Redshirting consequences at Lafayette

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In MCPS, it's easy to request kindergarten a year late. If your child is in a special-ed pre-school program, you don't get an extra year of that. So you have to pay out-of-pocket for an extra year of the 4s class. So what is the harm of that happening in DC? I just don't think parents should be entitled to an extra paid year of pre-k. If a kid was born in September, there is no difference from a kid who was born October 1 and is in the next grade. They are days apart from birth even if they fall into the next grade per DCPS' rules.

If people want to advocate for a change to DC's rules, they should do that.

The problem here is that DCPS has had the same rules for 20 years, but a handful of schools in upper NW thought they were the exception, so DC is bringing those schools into line with the rest of the city. That's it. They are being asked to follow the same rules as everyone else.

I'd happily have a conversation about whether we should change the rules and if so, to what. But the reason we aren't following MCPS rules here is because we are a different district.

Except one parent working full time and juggling multiple kids likely doesn’t have time or expertise to lobby DC. But they can make individual choices to help their kid.

[Anonymous]

If they give in to these parents then other parents will be mad when their requests get a no as an answer. This happened at our school. The problem is that any parent making any request thinks they are doing what is best for their child. Why do some parent requests matter more than others?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All these anti-redshirters must hate ENCL soccer. The cutoff is 8/1. Imagine being in one grade for soccer and another for DCPS. Ridiculous.

There are cutoffs that are Dec. 31. Different places have different cutoffs. What is the point of this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In MCPS, it's easy to request kindergarten a year late. If your child is in a special-ed pre-school program, you don't get an extra year of that. So you have to pay out-of-pocket for an extra year of the 4s class. So what is the harm of that happening in DC? I just don't think parents should be entitled to an extra paid year of pre-k. If a kid was born in September, there is no difference from a kid who was born October 1 and is in the next grade. They are days apart from birth even if they fall into the next grade per DCPS' rules.

If people want to advocate for a change to DC's rules, they should do that.

The problem here is that DCPS has had the same rules for 20 years, but a handful of schools in upper NW thought they were the exception, so DC is bringing those schools into line with the rest of the city. That's it. They are being asked to follow the same rules as everyone else.

I'd happily have a conversation about whether we should change the rules and if so, to what. But the reason we aren't following MCPS rules here is because we are a different district.

Except one parent working full time and juggling multiple kids likely doesn’t have time or expertise to lobby DC. But they can make individual choices to help their kid.

They can't in DC where the rule is that it is not up to parental discretion. Also isn't this woman a PR professional? Who lives in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in DC, so likely has household help? And has convinced multiple local outlets to cover this story, and given 1:1 interviews to all of them? And gotten local politicians involved?

Interesting she's done all that to try and create an exception for her kid at one school, but apparently lobbying for a rule change that would benefit other children at other schools us too hard.

Look, there are lots of rules I don't like. But I don't just follow them selectively and then throw a huge hissy fit when someone tells me "no, you have to follow the rules like everyone else."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In MCPS, it's easy to request kindergarten a year late. If your child is in a special-ed pre-school program, you don't get an extra year of that. So you have to pay out-of-pocket for an extra year of the 4s class. So what is the harm of that happening in DC? I just don't think parents should be entitled to an extra paid year of pre-k. If a kid was born in September, there is no difference from a kid who was born October 1 and is in the next grade. They are days apart from birth even if they fall into the next grade per DCPS' rules.

But it pretty clearly is unfair if Johnny and Timmy are both born in late September, both will experience the same “disadvantage” if they go to school on time, but only Johnny’s parents can afford an extra year so the school lets Johnny redshirt but not Timmy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The jealousy and pettiness and sense of victimhood on this thread is something to behold. A gentle reminder that DC public schools are not very good. Standardized testing suggests your kids would get a better education if they went to any random public school in Iowa. So the idea that if a kid "reshirts" or, put more directly, repeats a grade at a mediocre school, that he or she will get some amazing benefit and be transformed into a math whiz or something seems disconnected from reality.

The idea that Lafayette moms are saying that other folks have a "sense of victimhood" is amazing. If you hate DCPS so much, go elsewhere. It sounds like folks at Lafayette would rather you did too.

Not a Lafayette mom. Just saying that parents can have good reasons to hold their kids back; you don't actually know what those reasons are and they dont have to tell you; and if a child is held back, it has zero consequences for your child. Reading this thread you'd think all the kids who didnt "get" to repeat a grade are getting completely screwed over.

1) no one is arguing that parents who want to redshirt should have to share their reasons with me, personally. But DCPS policy was at principal's discretion, not parents. So they did need to share their reasons with the principal, who deemed them insufficient

2) Redshirting can of course have an impact on other children. It changes the composition of the class. It can impact behavioral expectations, disadvantaging on-time kids who may now be viewed as immature for the grade because redshirted kids pull the average age up. It could also have consequences down the road in HS applications, when being a year older may make it easier for kids to compete on factors like leadership, interview skills, and relationships with teachers.

So, you're assuming:

1. Redshirting will become basically a fad and every parent will want their kid to repeat a grade (or grades! why stop at one redshirting?)

2. None of the redshirted kids will have any legitimate issues. It will just all vanity redshirting.

3. Repeating a grade isn't a waste of a child's time. In fact, an education at DCPS is such a potent thing that it's patently unfair for a child to be allowed to do it again.

4. The parents will all believe that redshirting is the shortcut to turning their kids into academic and/or athletic superstars, and that's all they care about.

5. The teachers will be too stupid to know the ground is shifting under their feet. Even though some have been teaching the same grade for 30 years, somehow they won't realize that expectations are changed, even though that's so readily apparent to DCUM

6. Repeating a grade is all gravy for the kids. They won't care about being separated from their friends. No one will be self conscious about being older than they're supposed to be. The social stigma that comes with repeating a grade will vanish.

I dunno. Seems like a lot of thin reeds you got here.

Yes, but what if all those things happen? Then what? THEN WHAT?!!!???!?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In MCPS, it's easy to request kindergarten a year late. If your child is in a special-ed pre-school program, you don't get an extra year of that. So you have to pay out-of-pocket for an extra year of the 4s class. So what is the harm of that happening in DC? I just don't think parents should be entitled to an extra paid year of pre-k. If a kid was born in September, there is no difference from a kid who was born October 1 and is in the next grade. They are days apart from birth even if they fall into the next grade per DCPS' rules.

But it pretty clearly is unfair if Johnny and Timmy are both born in late September, both will experience the same “disadvantage” if they go to school on time, but only Johnny’s parents can afford an extra year so the school lets Johnny redshirt but not Timmy.

The disadvantage is not starting at age five when its appropriate to start K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In MCPS, it's easy to request kindergarten a year late. If your child is in a special-ed pre-school program, you don't get an extra year of that. So you have to pay out-of-pocket for an extra year of the 4s class. So what is the harm of that happening in DC? I just don't think parents should be entitled to an extra paid year of pre-k. If a kid was born in September, there is no difference from a kid who was born October 1 and is in the next grade. They are days apart from birth even if they fall into the next grade per DCPS' rules.

But it pretty clearly is unfair if Johnny and Timmy are both born in late September, both will experience the same “disadvantage” if they go to school on time, but only Johnny’s parents can afford an extra year so the school lets Johnny redshirt but not Timmy.

The disadvantage is not starting at age five when its appropriate to start K.

Right… that’s what the rich white parents want to do, disadvantage their children. I just don’t understand how the pro-Lafayette mom posters on here have no problem simultaneously claiming that it’s essential to let parents redshirt and that there’s no benefit at all to redshirting… in fact, now it’s a disadvantage!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In MCPS, it's easy to request kindergarten a year late. If your child is in a special-ed pre-school program, you don't get an extra year of that. So you have to pay out-of-pocket for an extra year of the 4s class. So what is the harm of that happening in DC? I just don't think parents should be entitled to an extra paid year of pre-k. If a kid was born in September, there is no difference from a kid who was born October 1 and is in the next grade. They are days apart from birth even if they fall into the next grade per DCPS' rules.

If people want to advocate for a change to DC's rules, they should do that.

The problem here is that DCPS has had the same rules for 20 years, but a handful of schools in upper NW thought they were the exception, so DC is bringing those schools into line with the rest of the city. That's it. They are being asked to follow the same rules as everyone else.

I'd happily have a conversation about whether we should change the rules and if so, to what. But the reason we aren't following MCPS rules here is because we are a different district.

Except one parent working full time and juggling multiple kids likely doesn’t have time or expertise to lobby DC. But they can make individual choices to help their kid.

They can't in DC where the rule is that it is not up to parental discretion. Also isn't this woman a PR professional? Who lives in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in DC, so likely has household help? And has convinced multiple local outlets to cover this story, and given 1:1 interviews to all of them? And gotten local politicians involved?

Interesting she's done all that to try and create an exception for her kid at one school, but apparently lobbying for a rule change that would benefit other children at other schools us too hard.

Look, there are lots of rules I don't like. But I don't just follow them selectively and then throw a huge hissy fit when someone tells me "no, you have to follow the rules like everyone else."

It's even worse, the proposal they have their professional wealthy person advocate Eric Goulet proposing actually closes any chance for other kids after next year.

So it's not just the ridiculous resources she's forcing the school and district to expend dealing with her, it's that she's pulling the ladder up behind her.

[Anonymous]

I have not read this entire thread, but only recently became aware of this issue. Has anybody here discussed the unfairness of redshirting to those who have late summer boys who don't or can't redshirt? My now college age August born boy struggled all throughout school because of his young age in comparison to boys--and girls--who were sometime over 18 months older than him. And he was not alone. DC is right to enforce the rules--no vanity redshirting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have not read this entire thread, but only recently became aware of this issue. Has anybody here discussed the unfairness of redshirting to those who have late summer boys who don't or can't redshirt? My now college age August born boy struggled all throughout school because of his young age in comparison to boys--and girls--who were sometime over 18 months older than him. And he was not alone. DC is right to enforce the rules--no vanity redshirting.

It's been rightly discussed. It's a program that can only really be exploited by people of means which of course ensures inequitable schooling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have not read this entire thread, but only recently became aware of this issue. Has anybody here discussed the unfairness of redshirting to those who have late summer boys who don't or can't redshirt? My now college age August born boy struggled all throughout school because of his young age in comparison to boys--and girls--who were sometime over 18 months older than him. And he was not alone. DC is right to enforce the rules--no vanity redshirting.

It's so weird how schools in DC are friggin enormous, bigger than many colleges, and somehow everyone knows precisely how old each student is, as well as how well they perform academically compared to older and younger kids in their class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have not read this entire thread, but only recently became aware of this issue. Has anybody here discussed the unfairness of redshirting to those who have late summer boys who don't or can't redshirt? My now college age August born boy struggled all throughout school because of his young age in comparison to boys--and girls--who were sometime over 18 months older than him. And he was not alone. DC is right to enforce the rules--no vanity redshirting.

It's so weird how schools in DC are friggin enormous, bigger than many colleges, and somehow everyone knows precisely how old each student is, as well as how well they perform academically compared to older and younger kids in their class.

DP with an August born girl. When you go to the same school year after year, you get to know other families and their kids. I may not know the birthdates of all the other kids but I do know that my dd was the 2nd youngest in her grade. And I know that one kid was exactly one year older. (And I know that kid’s family came from overseas so not redshirted.)

Although, now that she’s in a middle school with many feeder schools, I suspect I will not know any of that going forward. Which is fine. As she’s aged, the maturity levels seem to even out between oldest kids and youngest kids. Any issues she has now I suspect are due to her just being her and not being the youngest in class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have not read this entire thread, but only recently became aware of this issue. Has anybody here discussed the unfairness of redshirting to those who have late summer boys who don't or can't redshirt? My now college age August born boy struggled all throughout school because of his young age in comparison to boys--and girls--who were sometime over 18 months older than him. And he was not alone. DC is right to enforce the rules--no vanity redshirting.

Oh my god. If your child struggled all throughout school why didn't you have him repeat a year? Why let him go through K-12 entirely struggling? A year or two is fine, but 12 years??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have not read this entire thread, but only recently became aware of this issue. Has anybody here discussed the unfairness of redshirting to those who have late summer boys who don't or can't redshirt? My now college age August born boy struggled all throughout school because of his young age in comparison to boys--and girls--who were sometime over 18 months older than him. And he was not alone. DC is right to enforce the rules--no vanity redshirting.

This is a perfect case of how a birth date doesn’t tell the whole story. Some kids are ready a year early. Some kids are ready a year late. Most are fine right on time. There should be flexibility so that each child’s needs are met.