Any experiences with Glenhaven elementary in SS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, PPs! I will check out the PTA meeting.

Why is it losing Title I funds? I thought Title I was tied to school performance and testing ... and when I checked out test results they weren't great, especially for upper grades.

OP again, and meant to mention that in terms of FARMS it looks like percentages are very high, so wondering why TItle 1 would be removed. Thanks for any clarification. This is all very new to me and I'm also new to the area (from MD but not MoCo).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, PPs! I will check out the PTA meeting.

Why is it losing Title I funds? I thought Title I was tied to school performance and testing ... and when I checked out test results they weren't great, especially for upper grades.

OP again, and meant to mention that in terms of FARMS it looks like percentages are very high, so wondering why TItle 1 would be removed. Thanks for any clarification. This is all very new to me and I'm also new to the area (from MD but not MoCo).

Title I is based solely on FARMs, not testing or performance. The percentages at Glen Haven are high, but two main reasons for the change were explained to us at our school (I'm a teacher on leave at another school that also lost Title I). 1. There are currently 28 Title I schools in MCPS, next year the county only received funding for 26. 2. Poverty is moving up-county, so there are more schools on the cusp of the cut-off. There is not a set percentage that makes a school Title I. They don't say "Everyone 70% and up gets it." It's a ranking system, and next year the 26 poorest schools will have it. I *think* Glen Haven is #29 now (my school is #28), and that's not poor enough for the money.

The school should still be a Focus school, which reduces class size in the early grades, but I don't know exactly how else it will be affected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, PPs! I will check out the PTA meeting.

Why is it losing Title I funds? I thought Title I was tied to school performance and testing ... and when I checked out test results they weren't great, especially for upper grades.

OP again, and meant to mention that in terms of FARMS it looks like percentages are very high, so wondering why TItle 1 would be removed. Thanks for any clarification. This is all very new to me and I'm also new to the area (from MD but not MoCo).

Title I is based solely on FARMs, not testing or performance. The percentages at Glen Haven are high, but two main reasons for the change were explained to us at our school (I'm a teacher on leave at another school that also lost Title I). 1. There are currently 28 Title I schools in MCPS, next year the county only received funding for 26. 2. Poverty is moving up-county, so there are more schools on the cusp of the cut-off. There is not a set percentage that makes a school Title I. They don't say "Everyone 70% and up gets it." It's a ranking system, and next year the 26 poorest schools will have it. I *think* Glen Haven is #29 now (my school is #28), and that's not poor enough for the money.

The school should still be a Focus school, which reduces class size in the early grades, but I don't know exactly how else it will be affected.

Immensely helpful - thanks, PP. I didn't realize the way that Title I funds were administered and appreciate the explanation.

-OP

[Anonymous]

Yes, Glen Haven is a great school. Jane Ennis is an enthusiastic principal and the school building itself is large and bright and airy. The school serves a diverse community and includes a couple of great special education programs.

[Anonymous]

I realize this was an old thread, but I've been researching Glen Haven. Love following Principal Ennis on Twitter -- she seems to have been a driving force in turning GH around!

[Anonymous]

I don't know anything about this particular school but my son is at a different school district in a similar school (many FARMS and ESOL students, small PTA where only a handful of parents does the job). We also have a new enthusiastic principal.
Let me tell you, if we had no Title one funds it would really reduce my incentives to stay at the school. Free summer camp/school is nice.
Extra teachers they hire for remedial/advanced services are nice to have, but not really a substitute for a class of kids ready and willing to learn.
Also, it is a challenge to make friends outside of school (if I get along with a parent usually kids are not friends, and vice versa, and there are just not enough families who are up to all the playdate culture etc).
On the plus side: it is easy to get all the best from school from just being active at school.
If you can afford moving, I would move to attend a nice school where most kids would be like your kid, and most parents are like yourselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know anything about this particular school but my son is at a different school district in a similar school (many FARMS and ESOL students, small PTA where only a handful of parents does the job). We also have a new enthusiastic principal.
Let me tell you, if we had no Title one funds it would really reduce my incentives to stay at the school. Free summer camp/school is nice.
Extra teachers they hire for remedial/advanced services are nice to have, but not really a substitute for a class of kids ready and willing to learn.
Also, it is a challenge to make friends outside of school (if I get along with a parent usually kids are not friends, and vice versa, and there are just not enough families who are up to all the playdate culture etc).
On the plus side: it is easy to get all the best from school from just being active at school.
If you can afford moving, I would move to attend a nice school where most kids would be like your kid, and most parents are like yourselves.

Not at Glen Haven, but my child is at a different Title 1 school in Silver Spring and this is definitely an issue. It's even harder trying to explain to my kids why they can't play with their school friends outside of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know anything about this particular school but my son is at a different school district in a similar school (many FARMS and ESOL students, small PTA where only a handful of parents does the job). We also have a new enthusiastic principal.
Let me tell you, if we had no Title one funds it would really reduce my incentives to stay at the school. Free summer camp/school is nice.
Extra teachers they hire for remedial/advanced services are nice to have, but not really a substitute for a class of kids ready and willing to learn.
Also, it is a challenge to make friends outside of school (if I get along with a parent usually kids are not friends, and vice versa, and there are just not enough families who are up to all the playdate culture etc).
On the plus side: it is easy to get all the best from school from just being active at school.
If you can afford moving, I would move to attend a nice school where most kids would be like your kid, and most parents are like yourselves.

Not at Glen Haven, but my child is at a different Title 1 school in Silver Spring and this is definitely an issue. It's even harder trying to explain to my kids why they can't play with their school friends outside of school.

This is 100% true. We're at a FOCUS school in Silver Spring and have found this to be true. It's an issue for play dates and for birthday parties for sure.

I also find field trips to be less interesting that our friends at other 'wealthier' schools. And, yes the extra teacher sound nice, but if your kid is at or above grade level, he/she will not be interacting withe the reading/math specialist anyway.

We can't afford to move, so we're here for now, but if you have the option, I'd shoot for a better option than a Title 1/Focus school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know anything about this particular school but my son is at a different school district in a similar school (many FARMS and ESOL students, small PTA where only a handful of parents does the job). We also have a new enthusiastic principal.
Let me tell you, if we had no Title one funds it would really reduce my incentives to stay at the school. Free summer camp/school is nice.
Extra teachers they hire for remedial/advanced services are nice to have, but not really a substitute for a class of kids ready and willing to learn.
Also, it is a challenge to make friends outside of school (if I get along with a parent usually kids are not friends, and vice versa, and there are just not enough families who are up to all the playdate culture etc).
On the plus side: it is easy to get all the best from school from just being active at school.
If you can afford moving, I would move to attend a nice school where most kids would be like your kid, and most parents are like yourselves.

Not at Glen Haven, but my child is at a different Title 1 school in Silver Spring and this is definitely an issue. It's even harder trying to explain to my kids why they can't play with their school friends outside of school.

Exactly, especially as I myself am not sure what's going on. There is almost no reciprocity and the play dates we host are few and far between. Academics is not really an issue but I am thinking about changing schools just because of the social aspect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know anything about this particular school but my son is at a different school district in a similar school (many FARMS and ESOL students, small PTA where only a handful of parents does the job). We also have a new enthusiastic principal.
Let me tell you, if we had no Title one funds it would really reduce my incentives to stay at the school. Free summer camp/school is nice.
Extra teachers they hire for remedial/advanced services are nice to have, but not really a substitute for a class of kids ready and willing to learn.
Also, it is a challenge to make friends outside of school (if I get along with a parent usually kids are not friends, and vice versa, and there are just not enough families who are up to all the playdate culture etc).
On the plus side: it is easy to get all the best from school from just being active at school.
If you can afford moving, I would move to attend a nice school where most kids would be like your kid, and most parents are like yourselves.

Not at Glen Haven, but my child is at a different Title 1 school in Silver Spring and this is definitely an issue. It's even harder trying to explain to my kids why they can't play with their school friends outside of school.

Exactly, especially as I myself am not sure what's going on. There is almost no reciprocity and the play dates we host are few and far between. Academics is not really an issue but I am thinking about changing schools just because of the social aspect.

Exactly! My kid's school is in the neighborhood where we use to live (the dad is still there) so I kept them in the neighborhood school because they wanted to go to school with their neighborhood friends. Well the kids in their age group are in private school. I thought about transferring them to our new neighborhood school, but that school is a focus school so I don't think the social aspect would be any better. I wish I could afford a wealthier school district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know anything about this particular school but my son is at a different school district in a similar school (many FARMS and ESOL students, small PTA where only a handful of parents does the job). We also have a new enthusiastic principal.
Let me tell you, if we had no Title one funds it would really reduce my incentives to stay at the school. Free summer camp/school is nice.
Extra teachers they hire for remedial/advanced services are nice to have, but not really a substitute for a class of kids ready and willing to learn.
Also, it is a challenge to make friends outside of school (if I get along with a parent usually kids are not friends, and vice versa, and there are just not enough families who are up to all the playdate culture etc).
On the plus side: it is easy to get all the best from school from just being active at school.
If you can afford moving, I would move to attend a nice school where most kids would be like your kid, and most parents are like yourselves.

Not at Glen Haven, but my child is at a different Title 1 school in Silver Spring and this is definitely an issue. It's even harder trying to explain to my kids why they can't play with their school friends outside of school.

This is 100% true. We're at a FOCUS school in Silver Spring and have found this to be true. It's an issue for play dates and for birthday parties for sure.

I also find field trips to be less interesting that our friends at other 'wealthier' schools. And, yes the extra teacher sound nice, but if your kid is at or above grade level, he/she will not be interacting withe the reading/math specialist anyway.

We can't afford to move, so we're here for now, but if you have the option, I'd shoot for a better option than a Title 1/Focus school.

At our school the extra specialist funded by title 1 money also runs groups for "advanced" kids, but I know it's not like that everywhere.

[Anonymous]

PP here: I haven't noticed any difference in field trips (except it depends on the teacher how many they will have, and some don't like them and are not under much parent/admin pressure to still organize them). But I offered to organize a field trip and we got to go where I though it worth going.

[Anonymous]

My kid went to Glen Haven from K to Grade 3. The K teacher and Grade 3 teacher (who now teaches Grade 4) were amazing. So is the school counselor. The other teachers were fine. The small class size (16 students max) was great for the young age - some other schools in the county have large class sizes. The school h as a lot of good things going for it right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know anything about this particular school but my son is at a different school district in a similar school (many FARMS and ESOL students, small PTA where only a handful of parents does the job). We also have a new enthusiastic principal.
Let me tell you, if we had no Title one funds it would really reduce my incentives to stay at the school. Free summer camp/school is nice.
Extra teachers they hire for remedial/advanced services are nice to have, but not really a substitute for a class of kids ready and willing to learn.
Also, it is a challenge to make friends outside of school (if I get along with a parent usually kids are not friends, and vice versa, and there are just not enough families who are up to all the playdate culture etc).
On the plus side: it is easy to get all the best from school from just being active at school.
If you can afford moving, I would move to attend a nice school where most kids would be like your kid, and most parents are like yourselves.

Not at Glen Haven, but my child is at a different Title 1 school in Silver Spring and this is definitely an issue. It's even harder trying to explain to my kids why they can't play with their school friends outside of school.

Exactly, especially as I myself am not sure what's going on. There is almost no reciprocity and the play dates we host are few and far between. Academics is not really an issue but I am thinking about changing schools just because of the social aspect.

This completely depends on your school. Both of my kids are/were in a Focus school, and friendships and playdates we're never an issue. Since they go to the neighborhood school, many of their friends are walking distance, so I don't need to arrange playdates with kids across town. I don't think it's fair to paint all Title I or Focus schools with the same brush.

[Anonymous]

I wasn't, I was just stating my experience.