Feedback about the newly split Roberto Clemente and Martin Luther King middle school magnet programs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no magnet program without the field trip. That’s what makes it an interdisciplinary magnet program. If you just want harder individual courses for Larla, stay at your home school with those new classes that they’ve developed.

The field trip is an amazing experience. You have three years to save for it. It will change your child in an extremely positive way.

Why does it have to be a field trip that costs one thousand three hundred dollars? It's not possible to have an interdisciplinary magnet program without a field trip to New York City?

For that much money, it better be an amazing experience.

[Anonymous]

Don't buy the next iphone, and pay the damn money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't buy the next iphone, and pay the damn money.

You are seriously missing the point.

[Anonymous]

The year before last, they had a parent meeting at the end of 7th grade where they broke down the costs. Once you started unspooling it, it seemed reasonable for what they do. Even four in a hotel room is not cheap in NYC for four nights. The cost did cover some activities/tickets/admissions, transportation within the city, and meals. Also it has to cover eight or nine substitutes for the week back at school so teachers/administrators (the coordinator) can chaperone.

They should have former students come back and talk about the experience. They just glowed for the rest of the year about it. If your kid came back from Outdoor Ed feeling more mature and bonded with peers, it’s like that but on steroids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The year before last, they had a parent meeting at the end of 7th grade where they broke down the costs. Once you started unspooling it, it seemed reasonable for what they do. Even four in a hotel room is not cheap in NYC for four nights. The cost did cover some activities/tickets/admissions, transportation within the city, and meals. Also it has to cover eight or nine substitutes for the week back at school so teachers/administrators (the coordinator) can chaperone.

They should have former students come back and talk about the experience. They just glowed for the rest of the year about it. If your kid came back from Outdoor Ed feeling more mature and bonded with peers, it’s like that but on steroids.

The question isn't whether a school field trip that consists of 5 days/4 nights in New York can reasonably cost that much money. It's also not whether the kids enjoy it.

The question is why there even is a school field trip that costs that much money, when the same educational goals could be accomplished for much less by doing something that is not 5 days/4 nights in New York.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can any CURRENT parents of the newly split upcounty middle school programs please comment on how it’s going so far? How are the staff? The workload? The student body dynamics and school environment (both magnet and non-magnet population)? Would you recommend the programs to others? Better than you expected or worse?

Has MLK said anything about the 8th grade humanities New York City field trip next year?

This year's Clemente 8th grade humanities New York City field trip costs $1243 plus more money for transportation, food, and tips. And you can't not go. And the so-called scholarships consist of the magnet program coordinator hitting the other parents up for cash. Seriously problematic.

The 8th grade math/sci Boston field trip has its own issues.

Are they going for 2 weeks? That is an insane amount of money for food, hotel where there will probably be 4 kids to a room and activities. Hard NO. I would not send my child.

Leaving Monday, coming back Friday. And you can't not send your child, because the whole rest of the year's curriculum is based on what they do on the field trip.

If the trip is curriculum based, then it is free. That's the law. Tell your kid to have a good time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If the trip is curriculum based, then it is free. That's the law. Tell your kid to have a good time.

That is your interpretation of the law. It's not the school administration's interpretation of the law. So in fact, the trip is not free.

[Anonymous]

The school should provide an alternative for those who can't afford this costly trip, such as a virtual tour to NYC.

DC opted out Busch Gardens trip for music class (100 points), were offered to compose three pieces of music. Fair enough !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The school should provide an alternative for those who can't afford this costly trip, such as a virtual tour to NYC.

DC opted out Busch Gardens trip for music class (100 points), were offered to compose three pieces of music. Fair enough !

Huh? The choice was: either you get to go to Busch Gardens (for $$$), or you have to compose 3 pieces of music? Why is that fair?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school should provide an alternative for those who can't afford this costly trip, such as a virtual tour to NYC.

DC opted out Busch Gardens trip for music class (100 points), were offered to compose three pieces of music. Fair enough !

Huh? The choice was: either you get to go to Busch Gardens (for $$$), or you have to compose 3 pieces of music? Why is that fair?

well, the trip was part of music class with 100 points. to make up this, the teacher came up the idea to do something else. You just can't skip class to earn the points

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school should provide an alternative for those who can't afford this costly trip, such as a virtual tour to NYC.

DC opted out Busch Gardens trip for music class (100 points), were offered to compose three pieces of music. Fair enough !

Huh? The choice was: either you get to go to Busch Gardens (for $$$), or you have to compose 3 pieces of music? Why is that fair?

well, the trip was part of music class with 100 points. to make up this, the teacher came up the idea to do something else. You just can't skip class to earn the points

But you wouldn't be skipping class. Class would be skipping you. Maybe they shouldn't make an optional field trip be worth 100 points.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school should provide an alternative for those who can't afford this costly trip, such as a virtual tour to NYC.

DC opted out Busch Gardens trip for music class (100 points), were offered to compose three pieces of music. Fair enough !

Huh? The choice was: either you get to go to Busch Gardens (for $$$), or you have to compose 3 pieces of music? Why is that fair?

well, the trip was part of music class with 100 points. to make up this, the teacher came up the idea to do something else. You just can't skip class to earn the points

But you wouldn't be skipping class. Class would be skipping you. Maybe they shouldn't make an optional field trip be worth 100 points.

The trip was optional. That was why the teacher offered other way to earn the points. Most school field trips are related to the class subjects. Busch Garden trip was for a musical festival/competition.

[Anonymous]

Hey kids, either go on the optional field trip to see Les Miserables on Broadway, or read the book (unabridged) and write a ten-page paper.

[Anonymous]

Something is not right about this situation. The school can't discriminate against students in the program because they can't afford to spend $1200 on a field trip. That's extreme and many middle and upper middle class families may even have an issue with that. It doesn't matter that this trip was discussed at a meeting discussing the magnet program. Students cannot be excluded from the magnet program because they don't have the money for this (or parents have other priorities, like more than one child) and they certainly should not be discouraged from applying to the program. There has to be something more to this than what the OP has posted.

[Anonymous]

well the assumption is

how could these kids get into magnet ?
they were prep!

how did they get prep ?
their parents paid for it!

how could their parents afford ?
their parents have a lot money!