WWYD? No Physics teacher until "October" on 4x4 schedule

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell Wilson you’re going to the media about this if they don’t come up with a solution now. Absurd. The only thing that fixes things is the threat of airing dirty laundry

+1
Freaking ridiculous

[Anonymous]

With all the online classes last year, did any physics teacher record their classes? At least having some recorded classes would be better than nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With all the online classes last year, did any physics teacher record their classes? At least having some recorded classes would be better than nothing.

You and PP suggesting setting up an online class for these kids are too creative! We have literally just come off of over a year of virtual school. They should have had an online class set up for these kids from day one. There seem to be no problem-solvers in our school districts.

[Anonymous]

This is the down side of DCPS middle/high school. As I like to say, "it's great until it isn't".
I've had 3 kids and about every other year or so one of my kids has had class without a teacher and it's taken months and months to get a teacher. In the meantime the kids learn nothing and no-one seems to care.
No communication from the school either. They never communicate during the which makes it all the more frustrating. Just no teacher day-after-day.

One can be lucky and never have this experience in DCPS. My kids have had it several times each over their middle/high school years. If not for this scenario, the schools are great.
We're paying for private high school for kid #3 because I'm tired. Tired of this foolery. I want to know that my kids will have instruction. It's a high price to pay but worth it for my sanity.
Again, much of this is the luck of the draw. Some kids never have this happen and they sail through with teachers in every class throughout middle and high school.

[Anonymous]

Perry Stein should be alerted to this and there should be major pressure put on DCPS to end this 4x4 requirement.

For the record, Wilson did NOT want to be on the 4x4 schedule--DCPS forced it on them (all DCPS high schools except the "special' schools like Walls and McKinley Tech are now on it) and it's a disaster. Some kids will have no math or language for a year (if they had it last fall and not until next spring)..others--like OPs--will be without instruction if they can't get a teacher in the classroom for the bulk of a term. They are doing it because there is (limited) evidence that it increases graduation rates (because kids can more easily retake classes if they fail)...however, there is also evidence that overall learning/retention is poorer.

[Anonymous]

For the record, physics at Wilson has been really hit or miss for years. My kid had a class where the teacher didn't make any effort to control the class, and all but a small handful of kids (according to DS) got extremely low scores on the AP test -- 1s and 2s. DS tried to learn on his own, but he said class time was a total waste since he couldn't hear anything the teacher was saying over 27 kids talking to each other at full volume all class long.

When I approached the teacher about this, he (teacher) said (paraphrasing) "Thanks for the feedback. Really highly rated/senior teachers like me never get any feedback from the admin, so it's good to hear." Which sounds nice, but basically was a way of saying "I'm a senior teacher and I know what I'm doing, f-off." I was kinda shocked -- given the total lack of classroom management skills, I assumed he was new to teaching. And I know that Wilson may have some challenging students, but there are many teachers with strong classroom management skills at Wilson, and the difference (with the same population of kids) between their classes and classes like my kid's AP physics class is night and day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the record, physics at Wilson has been really hit or miss for years. My kid had a class where the teacher didn't make any effort to control the class, and all but a small handful of kids (according to DS) got extremely low scores on the AP test -- 1s and 2s. DS tried to learn on his own, but he said class time was a total waste since he couldn't hear anything the teacher was saying over 27 kids talking to each other at full volume all class long.

When I approached the teacher about this, he (teacher) said (paraphrasing) "Thanks for the feedback. Really highly rated/senior teachers like me never get any feedback from the admin, so it's good to hear." Which sounds nice, but basically was a way of saying "I'm a senior teacher and I know what I'm doing, f-off." I was kinda shocked -- given the total lack of classroom management skills, I assumed he was new to teaching. And I know that Wilson may have some challenging students, but there are many teachers with strong classroom management skills at Wilson, and the difference (with the same population of kids) between their classes and classes like my kid's AP physics class is night and day.

The physics department is unfortunately very weak at Wilson. Good physics teachers are very hard to find and worth their weight in gold.

[Anonymous]

I would try to switch my kid or pressure DCPS to open Canvas/provide videos/open AP Classroom so kids can access videos from the College Board.

I wouldn’t exactly blame Wilson in this situation though. Lots of schools are having a hard time filling vacancies. Walls has three vacancies because teachers left within two weeks of school starting in August or during the first week and can’t find anyone qualified to fill the positions.

[Anonymous]

PP who suggested an online course for entire class here. In any classroom the teacher needs to be IN CHARGE. New teachers haven’t sometimes “found their voice” yet. But there’s no excuse for poor classroom management from an experienced teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would try to switch my kid or pressure DCPS to open Canvas/provide videos/open AP Classroom so kids can access videos from the College Board.

I wouldn’t exactly blame Wilson in this situation though. Lots of schools are having a hard time filling vacancies. Walls has three vacancies because teachers left within two weeks of school starting in August or during the first week and can’t find anyone qualified to fill the positions.

What positions are open at Walls?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would try to switch my kid or pressure DCPS to open Canvas/provide videos/open AP Classroom so kids can access videos from the College Board.

I wouldn’t exactly blame Wilson in this situation though. Lots of schools are having a hard time filling vacancies. Walls has three vacancies because teachers left within two weeks of school starting in August or during the first week and can’t find anyone qualified to fill the positions.

What positions are open at Walls?

French and English positions are vacant

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the record, physics at Wilson has been really hit or miss for years. My kid had a class where the teacher didn't make any effort to control the class, and all but a small handful of kids (according to DS) got extremely low scores on the AP test -- 1s and 2s. DS tried to learn on his own, but he said class time was a total waste since he couldn't hear anything the teacher was saying over 27 kids talking to each other at full volume all class long.

When I approached the teacher about this, he (teacher) said (paraphrasing) "Thanks for the feedback. Really highly rated/senior teachers like me never get any feedback from the admin, so it's good to hear." Which sounds nice, but basically was a way of saying "I'm a senior teacher and I know what I'm doing, f-off." I was kinda shocked -- given the total lack of classroom management skills, I assumed he was new to teaching. And I know that Wilson may have some challenging students, but there are many teachers with strong classroom management skills at Wilson, and the difference (with the same population of kids) between their classes and classes like my kid's AP physics class is night and day.

My child had a pretty good physics teacher at Wilson last year (not AP) but it looks like she left after one year...unfortunate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the record, physics at Wilson has been really hit or miss for years. My kid had a class where the teacher didn't make any effort to control the class, and all but a small handful of kids (according to DS) got extremely low scores on the AP test -- 1s and 2s. DS tried to learn on his own, but he said class time was a total waste since he couldn't hear anything the teacher was saying over 27 kids talking to each other at full volume all class long.

When I approached the teacher about this, he (teacher) said (paraphrasing) "Thanks for the feedback. Really highly rated/senior teachers like me never get any feedback from the admin, so it's good to hear." Which sounds nice, but basically was a way of saying "I'm a senior teacher and I know what I'm doing, f-off." I was kinda shocked -- given the total lack of classroom management skills, I assumed he was new to teaching. And I know that Wilson may have some challenging students, but there are many teachers with strong classroom management skills at Wilson, and the difference (with the same population of kids) between their classes and classes like my kid's AP physics class is night and day.

My child had a pretty good physics teacher at Wilson last year (not AP) but it looks like she left after one year...unfortunate.

The AP 1 physics teachers are both terrible at Wilson. Most kids score 1s and 2s. Kids who can afford it get tutors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perry Stein should be alerted to this and there should be major pressure put on DCPS to end this 4x4 requirement.

For the record, Wilson did NOT want to be on the 4x4 schedule--DCPS forced it on them (all DCPS high schools except the "special' schools like Walls and McKinley Tech are now on it) and it's a disaster. Some kids will have no math or language for a year (if they had it last fall and not until next spring)..others--like OPs--will be without instruction if they can't get a teacher in the classroom for the bulk of a term. They are doing it because there is (limited) evidence that it increases graduation rates (because kids can more easily retake classes if they fail)...however, there is also evidence that overall learning/retention is poorer.

Is there any coordinated effort to get rid of the 4x4 schedule, or is it just individual parents emailing the Mayor and Chancellor?

[Anonymous]

My 11th grader has come around on the 4x4 schedule. Having 4 classes to focus on instead of 8 is quite a relief. Of course, we both recognize that its lucky that their schedule is well balanced this year.

I do think the students should have more control over how the course load scheduled - which classes are in the Fall and which in the Spring.