Protest at Mundo on P street

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+100. Agree. It is really not as simple as just 'pulling' our kids from school and placing them elsewhere. A lot of families want and need Mundo to succeed, and the start of a solution seems to be a change in executive leadership.

Absent the board taking action to remove her from that position (or her resignation), is there any other way to get new leadership?

I understand protests are occurring, people are contacting the school board, newspapers, etc., but ultimately, it is the board's call, right?

Has any charter school community ever successfully forced a change in leadership? Even at LAMB, it was (ahem) much more than just parent complaints that led to the new leadership. This kind of mismanagement has been a feature of DC charters since they started, and I've never heard of these efforts ever actually succeeding.

And no, nobody NEEDS MV to succeed. A charter school could relocate or close at any time. Just ask the LAMB Brookland families. One specific (non-IB) school in one specific location is not a guarantee for anyone in DC, despite school choice.

What led to new leadership there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+100. Agree. It is really not as simple as just 'pulling' our kids from school and placing them elsewhere. A lot of families want and need Mundo to succeed, and the start of a solution seems to be a change in executive leadership.

Absent the board taking action to remove her from that position (or her resignation), is there any other way to get new leadership?

I understand protests are occurring, people are contacting the school board, newspapers, etc., but ultimately, it is the board's call, right?

Honestly...this might sound crass, but it's not worth the risk. There's a real risk it WON'T succeed for your kid. If you have the means, get out now. We stayed far too long at another charter that has completely cratered (talked about frequently on DCUM) thinking we could work with other parents to effect change. My child suffered. And years later, we are still trying to gain ground. Even if there is a change in leadership, it sounds like there's a lot of rot at MV that might work itself out, but it will be YEARS from now and your child will not feel the benefit.

Did that school sound like "Moo Livers"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I were in a DCI feeder I would be all over this. Damn.

+1. I probably would not go on to DCI knowing that it will have to deal with this mess in a few years time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+100. Agree. It is really not as simple as just 'pulling' our kids from school and placing them elsewhere. A lot of families want and need Mundo to succeed, and the start of a solution seems to be a change in executive leadership.

Absent the board taking action to remove her from that position (or her resignation), is there any other way to get new leadership?

I understand protests are occurring, people are contacting the school board, newspapers, etc., but ultimately, it is the board's call, right?

Has any charter school community ever successfully forced a change in leadership? Even at LAMB, it was (ahem) much more than just parent complaints that led to the new leadership. This kind of mismanagement has been a feature of DC charters since they started, and I've never heard of these efforts ever actually succeeding.

And no, nobody NEEDS MV to succeed. A charter school could relocate or close at any time. Just ask the LAMB Brookland families. One specific (non-IB) school in one specific location is not a guarantee for anyone in DC, despite school choice.

What led to new leadership there?

The M stands for Molestation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+100. Agree. It is really not as simple as just 'pulling' our kids from school and placing them elsewhere. A lot of families want and need Mundo to succeed, and the start of a solution seems to be a change in executive leadership.

Absent the board taking action to remove her from that position (or her resignation), is there any other way to get new leadership?

I understand protests are occurring, people are contacting the school board, newspapers, etc., but ultimately, it is the board's call, right?

Has any charter school community ever successfully forced a change in leadership? Even at LAMB, it was (ahem) much more than just parent complaints that led to the new leadership. This kind of mismanagement has been a feature of DC charters since they started, and I've never heard of these efforts ever actually succeeding.

And no, nobody NEEDS MV to succeed. A charter school could relocate or close at any time. Just ask the LAMB Brookland families. One specific (non-IB) school in one specific location is not a guarantee for anyone in DC, despite school choice.

What led to new leadership there?

The M stands for Molestation.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/families-sue-top-ranked-dc-school-over-handling-of-sexually-abusive-teacher/2018/01/11/cbc04d54-f22d-11e7-b390-a36dc3fa2842_story.html

[Anonymous]

Sadly, boards of trustees are way too cozy with school leadership. The board members are part of the founding group, or are selected for their allegiance to the leader. Absent a major scandal, lawsuit, or fraud, it hardly ever happens. It's a failure of institutional governance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is the people who are excusing this as an isolated incident of one grade affected by the pandemic that are "gross."

I'm a former MV parent (pre-pandemic), and the letter sent in response to the protest was typical of the ED gaslighting we saw for YEARS.

One year we had a revolving door of teachers and the administration actually said to us that it wasn't a problem because based on test scores there was "no learning loss." Turns out the test scores for our class were the same at the end of the school year as they were at the beginning of that school year. Most people would read that as "there was no learning happening for an entire year" -- especially since the other classes in the same grade that didn't experience as much teacher turnover made the expected gains. But that's how they spun it.

They said this is a townhall meeting that parents demanded, and then they wouldn't let anyone ask questions! They just talked at us with PowerPoint slides and we had to submit questions in writing to be answered later -- but they were never answered.

I sincerely hope these protests are effective.

+100. Even if the school is "working" for your kids--you have to know that situation is tenuous at best, given the lack of leadership. Next year, your child could be in a classroom that experiences all of these issues (and more!). When there are systemic problems at the leadership level, it's only a matter of time until your child feels the negative impact. That's why I don't get the "MV is working for my kids now, so I'm not going to worry". That's extremely narrow minded of you. What will you do in 2-3 years time as the school continues to crumble? You have to plan for the long game in this city.

Who said this “ "MV is working for my kids now, so I'm not going to worry"?

this is the vibe of a lot of parents there right now.

and i don't understand it... as soon as i started hearing from other families with older kids about the learning challenges in the older grades (teacher retention, issues with actual learning in either language, inability to deal with behavioral issues), i knew we were going to pull our kid.

The fact that they are not leaving like you, doesn’t mean that they are not worried and working together to find a solution to the issues.

MV is broken. the parent group fights with the administration. the administration fights with the parent group. it was bizarre to witness. I feel for these parents who have no other choices but to make this work. some people even drive half way across DC just for MV. shocking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+100. Agree. It is really not as simple as just 'pulling' our kids from school and placing them elsewhere. A lot of families want and need Mundo to succeed, and the start of a solution seems to be a change in executive leadership.

Absent the board taking action to remove her from that position (or her resignation), is there any other way to get new leadership?

I understand protests are occurring, people are contacting the school board, newspapers, etc., but ultimately, it is the board's call, right?

Honestly...this might sound crass, but it's not worth the risk. There's a real risk it WON'T succeed for your kid. If you have the means, get out now. We stayed far too long at another charter that has completely cratered (talked about frequently on DCUM) thinking we could work with other parents to effect change. My child suffered. And years later, we are still trying to gain ground. Even if there is a change in leadership, it sounds like there's a lot of rot at MV that might work itself out, but it will be YEARS from now and your child will not feel the benefit.

Did that school sound like "Moo Livers"?

Lol. Indeed it did. A cautionary tale; the inept ED is gone, but the downward spiral continues.

[Anonymous]

MV will never be what it was because the DCI guarantee motivated people to put up with the disadvantages. It could still be a good school if the leadership improved, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+100. Agree. It is really not as simple as just 'pulling' our kids from school and placing them elsewhere. A lot of families want and need Mundo to succeed, and the start of a solution seems to be a change in executive leadership.

Absent the board taking action to remove her from that position (or her resignation), is there any other way to get new leadership?

I understand protests are occurring, people are contacting the school board, newspapers, etc., but ultimately, it is the board's call, right?

Honestly...this might sound crass, but it's not worth the risk. There's a real risk it WON'T succeed for your kid. If you have the means, get out now. We stayed far too long at another charter that has completely cratered (talked about frequently on DCUM) thinking we could work with other parents to effect change. My child suffered. And years later, we are still trying to gain ground. Even if there is a change in leadership, it sounds like there's a lot of rot at MV that might work itself out, but it will be YEARS from now and your child will not feel the benefit.

Did that school sound like "Moo Livers"?

Lol. Indeed it did. A cautionary tale; the inept ED is gone, but the downward spiral continues.

Did parent activism motivate the departure, or was it the board of trustees, or both?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is the people who are excusing this as an isolated incident of one grade affected by the pandemic that are "gross."

I'm a former MV parent (pre-pandemic), and the letter sent in response to the protest was typical of the ED gaslighting we saw for YEARS.

One year we had a revolving door of teachers and the administration actually said to us that it wasn't a problem because based on test scores there was "no learning loss." Turns out the test scores for our class were the same at the end of the school year as they were at the beginning of that school year. Most people would read that as "there was no learning happening for an entire year" -- especially since the other classes in the same grade that didn't experience as much teacher turnover made the expected gains. But that's how they spun it.

They said this is a townhall meeting that parents demanded, and then they wouldn't let anyone ask questions! They just talked at us with PowerPoint slides and we had to submit questions in writing to be answered later -- but they were never answered.

I sincerely hope these protests are effective.

+100. Even if the school is "working" for your kids--you have to know that situation is tenuous at best, given the lack of leadership. Next year, your child could be in a classroom that experiences all of these issues (and more!). When there are systemic problems at the leadership level, it's only a matter of time until your child feels the negative impact. That's why I don't get the "MV is working for my kids now, so I'm not going to worry". That's extremely narrow minded of you. What will you do in 2-3 years time as the school continues to crumble? You have to plan for the long game in this city.

Who said this “ "MV is working for my kids now, so I'm not going to worry"?

this is the vibe of a lot of parents there right now.

and i don't understand it... as soon as i started hearing from other families with older kids about the learning challenges in the older grades (teacher retention, issues with actual learning in either language, inability to deal with behavioral issues), i knew we were going to pull our kid.

The fact that they are not leaving like you, doesn’t mean that they are not worried and working together to find a solution to the issues.

MV is broken. the parent group fights with the administration. the administration fights with the parent group. it was bizarre to witness. I feel for these parents who have no other choices but to make this work. some people even drive half way across DC just for MV. shocking.

Every single child in DC, K and above, can go enroll at their IB DCPS. They will take you, and if there are too many students they will have to hire another highly qualified teacher. There is literally no parent who has "no other choice" except maybe for PK.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s ultimately the public school charter board’s call but they have never done anything to help the children of DC. By the way, they get paid by the dc taxpayers for sitting on their hands.

As for the Mundo Board of trustees, they need to be publicly shamed into doing what’s right. From my experience the executive director and principals probably spend a huge amount of time badmouthing parents and dismissing the complaints. They cozy up to the Board and limit access by parents. You need to make it clear that there is no going back at this point. If the board won’t ensure kids get basic learning in classrooms they need to be shamed and exposed for their corrupt practices.

[Anonymous]

I think the MV parents who think it's "gross" that people are piling on, because kids are "stuck" there for the DCI feed are delusional. You are knowingly sending your kid to bad school because you want to hang on to a DCI feed that other people don't have. Why should people who don't have the DCI feed feel badly for you? I hope that the MV Board fixes things so that the kids themselves don't suffer, but what do you think the Council or Mayor or anyone else is going to do about it? It's a charter school. By definition you have the option to leave and go elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is the people who are excusing this as an isolated incident of one grade affected by the pandemic that are "gross."

I'm a former MV parent (pre-pandemic), and the letter sent in response to the protest was typical of the ED gaslighting we saw for YEARS.

One year we had a revolving door of teachers and the administration actually said to us that it wasn't a problem because based on test scores there was "no learning loss." Turns out the test scores for our class were the same at the end of the school year as they were at the beginning of that school year. Most people would read that as "there was no learning happening for an entire year" -- especially since the other classes in the same grade that didn't experience as much teacher turnover made the expected gains. But that's how they spun it.

They said this is a townhall meeting that parents demanded, and then they wouldn't let anyone ask questions! They just talked at us with PowerPoint slides and we had to submit questions in writing to be answered later -- but they were never answered.

I sincerely hope these protests are effective.

+100. Even if the school is "working" for your kids--you have to know that situation is tenuous at best, given the lack of leadership. Next year, your child could be in a classroom that experiences all of these issues (and more!). When there are systemic problems at the leadership level, it's only a matter of time until your child feels the negative impact. That's why I don't get the "MV is working for my kids now, so I'm not going to worry". That's extremely narrow minded of you. What will you do in 2-3 years time as the school continues to crumble? You have to plan for the long game in this city.

Who said this “ "MV is working for my kids now, so I'm not going to worry"?

this is the vibe of a lot of parents there right now.

and i don't understand it... as soon as i started hearing from other families with older kids about the learning challenges in the older grades (teacher retention, issues with actual learning in either language, inability to deal with behavioral issues), i knew we were going to pull our kid.

The fact that they are not leaving like you, doesn’t mean that they are not worried and working together to find a solution to the issues.

MV is broken. the parent group fights with the administration. the administration fights with the parent group. it was bizarre to witness. I feel for these parents who have no other choices but to make this work. some people even drive half way across DC just for MV. shocking.

Every single child in DC, K and above, can go enroll at their IB DCPS. They will take you, and if there are too many students they will have to hire another highly qualified teacher. There is literally no parent who has "no other choice" except maybe for PK.

+1

Charter schools are all about choice. Parents choose to send their kids to specific charter schools. They can choose to enroll them at their DCPS school as well. And no one has to drive halfway across Dc to go to school. It’s a choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+100. Agree. It is really not as simple as just 'pulling' our kids from school and placing them elsewhere. A lot of families want and need Mundo to succeed, and the start of a solution seems to be a change in executive leadership.

Absent the board taking action to remove her from that position (or her resignation), is there any other way to get new leadership?

I understand protests are occurring, people are contacting the school board, newspapers, etc., but ultimately, it is the board's call, right?

Honestly...this might sound crass, but it's not worth the risk. There's a real risk it WON'T succeed for your kid. If you have the means, get out now. We stayed far too long at another charter that has completely cratered (talked about frequently on DCUM) thinking we could work with other parents to effect change. My child suffered. And years later, we are still trying to gain ground. Even if there is a change in leadership, it sounds like there's a lot of rot at MV that might work itself out, but it will be YEARS from now and your child will not feel the benefit.

Did that school sound like "Moo Livers"?

Lol. Indeed it did. A cautionary tale; the inept ED is gone, but the downward spiral continues.

Did parent activism motivate the departure, or was it the board of trustees, or both?

Sadly, none of the above. The Board was useless and re-upped her contract. She left of her own accord when her husband was indicted for embezzlement in Baltimore public schools.

P.S. She already has a new job at a charter school near Baltimore.