Any update on the MV school discipline issues?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know - I don't love everything at MV but for those of us not in the impacted classroom, I don't know that MV *had* to let us know. Would it have been smart given that they should know that they have a PR challenge with the DCUM crowd? sure. But I was previously at a fancy private preschool and they didn't send out school-wide emails when there was a teacher change in a particular classroom. Nor would it have occurred to anyone that they should.

As for not telling the impacted parents right away? That seems like a mistake.

Can you agree that if you were in the K classroom that you would be pissed finding out that you learned about it 2 days after your kid did?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kindergarten teacher is out at MV. Parents notified today, two days after the kids were told. The teaching fellow is stepping up to be the lead teacher in the classroom.

This does not sound like a good idea. Aren't teaching fellows unlicensed, un-certified, inexperienced and straight out of college?

Why did the K teacher leave?

Many (perhaps most) charter teachers don't hold teacher's certificates. Not unique to MV. Up to an individual school to decide if that's required (unlike DCPS).

Ok, thanks--I didn't realize that was the case at most DC charters. Does the lack of certification hold true even for experienced charter teachers (5 years or more teaching experience)?

It is NOT the case at MOST charters. Please stop spreading false information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kindergarten teacher is out at MV. Parents notified today, two days after the kids were told. The teaching fellow is stepping up to be the lead teacher in the classroom.

This does not sound like a good idea. Aren't teaching fellows unlicensed, un-certified, inexperienced and straight out of college?

Why did the K teacher leave?

Many (perhaps most) charter teachers don't hold teacher's certificates. Not unique to MV. Up to an individual school to decide if that's required (unlike DCPS).

Ok, thanks--I didn't realize that was the case at most DC charters. Does the lack of certification hold true even for experienced charter teachers (5 years or more teaching experience)?

It is NOT the case at MOST charters. Please stop spreading false information.

It is the case at MANY of them. I have several friends who has interviewed for teaching positions without being certified. They (3 out of the 50 took the jobs until they found something in their field.

[Anonymous]

Until the school acknowledges that children need to have consequences for misbehavior, this will be a continual problem. The only consequence children face now, regardless of the severity of their actions, is that they are taken to a reading room, which many prefer to the classroom. I have personally heard children say that they misbehave sometimes so that they will be allowed to go there. This is great in theory, but it obviously doesn't work in practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Until the school acknowledges that children need to have consequences for misbehavior, this will be a continual problem. The only consequence children face now, regardless of the severity of their actions, is that they are taken to a reading room, which many prefer to the classroom. I have personally heard children say that they misbehave sometimes so that they will be allowed to go there. This is great in theory, but it obviously doesn't work in practice.

Corporal punishment? Expulsion? What do you propose?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Until the school acknowledges that children need to have consequences for misbehavior, this will be a continual problem. The only consequence children face now, regardless of the severity of their actions, is that they are taken to a reading room, which many prefer to the classroom. I have personally heard children say that they misbehave sometimes so that they will be allowed to go there. This is great in theory, but it obviously doesn't work in practice.

If that works for this 5 year old child, perhaps the school should be accommodating to the child's needs and create a safe environment where the child can learn.

[Anonymous]

Actually it seems the school needs to adopt a PBIS (e.g. earning trips to the reading room for instances of positive behavior).

Maybe they are/have, maybe it's not being implemented correctly. But it's both more developmentally appropriate / likely to work in the long run than punishments and consequences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually it seems the school needs to adopt a PBIS (e.g. earning trips to the reading room for instances of positive behavior).

Maybe they are/have, maybe it's not being implemented correctly. But it's both more developmentally appropriate / likely to work in the long run than punishments and consequences.

Exactly. Right now those students who misbehave get special attention while those who do not are punished as a group for the behavior of those who are misbehaving. The incentive is to misbehave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually it seems the school needs to adopt a PBIS (e.g. earning trips to the reading room for instances of positive behavior).

Maybe they are/have, maybe it's not being implemented correctly. But it's both more developmentally appropriate / likely to work in the long run than punishments and consequences.

Exactly. Right now those students who misbehave get special attention while those who do not are punished as a group for the behavior of those who are misbehaving. The incentive is to misbehave.

This is very much the case - I want to love MV so much but my child's classroom is a hot mess

[Anonymous]

Just kick them out and send to their neighborhood school. Done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just kick them out and send to their neighborhood school. Done.

That is NOT the easy, quick or ethical solution.

[Anonymous]

Actually, it's the breathing room.

I've seen students while volunteering at the school absolutely dread, fight being brought to this safe space where they can calm down, reset and enable themselves fit to return to the classroom. Not somewhere they want to go.

In my own experience, I've seen children provoked by others- so that they can have the antagonizers sent away for a time ... Thus creating a safe space for the rest of the kids in classroom.

What's been heartbreaking is seeing friends children suffer- and exhibit behaviors not replicated outside of the classroom. Parents and kids both stressed out about. Even kids not directly affected are also stressed.

That extra attention? Meant to create a safe space for all. When kids are frustrated they can act out- cry, whine, get angry. Same emotion,different manifestation. One students behavior can have a cascade effect over the entire group.

Glad the k class is improving- but disheartening to see how quickly calm has come after months of distress. What if the class had been given this opportunity two months ago when it was apparent the teacher was not strong enough??
Hopefully administration will see that quicker action is needed should this happen with other classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually it seems the school needs to adopt a PBIS (e.g. earning trips to the reading room for instances of positive behavior).

Maybe they are/have, maybe it's not being implemented correctly. But it's both more developmentally appropriate / likely to work in the long run than punishments and consequences.

Exactly. Right now those students who misbehave get special attention while those who do not are punished as a group for the behavior of those who are misbehaving. The incentive is to misbehave.

This is very much the case - I want to love MV so much but my child's classroom is a hot mess

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually, it's the breathing room.

I've seen students while volunteering at the school absolutely dread, fight being brought to this safe space where they can calm down, reset and enable themselves fit to return to the classroom. Not somewhere they want to go.

In my own experience, I've seen children provoked by others- so that they can have the antagonizers sent away for a time ... Thus creating a safe space for the rest of the kids in classroom.

What's been heartbreaking is seeing friends children suffer- and exhibit behaviors not replicated outside of the classroom. Parents and kids both stressed out about. Even kids not directly affected are also stressed.

That extra attention? Meant to create a safe space for all. When kids are frustrated they can act out- cry, whine, get angry. Same emotion,different manifestation. One students behavior can have a cascade effect over the entire group.

Glad the k class is improving- but disheartening to see how quickly calm has come after months of distress. What if the class had been given this opportunity two months ago when it was apparent the teacher was not strong enough??
Hopefully administration will see that quicker action is needed should this happen with other classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually it seems the school needs to adopt a PBIS (e.g. earning trips to the reading room for instances of positive behavior).

Maybe they are/have, maybe it's not being implemented correctly. But it's both more developmentally appropriate / likely to work in the long run than punishments and consequences.

Exactly. Right now those students who misbehave get special attention while those who do not are punished as a group for the behavior of those who are misbehaving. The incentive is to misbehave.

This is very much the case - I want to love MV so much but my child's classroom is a hot mess

Good lord, does every parent at MV read and post to DCUM? I can't begin to comprehend why people would try to clear the air here. Don't you realize you're just feedings the haters?

[Anonymous]

MV parent here. I have 2 kids at the school and am very surprised reading all this. My kids are doing great and love school. I am involved at school and please know that what you read on this thread is not the overall feeling at the school. It's been a warm, friendly, and loving environment year after year for my kids and for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MV parent here. I have 2 kids at the school and am very surprised reading all this. My kids are doing great and love school. I am involved at school and please know that what you read on this thread is not the overall feeling at the school. It's been a warm, friendly, and loving environment year after year for my kids and for me.

+1. In the same boat. Love school and have had some very positive and successful several years. I speak to parents on a day to day basis who feel the same. It human nature to want to peel away at that kind of school based happiness. Its just human nature to want the hear things are not good and of course some people will have had a "not so good" experience and can feed that desire. This does not mean that this is the overall experience most kids and parents at the school. Luckily my kids can tell me, both in spanish and in english how glad they are about school