want my kid to be thinking about places that will push them to work hard and be better people and produce something of value. That can be done at a lot of places even by people of average SAT scores. That is what matters not what private or JKLMMMMMM school your overly pampered little genius attends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is the problem with DC, those with money put an insane value on a select number of 2 dozen schools and congratulate themselves if they or their offspring attend these schools. The fact is that the world is not better because of you or your offspring. Sure some people come out of these schools invent useful things or help change the better but most others go on to consulting or fiance or law school and rarely do more than make money for themselves and their kind. I am not saying go save the world by working at a nonprofit, but I want my kid to be thinking about places that will push them to work hard and be better people and produce something of value. That can be done at a lot of places even by people of average SAT scores. That is what matters not what private or JKLMMMMMM school your overly pampered little genius attends.

It sounds like worthy goals for your children. How do you manage to support them in making their way towards the goals you have set for them without caring about where they go to school? Do you live outside DC and, if so, where?

Sane, educated, contributing members of society do add value and you are no better than those you mock for thinking your goals for your children are superior to those of others. I want my children to be self-sufficient and lead well-balanced happy lives with family and friends that they love and I think that is a fairly common goal. I do not care about the name of my child's school but I do want it to be intellectually challenging and enriching. My children go to a well regarded DCPS and I chose it because I did not have any other way to measure a good school as I am not an educator, but I can read about what are well-regarded schools and get involved and form opinions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is the problem with DC, those with money put an insane value on a select number of 2 dozen schools and congratulate themselves if they or their offspring attend these schools. The fact is that the world is not better because of you or your offspring. Sure some people come out of these schools invent useful things or help change the better but most others go on to consulting or fiance or law school and rarely do more than make money for themselves and their kind. I am not saying go save the world by working at a nonprofit, but I want my kid to be thinking about places that will push them to work hard and be better people and produce something of value. That can be done at a lot of places even by people of average SAT scores. That is what matters not what private or JKLMMMMMM school your overly pampered little genius attends.

Values generally are taught by the parents, not the schools. But that said, a child has a better chance at being challenged to work hard and produce something of value at those better schools, as opposed to DCPS, which for many just serves as a glorified daycare.

[Anonymous]

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It's extremely frustrating having to put your hand down "so someone else can have a chance to answer" most of your life. Also, it's prohibitive to one's development to never feel challenged in class. I think that schools like Walls and Banneker provide a sanctuary where a lot of us can do our best to make up for lost time during the last four years before college, although by then, for some, it's already too late.

I'm sorry that you had such a hard time. Can you tell me why Bannker's average SAT scores languish BELOW the national average, in the low 500s, year after year? Too much lost time to make up? Not nearly enough upper-middle-class peers (with whites shunning the school almost to a parent?) pushing the school to up its game? I've interviewed a dozen Banneker students applying to my Ivy as an alum volunteer in the last 5 years and not one has come close to making the grade, and not for lack of ambition, hard work or talent. Same with Walls and Wilson. The prep at these schools seems sadly lacking - too few kids taking more than a handful of AP classes/exams and getting high scores (4s and 5s) on them. I've found it all a bit hearbreaking, these are good kids with big dreams. They just aren't benefitting from ES and MS talented and gifted programs, great teaching, and highly selective admissions like suburban counterparts. Not to suggest that Banneker doesn't offer a better quality education than the other DCPS high schools.

Pp, I won't argue with the facts as you present them and I appreciate your good intentions but your post comes across as a bit condescending. It almost sounds like you're saying, poor thing, too bad you didn't have more upper middle class students, especially white ones, or you'd have been smarter. Surely you don't mean that, right? Besides, there are thousands upon thousands of students who don't get accepted to Ivy League schools who have worked hard and have gone to excellent K-12 schools. There just isn't room in the Ivy League for everyone who wants to go there. But many of them go on to get good educations and have good careers nevertheless.

And why don't you argue with the facts, or perhaps try to answer PP's good question? That is what matters, not how you perceive the tone to be.

Actually I was trying to be polite in my own tone but I've since thought better of that - the reality is that the tone was quite condescending - and yes, that is important when making an argument, very important. The pp was trying to portray herself as being sympathetic to the Banneker poster but what she was really saying behind that false sympathy is too bad you're just not as good as I am and that you weren't smart enough to go to a school with more white upper middle class people like me. My error was in thinking that a more diplomatic approach might make her think more carefully about how she expresses herself. She might not want to come across as such a superior snob.

You still haven't added any insight to PP question or to the topic at hand.

[Anonymous]

Real problem with D.C. Public Schools, is that the problems are not all that real serious!!!