Is Brent the best school in Capitol hill?

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous Brent PTA parent here. The Hill is still brimming with white arch liberals who buy into the concept that elitism in schools in the form of programs for advanced learners, beyond mild differentiation in the classroom, is philosophically offensive and unnecessary. Also, they prioritize other PTA projects at schools, like building good libraries and playgrounds, and changing out weak principals and teachers.


Wow -- arch white liberal here who thinks that's a total crock of something. Again -- Brent is more or less in the same boat as Watkins, Tyler SI, Maury, all of which are retaining more IB families who are engaged in their schools, demanding the schools to meet their kids' academic needs, and mostly worry about scoring prized charter MS spots as their kids near the age-out stage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Brent PTA parent here. The Hill is still brimming with white arch liberals who buy into the concept that elitism in schools in the form of programs for advanced learners, beyond mild differentiation in the classroom, is philosophically offensive and unnecessary. Also, they prioritize other PTA projects at schools, like building good libraries and playgrounds, and changing out weak principals and teachers.

Anonymous wrote:Wow -- arch white liberal here who thinks that's a total crock of something. Again -- Brent is more or less in the same boat as Watkins, Tyler SI, Maury, all of which are retaining more IB families who are engaged in their schools, demanding the schools to meet their kids' academic needs, and mostly worry about scoring prized charter MS spots as their kids near the age-out stage.

Where are Maury 4th & 5th graders going to school in August? How many to EH or SH. Where else?

Where are Watkins 4th & 5th graders going?

Where are the oldest Tyler SI students going next year?

What part of the Ward Six Middle School Reform Plan went beyond differentiated instruction (other than a general plan for math that has yet to be implemented)?

[Anonymous]

My Watkins rising 5th is returning to Watkins. Along with most of her closest circle of friends. I know of 2 definitely headed to Latin (probably more). Have also heard that some unknown number of Brent 4th are coming to Watkins 5th to get on the path to MS at Stuart Hobson.

Also plan on SH for 6th, but watching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tyler SI is essentially a G/T program by another name. Brent is merely ahead of the curve.

What is it about Tyler S/I that makes it essentially a g/T program? thanks!

[Anonymous]

I think most Hill families will come to feel pretty comfortable with the middle school options. Of course, it will be a lottery to get into Latin or Basis, or Stuart Hobson if you are not coming from Watkins or aren't in bounds. But all of these are good options and I think it will shake out like the prek/ k application process. Families may be on a wait list initially but will be accepted by one of the 3 schools by the time school starts.

[Anonymous]

Just heard today of another Brent rising 5th grader leaving after getting into another school which leads to an actual middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What part of the Ward Six Middle School Reform Plan went beyond differentiated instruction (other than a general plan for math that has yet to be implemented)?

Ward 6 MS plan is a joke, at least for Hill residents, as SH serves predominantly OOB/non-Ward 6 families. Aside from a microscopic IB zone, SH serves feeders consisting mostly of families who do not live on the Hill. The Cluster, the few surrounding blocks, and lottery winners are is the only real feed to SH for Hill families . . . not that SH is a universally prefered choice. Eliot Hine is not retaining significant number of Hill families for MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[b]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get outside the Brent District and Upper NW and you'll find few PS parents in favor of GT ES ed, or even programs for ES advanced learners going beyond the limiting differentiated learning within the classroom model. Even most Cluster and Maury PTA parents reject them for now.

[/b]

Why is that?

Brent PTA parent here. The Hill is still brimming with white arch liberals who buy into the concept that elitism in schools in the form of programs for advanced learners, beyond mild differentiation in the classroom, is philosophically offensive and unnecessary. Also, they prioritize other PTA projects at schools, like building good libraries and playgrounds, and changing out weak principals and teachers.

The irony is that these folks, not the most practical of people, have a strong tendency to go into reactive mode somewhere between 1st and 3rd grade. They tend to leave the system once they realize that not only are their kids aren't challenged, they're spending a lot of time on test prep/testing from which they don't benefit, and teachers are focued on crowd control, dealing with disruptive low-SES kids (it only takes a handful to monopolize an educator's time/attention). Other, less liberal parents, generally white, don't want the hassle of being accused of racism in asking for special treatment for their advanced learners. The fallout from Brent's push, in 2009-2010, to add middle school grades on a temporary basis brought a flood of criticism in this vein, a draining experience for those of us involved. Many of these parents simply try DCPS from year to year, expecting to hit the wall before middle school, so aren't motivated to lobby for systemic change, yeoman's work in a city where public schools haven't served a large middle-class cohort in decades.

I don't think so. It goes completely against the grain of what I have heard from virtually every Hill parent - virtually every parent from the Hill that I talk to DOES want change, DOES want differentiation, G&T and so on - regardless of race - and in fact, the race issue never even enters the conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think most Hill families will come to feel pretty comfortable with the middle school options. Of course, it will be a lottery to get into Latin or Basis, or Stuart Hobson if you are not coming from Watkins or aren't in bounds. But all of these are good options and I think it will shake out like the prek/ k application process. Families may be on a wait list initially but will be accepted by one of the 3 schools by the time school starts.

I think you are right. Middle School for graduates of Hill elementary schools will be ok and more charters will open to meet the demand if the others fill.

It is just a shame that DCPS won't do what it takes to retain those families for the neighborhood middle schools. They are gutless and shortsighted and bolstered by some Hill residents who would prefer to leave the system than mess with the status quo. Thanks a lot.

Maybe once the numbers are there, powers that be will get a clue. In the meantime, there is a deep groove being worn to charters and privates after 4th or 5th grade and it will be hard to get folks out of these grooves for a local middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[b]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get outside the Brent District and Upper NW and you'll find few PS parents in favor of GT ES ed, or even programs for ES advanced learners going beyond the limiting differentiated learning within the classroom model. Even most Cluster and Maury PTA parents reject them for now.

[/b]

Why is that?

Brent PTA parent here. The Hill is still brimming with white arch liberals who buy into the concept that elitism in schools in the form of programs for advanced learners, beyond mild differentiation in the classroom, is philosophically offensive and unnecessary. Also, they prioritize other PTA projects at schools, like building good libraries and playgrounds, and changing out weak principals and teachers.

The irony is that these folks, not the most practical of people, have a strong tendency to go into reactive mode somewhere between 1st and 3rd grade. They tend to leave the system once they realize that not only are their kids aren't challenged, they're spending a lot of time on test prep/testing from which they don't benefit, and teachers are focued on crowd control, dealing with disruptive low-SES kids (it only takes a handful to monopolize an educator's time/attention). Other, less liberal parents, generally white, don't want the hassle of being accused of racism in asking for special treatment for their advanced learners. The fallout from Brent's push, in 2009-2010, to add middle school grades on a temporary basis brought a flood of criticism in this vein, a draining experience for those of us involved. Many of these parents simply try DCPS from year to year, expecting to hit the wall before middle school, so aren't motivated to lobby for systemic change, yeoman's work in a city where public schools haven't served a large middle-class cohort in decades.

I don't think so. It goes completely against the grain of what I have heard from virtually every Hill parent - virtually every parent from the Hill that I talk to DOES want change, DOES want differentiation, G&T and so on - regardless of race - and in fact, the race issue never even enters the conversation.

Converse a bit with some cluster parents/teachers and your local CHPSPO ( CAPITOL Hill public school parents organization ) who are loud and proud and you will get a different take than the majority.

[Anonymous]

By the way, this chpspo group was the main author and advocate for the ward 6 middle school plan. And they went about representing all of you to elected officials probably never asking you what you thought about the plan. May want to keep tabs on that. Every once and a while a member gives testimony before council and to elected officials claiming that they "represent Capitol Hill Public School Parents". Better get yourselves to those meetings or else get organized and scream louder.

[Anonymous]

Isn't he busy at Basis now and will stop "representing" Brent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn't he busy at Basis now and will stop "representing" Brent?

Who is "he"?

[Anonymous]

CHPSPO is decidedly anti-charter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn't he busy at Basis now and will stop "representing" Brent?

You have it wrong. Brent guy actually spent countless hours polling Brent families about what would make them stay in dcps through middle school and formulating proposals to dcps. These proposals ran afoul of CHPSPO and were not popular with DCPS. He represented exactly what Brent parents said they needed in place. Problem came when Rhee etc. Came back with a half baked plan and a ( very ) few parents caved rather than fight and were left with the Jefferson Academy. That was a bad move and done without consulting the parent body.