Frustrated

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess I'm wondering if there are other things about the school that make the whole situation redeemable -- walking to school, going to school with neighboring kids with whom you have easy after school/weekend play dates, good art or music there, nice after school program, good parental support... whatever... Maybe the teacher is a really nice person who's great with the kids as a group. I don't know. Anyway, even in private school you will have up and down years, better teachers than others, teachers who "get" your kid and those who don't. Just wondering if it's too soon to just bag the whole school based on this issue this year.

And I say this wondering about my own situation where I am pondering private school as well....

You can talk about walking to school all day long, but when your child is bored senseless, it feels like a lost year and that SUCKS. It can suck the energy out of an exciting child, and there is little worse than that.

Of course one can have an off year at a private school, they are human. But you are paying to be HEARD there, and dammit, they will listen. They have to (unless you are off your rocker nutso). The privates schools are running a business and pay a lot of attention to customer satisfaction. Public? Not so much. You don't like it? Leave. SUCKS for parents without options.

Good luck to you OP. I suggest enrichment wherever you can get it...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's an easy fix for this. It's called Core Knowledge. We should be lobbying Michelle Rhee to encourage schools to adopt this supplemental curriculum. It adds geography, world history, classic children's literature, art history, music appreaciation and science from PreK through grade 8.

Check out the website at http://coreknowledge.org/CK/index.htm.

For what it's worth, there are a number of charter schools that have adopted Core Knowledge:

Community Academy Public Charter School — Amos 1 Campus
Community Academy Public Charter School — Amos 2 Campus
Community Academy Public Charter School — Amos 3 Campus
Community Academy Public Charter School — Butler Bilingual Chapter School
Community Academy Public Charter School — Rand Technology Center
Early Childhood Academy Public Charter School
Imagine Hope Community Charter School - Lamond
Bethke Elementary School - Timnath
Imagine Hope Community Charter School - Tolson
KIMA - Kamit Institute for Magnificent Achievers
Thea Bowman Preparatory Academy Public Charter School
Eagle Academy PCS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dd attends an upper NW elementary school that is highly regarded. Although the school has a great reputation, I am disappointed in the lack of challenge my dd receives in her classroom. I have spoken with the teacher and asked that she be given more challenging assignments. The teacher said my dd would receive enrichment instruction in reading and would try to provide more advanced math instruction. However, the enrichment seems to be spotty and nothing is happening with math. My dd cried the other moring and said she was tired of having to do the same things over and over again when she knew them already. How do I approach the teacher again about this? Why does dcps short change more advanced students? I really can not afford private school and am heartbroken that my child is not being challenged in school to reach her full potential. I know I can supplement, but what about the six hours she spends in school everyday? I am scared she will be turned off of school by this.

This was exactly our experience at Eaton Elementary. We tried speaking with the teacher for several months. At first the teacher promised to do something, but later adamantly refused to enrich reading instruction saying that it might hurt other kids' feelings. This took up most of the year. When we finally went to the principal, she directed the teacher to provide higher level reading assignments. The teacher merely went to a higher grade class, took an existing book and assignment and gave it to my child. The teacher made so little effort, that she didn't even realize that she gave an assignment that only covered 1/2 of the book!

As far as math, "enrichment" was offered by a parent. My child loved that and the parent had good activities, but it was only 1x a week and totally unconnected to the curriculum.

In the preK/K years, DC seemed content to master the social relationships, but by 1st/2nd grade, DC was clearly sad about school, and systematically pretending to be a different kid during the school day.

We finally left DCPS and moved to MoCo and are VERY happy. Enrichment that I asked about for months at DCPS is now provided systematically, and largely w/o parent intervention, in our new school.

Can not speak to other DC schools, but have heard that Janney and Mann are much better at providing different levels of instruction in class and extra-curricular math clubs, etc. for more enrichment.

You can try to change this at your school by speaking to other teachers, principals and parents and providing resources about differentiated instruction. Good luck, because I really believe DCPS should and could be far better! For our own similar efforts, after a few years of this, I began to feel as though we were banging our heads against a wall, and we left. Now I wonder why I didn't save myself the years of headache, acknowledge the existing reality to myself that our DC was a bad fit for what the school could provide and just find a place that was a better fit for DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


That and the fact that you got very lucky in the lottery.

I guess you are right. If my son did not get into Yu Ying, he would be go to Nysmith.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son faced a similar situation at our local DCPS school. Some teachers stepped up and were able to challenge him and others failed. For fifth grade we moved him to Washington Latin. He loves it and feels challenged. He is no longer getting all As -- and that is a good thing!

Lucky you, PP! I've heard nothing but good things about Latin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


That and the fact that you got very lucky in the lottery.

I guess you are right. If my son did not get into Yu Ying, he would be go to Nysmith.

Lucky indeed, saving you $25K a year (not to mention driving to HERNDON).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's an easy fix for this. It's called Core Knowledge. We should be lobbying Michelle Rhee to encourage schools to adopt this supplemental curriculum. It adds geography, world history, classic children's literature, art history, music appreaciation and science from PreK through grade 8.

Check out the website at http://coreknowledge.org/CK/index.htm.

For what it's worth, there are a number of charter schools that have adopted Core Knowledge:

Community Academy Public Charter School — Amos 1 Campus
Community Academy Public Charter School — Amos 2 Campus
Community Academy Public Charter School — Amos 3 Campus
Community Academy Public Charter School — Butler Bilingual Chapter School
Community Academy Public Charter School — Rand Technology Center
Early Childhood Academy Public Charter School
Imagine Hope Community Charter School - Lamond
Bethke Elementary School - Timnath
Imagine Hope Community Charter School - Tolson
KIMA - Kamit Institute for Magnificent Achievers
Thea Bowman Preparatory Academy Public Charter School
Eagle Academy PCS

Thank you for sharing this list. By the way, there is absolutely no reason why DCPS schools couldn't also offer this content.

[Anonymous]

Well...
My daughter attended on of the schools on the list, and we left. CORE knowledge couldn't solve a problem of a poor principal, average teachers, and non responsiveness to other concerns...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dd attends an upper NW elementary school that is highly regarded. Although the school has a great reputation, I am disappointed in the lack of challenge my dd receives in her classroom. I have spoken with the teacher and asked that she be given more challenging assignments. The teacher said my dd would receive enrichment instruction in reading and would try to provide more advanced math instruction. However, the enrichment seems to be spotty and nothing is happening with math. My dd cried the other moring and said she was tired of having to do the same things over and over again when she knew them already. How do I approach the teacher again about this? Why does dcps short change more advanced students? I really can not afford private school and am heartbroken that my child is not being challenged in school to reach her full potential. I know I can supplement, but what about the six hours she spends in school everyday? I am scared she will be turned off of school by this.

This was exactly our experience at Eaton Elementary. We tried speaking with the teacher for several months. At first the teacher promised to do something, but later adamantly refused to enrich reading instruction saying that it might hurt other kids' feelings. This took up most of the year. When we finally went to the principal, she directed the teacher to provide higher level reading assignments. The teacher merely went to a higher grade class, took an existing book and assignment and gave it to my child. The teacher made so little effort, that she didn't even realize that she gave an assignment that only covered 1/2 of the book!

As far as math, "enrichment" was offered by a parent. My child loved that and the parent had good activities, but it was only 1x a week and totally unconnected to the curriculum.

In the preK/K years, DC seemed content to master the social relationships, but by 1st/2nd grade, DC was clearly sad about school, and systematically pretending to be a different kid during the school day.

We finally left DCPS and moved to MoCo and are VERY happy. Enrichment that I asked about for months at DCPS is now provided systematically, and largely w/o parent intervention, in our new school.

Can not speak to other DC schools, but have heard that Janney and Mann are much better at providing different levels of instruction in class and extra-curricular math clubs, etc. for more enrichment.

You can try to change this at your school by speaking to other teachers, principals and parents and providing resources about differentiated instruction. Good luck, because I really believe DCPS should and could be far better! For our own similar efforts, after a few years of this, I began to feel as though we were banging our heads against a wall, and we left. Now I wonder why I didn't save myself the years of headache, acknowledge the existing reality to myself that our DC was a bad fit for what the school could provide and just find a place that was a better fit for DC.

Your DCPS teachers are exhausted with all the mandates and assessments and assessments of teachers and paperwork and hoops just to take a bloody field trip. Even at the "good schools" - or especially at the good schools where expectations run so high. They may keep it together to teach good lessons to a target 'child', but when you ask them to step outside that they don't have the main resource all adults crave: time, or administrative support, or good PD to come up with these individualized and enriching lessons. I personally think your best bet is to find a school whose overall program seems enriching for the needs of your child -- whether a strong public or a charter -- because then you are not asking your teacher to do 'extra'. I know you will not like that point of view, but it does not sound like the asking for extra is working out now. Then work, work, work patiently with the teacher if there is any 'tailoring' that you truly believe is vital. There might be a compromise between what the teacher can offer and what you can supplement at home or through after-school classes/clubs etc.
If your child is truly gifted and talented, to the point where they qualify for an IEP, DCPS is certainly not the place. A small school with a challenging program for everyone -- like Washington Latin previously mentioned or St. Anselm's (private) or Walls (magnet-ish) might be the closest you can come. For elementary, put them in an exciting, strong more creative public or charter where they learn to love learning--and then start plotting your move to switch them to one of above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well...
My daughter attended on of the schools on the list, and we left. CORE knowledge couldn't solve a problem of a poor principal, average teachers, and non responsiveness to other concerns...

No doubt. Charter schools do not possess the silver bullet.

[Anonymous]

19:20 you hit the nail on the head. DCPS teachers are under huge amounts of pressure. Many of them probably do want to do extra for the kids outside of the norm but don't have the time. IMPACT is going to make this much worse, now that the teacher is held accountable for the test scores of all the kids in their class. Much attention will be paid to children at the cusp of proficiency. We have actually been told by our childs teacher that they are going to skip around the math curriculum (EDM) so they can cover what will most likely be on the DCCAS. If that isn't teaching to the test! This is a good teacher with way too many competing demands. sad.

[Anonymous]

You should talk to the principal. It is their job to hold teachers accountable.

I'd be interested in hearing more about Latin. I hear it is a mixed bag. The challenge is not there. Kids are leaving it, especially at the upper-elementary grades. So is the k-1-2-3 program better?

[Anonymous]

Much attention will be paid to children at the cusp of proficiency. We have actually been told by our childs teacher that they are going to skip around the math curriculum (EDM) so they can cover what will most likely be on the DCCAS. If that isn't teaching to the test!

I feel that for posterity I should point out that this is exactly, precisely what happens in at least a couple of B-CC MoCo schools. It's not just DCPS. And so people who believe they can solve everything curriculum by simply selling the Tenley townhouse and moving to Chevy Chase Elem. district will want to make deep, pointed inquiries in advance. There could be other compelling reasons to move, but avoiding standardized test prep (in EDM and elsewhere) should not be one of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should talk to the principal. It is their job to hold teachers accountable.

I'd be interested in hearing more about Latin. I hear it is a mixed bag. The challenge is not there. Kids are leaving it, especially at the upper-elementary grades. So is the k-1-2-3 program better?

You've obviously confused Latin with another school. First of all, the challenge is definitely there. Secondly (and what eliminates the reliability of what you've "heard"), nobody is leaving in the upper elementary grades because there are no upper elementary grades: it's a middle-school/high-school program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should talk to the principal. It is their job to hold teachers accountable.

I'd be interested in hearing more about Latin. I hear it is a mixed bag. The challenge is not there. Kids are leaving it, especially at the upper-elementary grades. So is the k-1-2-3 program better?

You've obviously confused Latin with another school. First of all, the challenge is definitely there. Secondly (and what eliminates the reliability of what you've "heard"), nobody is leaving in the upper elementary grades because there are no upper elementary grades: it's a middle-school/high-school program.

My thoughts too. 5-6 can be considered "upper elementary" but there is no K-3 (or 4).