Is is strange that people in the forum routinely refer to human children as FARMs?

[Anonymous]

The way the term is used on here seriously rubs me the wrong way. Like, here's a made up, but common, example: That school has 30% FARMs. Pretty soon it's going to have 40% FARMs and property values will go way down.

Why not just say the school has a lot of kids from lower income families. Calling them FARMs is so de-humanizing.

Also i'm sure plenty have people come on here for the first time and wonder what the hell FARMs even means.

[Anonymous]

Have to know that when reading the data table provided by FLO right? Google it or ChatGPT it. FARMS just a quicker way to type low-income family all out.

[Anonymous]

FARMs is counting the meals, as a proxy for wealth. The kids aren't FARMs.

Using more words isn't more respectful. It's just annoyingly redundant.

[Anonymous]

Farms schools get extra money and have lower class sizes. They are obnoxious.

[Anonymous]

FARMs = Free and Reduced Meals

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The way the term is used on here seriously rubs me the wrong way. Like, here's a made up, but common, example: That school has 30% FARMs. Pretty soon it's going to have 40% FARMs and property values will go way down.

Why not just say the school has a lot of kids from lower income families. Calling them FARMs is so de-humanizing.

Also i'm sure plenty have people come on here for the first time and wonder what the hell FARMs even means.

Because the term doesn’t refer to humans. It’s not a measurement of people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The way the term is used on here seriously rubs me the wrong way. Like, here's a made up, but common, example: That school has 30% FARMs. Pretty soon it's going to have 40% FARMs and property values will go way down.

Why not just say the school has a lot of kids from lower income families. Calling them FARMs is so de-humanizing.

Also i'm sure plenty have people come on here for the first time and wonder what the hell FARMs even means.

Because the term doesn’t refer to humans. It’s not a measurement of people.

Yes, in MCPS data tables it's a measurement of the percentage of people eligible for Free and Reduced-price Meals.

[Anonymous]

I have only heard schools referred to as high-FARMS

[Anonymous]

Can’t we deserve our outrage for those with negative intent rather than people using shorthand or lazy phrases to make a point innocently?

[Anonymous]

It’s an acronym. A short cut.

[Anonymous]

It’s referring to the RATE, not the kids. It’s a 40% FARMS rate.

I work in a Title I school with a very very high FARMS rate. The pp who said it’s annoying that there are lower class sizes and more staff—I can assure you that this is very needed and your kids will still have far better outcomes than the vast majority of our students who are still low performing despite their hard work and ours. You have nothing to be jealous of, these kids have very few opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s referring to the RATE, not the kids. It’s a 40% FARMS rate.

I work in a Title I school with a very very high FARMS rate. The pp who said it’s annoying that there are lower class sizes and more staff—I can assure you that this is very needed and your kids will still have far better outcomes than the vast majority of our students who are still low performing despite their hard work and ours. You have nothing to be jealous of, these kids have very few opportunities.

+1
About to type this too.

The phrase is “FARMS rate”. Kids are not being called or labeled “FARMS”.

[Anonymous]

Find a more productive outlet for your outrage, OP

[Anonymous]

Op, it is has been a common sub-group on student data for a very long time, since the 80’s.

I disagree somewhat that is now treated as a “label”. Like autistic kid vs kid with autism. But I have never heard someone say “FARMS kid” in the same way.

[Anonymous]

I see people on dcum using dehumanizing language all the time, unfortunately.