Is Real Change Even Possible?

[Anonymous]

My kids left DCPS after 5th grade for a VA middle school (my ex lives in VA). I was dismayed to learn that the VA middle school didn't seem to be all that much better than my neighborhood middle school on Capitol Hill.

But now that my eldest is in high school in VA, I understand what the PP above is talking about in describing DCPS as a system that runs like it's in perpetual poverty. The facilities, ECs, advanced classes and language classes (6 languages taught through IB Diploma Higher Level) at the VA high school are out of this world amazing compared to anything I've seen or heard about in DCPS. Most of my kid's teachers in VA are exceptional. And I really like how VA offers low-cost virtual summer instruction, both asynchronous and synchronous, for any high school student who wants it for all kinds of classes, including a dozen AP courses. My rising sophomore will be taking 2 AP classes this summer via Virginia Virtual for $375/class.

[Anonymous]

The DC teachers union should be ashamed of itself - it is to blame that we have so much dead wood and underperforming, lackluster teachers taking up spots in DCPS. DCPS is not resource poor - it is energized teacher-poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The DC teachers union should be ashamed of itself - it is to blame that we have so much dead wood and underperforming, lackluster teachers taking up spots in DCPS. DCPS is not resource poor - it is energized teacher-poor.

I think central office/the curriculum/leadership is more to blame. They set the (low!) expectations. I've really loved all of our DCPS teachers and they have privately told me how frustrated they are not to be able to meet the needs of advanced students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DC teachers union should be ashamed of itself - it is to blame that we have so much dead wood and underperforming, lackluster teachers taking up spots in DCPS. DCPS is not resource poor - it is energized teacher-poor.

I think central office/the curriculum/leadership is more to blame. They set the (low!) expectations. I've really loved all of our DCPS teachers and they have privately told me how frustrated they are not to be able to meet the needs of advanced students.

Neither Central nor the WTU is alone in this. Take a look at DCUM and see how many parents posters still whine about Michelle Rhee when any rational human know she put us on the right path with tough love and hard medicine. Liberal guilt is also to blame.

[Anonymous]

I luv Massa Trump.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid was too tired for one session of ELA CAPE and responded at random. And their math CAPE is weird because they are in a higher-level math class than the rest of the kids in the grade.

When I told her that her English teacher could have negative consequences, she said that she hopes so, as he doesn't know how to teach.

Is it true that DC CAPE is not optional in high school? That's what our school told the parents.

Your school lied to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids left DCPS after 5th grade for a VA middle school (my ex lives in VA). I was dismayed to learn that the VA middle school didn't seem to be all that much better than my neighborhood middle school on Capitol Hill.

But now that my eldest is in high school in VA, I understand what the PP above is talking about in describing DCPS as a system that runs like it's in perpetual poverty. The facilities, ECs, advanced classes and language classes (6 languages taught through IB Diploma Higher Level) at the VA high school are out of this world amazing compared to anything I've seen or heard about in DCPS. Most of my kid's teachers in VA are exceptional. And I really like how VA offers low-cost virtual summer instruction, both asynchronous and synchronous, for any high school student who wants it for all kinds of classes, including a dozen AP courses. My rising sophomore will be taking 2 AP classes this summer via Virginia Virtual for $375/class.

You can take summer virtual AP classes for free through DCPS (as well as many other classes) if you really want to take them...although, not exactly clear why you would want to do this because you still have to wait until May of next year to take the AP test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids left DCPS after 5th grade for a VA middle school (my ex lives in VA). I was dismayed to learn that the VA middle school didn't seem to be all that much better than my neighborhood middle school on Capitol Hill.

But now that my eldest is in high school in VA, I understand what the PP above is talking about in describing DCPS as a system that runs like it's in perpetual poverty. The facilities, ECs, advanced classes and language classes (6 languages taught through IB Diploma Higher Level) at the VA high school are out of this world amazing compared to anything I've seen or heard about in DCPS. Most of my kid's teachers in VA are exceptional. And I really like how VA offers low-cost virtual summer instruction, both asynchronous and synchronous, for any high school student who wants it for all kinds of classes, including a dozen AP courses. My rising sophomore will be taking 2 AP classes this summer via Virginia Virtual for $375/class.

You can take summer virtual AP classes for free through DCPS (as well as many other classes) if you really want to take them...although, not exactly clear why you would want to do this because you still have to wait until May of next year to take the AP test.

Also, Virtual VA is pretty terrible. I teach in VA and we often get teachers coming from Virtual VA and they are the worst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DC teachers union should be ashamed of itself - it is to blame that we have so much dead wood and underperforming, lackluster teachers taking up spots in DCPS. DCPS is not resource poor - it is energized teacher-poor.

I think central office/the curriculum/leadership is more to blame. They set the (low!) expectations. I've really loved all of our DCPS teachers and they have privately told me how frustrated they are not to be able to meet the needs of advanced students.

Neither Central nor the WTU is alone in this. Take a look at DCUM and see how many parents posters still whine about Michelle Rhee when any rational human know she put us on the right path with tough love and hard medicine. Liberal guilt is also to blame.

Actually any rational human with critical thinking skills knows that Michelle Rhee is actually a complete imbecile who dismantled teaching in DCPS but nice try. She thinks teachers should only teach 5 years before finding a new career to keep fresh teachers coming in...everyone in education knows this is the most insane idea ever. It takes teachers about 5 years to finally find their groove. New teachers are lost years 1-3 as they find their footing....she's the mastermind behind the complete disaster known as IMPACT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DC teachers union should be ashamed of itself - it is to blame that we have so much dead wood and underperforming, lackluster teachers taking up spots in DCPS. DCPS is not resource poor - it is energized teacher-poor.

I think central office/the curriculum/leadership is more to blame. They set the (low!) expectations. I've really loved all of our DCPS teachers and they have privately told me how frustrated they are not to be able to meet the needs of advanced students.

Neither Central nor the WTU is alone in this. Take a look at DCUM and see how many parents posters still whine about Michelle Rhee when any rational human know she put us on the right path with tough love and hard medicine. Liberal guilt is also to blame.

Actually any rational human with critical thinking skills knows that Michelle Rhee is actually a complete imbecile who dismantled teaching in DCPS but nice try. She thinks teachers should only teach 5 years before finding a new career to keep fresh teachers coming in...everyone in education knows this is the most insane idea ever. It takes teachers about 5 years to finally find their groove. New teachers are lost years 1-3 as they find their footing....she's the mastermind behind the complete disaster known as IMPACT.

I don’t agree with Michelle Rhee on everything, but there is no question she is almost single-handedly responsible for UMC buy in to DCPS. No UMC parent in the district who knows anything at all about the recent history of public education in DC is ever going to fall for what I can only imagine is WTU recycled talking points that even WTU has largely given up on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DC teachers union should be ashamed of itself - it is to blame that we have so much dead wood and underperforming, lackluster teachers taking up spots in DCPS. DCPS is not resource poor - it is energized teacher-poor.

I think central office/the curriculum/leadership is more to blame. They set the (low!) expectations. I've really loved all of our DCPS teachers and they have privately told me how frustrated they are not to be able to meet the needs of advanced students.

Neither Central nor the WTU is alone in this. Take a look at DCUM and see how many parents posters still whine about Michelle Rhee when any rational human know she put us on the right path with tough love and hard medicine. Liberal guilt is also to blame.

Actually any rational human with critical thinking skills knows that Michelle Rhee is actually a complete imbecile who dismantled teaching in DCPS but nice try. She thinks teachers should only teach 5 years before finding a new career to keep fresh teachers coming in...everyone in education knows this is the most insane idea ever. It takes teachers about 5 years to finally find their groove. New teachers are lost years 1-3 as they find their footing....she's the mastermind behind the complete disaster known as IMPACT.

I don’t agree with Michelle Rhee on everything, but there is no question she is almost single-handedly responsible for UMC buy in to DCPS. No UMC parent in the district who knows anything at all about the recent history of public education in DC is ever going to fall for what I can only imagine is WTU recycled talking points that even WTU has largely given up on.

Yes…those who weren’t in DC at the time completely underestimate how impactful Michelle Rhee and Kaya Henderson were towards completely changing the mindset of many parents.

There are far more parents of means sending their kids to DCPS today vs back in 2004.

Now, some of this is also due to private school tuition increasing much more than inflation (like college)…as well as DC having a population increase which increased competition for private slots.

Back in 2000, Sidwell cost like $10k and essentially anyone that applied was accepted. Now it’s like $60k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DC teachers union should be ashamed of itself - it is to blame that we have so much dead wood and underperforming, lackluster teachers taking up spots in DCPS. DCPS is not resource poor - it is energized teacher-poor.

I think central office/the curriculum/leadership is more to blame. They set the (low!) expectations. I've really loved all of our DCPS teachers and they have privately told me how frustrated they are not to be able to meet the needs of advanced students.

Neither Central nor the WTU is alone in this. Take a look at DCUM and see how many parents posters still whine about Michelle Rhee when any rational human know she put us on the right path with tough love and hard medicine. Liberal guilt is also to blame.

Actually any rational human with critical thinking skills knows that Michelle Rhee is actually a complete imbecile who dismantled teaching in DCPS but nice try. She thinks teachers should only teach 5 years before finding a new career to keep fresh teachers coming in...everyone in education knows this is the most insane idea ever. It takes teachers about 5 years to finally find their groove. New teachers are lost years 1-3 as they find their footing....she's the mastermind behind the complete disaster known as IMPACT.

I don’t agree with Michelle Rhee on everything, but there is no question she is almost single-handedly responsible for UMC buy in to DCPS. No UMC parent in the district who knows anything at all about the recent history of public education in DC is ever going to fall for what I can only imagine is WTU recycled talking points that even WTU has largely given up on.

It has nothing to do with the union. Good teachers leave DCPS because neighboring districts are simply better. DCPS doesn’t even provide basic needs for teachers like… paper. People go to MCPS all the time bc MCPS doesn’t have Impact (a third grader clicking through answers on a survey should not determine a teacher’s worth… thanks, Michelle Rhee)…. Teachers needs should be met…. Admin in almost every school is terrible… there are so many problems within DCPS. You’re looking in the wrong places and justifying the wrong people.

[Anonymous]

DCPS actually pays somewhat better than MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS actually pays somewhat better than MCPS.

MCPS, Arlington and Alexandria pay roughly the same with much less drama. I work in Alexandria and we have many teachers from DCPS interview every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS actually pays somewhat better than MCPS.

MCPS, Arlington and Alexandria pay roughly the same with much less drama. I work in Alexandria and we have many teachers from DCPS interview every year.

MCPS is like maybe 1-2k less per step than DCPS and ZERO worries about bs like IMPACT. Plus, they have tenure which is yet another thing DCPS doesn't have.