Is it important to have kids stay at your school through 5th grade?

[Anonymous]

Latin does so much better than our DCPS ES did with both discipline, mental health support and actually special ed support in general. Even if my kid didn't need these services/help, having many kids with unaddressed issues impacts everyone. It's definitely hard moving your kid in 5th grade from a school your family loves, but DCPS isn't doing a great job with middle schools other than Deal. Also DCPS is ignoring mental health issues and denying IEPs to seriously disabled children, and this only gets harder as kids get older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is so NOT important for your child to stay at his elementary school for 5th grade if it means a questionable middle school path.

5th grade is when students begin to shape their identity as a student and as a person separate from you and their family. Peer group, engagement and school environment through middle school is key to preventing drop-outs, substance abuse and attitudes about school going forward.

5th graders are also developmentally poised to think about and absorb abstract academic concepts that are rarely even introduced at most DCPS elementary schools which are structurally still stuck on trying to get PARCC scores up in reading and math. This is the time to challenge students and light a fire under their academic curiosity about the world. It is NOT the time to worry about them being safe and warm at their little neighborhood elementary school.

This is hard for first time parents who may think their 5the grader is still just a little kid. Your 10-11 year old is on the edge of a huge leap of maturity and independence. May happen over the summer. Puberty is nigh.

It's not a bad thing to keep your student at their elementary for 5th grade if your circumstances require it. It won't stunt them or slow them down ( probably ). But it is also a great thing to move them to a new environment and introduce them to new kinds of kids and friendships at this age.

Wow, this is not true. I remember 5th grade. I actually made a big jump from elementary school (the only school I had attended) to a new school (parents moved) and it was a horrible experience. There is a reason Jr. high used to start in 7th grade. then we moved it down to 6th and called it middle school. Now 5th?!

Because it's not true for you it's not true?

[Anonymous]

And yet DCPS thinksnthe reason parents leave before middle school is due to lack of sports or electives--hence their brilliant idea to add lacrosse, archery to every middle school. DCPS is truly run by idiots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And yet DCPS thinksnthe reason parents leave before middle school is due to lack of sports or electives--hence their brilliant idea to add lacrosse, archery to every middle school. DCPS is truly run by idiots.

They also added algebra and some STEM thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet DCPS thinksnthe reason parents leave before middle school is due to lack of sports or electives--hence their brilliant idea to add lacrosse, archery to every middle school. DCPS is truly run by idiots.

They also added algebra and some STEM thing.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-officials-want-to-add-algebra-classes-lacrosse-and-archery-in-middle-schools/2017/02/24/3d612092-fa4e-11e6-9845-576c69081518_story.html?utm_term=.8b009ffe27ca

[Anonymous]

How about adding music for all instead of archery? And why not have track or cross country if we want them to exercise?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about adding music for all instead of archery? And why not have track or cross country if we want them to exercise?

Because middle schoolers like the Hibger Games? Archery makes sense from that perspective.

It's also coding, robotics, wheelchair track and field and basketball for kids with disabilities. For some reason people are fixated on the archery.

[Anonymous]

Ugh - Hunger Games obviously. And that was said in jest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet DCPS thinksnthe reason parents leave before middle school is due to lack of sports or electives--hence their brilliant idea to add lacrosse, archery to every middle school. DCPS is truly run by idiots.

They also added algebra and some STEM thing.

Great to the 2/3 of kids entiering Jefferson who are not at grade level can not take algebra and bring the whole class down? Way to raise the bar DCPS! Until middle schools offer different classes not just "differentiation"--or until the school reaches the tipping point of gentrification, parents will bail. STEM is meaningless for kids who haven't mastered at 3rd or 4th grade math by the time they are in middle
School.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about adding music for all instead of archery? And why not have track or cross country if we want them to exercise?

Because middle schoolers like the Hibger Games? Archery makes sense from that perspective.

It's also coding, robotics, wheelchair track and field and basketball for kids with disabilities. For some reason people are fixated on the archery.

So if Jefferson offers all these fun extra curricular then the high SES families
From Brent will flock there? Yeah right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is so NOT important for your child to stay at his elementary school for 5th grade if it means a questionable middle school path.

5th grade is when students begin to shape their identity as a student and as a person separate from you and their family. Peer group, engagement and school environment through middle school is key to preventing drop-outs, substance abuse and attitudes about school going forward.

5th graders are also developmentally poised to think about and absorb abstract academic concepts that are rarely even introduced at most DCPS elementary schools which are structurally still stuck on trying to get PARCC scores up in reading and math. This is the time to challenge students and light a fire under their academic curiosity about the world. It is NOT the time to worry about them being safe and warm at their little neighborhood elementary school.

This is hard for first time parents who may think their 5the grader is still just a little kid. Your 10-11 year old is on the edge of a huge leap of maturity and independence. May happen over the summer. Puberty is nigh.

It's not a bad thing to keep your student at their elementary for 5th grade if your circumstances require it. It won't stunt them or slow them down ( probably ). But it is also a great thing to move them to a new environment and introduce them to new kinds of kids and friendships at this age.

Hello Charter Shill! How much do they pay you to post this stuff - Very creative, and plays to higher SES parent insecurities. Well played!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is so NOT important for your child to stay at his elementary school for 5th grade if it means a questionable middle school path.

5th grade is when students begin to shape their identity as a student and as a person separate from you and their family. Peer group, engagement and school environment through middle school is key to preventing drop-outs, substance abuse and attitudes about school going forward.

5th graders are also developmentally poised to think about and absorb abstract academic concepts that are rarely even introduced at most DCPS elementary schools which are structurally still stuck on trying to get PARCC scores up in reading and math. This is the time to challenge students and light a fire under their academic curiosity about the world. It is NOT the time to worry about them being safe and warm at their little neighborhood elementary school.

This is hard for first time parents who may think their 5the grader is still just a little kid. Your 10-11 year old is on the edge of a huge leap of maturity and independence. May happen over the summer. Puberty is nigh.

It's not a bad thing to keep your student at their elementary for 5th grade if your circumstances require it. It won't stunt them or slow them down ( probably ). But it is also a great thing to move them to a new environment and introduce them to new kinds of kids and friendships at this age.

Hello Charter Shill! How much do they pay you to post this stuff - Very creative, and plays to higher SES parent insecurities. Well played!

I chose a charter school for my kid since I found Amidon and Jefferson and Eastern inadequate to meet my kids needs. When about 80 to 90% of the students at a school are not proficient in reading and math, I find it hard to believe that differentiation in class is going to meet my kid's needs who was reading chapter books in kindergarten and doing 4-5th grade math in 2nd and 3rd grade. Even if my kid was not accelerated in math and reading and was average, then I would still find it hard to believe that theses schools could meet his needs when most of the students are functioning years behind and are not proficient in reading and math.

I am a strong Democrat and know many at out school and I like charters but I am not a shill. I would like to see increased financial transparency and rules to force charters to spend 90 to 95% of the money on the students and teachers and to make sure that charter operators do not make excessive personal profits with public money.

I also support public schools but believe that public schools need flexible ability grouping in separate classes along with a full complement of accelerated classes. I also think that public schools and the law needs to handle students who regularly disrupt classes by providing separate classrooms and schools in extreme cases so as not to hurt everyone else's education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet DCPS thinksnthe reason parents leave before middle school is due to lack of sports or electives--hence their brilliant idea to add lacrosse, archery to every middle school. DCPS is truly run by idiots.

They also added algebra and some STEM thing.

Great to the 2/3 of kids entiering Jefferson who are not at grade level can not take algebra and bring the whole class down? Way to raise the bar DCPS! Until middle schools offer different classes not just "differentiation"--or until the school reaches the tipping point of gentrification, parents will bail. STEM is meaningless for kids who haven't mastered at 3rd or 4th grade math by the time they are in middle
School.

Really? Kids who are below grade level in math shouldn't do any more math or science once they're 12 years old? They shouldn't learn how to do anything with computers or other technology?

Middle schoolers are able to change and progress. Engaging activities and caring teachers help. Thankfully, most of us have gained knowledge and maturity throughout and after our teen years. Why should kids at JA be any different?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet DCPS thinksnthe reason parents leave before middle school is due to lack of sports or electives--hence their brilliant idea to add lacrosse, archery to every middle school. DCPS is truly run by idiots.

They also added algebra and some STEM thing.

Great to the 2/3 of kids entiering Jefferson who are not at grade level can not take algebra and bring the whole class down? Way to raise the bar DCPS! Until middle schools offer different classes not just "differentiation"--or until the school reaches the tipping point of gentrification, parents will bail. STEM is meaningless for kids who haven't mastered at 3rd or 4th grade math by the time they are in middle
School.

Really? Kids who are below grade level in math shouldn't do any more math or science once they're 12 years old? They shouldn't learn how to do anything with computers or other technology?

Middle schoolers are able to change and progress. Engaging activities and caring teachers help. Thankfully, most of us have gained knowledge and maturity throughout and after our teen years. Why should kids at JA be any different?

Not previous poster. Of course, all kids should be exposed to history, science, fine arts but kids barely literate in math or reading should be in separate classrooms and have extended school days and Saturday classes and summer school until they are brought up to proficiency. Students cannot succeed if they are unable to master reading and at least 8th or 8th grade math in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is so NOT important for your child to stay at his elementary school for 5th grade if it means a questionable middle school path.

5th grade is when students begin to shape their identity as a student and as a person separate from you and their family. Peer group, engagement and school environment through middle school is key to preventing drop-outs, substance abuse and attitudes about school going forward.

5th graders are also developmentally poised to think about and absorb abstract academic concepts that are rarely even introduced at most DCPS elementary schools which are structurally still stuck on trying to get PARCC scores up in reading and math. This is the time to challenge students and light a fire under their academic curiosity about the world. It is NOT the time to worry about them being safe and warm at their little neighborhood elementary school.

This is hard for first time parents who may think their 5the grader is still just a little kid. Your 10-11 year old is on the edge of a huge leap of maturity and independence. May happen over the summer. Puberty is nigh.

It's not a bad thing to keep your student at their elementary for 5th grade if your circumstances require it. It won't stunt them or slow them down ( probably ). But it is also a great thing to move them to a new environment and introduce them to new kinds of kids and friendships at this age.

You rock, PP. Please stick to your guns when those "about you a losing their heads and blaming it on you."
Hello Charter Shill! How much do they pay you to post this stuff - Very creative, and plays to higher SES parent insecurities. Well played!

I chose a charter school for my kid since I found Amidon and Jefferson and Eastern inadequate to meet my kids needs. When about 80 to 90% of the students at a school are not proficient in reading and math, I find it hard to believe that differentiation in class is going to meet my kid's needs who was reading chapter books in kindergarten and doing 4-5th grade math in 2nd and 3rd grade. Even if my kid was not accelerated in math and reading and was average, then I would still find it hard to believe that theses schools could meet his needs when most of the students are functioning years behind and are not proficient in reading and math.

I am a strong Democrat and know many at out school and I like charters but I am not a shill. I would like to see increased financial transparency and rules to force charters to spend 90 to 95% of the money on the students and teachers and to make sure that charter operators do not make excessive personal profits with public money.

I also support public schools but believe that public schools need flexible ability grouping in separate classes along with a full complement of accelerated classes. I also think that public schools and the law needs to handle students who regularly disrupt classes by providing separate classrooms and schools in extreme cases so as not to hurt everyone else's education.