do you know a lot of people who are leaving DCPS next year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, many in upper NW. Its more than just how DCPS has handled the pandemic though. It’s also how critical race theory has overtaken the curriculum in just about every subject. I want my kids to learn about our not so great history. But the constant indoctrination that my family achieved everything through “privilege” and that we are all surely closet racists has become too much.

+1

+2

+3
I'm sure I'll be crucified for saying this but I would like my kids to read one book (a single book) before graduation that is not about race or slavery. Every single ELA book at Deal (for 3 years) has been about this. The same went for 4th and 5th grades at our JKLM.
My kid has learned nothing about anything else (except for math and science) for the past 5 years.

+1000. We're bailing at the end of elementary for DCPS. Our Asian family never wants to hear another word about Black History Month. We want our children to learn about ancient civilizations, modern history, great literature, anything but more MLK, Rosa Parks and the rest. Enough already of progressive humanities (read abysmal instruction in the humanities). Crucify me with PP above, so she has company.

There’s a lot of nonsense and racism in these posts, so I hesitate to respond. But it’s important to call out distortions and outright lies. The social studies curriculum in 7th and 9th grade is 100% ancient civilizations. 8th grade is US history. As others have noted, the MS and HS literature curriculum includes “white canon” like Shakespeare, To Kill a Mockingbird, Beowulf, and Call of the Wild alongside literature from non-white authors, like Fences, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, and Warriors Don’t Cry.

This is what a well-rounded education in the humanities looks like. It’s different from what most of us had, and thank goodness for that.

Yes! And what’s wrong with literature reflecting the culture your kid is living in? When I was in HS in the 80s in the Southwest, we read the classic plus Chicano and Native American Lit...because that’s where we lived! I would be upset if my kid only got “old white guy lit!” I say this as someone with an undergrad degree in Classics!

Literature should be from different times and cultures. The idea that a PP suggested above that an emphasis on local culture makes literature “more engaging” is flawed.

The beauty of good fiction and narrative non-fiction is that it is relatable in a way that transcends cultures. You could read a story about an old man in China or a little kid in Africa and “get” their experience. You could travel there and see their home environment and try to talk to them with translation and still not “get it.” But good writing can make the connection and show the universality of the human experience.

Yes but you clearly have not read Native American writers because you always learn a lot about the tribes beliefs in their stories. They’re much deeper than that and often nonlinear. Chicano authors are more like what you describe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Can’t unsee what I’ve seen this year. We are removing our daughter from this worthless scam designed for teachers, not kids.

Excellent! We might solve the crowding at Deal after all.

[Anonymous]

People, to keep these threads from devolving into "who is racist?" discussions, stick to the level of discourse you'd use in real life, which you should improve upon by being to pick every single character before you post! We don't need anybody being anti-Asian, anti-black, anti-antiracist. There are A LOT of thoughtful critiques out there and many issues to address. Reopening? What should be on curricula? Does DCPS suit most kids? How do we improve the system? Give up and move away? Just think, rethink, then post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People, to keep these threads from devolving into "who is racist?" discussions, stick to the level of discourse you'd use in real life, which you should improve upon by being to pick every single character before you post! We don't need anybody being anti-Asian, anti-black, anti-antiracist. There are A LOT of thoughtful critiques out there and many issues to address. Reopening? What should be on curricula? Does DCPS suit most kids? How do we improve the system? Give up and move away? Just think, rethink, then post.

In b4 someone tells you this post is racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, many in upper NW. Its more than just how DCPS has handled the pandemic though. It’s also how critical race theory has overtaken the curriculum in just about every subject. I want my kids to learn about our not so great history. But the constant indoctrination that my family achieved everything through “privilege” and that we are all surely closet racists has become too much.

+1

+2

+3
I'm sure I'll be crucified for saying this but I would like my kids to read one book (a single book) before graduation that is not about race or slavery. Every single ELA book at Deal (for 3 years) has been about this. The same went for 4th and 5th grades at our JKLM.
My kid has learned nothing about anything else (except for math and science) for the past 5 years.

+1000. We're bailing at the end of elementary for DCPS. Our Asian family never wants to hear another word about Black History Month. We want our children to learn about ancient civilizations, modern history, great literature, anything but more MLK, Rosa Parks and the rest. Enough already of progressive humanities (read abysmal instruction in the humanities). Crucify me with PP above, so she has company.

Spoken like a true Asian sellout!

I will say, I grew up in a very liberal town where every year in elementary school we did learn a lot about slavery, civil rights, etc. As a KID I grew slightly tired of it (given we did not then learn much else about the world or cultures). But as an adult, I cannot imagine saying what this poster said. Diversity of curriculum is good; Black History Month is absolutely important - we live in Chocolate City, remember? It would be great if the kids learned more about civil rights issues here in DC and famous Black DC historical figures, etc. If our kid learns about NO other cultures that's unfortunate, but it's pretty clear that race is THE major issue currently in this country and this city - just read all the top thread on this forum including this one.

[Anonymous]

Spare us your holier than thou screed, good liberal.

Learning about the fairly recent history of racial conflict in the US at school ad nauseam simply doesn't make for a robust humanities curriculum (although there's one on paper).

The arrangement helps drive critical thinkers of means out of DCPS. How does the exodus help poor kids of color?

[Anonymous]

wait, you're asking if we'd be better off without you? The guy who says the rest of us are "liberals spouting holier-than-thou screeds?" I mean, do you want an unfriendly answer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, many in upper NW. Its more than just how DCPS has handled the pandemic though. It’s also how critical race theory has overtaken the curriculum in just about every subject. I want my kids to learn about our not so great history. But the constant indoctrination that my family achieved everything through “privilege” and that we are all surely closet racists has become too much.

+1

+2

+3
I'm sure I'll be crucified for saying this but I would like my kids to read one book (a single book) before graduation that is not about race or slavery. Every single ELA book at Deal (for 3 years) has been about this. The same went for 4th and 5th grades at our JKLM.
My kid has learned nothing about anything else (except for math and science) for the past 5 years.

+1000. We're bailing at the end of elementary for DCPS. Our Asian family never wants to hear another word about Black History Month. We want our children to learn about ancient civilizations, modern history, great literature, anything but more MLK, Rosa Parks and the rest. Enough already of progressive humanities (read abysmal instruction in the humanities). Crucify me with PP above, so she has company.

Spoken like a true Asian sellout!

I will say, I grew up in a very liberal town where every year in elementary school we did learn a lot about slavery, civil rights, etc. As a KID I grew slightly tired of it (given we did not then learn much else about the world or cultures). But as an adult, I cannot imagine saying what this poster said. Diversity of curriculum is good; Black History Month is absolutely important - we live in Chocolate City, remember? It would be great if the kids learned more about civil rights issues here in DC and famous Black DC historical figures, etc. If our kid learns about NO other cultures that's unfortunate, but it's pretty clear that race is THE major issue currently in this country and this city - just read all the top thread on this forum including this one.

I just want to add that I grew up in California and have in depth knowledge of California history and my DH has in depth knowledge of Texas history where he grew up. There is nothing novel about DC teaching regional history along with world and ancient history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, many in upper NW. Its more than just how DCPS has handled the pandemic though. It’s also how critical race theory has overtaken the curriculum in just about every subject. I want my kids to learn about our not so great history. But the constant indoctrination that my family achieved everything through “privilege” and that we are all surely closet racists has become too much.

+1

+2

+3
I'm sure I'll be crucified for saying this but I would like my kids to read one book (a single book) before graduation that is not about race or slavery. Every single ELA book at Deal (for 3 years) has been about this. The same went for 4th and 5th grades at our JKLM.
My kid has learned nothing about anything else (except for math and science) for the past 5 years.

+1000. We're bailing at the end of elementary for DCPS. Our Asian family never wants to hear another word about Black History Month. We want our children to learn about ancient civilizations, modern history, great literature, anything but more MLK, Rosa Parks and the rest. Enough already of progressive humanities (read abysmal instruction in the humanities). Crucify me with PP above, so she has company.

Spoken like a true Asian sellout!

I will say, I grew up in a very liberal town where every year in elementary school we did learn a lot about slavery, civil rights, etc. As a KID I grew slightly tired of it (given we did not then learn much else about the world or cultures). But as an adult, I cannot imagine saying what this poster said. Diversity of curriculum is good; Black History Month is absolutely important - we live in Chocolate City, remember? It would be great if the kids learned more about civil rights issues here in DC and famous Black DC historical figures, etc. If our kid learns about NO other cultures that's unfortunate, but it's pretty clear that race is THE major issue currently in this country and this city - just read all the top thread on this forum including this one.

I just want to add that I grew up in California and have in depth knowledge of California history and my DH has in depth knowledge of Texas history where he grew up. There is nothing novel about DC teaching regional history along with world and ancient history.

Ha, that's probably because Californians and Texans are very proud of themselves. I grew up learning almost nothing about Illinois's illustrious history.
DC does not seem to teach regional history other than what would also be considered our national history - does it?

[Anonymous]

I saw Blues Brothers so I think I know all there is to know about Illinois history https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080455/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw Blues Brothers so I think I know all there is to know about Illinois history https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080455/

I hate Illinois Nazis.

[Anonymous]

You're always 106 miles from Chicago wherever you are in Illinois.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:wait, you're asking if we'd be better off without you? The guy who says the rest of us are "liberals spouting holier-than-thou screeds?" I mean, do you want an unfriendly answer?

I'm a political centrist who thinks the DCPS ES humanities curriculum, at least as our school implements it, is ridiculously weak, particularly for writing.

I've volunteered a great deal at my kids' school for 7 years now. This week, I'm weighing financial aid offers from privates currently offering 5-day/week school, with more to come in the fall.

If my situation merits unfriendly responses, so be it. Good luck to those of you sticking with DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:wait, you're asking if we'd be better off without you? The guy who says the rest of us are "liberals spouting holier-than-thou screeds?" I mean, do you want an unfriendly answer?

I'm a political centrist who thinks the DCPS ES humanities curriculum, at least as our school implements it, is ridiculously weak, particularly for writing.

I've volunteered a great deal at my kids' school for 7 years now. This week, I'm weighing financial aid offers from privates currently offering 5-day/week school, with more to come in the fall.

If my situation merits unfriendly responses, so be it. Good luck to those of you sticking with DCPS.

Unfriendly? Nobody cares. Enjoy your new school.

[Anonymous]

Parents who don't care about hundreds, possibly thousands, of high SES DCPS families bolting from the system for good after this miserable school year of 100% DL for most are the kind who cut off their noses to spite their faces. They will need luck.