Can Gentrifers Use Their Skills and Resources to "Make" a Great School?
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Anonymous
| I'm going to say the answer is "No," based on responses in the various threads related to the same subject. If you've got the money or freedom to choose to live in a high-performing school neighborhood, the most efficient use of your resources and time is to go there. If you don't have money or time, then the wisest choice is to go to a decent performing charter. You're up against a brick wall if the school is currently Title 1 and not proficient. |
Anonymous
| You can't *make* a great school, but you can try and influence it to become a good school. PTAs are ultimately still just the tail wagging the dog. The real substantive changes have to come from the administration and from getting a critical mass of families aligned for change. |
Anonymous
| You need at least 50% of the students to come from educated households. |
Anonymous
| What is Trix yoghurt? We only eat vegan in our family. |
Anonymous
|
You will need a principal that supports you and ensures a safe environment, and has the resources to make good on that safe environment. Otherwise, even just one kid in a class with severe issues could cause chaos and disrupt any learning, and there may be more than one. The principal is absolutely crucial. There are probably plenty of great teachers there trying to do the best they can.
Don't listen to any naysayers here. You are not entitled. You want to make the District a better place for all and for your family. There's nothing entitled about that. Community activists like you make this city thrive. |
Anonymous
Luckily for the poster and all In Bounds families, Powell is one of four DCPS Elementary Schools that is Title I and considered "Rising": http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/powell+Elementary+School. It's students perform on par with those "decently performing charters". I'm sure any parental support and involvement would be appreciated and could only help the school and the students, but let's not talk about Powell like it's a failing school. |
Anonymous
| Gentrifiers like OP need to adjust their thinking. I am sure teachers will be thrilled to hear that their only "decent" and parents of current "poorly performing" students will almost certaimly go out of their way to embrace you. Take your senses of superiority and entitlement down a few notches and go meet with the principal and ask what you can do to help along the lines of mentoring and volunteering. Attend LSAT meetings and spend most of your time listening, not pontificatimg or offering suggestions. With this, you can become acquainted with the school and its challenges and culture without off everyone else. |
Anonymous
| . . . without pissimg off . . . |
Anonymous
that 1 kid isn't always underprivileged |
Anonymous
|
WTF, OP. Have you even visited Powell before spouting off about "holding the principal accountable"? She was Principal of the Year, for pete's sake. I'm not a Powell parent, but I can't imagine that you would be helping anyone with your superior attitude and complete lack of awareness.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/local/wp/2014/11/20/powell-elementary-principal-is-dcs-principal-of-the-year/ |
Anonymous
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You can try and likely you will find that you are able to affect some significant changes. The problem is that many of the changes will be long term things that you children may not experience. This could be off putting to many parents who maybe do not want to do the work for the benefit of the SCHOOL if their individual children will not reep the benefits.
I think that schools like Powell may see shifts in demographics and improvement in test scores, but I think that change will take a while. People are forever asking where there are so few white kids in the upper grades (either just like that or couched in other language) and the answer is that Powell did not become a popular school for the higher SES white families of Petworth until pretty recently. Most of the kids are still young. My child doesn't go to Powell, but we have similar issues. If it's possible to work within the existing school infrastructure, I would recommend doing that. Get to know the staff in the front office. Get to know the teachers. Figure out what they need and then organize your friends to help provide that. And be inclusive. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
Exactly: as you demonstrate, the answer for "gentrifiers" is still "why bother," unless you are unfortunate enough to be locked in to a poorly performing school. The non-"gentrifiers" already at the school have a pre-existing resentment and irritation at your existence before you even step through the door. Then, once through the door, you have to prostrate yourself, roll around and grovel because you need to take time to "understand" their home life and circumstances. Eff that. The school should be improve-able or not. Guess what: save for wonderful examples like Powell, it's mostly not improvable. Just don't do it. If you MUST satisfy your urge to improve the city and help the less fortunate, then by all means volunteer your time to tutor, fundraise, et cetera. But why in the world a reasonable person would voluntarily subject a kid to those circumstances, IF there's a way to escape it, is beyond me. |
Anonymous
And naive, sheltered and stupid. And white, 30 years old, and from Evanston, IL. I have no doubt, however, that OP takes tests well and writes scintialting reports for her non-profit. |
Anonymous
| Isn't one of Powell's biggest challenges the number of ELLs? |