Movies at school. All day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh here we go with the attempts at being cute and haughty--which I find hilarious! The bottom line is that my children weren't raised in a danger zone nor subjected to failing schools. But yours are, as you lament it all and stew about it. So I totally get your anger. And the fact that you'd move into an urban area then be pissed that the schools don't cater to you allows me to understand why you can't stick to or address a topic without name calling and attempts at snobbery. The teachers are ineffective, posters who disagree are _____. But what do you call a 'parent' who subjects her kids to the shitshow that is DCPS? Better yet, one who claims their kids are safe from the dysfunction yet they're so passionate about everyone else's kids and tax dpillars? BS: You're pissed that you have to shell out $ you can't afford to send your kids to private. You're upset that your white skin doesn't make the black leaders of DC fall over to please you. I find that hysterical!

You have a gift for wild speculation and, apparently, an agenda that won't let you comprehend what most posters are saying. There is a lot of room for improvement in DCPS. Our kids are doing great despite problems with DCPS. We don't have to go private or move. Many of their classmates are not doing as well. Improving DCPS will benefit everyone. Other city services have made significant improvements in the past 20-25 years. Are you the only one in the city that doesn't want to see DCPS do the same?

Bless your heart. It seems like you mean well and really want to understand, but the Hear Only What I Want To Hear disease has gotten you.

I'd love nothing more than to see DC schools improve. But that point went right over your head.

The reality is that criticizing teachers, trying to be condescending to someone (esp knowing NOTHING of who s/he is or their accomplishment, credentials, etc) whining because a teacher showed movies--especially after it's been fully explained WHY!--will not improve the system. If you don't like the way things are going in DCPS, do better for your children!

Other services have made improvements in the past 20-25 years, you say? Great! But until DCPS does, do better for your kids. If you're willing to work to improve the school system, DO SO! But criticizing and making demands that will benefit YOUR snowflake while ignoring the reality of the other 98% in the system does no good.

DCPS is concerned with the education of ALL of its kids. However, the overwhelming majority is poor, black, traumatized, angry, and dealing with serious dysfunction at home. So what are they to do? Offer more foreign languages, more AP courses? Guess what? They've done that. But it hasn't worked. Fire and replace most of the teaching/principal corps every year? Done that too! Didn't work. Switch to a 100% organic menu? Guess what...

Understand the issues in DCPS are larger than teachers, movie-showing and not having enough white kids.

I don't recall saying anything about AP courses or foreign languages. Let's just stick to the fundamentals. For instance, teaching class in the core subjects every day during the appropriate class time.

What part of

Teachers.
Have.
No.
Other.
Time.
To.
Close.
Out.
The.
Year.

do you not understand????

The last day for students was Friday, a 1/2 day. That's also the day teachers had to close out and turn in keys.

In other words, all grades needed to be finalized, input, signed off on, classrooms cleared, etc.

When/How would you expect them to get everything done?

I'll wait.

PS: You don't like it? Go to a private or charter that meets your standards.

[Anonymous]

PP, (16:24) it seems teachers are there to actively teach. And that's it. Any other responsibilities don't matter. If there are bums in the desk seats, the teacher should be teaching fundamentals all day every day. That is the only thing some parents are concerned with.

The rest of the responsibilities that go with teaching? Not important, and shouldn't happen while the students are in the room.

That's what I'm getting from this whole discussion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, (16:24) it seems teachers are there to actively teach. And that's it. Any other responsibilities don't matter. If there are bums in the desk seats, the teacher should be teaching fundamentals all day every day. That is the only thing some parents are concerned with.

The rest of the responsibilities that go with teaching? Not important, and shouldn't happen while the students are in the room.

That's what I'm getting from this whole discussion.

And what I get from this whole discussion is that some DC parents are so blinded by their hopes and dreams for a suburban school system right in the middle of a ghetto that they refuse to accept reality.

In other school systems (inc surrounding suburbs), teacher contracts incorporate snow days as well as time for teachers to close out the year once the year is over for students. That's not the case in DCPS, so this is what you're going to get.

Your expectations are sound (and par for the course in other places) but not at all logical or reasonable for the school system that you are in.

And while YOU may not be concerned with other teacher responsibilities, THEY are--as are their school leaders and the good folks in Central Office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh here we go with the attempts at being cute and haughty--which I find hilarious! The bottom line is that my children weren't raised in a danger zone nor subjected to failing schools. But yours are, as you lament it all and stew about it. So I totally get your anger. And the fact that you'd move into an urban area then be pissed that the schools don't cater to you allows me to understand why you can't stick to or address a topic without name calling and attempts at snobbery. The teachers are ineffective, posters who disagree are _____. But what do you call a 'parent' who subjects her kids to the shitshow that is DCPS? Better yet, one who claims their kids are safe from the dysfunction yet they're so passionate about everyone else's kids and tax dpillars? BS: You're pissed that you have to shell out $ you can't afford to send your kids to private. You're upset that your white skin doesn't make the black leaders of DC fall over to please you. I find that hysterical!

You have a gift for wild speculation and, apparently, an agenda that won't let you comprehend what most posters are saying. There is a lot of room for improvement in DCPS. Our kids are doing great despite problems with DCPS. We don't have to go private or move. Many of their classmates are not doing as well. Improving DCPS will benefit everyone. Other city services have made significant improvements in the past 20-25 years. Are you the only one in the city that doesn't want to see DCPS do the same?

Bless your heart. It seems like you mean well and really want to understand, but the Hear Only What I Want To Hear disease has gotten you.

I'd love nothing more than to see DC schools improve. But that point went right over your head.

The reality is that criticizing teachers, trying to be condescending to someone (esp knowing NOTHING of who s/he is or their accomplishment, credentials, etc) whining because a teacher showed movies--especially after it's been fully explained WHY!--will not improve the system. If you don't like the way things are going in DCPS, do better for your children!

Other services have made improvements in the past 20-25 years, you say? Great! But until DCPS does, do better for your kids. If you're willing to work to improve the school system, DO SO! But criticizing and making demands that will benefit YOUR snowflake while ignoring the reality of the other 98% in the system does no good.

DCPS is concerned with the education of ALL of its kids. However, the overwhelming majority is poor, black, traumatized, angry, and dealing with serious dysfunction at home. So what are they to do? Offer more foreign languages, more AP courses? Guess what? They've done that. But it hasn't worked. Fire and replace most of the teaching/principal corps every year? Done that too! Didn't work. Switch to a 100% organic menu? Guess what...

Understand the issues in DCPS are larger than teachers, movie-showing and not having enough white kids.

I don't recall saying anything about AP courses or foreign languages. Let's just stick to the fundamentals. For instance, teaching class in the core subjects every day during the appropriate class time.

What part of

Teachers.
Have.
No.
Other.
Time.
To.
Close.
Out.
The.
Year.

do you not understand????

The last day for students was Friday, a 1/2 day. That's also the day teachers had to close out and turn in keys.

In other words, all grades needed to be finalized, input, signed off on, classrooms cleared, etc.

When/How would you expect them to get everything done?

I'll wait.

PS: You don't like it? Go to a private or charter that meets your standards.

Yeah... I wasn't talking about the last two weeks of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, (16:24) it seems teachers are there to actively teach. And that's it. Any other responsibilities don't matter. If there are bums in the desk seats, the teacher should be teaching fundamentals all day every day. That is the only thing some parents are concerned with.

The rest of the responsibilities that go with teaching? Not important, and shouldn't happen while the students are in the room.

That's what I'm getting from this whole discussion.

Yeah well that's why no one in DCPS listens to what most parents have to say. You have little understanding of how things work. Even after it's been explained several times you're still deaf to what's going on. So let those in the know run things their way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, (16:24) it seems teachers are there to actively teach. And that's it. Any other responsibilities don't matter. If there are bums in the desk seats, the teacher should be teaching fundamentals all day every day. That is the only thing some parents are concerned with.

The rest of the responsibilities that go with teaching? Not important, and shouldn't happen while the students are in the room.

That's what I'm getting from this whole discussion.

And what I get from this whole discussion is that some DC parents are so blinded by their hopes and dreams for a suburban school system right in the middle of a ghetto that they refuse to accept reality.

In other school systems (inc surrounding suburbs), teacher contracts incorporate snow days as well as time for teachers to close out the year once the year is over for students. That's not the case in DCPS, so this is what you're going to get.

Your expectations are sound (and par for the course in other places) but not at all logical or reasonable for the school system that you are in.

And while YOU may not be concerned with other teacher responsibilities, THEY are--as are their school leaders and the good folks in Central Office.

Um, not really. I teach in Faifax County, one of the more respected systems in our area and nation. Our students' last day is today, and we only have one more contract day (tomorrow) allotted for checkout and packing up our rooms. Most of our teachers have been doing end of year fun activities AND showing movies, having the kids help pack, sort, etc. by today most materials will be boxed up and it's never been the expectation that we would be teaching full strength to the last minute. I will say, we really didn't start packing things until this week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, (16:24) it seems teachers are there to actively teach. And that's it. Any other responsibilities don't matter. If there are bums in the desk seats, the teacher should be teaching fundamentals all day every day. That is the only thing some parents are concerned with.

The rest of the responsibilities that go with teaching? Not important, and shouldn't happen while the students are in the room.

That's what I'm getting from this whole discussion.

And what I get from this whole discussion is that some DC parents are so blinded by their hopes and dreams for a suburban school system right in the middle of a ghetto that they refuse to accept reality.

In other school systems (inc surrounding suburbs), teacher contracts incorporate snow days as well as time for teachers to close out the year once the year is over for students. That's not the case in DCPS, so this is what you're going to get.

Your expectations are sound (and par for the course in other places) but not at all logical or reasonable for the school system that you are in.

And while YOU may not be concerned with other teacher responsibilities, THEY are--as are their school leaders and the good folks in Central Office.

Um, not really. I teach in Faifax County, one of the more respected systems in our area and nation. Our students' last day is today, and we only have one more contract day (tomorrow) allotted for checkout and packing up our rooms. Most of our teachers have been doing end of year fun activities AND showing movies, having the kids help pack, sort, etc. by today most materials will be boxed up and it's never been the expectation that we would be teaching full strength to the last minute. I will say, we really didn't start packing things until this week.

So um I was correct: Fx does incorporate time into the contract for teachers to close out. That's what the 1 extra contract day after students are gone is for. That's one more day than DC teachers have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if my kid is to be believed all he has done at school today and last week is watch movies. I'm not talking educational movies either. Anyone else? What gives?

Lazy teaching at its worst. Test scores suggest it is common in DCPS.

Another individual who has no idea what teaching entails. How do you define "lazy teaching" other than the fact that some teachers (not all as outsiders on this thread would want you to believe) put on a movie so they could finish report cards, pack their room, and complete cum folders?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, (16:24) it seems teachers are there to actively teach. And that's it. Any other responsibilities don't matter. If there are bums in the desk seats, the teacher should be teaching fundamentals all day every day. That is the only thing some parents are concerned with.

The rest of the responsibilities that go with teaching? Not important, and shouldn't happen while the students are in the room.

That's what I'm getting from this whole discussion.

I don't believe you at all. You seem like the first parent to complain to the principal if your child didn't get his/her report card. You would be the first to call the principal because the teacher didn't respond to your email/request in a timely fashion. Teachers aren't required to do any of that after hours. Most do and are not lazy. It's the last week of the school year. You have a large chip on your shoulder.

[Anonymous]

Reliance on movie watching during aftercare is a pet peeve of mine. Our school generally avoids doing it enough that I'm usually willing to let the few exceptions go, but I really wish there was a bright line prohibition. It represents a very lazy approach to caring for and teaching kids, especially for professional educators and caregivers. It's one thing if I as a parent want to let my kids watch a movie at home, but school and aftercare ought to be held to a higher standard. And for my own DD's sake, movie watching is a real source of stress because she is unusually sensitive to movies and unless they are extremely tame, she can easily end up having trouble sleeping at night. To her credit, even as a young elementary school student, she's adopted some very self-assured means of coping, including bringing a book on days when she expects a movie to be shown, so she can minimize the risk of being scared. But it shouldn't be her responsibility.

[Anonymous]

^^^
Well then make your child--instead of the Almighty $--your priority & pick your kid up after school. Or hire a babysitter who fits your liking. Aftercare is a HUGE privilege. Public Ed is the right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^
Well then make your child--instead of the Almighty $--your priority & pick your kid up after school. Or hire a babysitter who fits your liking. Aftercare is a HUGE privilege. Public Ed is the right.

Please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^
Well then make your child--instead of the Almighty $--your priority & pick your kid up after school. Or hire a babysitter who fits your liking. Aftercare is a HUGE privilege. Public Ed is the right.

Please.

I wanted leave it at "please" but I can't help myself. You can't be serious. I don't want my kids watching movies after school and so my only choice is to leave work and pick them up myself or pay a babysitter? Sorry, can't lower my expectations that low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^
Well then make your child--instead of the Almighty $--your priority & pick your kid up after school. Or hire a babysitter who fits your liking. Aftercare is a HUGE privilege. Public Ed is the right.

Please.

I wanted leave it at "please" but I can't help myself. You can't be serious. I don't want my kids watching movies after school and so my only choice is to leave work and pick them up myself or pay a babysitter? Sorry, can't lower my expectations that low.

+1 showing movies in paid childcare is not appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Are you paying for aftercare???

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^
Well then make your child--instead of the Almighty $--your priority & pick your kid up after school. Or hire a babysitter who fits your liking. Aftercare is a HUGE privilege. Public Ed is the right.

Please.

I wanted leave it at "please" but I can't help myself. You can't be serious. I don't want my kids watching movies after school and so my only choice is to leave work and pick them up myself or pay a babysitter? Sorry, can't lower my expectations that low.