Redshirting consequences at Lafayette

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's hilarious how DCPS won't flunk anyone for any reason. You can be a 15 year old who can't spell your name, and DCPS will send you on to the next grade. Why? Because the social stigma that comes with failing a grade is so profound that it is simply too much for a child to bear.

BUT on DCUM, "redshirting" (not flunking!) is some incredible advantage that is so valuable that it would be unfair to give it to one kid and not all the other kids who are sent on to the next grade.

When did we rebrand flunking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much indignation! So much self righteousness! But does anyone have any actual evidence that redshirting leads to what you think it leads to? Or are we just doing a whole lot of supposing? Parents have been "redshirting" long before anyone ever decided to call it that, so there should be plenty of studies out there. Or do we just have all your stupid anecdotal bullshit to go on?

To be clear, our stupid anecdotal bullshit is "parents should follow the rules." The end.

SO outrageous.

Lafayette mom is pissed because she found a principal with a spine. So much of the weird mixed messaging from Team Lafayette mom is that she's all about principal's discretion... but that's actually where the no started. She really wants "I can do whatever I want," but because no one would be sympathetic to that, she's gone for a weird amalgamation of all the reasons one might have a good reason to redshirt... none of which apply to her kid. Who is literally just young.

+1

WaPo Lafayette Mom: It should be left up to the Principal's discretion, not DCPS!!
Principal: Your child must register for their appropriate grade according to DOB, unless you have a DCPS readiness evaluation saying otherwise.
WaPo Lafayette Mom: HOW DARE YOU. I'm taking this up with DCPS!!

+1

This isn’t about principal discretion. It’s about these parents teaching their kids that no is not an answer. It is a really terrible lesson that will have consequences somewhere down the line.

Also I should get to tell the principal which teacher I want my kid to have each year. It’s principal discretion to place kids in classes, right? So I should get to pick because I know what’s best for my kid. Can you see how slippery this slope gets?

The parents were wrong to just assume that their next child could enter kindergarten late just because their previous child had, but now that they’ve discovered how erroneous that assumption was, you expect them just to accept their child missing an entire foundational year of school? They can’t go back in time and register their kids for kindergarten last fall. They’re fighting for what they believe their children need. They’re doing the only thing they can now. It might not be successful, but they believe it’s worth taking a shot at fighting the decision.

If they had enrolled their kids in K when they first learned they wouldn't be allowed to redshirt, they would not have missed the entire year. They are in-bound and old enough for K; Lafayette would have had to take them, and would have had to assess them for any special ed services they qualified for, including extended school year. DCPS also has free summer school so they could have worked with the principal to get into that.

Bingo. But why course correct to benefit your child? Because it’s not about the kids anymore it’s about their egos. Now they’re all complaining that there are no longer spots at “suitable” private schools for K next year. (As in, fine we’ll go private for K and then you have to have us in what would be our redshirt 1st class next year, which yes would be by the rules.) One school not too far away with potential slots was suggested and the mom was quick to say the “demographics” weren’t acceptable. Whatever the outcome this year, these poor kids have some rough reputations to face down if they wind up at Lafayette in any grade.

Oh my god. Every detail about these parents is worse and worse.

What was the issue with the demographics?

[Anonymous]

They should rent a condo in Bethesda, send their kid to MOCO for the year because the cutoff is September 1 and then switch back to Lafayette and attend 1st next year. Of course I said Bethesda or Potomac or maybe TP because otherwise the ‘demographics’ probably won’t suit these open, accepting parents!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They should rent a condo in Bethesda, send their kid to MOCO for the year because the cutoff is September 1 and then switch back to Lafayette and attend 1st next year. Of course I said Bethesda or Potomac or maybe TP because otherwise the ‘demographics’ probably won’t suit these open, accepting parents!

Yeah but some of these families have mid-summer, not September birthdays…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should rent a condo in Bethesda, send their kid to MOCO for the year because the cutoff is September 1 and then switch back to Lafayette and attend 1st next year. Of course I said Bethesda or Potomac or maybe TP because otherwise the ‘demographics’ probably won’t suit these open, accepting parents!

Yeah but some of these families have mid-summer, not September birthdays…

Does MCPS allow redshirting, though?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much indignation! So much self righteousness! But does anyone have any actual evidence that redshirting leads to what you think it leads to? Or are we just doing a whole lot of supposing? Parents have been "redshirting" long before anyone ever decided to call it that, so there should be plenty of studies out there. Or do we just have all your stupid anecdotal bullshit to go on?

To be clear, our stupid anecdotal bullshit is "parents should follow the rules." The end.

SO outrageous.

Lafayette mom is pissed because she found a principal with a spine. So much of the weird mixed messaging from Team Lafayette mom is that she's all about principal's discretion... but that's actually where the no started. She really wants "I can do whatever I want," but because no one would be sympathetic to that, she's gone for a weird amalgamation of all the reasons one might have a good reason to redshirt... none of which apply to her kid. Who is literally just young.

+1

WaPo Lafayette Mom: It should be left up to the Principal's discretion, not DCPS!!
Principal: Your child must register for their appropriate grade according to DOB, unless you have a DCPS readiness evaluation saying otherwise.
WaPo Lafayette Mom: HOW DARE YOU. I'm taking this up with DCPS!!

+1

This isn’t about principal discretion. It’s about these parents teaching their kids that no is not an answer. It is a really terrible lesson that will have consequences somewhere down the line.

Also I should get to tell the principal which teacher I want my kid to have each year. It’s principal discretion to place kids in classes, right? So I should get to pick because I know what’s best for my kid. Can you see how slippery this slope gets?

The parents were wrong to just assume that their next child could enter kindergarten late just because their previous child had, but now that they’ve discovered how erroneous that assumption was, you expect them just to accept their child missing an entire foundational year of school? They can’t go back in time and register their kids for kindergarten last fall. They’re fighting for what they believe their children need. They’re doing the only thing they can now. It might not be successful, but they believe it’s worth taking a shot at fighting the decision.

If they had enrolled their kids in K when they first learned they wouldn't be allowed to redshirt, they would not have missed the entire year. They are in-bound and old enough for K; Lafayette would have had to take them, and would have had to assess them for any special ed services they qualified for, including extended school year. DCPS also has free summer school so they could have worked with the principal to get into that.

Bingo. But why course correct to benefit your child? Because it’s not about the kids anymore it’s about their egos. Now they’re all complaining that there are no longer spots at “suitable” private schools for K next year. (As in, fine we’ll go private for K and then you have to have us in what would be our redshirt 1st class next year, which yes would be by the rules.) One school not too far away with potential slots was suggested and the mom was quick to say the “demographics” weren’t acceptable. Whatever the outcome this year, these poor kids have some rough reputations to face down if they wind up at Lafayette in any grade.

Oh my god. Every detail about these parents is worse and worse.

What was the issue with the demographics?

I think we all can figure out the answer to that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much indignation! So much self righteousness! But does anyone have any actual evidence that redshirting leads to what you think it leads to? Or are we just doing a whole lot of supposing? Parents have been "redshirting" long before anyone ever decided to call it that, so there should be plenty of studies out there. Or do we just have all your stupid anecdotal bullshit to go on?

To be clear, our stupid anecdotal bullshit is "parents should follow the rules." The end.

SO outrageous.

Lafayette mom is pissed because she found a principal with a spine. So much of the weird mixed messaging from Team Lafayette mom is that she's all about principal's discretion... but that's actually where the no started. She really wants "I can do whatever I want," but because no one would be sympathetic to that, she's gone for a weird amalgamation of all the reasons one might have a good reason to redshirt... none of which apply to her kid. Who is literally just young.

+1

WaPo Lafayette Mom: It should be left up to the Principal's discretion, not DCPS!!
Principal: Your child must register for their appropriate grade according to DOB, unless you have a DCPS readiness evaluation saying otherwise.
WaPo Lafayette Mom: HOW DARE YOU. I'm taking this up with DCPS!!

+1

This isn’t about principal discretion. It’s about these parents teaching their kids that no is not an answer. It is a really terrible lesson that will have consequences somewhere down the line.

Also I should get to tell the principal which teacher I want my kid to have each year. It’s principal discretion to place kids in classes, right? So I should get to pick because I know what’s best for my kid. Can you see how slippery this slope gets?

The parents were wrong to just assume that their next child could enter kindergarten late just because their previous child had, but now that they’ve discovered how erroneous that assumption was, you expect them just to accept their child missing an entire foundational year of school? They can’t go back in time and register their kids for kindergarten last fall. They’re fighting for what they believe their children need. They’re doing the only thing they can now. It might not be successful, but they believe it’s worth taking a shot at fighting the decision.

If they had enrolled their kids in K when they first learned they wouldn't be allowed to redshirt, they would not have missed the entire year. They are in-bound and old enough for K; Lafayette would have had to take them, and would have had to assess them for any special ed services they qualified for, including extended school year. DCPS also has free summer school so they could have worked with the principal to get into that.

I concede that the parents are problematic (being polite) but also see that placing a student, who missed kindergarten, in first grade is academically harmful to the student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They should rent a condo in Bethesda, send their kid to MOCO for the year because the cutoff is September 1 and then switch back to Lafayette and attend 1st next year. Of course I said Bethesda or Potomac or maybe TP because otherwise the ‘demographics’ probably won’t suit these open, accepting parents!

No thanks we really don't want these terrible parents here or these old K kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Going strictly by the age guidelines, you could have the following situation:

Kid A could have been a micro preemie who was due at the beginning of January, but was born on September 30th.

Kid B could have been due on September 23rd, but instead was 8 days overdue and born on October 1st.

According to DCPS guidelines, Kid A has to enroll in kindergarten this fall, but Kid B can enroll next year. Does that seem right to you?

There should be a little flexibility. I was born early, which made me eligible to enroll for kindergarten a year earlier than if I’d been born on my due date. I’m glad my parents held me back. I feel like I was in the correct grade and my classmates were peers.

There is flexibility. There’s a process. And as stated before, for things like developmental delays, ESL, traumatic history, neurodivergence, etc. If these parents fell into an any of these categories, they’d make sure that was the headline. If their kid was a micropreemie, they’d have put it up on billboards during this ridiculous campaign. That’s not the case. They’re naturally and normally near the end of DCPS’ cutoff (and not all are late September…) and have just always thought they were special. They are legitimately making this harder for people who do need this process and it’s EMBARRASSING.

Wait - you know of a “process”? A clear, legitimate process? Can you share more?

How do you go about doing this?

I’ll wait…..

The whole issue here is that there isn’t a process or consistency for any of this or anything DCPS does. DCPS created this disaster but failing to have any real procedures in place. They caused this by allowing the lottery and enrollment site to allow enrollment for kids past the “cut off” without question.

What they should do now, is walk it back - cooperate and then put in place clear rules going forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Going strictly by the age guidelines, you could have the following situation:

Kid A could have been a micro preemie who was due at the beginning of January, but was born on September 30th.

Kid B could have been due on September 23rd, but instead was 8 days overdue and born on October 1st.

According to DCPS guidelines, Kid A has to enroll in kindergarten this fall, but Kid B can enroll next year. Does that seem right to you?

There should be a little flexibility. I was born early, which made me eligible to enroll for kindergarten a year earlier than if I’d been born on my due date. I’m glad my parents held me back. I feel like I was in the correct grade and my classmates were peers.

There is flexibility. There’s a process. And as stated before, for things like developmental delays, ESL, traumatic history, neurodivergence, etc. If these parents fell into an any of these categories, they’d make sure that was the headline. If their kid was a micropreemie, they’d have put it up on billboards during this ridiculous campaign. That’s not the case. They’re naturally and normally near the end of DCPS’ cutoff (and not all are late September…) and have just always thought they were special. They are legitimately making this harder for people who do need this process and it’s EMBARRASSING.

Wait - you know of a “process”? A clear, legitimate process? Can you share more?

How do you go about doing this?

I’ll wait…..

The whole issue here is that there isn’t a process or consistency for any of this or anything DCPS does. DCPS created this disaster but failing to have any real procedures in place. They caused this by allowing the lottery and enrollment site to allow enrollment for kids past the “cut off” without question.

What they should do now, is walk it back - cooperate and then put in place clear rules going forward.

I should get my cake and everyone gets dirt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Now they’re all complaining that there are no longer spots at “suitable” private schools for K next year. (As in, fine we’ll go private for K and then you have to have us in what would be our redshirt 1st class next year, which yes would be by the rules.) One school not too far away with potential slots was suggested and the mom was quick to say the “demographics” weren’t acceptable. Whatever the outcome this year, these poor kids have some rough reputations to face down if they wind up at Lafayette in any grade.

Who said there were no spots at "suitable" privates and that "demographics" weren't acceptable?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Going strictly by the age guidelines, you could have the following situation:

Kid A could have been a micro preemie who was due at the beginning of January, but was born on September 30th.

Kid B could have been due on September 23rd, but instead was 8 days overdue and born on October 1st.

According to DCPS guidelines, Kid A has to enroll in kindergarten this fall, but Kid B can enroll next year. Does that seem right to you?

There should be a little flexibility. I was born early, which made me eligible to enroll for kindergarten a year earlier than if I’d been born on my due date. I’m glad my parents held me back. I feel like I was in the correct grade and my classmates were peers.

There is flexibility. There’s a process. And as stated before, for things like developmental delays, ESL, traumatic history, neurodivergence, etc. If these parents fell into an any of these categories, they’d make sure that was the headline. If their kid was a micropreemie, they’d have put it up on billboards during this ridiculous campaign. That’s not the case. They’re naturally and normally near the end of DCPS’ cutoff (and not all are late September…) and have just always thought they were special. They are legitimately making this harder for people who do need this process and it’s EMBARRASSING.

Wait - you know of a “process”? A clear, legitimate process? Can you share more?

How do you go about doing this?

I’ll wait…..

The whole issue here is that there isn’t a process or consistency for any of this or anything DCPS does. DCPS created this disaster but failing to have any real procedures in place. They caused this by allowing the lottery and enrollment site to allow enrollment for kids past the “cut off” without question.

What they should do now, is walk it back - cooperate and then put in place clear rules going forward.

"cooperate" -- WaPo Lafayette mom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should rent a condo in Bethesda, send their kid to MOCO for the year because the cutoff is September 1 and then switch back to Lafayette and attend 1st next year. Of course I said Bethesda or Potomac or maybe TP because otherwise the ‘demographics’ probably won’t suit these open, accepting parents!

Yeah but some of these families have mid-summer, not September birthdays…

Does MCPS allow redshirting, though?

Yes it does. In Bethesda, a good handful of boys in each grade are red-shirted. From what I can tell, some redshirting correlates with ADHD and learning disabilities (parents who were on top of their kids' issues) and some of it does not (parents looking to gain an advantage).

Attendance
According to Maryland law (7-301: Compulsory Attendance), every child 5 years old or older and under 18 must attend school. All children who will be 5 years old by September 1 of any given year must attend school in either a licensed private or public school Kindergarten that year. Maryland recognizes home instruction as an alternative to public school enrollment as a means of meeting the compulsory school attendance law (more on home schooling).

For kindergarten-eligible students, state law allows for three exceptions to the attendance requirement: for immaturity; for attendance in a licensed child-care center; or for attendance in a registered family day-care home. Parents or guardians who want an exemption to the law for their kindergarten-eligible child must complete MCPS Form 560-19, Exemption to Kindergarten Attendance at their local school prior to the first day of school. Questions about this process should be directed to the local school or to the Division of Early Childhood Programs and Services at 240-740-4530.

[Anonymous]

This is all kind of nuts to me because I have a girl who is the very young end of the cut off and I think it would be a disadvantage to stay in preschool. It would make more sense to me if families wanted to do kindergarten twice.

I just don’t buy the idea that it’s definitely better to be older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is all kind of nuts to me because I have a girl who is the very young end of the cut off and I think it would be a disadvantage to stay in preschool. It would make more sense to me if families wanted to do kindergarten twice.

I just don’t buy the idea that it’s definitely better to be older.

It’s not. This is why anti-redshirters are insane. They think school is a competition where older is more advantaged 🙄