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Anonymous
| I'll name a name. Nora Bustios was always considered one of the great bilingual teachers at Oyster-Adams, and I only put her name out there to her credit. Funny how Rhee's friend Monica Aguirre characterizes her departure (cut and pasted above) as an assist to a "fledgling" Tyler. Well, the many parents that are happily enrolling at Tyler don't consider the program fledgling, they consider it flourishing and the next Oyster (the old Oyster, anyway). This 2nd grade teacher moving is a HUGE loss to Oyster and to the overall morale. Forget about the MS failings they will continue. Fifth graders of this past school year are leaving in such shocking numbers for 6th (to Deal, private, charter) they are re-arranging teachers because so fewer are needed for next year's 6th. Rhee knows of all of the issues, and labels it a "K-8 issue", but will fire other one or two-year principals of successful schools with a quick sleight of hand and no explanation. Hopefully someone will really dig into the story alive at Oyster that so exemplifies the reality of Rhee and Co. |
Anonymous
| can you say more about music and art? it sounds like from the pp that those programs are problematic? |
Anonymous
|
I thought the music teacher was excellent.
A couple of friends with children at Oyster really like her. |
Anonymous
|
This makes me really sad. Oyster was never perfect but we spent eight amazing years there.
It looks like a lot of Spanish teachers are leaving ... it's easy to say they're returning to their native country but WHY? Is the school no longer bilingual/bicultural? |
Anonymous
| 16:45 What I should have asked is whether or not there's more dissatisfaction among native Spanish speaking faculty. Is that the case? |
Anonymous
No! That's just what the incarnation of pure evil that is Michelle Rhee would *like* you to think! The teachers "leaving the region" are actually animated meat-beings; the *real* teachers are being held at DCPS headquarters for horrible cloning experiments. The price for elevated test scores... |
Anonymous
| Kidding aside, there are two FT music teachers at Oyster. I believe the one referred to previously was the newly hired upper-school teacher, grades 4-8 (a "him"). THey have two of everything there, yet the principal cannot get it together. There is not even a written discipline policy or material that explains the vision of the school As for the Spanish bilingual/bicultural issue, yes, the low morale is very weighty among Hispanic families and now infecting even once-satisfied Ward 3 Woodley Park families. It's very sad. |
Anonymous
| It sounds toxic. Quite sad. |
Anonymous
| Unfortunately, a quantity of Oyster Spanish - language teachers are not 'permanent'. They are qualified teachers from countries like Spain etc. who come on pretty tricky visas to work for two to three years. Many used to seek a more permanent arrangement, or to renew for another stint, though the receiving system (DCPS bureaucracy plus our confusing visas systems) did not make that especially easy or welcoming. Lately, some have been happily leaving Oyster when their 'time' is up. I am not sure which of the teachers listed above fell in this category, but will say it is not surprising to see a slightly higher turnover of Spanish language than English language teachers (not endorsing this as an efficient or good system). I am surprised to see two non-temporary, long-term Spanish language teachers who were 'anchors' of the lower school leaving for other schools. One has a radiance and energy that would melt any child. I was lucky enough to work with children who had had the other prior. When the children discussed their favorite memories of Oyster with me her name came up again and again. Apparently she was fond of dance and movement woven into class, and one child remembered a magical afternoon in which the children began making geometric shapes with their bodies and then 'danced and danced' until before they knew it, it was lunch! Perhaps it was not test-prep, but it was one of those magical moments of elementary school that comes from a wonderful teacher-student rapport and cannot be bought for money. I wish both teachers the best and every success; they will be missed at Oyster. |
Anonymous
Why is the morale low with Hispanic families at Oyster? |
Anonymous
| When they hired Monica Aguirre I wondered how she would come across to the Latino families. She is 'Latina by way of marriage'. Not being Latina should not disqualify anyone from being an able administrator at Oyster, but I would expect them to be stellar, dynamic and or course fully bilingual and bicultural (through interest and exposure) and able to bridge and build bridges between all communities. Does this description fit her? |
Anonymous
|
11:41 I thought the same thing, her three predecessors were bilingual and bicultural, all had moved to the States when they were children (Paquita from Cuba, Senor Flores from Mexico and Marta from Mexico, too.)
9:41 Why has Oyster moved to that model with Spanish teachers? It didn't used to be the case. I think being principal of a school like Oyster must be one of the hardest jobs in the world! |
Anonymous
| 14:32: too back Rhee & Co. didn't consider that when they swept the last one out before finding someone imminently more qualified as an improvement than the current brain-drain. It was no secret a high-profile, award-winning and forward-thinking DCPS required someone who would hit the ground sprinting. |
Anonymous
Everything about Rhee's strategy is reactionary and "me too, me too." Does anyone seriously believe Eaton would be offering Chinese FLES if Washington Yu Ying wasn't offering Chinese immersion? |
Anonymous
| Maybe Eaton wanted Chinese FLES. Nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, it doesn't fix what's lacking in the DCPS curriculum |