Selective high school recommendations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Don’t forget to compensate the teachers.”

What do you mean? They are compensated through their salary. Am I supposed to give a tip for better service?

This isn’t in their job description.

Then they should change the system so that one of their in service days is dedicated to this.

Are you that cheap and self absorbed you can’t write give a $20 gift card with a thank you note?

[Anonymous]

I forgot - are these the teachers who do not have a contract you are asking to do extra work?

[Anonymous]

OK so this isn't in the job description but it's the only way that two DCPS high schools get students? Maybe Banneker should give out the starbucks cards and Walls the applebees...?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Write them a thank you letter with a Starbucks gift card. This is a nice gesture.

No, not appropriate! I work in higher ed and write recommendations regularly (for jobs and other degree programs). Nothing wrong with a gift card during appreciation time or once grades are submitted, but please do not communicate a recommendation request with a gift card. Better yet, please advise your scholar about best practices on how to appropriately request a recommendation, ideally through a personal meeting.
In light of where I work, you'd think writing recommendations would be included in our job description. It's not, but it's still considered part of our job. And we couldn't do that job professionally and impartially if recommendation requests were served with gift cards.
I write all of my recommendations on just about the very last day they are due, in batches and so I'm getting in the grove of it. I tell this to my requesters, including when and how to appropriately remind me if it helps them.

[Anonymous]

So, you're nagging a teacher to do a subjective evaluation of your child? Pissing them off right before they make a huge decision about what to put on a form?

Wow. Okay. Let's see how that goes for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, you're nagging a teacher to do a subjective evaluation of your child? Pissing them off right before they make a huge decision about what to put on a form?

Wow. Okay. Let's see how that goes for you.

The alternative is to sit by and hope they get around to it. I'll take my chances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, you're nagging a teacher to do a subjective evaluation of your child? Pissing them off right before they make a huge decision about what to put on a form?

Wow. Okay. Let's see how that goes for you.

The alternative is to sit by and hope they get around to it. I'll take my chances.

All the selective school rubrics say that it will not reflect negatively on your kid if they request a rec and the teacher does not submit it. I'd proceed with caution.

[Anonymous]

Saying "it isn't in their job description" doesn't hold water when we're asking DCPS teachers to write recommendations to adhere to a DCPS policy for applications to DCPS schools. DCPS even dictates which teachers much write these.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Write them a thank you letter with a Starbucks gift card. This is a nice gesture.

No, not appropriate! I work in higher ed and write recommendations regularly (for jobs and other degree programs). Nothing wrong with a gift card during appreciation time or once grades are submitted, but please do not communicate a recommendation request with a gift card. Better yet, please advise your scholar about best practices on how to appropriately request a recommendation, ideally through a personal meeting.
In light of where I work, you'd think writing recommendations would be included in our job description. It's not, but it's still considered part of our job. And we couldn't do that job professionally and impartially if recommendation requests were served with gift cards.
I write all of my recommendations on just about the very last day they are due, in batches and so I'm getting in the grove of it. I tell this to my requesters, including when and how to appropriately remind me if it helps them.

Get your PTO to do it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, you're nagging a teacher to do a subjective evaluation of your child? Pissing them off right before they make a huge decision about what to put on a form?

Wow. Okay. Let's see how that goes for you.

The alternative is to sit by and hope they get around to it. I'll take my chances.

All the selective school rubrics say that it will not reflect negatively on your kid if they request a rec and the teacher does not submit it. I'd proceed with caution.

This is true. You won’t get a penalty. If your recommendations are stronger than the other components of your application though missing a rec could really hurt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Write them a thank you letter with a Starbucks gift card. This is a nice gesture.

No, not appropriate! I work in higher ed and write recommendations regularly (for jobs and other degree programs). Nothing wrong with a gift card during appreciation time or once grades are submitted, but please do not communicate a recommendation request with a gift card. Better yet, please advise your scholar about best practices on how to appropriately request a recommendation, ideally through a personal meeting.
In light of where I work, you'd think writing recommendations would be included in our job description. It's not, but it's still considered part of our job. And we couldn't do that job professionally and impartially if recommendation requests were served with gift cards.
I write all of my recommendations on just about the very last day they are due, in batches and so I'm getting in the grove of it. I tell this to my requesters, including when and how to appropriately remind me if it helps them.

I’m the PP that suggested the gift card and thank you - and I meant AFTER the recommendation is written/submitted. I certainly agree it would be completely inappropriate to give a gift at the request! We applied to several private schools this year and gave a gift card around the holidays to teachers who wrote a letter. As someone who has written recommendations, I realize it’s not always an easy task and takes time.

[Anonymous]

So a separate thread says Banneker is already reaching out for interviews…tell me how the waiting until the last day doesn’t hurt kids?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So a separate thread says Banneker is already reaching out for interviews…tell me how the waiting until the last day doesn’t hurt kids?!?

You are insane. Banneker seems quite clearly to be reviewing complete applications and inviting kids to interview on a rolling basis. This is extremely normal and in no world does it "hurt" your kid. Stand down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So a separate thread says Banneker is already reaching out for interviews…tell me how the waiting until the last day doesn’t hurt kids?!?

It's probably the reverse. It's human nature to be stingier with scores up in initially because you leave room in your ranking for better kids to come along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So a separate thread says Banneker is already reaching out for interviews…tell me how the waiting until the last day doesn’t hurt kids?!?

The order in which they interview does not influence their decisions. If your kid is the kind of student they want, they won’t care when they interviewed. Give Banneker some credit here. They know what they are doing. Also, so many teachers wait, so your kid is in the same boat as hundreds of other kids.