WCP article on Watkins

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a Watkins parent, the biggest issue with the article is that none of what the "activist" parents have discussed with DCPS involves or even relates to the achievement gap work. These were the issues raised by them, as I understand them: breakdown in school's communications with parents (at one point this year, the parents went almost three months without any communication from the principal), 50% of highly effective and effective teachers departed last June/July (all 4th grade and 5th grade, plus ALL specials teachers - most of them ended up at Stuart-Hobson or other DCPS schools), discipline re: bullying issues that go unaddressed, safety issues (like two students and a chaperone left behind on a field trip and no one at the school realized they were missing), and several academic programs that were once emphasized (like STEM and First in Math) are not currently celebrated. There is even a question as to whether any significant STEM work has taken place this year. None of this relates to the achievement gap. It's about failure to properly manage the school's day-to-day operations and maintain the school's academic programs, which were already in place. The principal has gone out of her way to distract everyone (other parents, DCPS, DC Council) and attack these parents by raising the achievement gap as the main issue, but it's a red herring.

+1

It's easy/convenient for an ineffective administration to blame the criticism on the achievement gap when in reality there are systematic failures throughout the entire school - ask a current parent how the spelling bee went or what the science fair looked like this year or how we didn't have a black history month celebration or how the teachers are treated in a daily basis -- the administration problems at Watkins are real (not just the Principal but APs too)

[Anonymous]

This sounds like "Dump the Cluster" from 3 years ago. The people are different but the issues remain the same.

[Anonymous]

Yes, they sound all the same. Perhaps it is not just the principal that is at fault. Nor teachers, as there has been 100% turn over since 2014. Administration ..... I could name a few. Or just the fact that it serves so many Title 1 kids, w/o Title 1 supports? Like trauma awareness for the homeless kids, kids who have family members going to jail, who have family who have been murdered? If it were a school across the river, that would be normal. Here there is so much of a dichotomy of needs and expectations.

[Anonymous]

This is why we need more tracked classes. When there is a 60% difference in parcc scores there is no way to effectively teach them all in one class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why we need more tracked classes. When there is a 60% difference in parcc scores there is no way to effectively teach them all in one class.

tell that to Chantwan, as many teachers will be let go after the parcc scores come out. It's all on the teachers to demonstrate but doesn't impact principals, coaches, and downtown administration who create the policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they sound all the same. Perhaps it is not just the principal that is at fault. Nor teachers, as there has been 100% turn over since 2014. Administration ..... I could name a few. Or just the fact that it serves so many Title 1 kids, w/o Title 1 supports? Like trauma awareness for the homeless kids, kids who have family members going to jail, who have family who have been murdered? If it were a school across the river, that would be normal. Here there is so much of a dichotomy of needs and expectations.

There has not been 100% turnover since 2014. Watkins is losing Title 1 status next year, so it has not operated without title 1 supports.

[Anonymous]

There has to be huge stress on a Principal when the "achievement gap" is front-and-center within the school itself. In contrast, most of the time, the "gap" exists between schools, which allows critics to say that one school's services are better than the other; but that can't happen here when the same school is supporting dramatically opposite results, within the same classes. In a word, Watkins represents a cauldron where the problem -- "the achievement gap" -- is on clear display.

In my opinion, the Watkins example shows that the lower-performing kids need support, starting very early in their lives, that no public elementary school has the resources to provide. I'm no expert, so I don't know exactly what wrap-around services these kids need, but part of it is probably tutoring and creative support at the nursery school level. In short, the "achievement gap" is a problem that cannot be solved by any principal. Ms. Bell would be in a real tough spot even if her management skills were the best in the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they sound all the same. Perhaps it is not just the principal that is at fault. Nor teachers, as there has been 100% turn over since 2014. Administration ..... I could name a few. Or just the fact that it serves so many Title 1 kids, w/o Title 1 supports? Like trauma awareness for the homeless kids, kids who have family members going to jail, who have family who have been murdered? If it were a school across the river, that would be normal. Here there is so much of a dichotomy of needs and expectations.

There has not been 100% turnover since 2014. Watkins is losing Title 1 status next year, so it has not operated without title 1 supports.

Watkins didn't have Titie 1 status for 16-17.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they sound all the same. Perhaps it is not just the principal that is at fault. Nor teachers, as there has been 100% turn over since 2014. Administration ..... I could name a few. Or just the fact that it serves so many Title 1 kids, w/o Title 1 supports? Like trauma awareness for the homeless kids, kids who have family members going to jail, who have family who have been murdered? If it were a school across the river, that would be normal. Here there is so much of a dichotomy of needs and expectations.

There has not been 100% turnover since 2014. Watkins is losing Title 1 status next year, so it has not operated without title 1 supports.

Watkins didn't have Titie 1 status for 16-17.

They haven't had it for a while.

[Anonymous]

And go ahead and name the teachers who have been there 3 or more years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There has to be huge stress on a Principal when the "achievement gap" is front-and-center within the school itself. In contrast, most of the time, the "gap" exists between schools, which allows critics to say that one school's services are better than the other; but that can't happen here when the same school is supporting dramatically opposite results, within the same classes. In a word, Watkins represents a cauldron where the problem -- "the achievement gap" -- is on clear display.

In my opinion, the Watkins example shows that the lower-performing kids need support, starting very early in their lives, that no public elementary school has the resources to provide. I'm no expert, so I don't know exactly what wrap-around services these kids need, but part of it is probably tutoring and creative support at the nursery school level. In short, the "achievement gap" is a problem that cannot be solved by any principal. Ms. Bell would be in a real tough spot even if her management skills were the best in the world.

the problem is the parents, they are the ones who need massive support. Starting with basics on parenting-like read to your child every single night, even when they are babies. Don't scream or curse at your kids, do not hit them or curse at them. Don't get them soda or juice before school. Don't let them have any violet video games or watch or listen to violent music. I am appalled at what I see at my Title 1 school EoTP. All the parents "love" PK but we don;t have blinders on for K and higher. The poor kids. And the poor teachers who will never have the time or resources to undo the damage the parents are doing every single day. And thats the fucking truth that DCPS won't face. So they can keep on building shiny new buildings but that makes no difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they sound all the same. Perhaps it is not just the principal that is at fault. Nor teachers, as there has been 100% turn over since 2014. Administration ..... I could name a few. Or just the fact that it serves so many Title 1 kids, w/o Title 1 supports? Like trauma awareness for the homeless kids, kids who have family members going to jail, who have family who have been murdered? If it were a school across the river, that would be normal. Here there is so much of a dichotomy of needs and expectations.

There has not been 100% turnover since 2014. Watkins is losing Title 1 status next year, so it has not operated without title 1 supports.

Watkins didn't have Titie 1 status for 16-17.

They haven't had it for a while.

Watkins is losing the last of its T1 funding next year, moving from "targeted T1" to non-T1. Here is the list of T1 schools from 16/17 and 17/18.

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/List%20of%20Title%20I%20Schools%20Public%20SY%2016-17.pdf

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/List%20of%20Title%20I%20Schools%20Public%20SY%2017-18.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And go ahead and name the teachers who have been there 3 or more years?

No, not putting names on the internet, but my kid has had two. And really awesome teachers who have been there for less time. Don't know anything about upper grades, but the early grades have great teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There has to be huge stress on a Principal when the "achievement gap" is front-and-center within the school itself. In contrast, most of the time, the "gap" exists between schools, which allows critics to say that one school's services are better than the other; but that can't happen here when the same school is supporting dramatically opposite results, within the same classes. In a word, Watkins represents a cauldron where the problem -- "the achievement gap" -- is on clear display.

In my opinion, the Watkins example shows that the lower-performing kids need support, starting very early in their lives, that no public elementary school has the resources to provide. I'm no expert, so I don't know exactly what wrap-around services these kids need, but part of it is probably tutoring and creative support at the nursery school level. In short, the "achievement gap" is a problem that cannot be solved by any principal. Ms. Bell would be in a real tough spot even if her management skills were the best in the world.

the problem is the parents, they are the ones who need massive support. Starting with basics on parenting-like read to your child every single night, even when they are babies. Don't scream or curse at your kids, do not hit them or curse at them. Don't get them soda or juice before school. Don't let them have any violet video games or watch or listen to violent music. I am appalled at what I see at my Title 1 school EoTP. All the parents "love" PK but we don;t have blinders on for K and higher. The poor kids. And the poor teachers who will never have the time or resources to undo the damage the parents are doing every single day. And thats the fucking truth that DCPS won't face. So they can keep on building shiny new buildings but that makes no difference.

wow. so all black parents have no understanding of literacy, scream at their kids, and HEAVEN FORFEND feed them JUICE before school? You are also terrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There has to be huge stress on a Principal when the "achievement gap" is front-and-center within the school itself. In contrast, most of the time, the "gap" exists between schools, which allows critics to say that one school's services are better than the other; but that can't happen here when the same school is supporting dramatically opposite results, within the same classes. In a word, Watkins represents a cauldron where the problem -- "the achievement gap" -- is on clear display.

In my opinion, the Watkins example shows that the lower-performing kids need support, starting very early in their lives, that no public elementary school has the resources to provide. I'm no expert, so I don't know exactly what wrap-around services these kids need, but part of it is probably tutoring and creative support at the nursery school level. In short, the "achievement gap" is a problem that cannot be solved by any principal. Ms. Bell would be in a real tough spot even if her management skills were the best in the world.

the problem is the parents, they are the ones who need massive support. Starting with basics on parenting-like read to your child every single night, even when they are babies. Don't scream or curse at your kids, do not hit them or curse at them. Don't get them soda or juice before school. Don't let them have any violet video games or watch or listen to violent music. I am appalled at what I see at my Title 1 school EoTP. All the parents "love" PK but we don;t have blinders on for K and higher. The poor kids. And the poor teachers who will never have the time or resources to undo the damage the parents are doing every single day. And thats the fucking truth that DCPS won't face. So they can keep on building shiny new buildings but that makes no difference.

wow. so all black parents have no understanding of literacy, scream at their kids, and HEAVEN FORFEND feed them JUICE before school? You are also terrible.

Denying the realities of generational poverty isn't going to help anyone.