SWW Principal Removed - Reason Unknown

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven't people on this board been talking for a while about how SWW doesn't seem to admit many special needs kids? Or am I thinking of a different school?

There is an entrance exam that tests academic skills and they (SWW admin) set a score minimum each year, I believe. So if a kid has special needs and is not at grade level or struggles academically, they likely won't reach the minimum score.
It's an academic high school, there are requirements to get in.

Also, the teachers are not special ed teachers.

You are overlooking the fact that some kids with SNs can get the scores and do the work AND that any public school is obligated to provide appropriate services and accommodations to these students. Being a test-in school does not absolve them of the responsibility to do this and they should have the necessary staff to support every kid who meets their requirements.

+1

If a parent provides the necessary paperwork accommodations are met during the entrance exam. The test is also untimed so extended time isn’t necessary. The admin doesn’t set a minimum score ahead of time. They score all exams and then the cut off score is determined based on that. So if they have 250 slots for interviews, the cut off score is after the top 250 students. The score is different every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven't people on this board been talking for a while about how SWW doesn't seem to admit many special needs kids? Or am I thinking of a different school?

There is an entrance exam that tests academic skills and they (SWW admin) set a score minimum each year, I believe. So if a kid has special needs and is not at grade level or struggles academically, they likely won't reach the minimum score.
It's an academic high school, there are requirements to get in.

Also, the teachers are not special ed teachers.

You are overlooking the fact that some kids with SNs can get the scores and do the work AND that any public school is obligated to provide appropriate services and accommodations to these students. Being a test-in school does not absolve them of the responsibility to do this and they should have the necessary staff to support every kid who meets their requirements.

I agree that special education kids who can do the work with appropriate accommodations should be admitted. However I’m surprised that no one makes a fuss with Banneker as they routinely expel kids who are struggling and many of them are special education students

+1

If a parent provides the necessary paperwork accommodations are met during the entrance exam. The test is also untimed so extended time isn’t necessary. The admin doesn’t set a minimum score ahead of time. They score all exams and then the cut off score is determined based on that. So if they have 250 slots for interviews, the cut off score is after the top 250 students. The score is different every year.

[Anonymous]

Ya, sure. We all believe this is all about some vaguely worded admissions impropriety rather than opposing the mayor’s school reopening plan. Feel free to believe DCPS if you choose but trust me, this will come back and bite you one day as DCPS and the mayor do not tolerate dissent and this is just one example

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ya, sure. We all believe this is all about some vaguely worded admissions impropriety rather than opposing the mayor’s school reopening plan. Feel free to believe DCPS if you choose but trust me, this will come back and bite you one day as DCPS and the mayor do not tolerate dissent and this is just one example

Sadly the insider lottery cheating in DCPS is so pervasive that I could easily believe both of these things are true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven't people on this board been talking for a while about how SWW doesn't seem to admit many special needs kids? Or am I thinking of a different school?

There is an entrance exam that tests academic skills and they (SWW admin) set a score minimum each year, I believe. So if a kid has special needs and is not at grade level or struggles academically, they likely won't reach the minimum score.
It's an academic high school, there are requirements to get in.

Also, the teachers are not special ed teachers.

Please, don't speak of something which you know nothing about. Some of us do have "SN" kids who excelled at the entrance exam, were admitted and don't require a special ed teacher -- in fact my student hasn't had a special ed teacher since maybe 3rd grade. Once admitted the school purposely and illegally doesn't implement their IEPs or 504s in hopes of getting the child to withdraw. In my DC's case after meeting with this principal multiple times, basically being told our child was not welcome at the school we move our child to our IB high school, where the IEP was easily implemented, did not require a special ed teacher and said child is now in engineering program at top 10 university. Clearly bright kid who needed some supports. BTW, University happily implements the accommodations too. This isn't rocket science on how it is done. Just lazy leadership.

[Anonymous]

The issue here, again, is transparency, consistency, and accountability.

Yes, a previous Chancellor was appropriately fired for what might be a similar offense—but only weeks after massive public outcry over the incredibly hypocrisy of his jumping his own kid up the line, leaving Bowser with basically no choice.

Meanwhile, Trogisch was fired out of the blue in the middle of an educational crisis, and we still don’t know what, exactly, merited that extreme action. The Chancellor and Mayor are sending out lackeys to answer for their decision.

They still haven’t been held to account for seemingly even more egregious principal firings at Ward 7 and 8 schools last year.

Clearly, this could happen to any principal at any time. Anyone who cares about DCPS should all be extremely concerned about that. We will not see the transparency, consistency, and accountability we deserve until schools are removed from mayoral control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ya, sure. We all believe this is all about some vaguely worded admissions impropriety rather than opposing the mayor’s school reopening plan. Feel free to believe DCPS if you choose but trust me, this will come back and bite you one day as DCPS and the mayor do not tolerate dissent and this is just one example

Sadly the insider lottery cheating in DCPS is so pervasive that I could easily believe both of these things are true.

Sorry, there is zero evidence that this is a thing. The only recent improprieties were made public and there were serious repercussions. Please take your conspiracy theories to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave while you also search for voter fraud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven't people on this board been talking for a while about how SWW doesn't seem to admit many special needs kids? Or am I thinking of a different school?

There is an entrance exam that tests academic skills and they (SWW admin) set a score minimum each year, I believe. So if a kid has special needs and is not at grade level or struggles academically, they likely won't reach the minimum score.
It's an academic high school, there are requirements to get in.

Also, the teachers are not special ed teachers.

Please, don't speak of something which you know nothing about. Some of us do have "SN" kids who excelled at the entrance exam, were admitted and don't require a special ed teacher -- in fact my student hasn't had a special ed teacher since maybe 3rd grade. Once admitted the school purposely and illegally doesn't implement their IEPs or 504s in hopes of getting the child to withdraw. In my DC's case after meeting with this principal multiple times, basically being told our child was not welcome at the school we move our child to our IB high school, where the IEP was easily implemented, did not require a special ed teacher and said child is now in engineering program at top 10 university. Clearly bright kid who needed some supports. BTW, University happily implements the accommodations too. This isn't rocket science on how it is done. Just lazy leadership.

I am sorry for your child’s experience. Unfortunately I don’t think this is an uncommon one at Walls. I am glad your child is successful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven't people on this board been talking for a while about how SWW doesn't seem to admit many special needs kids? Or am I thinking of a different school?

There is an entrance exam that tests academic skills and they (SWW admin) set a score minimum each year, I believe. So if a kid has special needs and is not at grade level or struggles academically, they likely won't reach the minimum score.
It's an academic high school, there are requirements to get in.

Also, the teachers are not special ed teachers.

Please, don't speak of something which you know nothing about. Some of us do have "SN" kids who excelled at the entrance exam, were admitted and don't require a special ed teacher -- in fact my student hasn't had a special ed teacher since maybe 3rd grade. Once admitted the school purposely and illegally doesn't implement their IEPs or 504s in hopes of getting the child to withdraw. In my DC's case after meeting with this principal multiple times, basically being told our child was not welcome at the school we move our child to our IB high school, where the IEP was easily implemented, did not require a special ed teacher and said child is now in engineering program at top 10 university. Clearly bright kid who needed some supports. BTW, University happily implements the accommodations too. This isn't rocket science on how it is done. Just lazy leadership.

How on earth has there not been a lawsuit about this? I can't imagine how someone in this city hasn't sued the pants off them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven't people on this board been talking for a while about how SWW doesn't seem to admit many special needs kids? Or am I thinking of a different school?

There is an entrance exam that tests academic skills and they (SWW admin) set a score minimum each year, I believe. So if a kid has special needs and is not at grade level or struggles academically, they likely won't reach the minimum score.
It's an academic high school, there are requirements to get in.

Also, the teachers are not special ed teachers.

Please, don't speak of something which you know nothing about. Some of us do have "SN" kids who excelled at the entrance exam, were admitted and don't require a special ed teacher -- in fact my student hasn't had a special ed teacher since maybe 3rd grade. Once admitted the school purposely and illegally doesn't implement their IEPs or 504s in hopes of getting the child to withdraw. In my DC's case after meeting with this principal multiple times, basically being told our child was not welcome at the school we move our child to our IB high school, where the IEP was easily implemented, did not require a special ed teacher and said child is now in engineering program at top 10 university. Clearly bright kid who needed some supports. BTW, University happily implements the accommodations too. This isn't rocket science on how it is done. Just lazy leadership.

How on earth has there not been a lawsuit about this? I can't imagine how someone in this city hasn't sued the pants off them.

As a parent of a child with an IEP I will share a few perspectives on this.
1 - There is a point in time you need to cut your losses and move forward. Making the case for systemic failing to provide services is hard. It is emotionally draining and reliving the trauma is not always something that is worth the end point.
2 - When you do submit a complaint, you need to think about what you are looking to accomplish. Lawsuits are expensive and in some cases providing evidence of lack of FAPE is hard. Kids do not fully understand their rights AND teens typically do not want to feel any different from their classmates. To give you a sense of cost for some lawsuits, there are a handful of lawyers known for success with special education complaints with DCPS. A $25K retainer is numbers I have heard.

The governance across DCPS of special education is not strong. It is very teacher specific.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ya, sure. We all believe this is all about some vaguely worded admissions impropriety rather than opposing the mayor’s school reopening plan. Feel free to believe DCPS if you choose but trust me, this will come back and bite you one day as DCPS and the mayor do not tolerate dissent and this is just one example

If there was lottery fraud but he was really s-canned for dissent, I’m still glad they framed a guilty man. The uproar over Antwan Wilson was justified and It should be a fireable offense for anyone else.

[Anonymous]

If he files a lawsuit alleging improper termination, we'll know that his firing was somewhat shady.

If he doesn't, it's basically him admitting that he did something improper and paid the price.

Unless he works out some sort of settlement with DCPS, which will have a confidentiality clause attached to it. Maybe both sides would prefer this matter simply go away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he files a lawsuit alleging improper termination, we'll know that his firing was somewhat shady.

If he doesn't, it's basically him admitting that he did something improper and paid the price.

Unless he works out some sort of settlement with DCPS, which will have a confidentiality clause attached to it. Maybe both sides would prefer this matter simply go away.

That makes no sense. Plenty of people file lawsuits that are completely meritless. Conversely, there are plenty of reasons (beyond a settlement) that someone may choose not to file a lawsuit, even if he might have good grounds for one.

The presence or absence of a lawsuit won't tell us anything about whether there were valid grounds for the termination. If a lawsuit were to actually proceed through discovery, motions, and trial, we might get a better idea of what happened because much of that would be done publicly.

[Anonymous]

I am a former parent of a student with special needs who attended SWW. In fact, when Dr. Vance was there I helped to create the Gifted/Learning Difference program for students with special needs. My son was in that program. All special needs students are not below grade level. In fact, many of the students who were in the SWW G/LD program were from private schools like the Chelsea School in Silver Spring. Many have learning differences so they need a different way to evaluate their ability to succeed in a Gifted Program.

On other thing, SWW is successful because they can cherry pick and eliminate any student who does not make the grade. Teachers not being special education teachers is not an excuss for them not to be able to use differentiated learning to teach special needs students.

And for the record, a placement test is not necessary for the SWW Gifted/LD program. The IEP team will determine the best placement for the student not an entrance test.

One last thing, when I served as the Director of Parent & Community Involvement for the Deputy Mayor of Education, I received many complaints from parents regarding students with special needs not having access to the same opportunities as other students.

[Anonymous]

IIRC the GLD program no longer exists at SWW.