Thoughts on DCI, Latin or BASIS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents do have the option of not having a Netflix accounts, not allowing their child to have a cell phone, and putting a block on the Chrome books and cells.

Parents can discipline their child if they are aware that their child is "playing" on a computer/phones when they are not supposed too?

Parents have to option to not apply to a school in which they are not fond of.

LAMB (feeder) here. I'd say half of my sons class either peeled off at 5th for Latin & Basis, went parochial or Deal. The rest are going DCI but not necessarily because we want to. He's excited and we parents are on the fence. But it was not what we expected when we lobbied city council.

What did you expect?

[Anonymous]

Parents of at risk kids does correlate with family instability. Focusing on school is hard for traumatized kids. And research shows these children might suffer with tech policy at DCI. There was a study which showed low income students who were given computers showed a decline in reading scores. Will try and fine link and post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents do have the option of not having a Netflix accounts, not allowing their child to have a cell phone, and putting a block on the Chrome books and cells.

Parents can discipline their child if they are aware that their child is "playing" on a computer/phones when they are not supposed too?

Parents have to option to not apply to a school in which they are not fond of.

LAMB (feeder) here. I'd say half of my sons class either peeled off at 5th for Latin & Basis, went parochial or Deal. The rest are going DCI but not necessarily because we want to. He's excited and we parents are on the fence. But it was not what we expected when we lobbied city council.

What makes its "not what you expected"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents do have the option of not having a Netflix accounts, not allowing their child to have a cell phone, and putting a block on the Chrome books and cells.

Parents can discipline their child if they are aware that their child is "playing" on a computer/phones when they are not supposed too?

Parents have to option to not apply to a school in which they are not fond of.

That requires a high level of parental involvement. Unfortunately, not all DCI students enjoy this type of parental involvement and support. I fear that DCI's ill-conceived tech policy is doing its more vulnerable students a disservice. How can these students be expected to be prepared for the rigors of college if they're allowed to spend a large amount of their school day on social media and the like?

It also requires that parents care about keeping their kids off this stuff during the school day and many just don't (both FARMs and not FARMs).

[Anonymous]

DCI parent here -- my experience is just one. If you can send your kids to private school you should. DCI is a zoo. The same people disrupting the classes day after day. I went to public school myself -- what my kid tells me about DCI makes my at once angry (that several dozen kids are destroying the education for everyone else) and sad (the teachers are excellent by and far; but there is only so much a teacher can do when a meaningful percentage of the class is flat out, out of control, eg, throwing footballs, running around the class. One and done. Off to private next year.

[Anonymous]

So sounds like DCI has some problems with managing behavior problems in class. Can any parents please talk about what the school is doing to address these problems? How many current parents are planning to leave next year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So sounds like DCI has some problems with managing behavior problems in class. Can any parents please talk about what the school is doing to address these problems? How many current parents are planning to leave next year?

Very curious about this as well. At a feeder with kids in early elementary. We've got time, but middle school will be here before I know it.

[Anonymous]

Can parents observe classes at DCI? Has anyone asked?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCI parent here -- my experience is just one. If you can send your kids to private school you should. DCI is a zoo. The same people disrupting the classes day after day. I went to public school myself -- what my kid tells me about DCI makes my at once angry (that several dozen kids are destroying the education for everyone else) and sad (the teachers are excellent by and far; but there is only so much a teacher can do when a meaningful percentage of the class is flat out, out of control, eg, throwing footballs, running around the class. One and done. Off to private next year.

DCI parent here, yr2. Wouldn't say Zoo, it's a very casual, fun place. My kid is happy. Getting exposed to a lot of great material that he doesn't appreciate being 13yrs. Lots of clubs and activities. I wish less cell phone use at lunch but such is life.

[Anonymous]

Fun, casual is so NOT what most DCUM parents say they're looking for by middle school -- rigor! advanced math!

[Anonymous]

Pp again, I'd also add that it's often Parents calling/texting kids in class, interrupting class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pp again, I'd also add that it's often Parents calling/texting kids in class, interrupting class.

Oy. Lock up the phones for everyone's sake.

Except I don't think students have lockers at DCI, do they?

[Anonymous]

Fun and casual is okay some of the time but not all the time. And kids watching movies in class... not sure what to think about that because it shouldn't be allowed. If a kid is caught watching movies in class, what is the consequence? Are there any consequences at all?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents do have the option of not having a Netflix accounts, not allowing their child to have a cell phone, and putting a block on the Chrome books and cells.

Parents can discipline their child if they are aware that their child is "playing" on a computer/phones when they are not supposed too?

Parents have to option to not apply to a school in which they are not fond of.

LAMB (feeder) here. I'd say half of my sons class either peeled off at 5th for Latin & Basis, went parochial or Deal. The rest are going DCI but not necessarily because we want to. He's excited and we parents are on the fence. But it was not what we expected when we lobbied city council.

What makes its "not what you expected"?

I was hoping DCI would have used a "whitelist" model. That means that all sites are blocked with the exception of certain allowed sites. It models App which are locked down. As kids mature and hit HS, they would move to the current model which is allow everything (except adult sites, which even with DCIs strong security have sometimes been able to sneak through).

I also wish DCI would not have commingled the devices for learning and entertainment. Hence, why they allow Netflix because the kids use their chromebooks on weekends for fun.

I think there was a hope that if kids had access to Internet they would, on their own explore the world. "Here's the Internet, go learn!"

This was Arne Duncan's belief: deliver education through cell phones to "meet kids where they are." This has since pretty much been proven not to work.

I do like the curriculum, the teachers care, the after school activities. It's just a hard environment to learn in if you are not self motivated and focused.

[Anonymous]

8:13 are you planning on keeping kid at DCI or are you considering other options?