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so if rhee is sending her older kid to deal
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Anonymous
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Actually the whole point of the oyster middle school was to compete against the best middle schools in the city. It got off to such a hopeful spot but has now failed to materialize. That's on rhee - as is pulling her kids from a school whose failure is on her watch. You may have chosen to put your kids in deal, but having oyster middle school as an option should have made you think long and hard about moving to deal. That is clearly not the case among the many parents I know who are fleeing oyster middle without blinking an eye.
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Anonymous
| Rhee put an administrator from a low income remedial az charter elementary in charge of shepherding a dynamic new bilingual middle school offering for high ahieving studnents. Hmmm. |
Anonymous
| If the principal at Oyster whom Rhee appointed was half as good as some of the dynamic other principals the school would be competitive in terms of music, athletics etc...there's no one stopping the top heavy school from getting things moving. At Oyster there is a principal, two assistant principals and a Middle School Director, plus two teachers in every class, two full time p.e. teachers (one for each campus), two full time art teachers (though the best one leaves after this year) and two full time music teachers, two full time science teachers (one on each campus) and yet he art was univerally despised by most students at upper school until she went on maternity leave and someone better stepped in. No one really knows what goes on in music because there's no music instrument program, and they seem to sing songs. So if this huge number of salaried FT empoyees can't be herded together with some hungry parents to get toe to toe with Deal there's something wrong with this principal. |
Anonymous
| 16:58 What grade is yourn oldest in? Oyster will never be able to compete with Deal or Hardy. It's every day math. Pun intended. The economies of scale. It's not the principal's fault. A small middle school is not for everyone. |
Anonymous
Yeah. That's exactly why Maret does such a mediocre job of it. Oh, wait... |
Anonymous
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Please. Private school comparisons are apples and oranges! Maret's 100 years old next year, lovely campus, large endowment. In the public school system, the economies of scale matter. My sense is the Oyster Middle School program would only have succeeded if a sizable number of long-term families had stayed in the program through Grade 8 in the early years and helped build the program. But nanby children wanted a different experience. Some parents did not want to gamble with a new, unproven program. Some students were tired of immersion. Everyone knew going in it was a gamble.
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Anonymous
| Oops on typo. Should read: "but many children wanted ... " |
Anonymous
| If it was not prepared to succeed, it is a tremendous waste of resources and Rhee should have canned it immediately with her 'keen managerial eye' for 'dead wood'. I fail to see however, why a small competitive Middle School in Oyster (perhaps not having all of Deal's amenities, but making up for it with a partner school abroad, a language focus, other unique qualities) would not be win-win for everyone. If there is one thing this city needs, it is more good Middle Schools (not to mention High Schools). NOT EVERYONE can attend Deal. Many Oyster families (including those who had options to attend Deal) were quite prepared initially to stay the course. Many were involved in spearheading a Middle School expansion. Over time their dreams seem to have deteriorated, starting the drain where the Upper NW families who can attend Deal peel off--leaving everyone else behind. |
Anonymous
| 11:15 It's a win-win if enough students and families want it as their first choice. I think the program was launched as best it could be. The first year was not ideal, as you may recall; the principal was let go at the end of that year. Also, many departures are student driven. Please do not insinuate that students leave everyone behind by exercising their school options! I think it has a shot as succeeding. A new program needs t least five years to get off the ground. It's in Next Year is Year Four. |
Anonymous
Maret's not for everyone either (admissions aside). My son thought it was too small even at the high school level. I think it's a great school but some kids are looking for something different. |
Anonymous
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the issue is not just scale, imo
the teachers need to be 'more'...if you know your child will have the same disengaged teacher 2 years running, what is the impetus to stay? it"s not like a school where you might get teacher A or B...you KNOW who the teacher will be... The elementary level teachers are mostly very competent, some are even stellar From 6th grade up, it is a mixed bag |
Anonymous
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Of course it's teachers and scale and the facility. The teachers were great the first year. (We left for Seventh --my child wanted a change after being in the same school for over six years.) Who's done the hiring for Years 2 & 3?
12:12 True some private schools are smaller than other and some students want something bigger. |
Anonymous
| Many of the original and great Oyster teachers have already made plans to leave and others want to. |
Anonymous
| The principal left after year one of the expansion b/cause Rhee decided to 'fire her way to success'. The trajectory of years 2, 3, and 4 of the expansion are on Rhee and her new hire's doorstep. Sure kids may seek something different - but give their decision making a run for the money- at least tempt them to stay! Oyster has all the ingredients to be a premier K-8 bellas artesian program and NO master chef. BTW - the oyster middle school building is lovely. Of course it needs a treatment, but the physical bones, beautiful new outdoor (courtesy of parent activism) and location near Dupont are unique and could be really something for a school using city as a classroom. |
Anonymous
| I guess we're all waiting for Monica Liang-Aguirre to tempt us. In honor of the late Dennis Hopper: You Gotta Have A PLAN! Cue the music... |