Less discussed issues with Title 1 HS
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
When we bought our home 12 gears ago the schools were not title 1. They were about 25-30% low income/EL and but were still performing well and families seemed satisfied. Well, fast forward to now and I have a 12th and 9th grader. The HS is now nearing 60% low income, despite the catchment area not changing at all. I’m not opposed to this at a macro level but this year it has come to a head for our family.
They can’t make my 12th grader’s schedule work. And they don’t care. She’s not taking anything crazy or out of the ordinary, just normal AP’s for a high achieving 12th grader. She is literally being forced to choose between AP Chem and AP Gov. The counseling office knows nothing about what’s typical for applying to elite colleges. All they are concerned about is the students that might not graduate. We are invisible to them. And I’m not going to lie - I feel invisible and abandoned even though we stuck up for and defended the school. I feel like I need to move my 9th grader which sucks for her too. Just something to think about when you are buying a home. I can’t help but think this wouldn’t be an issue at a school with more college bound students. |
Anonymous
| which school district? |
Anonymous
|
I'm sorry to hear that's been your experience. For what it's worth, we are also at a school that has been hovering in the 50-60% low income range for the past couple of years, and our experience was completely different. My DC's counselor bent over backward to help figure out a schedule for senior year (last year - just graduated).
I do agree that having limited options for higher-level classes can be a problem. My kid had to enroll in one class at another school because it wasn't offered at ours - but the counselor was great about working that out, including making sure that the classes directly before and after were ok with her leaving early or arriving late on some days due to the transportation time between schools. So taking classes at two schools was a major pain - but the counselor was great at helping to sort out out, and checking in periodically during the year to make sure it was going ok. It sounds like the real issue is that there aren't enough kids at your school taking the higher-level classes to fill enough different class periods to provide sufficient options for deconflicting the preferred schedule. That does suck. That didn't end up happening to my DC (just had the one class that wasn't offered at all, but otherwise was able to take everything desired), but I do know a couple of friends who had two choose between two classes because they were both only offered in the same single period. |
Anonymous
LCPS |
Anonymous
| Our elementary went from 30% to 65% from 2021 to now. It is not the same school. |
Anonymous
| Also in lcps and same issue with our elementary and middle school. We’re now way above 50% low income. The focus is completely on making sure kids eat breakfast and lunch and attendance. Normal kids are very invisible. |
Anonymous
OP here. Yep. The only time they care about my kids at all is when standardized tests are given. One year we needed to miss an SOL day for a family event. I was going to just opt them out rather than bother with a makeup. The school went nuts and basically guilted me saying they needed all kids who would pass the test to take it. It was like, oh, so NOW we have your attention. Hmmm. They also beg HS students to take SOLs even after they have all their verified credits. They literally try to bribe them to show up or claim you “can’t” opt out which isn’t true. I’m done helping them now. My kids will do their classes and their ECs and not an ounce extra. |
Anonymous
| Our zoned HS is going in this direction. Same issues with our oldest who is a junior. It's one reason we put our younger two in private school. |
Anonymous
| Where are all the poor students coming from? I can guess one potential source. |
Anonymous
Oh I didn’t expect this answer. LCPS is very large and has many great schools. So was this a very gradual change? What do you attribute it to? I’m sorry your school is failing you. I honestly feel that happens more and more when demographics tip to a certain poverty level in combination with other factors (lazy leadership, bad hiring decisions, overwhelming accumulation of parents with issues…. and more) You should move your 9th grader… what are your options? |
Anonymous
That’s astonishing. In such a short time span? Shift in boundaries at all? Which county? |
Anonymous
There is only one title 1 high school in LCPS and it is Park View. If that is not OP’s school she is not truly at a title 1 high school. |
Anonymous
| This happens. We are in APS and I just saw posts saying people are upset about AP conflicts. But if there isn't another section of the class being offered, I'm not sure what you want them to do? What do the FRL kids have to do with this issue? |
Anonymous
|
My kid went to a high performing high school in FCPS and we did not receive much help from the school counselor WRT advice in applying to elite colleges and I wouldn't expect that kind of support from a public school college counselor. At my kid's school, the counselor had 100 students to support in the senior class alone. They are focused on getting the recommendations written and uploading the transcripts by the application deadlines. I hate to say it, but if that's what you need, you should talk to a private college counselor.
FWIW, my younger child is a senior in a private school and the college counseling support is amazing, but of course, his college counselor has only 30 seniors and she ONLY does college stuff. |
Anonymous
OP here. We are not at Park View but very close to it and our school is now eligible for Title 1 status (anything over 40% is eligible), per the principal. He has thus far declined the official designation because he is worried about the effect the designation will have on the school and how many families who can leave will. He's right to be worried about that. |