Oyster Adams versus DCI

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a YY troll and I disagree. My daughter has been bored at DCI, particularly in math in 7th grade (in top math section). We're not sure if we will be back for 8th grade and we definitely won't be back for HS.

Are you me? I came to post the same thing...

We may feel alone, but aren't. I talk to other parents of high achievers about how lack of rigor is baked into the mentality of admins. The further you go, the more you want a school where you don't have to be play the drill sergeant pushing the kid to reach their potential. You get fed up with trying to bribe a recalcitrant 12 or 13 year-old to aim higher than the middle school expects in almost every subject. The bar isn't set high enough, not even for language. Admins try to hold the credibility high ground where rigor is concerned, but can't. The focus is firmly on bringing up the middle, not the top. Plus the school is too far from home for us to get too involved, even if admins were open to addressing our concerns.

I used to teach at DCI. Part of the issue is that not all teachers are content experts or have the knowledge and support necessary to be able to properly differentiate to meet ALL student’s needs. They do a lot of whole group instruction, and that simply doesn’t work. Unfortunately, this is the case with almost every public school. If you want a more individualized learning experience, I would look into Truth Montessori.

If you are who I think you are, you fled to Truth one step ahead of the big boot--signed, another DCI teacher who watched you not work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand why DCI or its feeders get so much hate here, because they are charters? It is evident that thousand of parents disagree with DCUM.

Thousands of parents disagree that it would be good to offer tougher math to the strongest DCI math students? Thousands of parents disagree that Mandarin and French instruction would be better if there were native speakers? Thousands of parents disagree that the commute from CH, where home to scores of DCI students live, is a drag (more than 2 hours daily by public transportation? Thousands of parents disagree that the school already has the demographics to post much better IB Diploma results?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand why DCI or its feeders get so much hate here, because they are charters? It is evident that thousand of parents disagree with DCUM.

I don’t think it has anything to do with the fact they are charters. The issue is these schools are fairly mediocre (at best), but tout themselves to be the best in the city. That may be true, but only because the bar is so low. A lot of their issues could be easily resolved, but mediocre schools tend to have mediocre or poor admin, and thus will not change.

[Anonymous]

Well said.