oyster

[Anonymous]

Rumblings of discontent..what is going on with Oyster?

[Anonymous]

Discussed on numerous threads on this forum. Do a search.

[Anonymous]

Reality check. Is there any school that doesn't have discontented parents or staff turnover or buyer's remorse? No school is perfect. (Check the private school forum. Eek.) Do I love Aguirre? No. But Oyster is our neighborhood school and I love our neighborhood. Whether my kids stay or not (based on their needs), I'll try to be a good neighbor and show support for my friends and neighbors who do choose to stay. (OP, oyster has a 30 year history of drama and hearsay to sift through. Someone should write a novel.)

[Anonymous]

Agreed on the drama and intrigue, and that there are other threads on this--but Oyster is going down, not up (surprised at the very talented elementary teachers not returning) and when a school is trending that way it is too bad. As a good neighbor I would get very involved and put the hard questions to Rhee, who has mismanaged Oyster since she turned her steely gaze to it. The fact that the elementary portion is coming unglued is unsat.

[Anonymous]

Who's leaving?

[Anonymous]

As a matter of respect, I would like to resist naming names so that teachers there-staying or leaving-who have been through a lot in the past few years are not negatively impacted by having their names pop up in a google search for the professional, sometimes painful, choices they make. I would take it up with the Chancellor if you return in the fall and see ANY MORE negative impact on Oyster --especially elementary level. There is no excuse for Oyster elementary (at least) not to be a thriving educational community.

[Anonymous]

Rhee is pulling out BOTH of her daughters, so the rumor mill among DCPS principals says...the older switching to Deal for 6 and the younger to Lafayette.

[Anonymous]

I hope both principals (Deal and Lafayette) watch their backs!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rhee is pulling out BOTH of her daughters, so the rumor mill among DCPS principals says...the older switching to Deal for 6 and the younger to Lafayette.

If the children can't or won't speak Spanish after a couple of years, then they should leave for their own benefit. Rhee would not be the first Anglo parent to realize that despite the often cited benefits of bilingual programs, many kids lose interest without exposure beyond the classroom.

If Reinoso pulled his Spanish-speaking kid out and into another school, then I would panic.

[Anonymous]

it just seems unlikely that Rhee's daughter went into the Lafayette OOB lottery, to get a coveted place. Joined at the hip with Fenty sons

[Anonymous]

Teacher turnover is detailed on school website. 9 of 85 teachers. Not sure how this compares, but I heard % turnover was a lot higher under previous principal.

Hector Alfonso: Hector will be moving back to his native Panamá.
Olga Artiga: Born and raised at Oyster (she was also a student here!), Olga has decided it's time for a change in school and subject and will be teaching ESL at Stoddert ES.
Nora Bustios: After 14 years at Oyster-Adams, Nora is joining the staff at Tyler Elementary School to help build their fledgling dual language program.
Carlos Cárdenas: Off to new adventures!
Prince Hunter: Will be transferring to a different school.
Lilia Kozell: Is relocating to Florida.
Laura Peña: Laura will be moving back to her native Costa Rica.
Debra Ruddell: Is relocating to Colorado.
Wendy Reeve: Wendy and family are packing up and moving to New Zealand!

[Anonymous]

I don't like to 'name' names online, but I can say that --looking at this list--some excellent elementary teachers appear to be 'switching' schools. Excellent teachers from my personal interactions. I wish them the best.

[Anonymous]

This is less than 10% of the teachers... and at least half are leaving the REGION!!

[Anonymous]

Losing 10% of bedrock teachers from a school community to another school?...

[Anonymous]

The defiant pro-Rhee/Aguirre posters are actually hurting the school to the point it may never come back. They cannot admit Monica Aguirre IS a failure, the bedrock teachers in that small group were not LISTENED TO, couldn't even get a proper MEETING with the principal and only left when (according to one)...over a xerox machine finally the principal listened only to hear a star teacher was OUT of there. Current principal is sub-par. She's hired back a yell-er mono-lingual MS coordinator, an awful art teacher, an embarrassing music teacher, yet will only tell parents who complain that many have a "different perspective". Oyster represents everything wrong with the Rhee administration, up close and personal. The only thing good about the Fenty/Rhee time is the fact of mayoral control/facilities improvements/etc....the schools across town that always failed CONTINUE to fail. It's only one little school but considering: Rhee touted Oyster as a DCPS she admired (on her first confirmation hearing); Victor Reinoso (plagiarist) sends his kids there; It won a blue ribbon less than 4 years ago; and parents today leave in droves, considering all of this it's a wonder no one puts together the obvious equation: Rhee + successful DCPS schools = disruption and eventual decline.