Jefferson Middle School Academy

[Anonymous]

^^well, I think we can imagine that the person who posted the above has a, well, specific perspective. I don't really care how old teachers are or if they drink outside of school. And I'm not convinced that "veteran old school teachers" have "proven teaching skills." I took a Spanish class with a woman who taught at Jefferson for a long time--and was stunned to learn she'd taught Spanish, considering NONE of us in the class were even close to fluent! Double blocks can make a lot of sense, too. But I agree that social studies and science are important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:JA is an absolute mess and the mess is well hidden by DCPS. Children can't read, teachers have no classroom management, the leadership is well connected to central office in the form of the area superintendent who ruled JA a tyrant and got away with it cause she was personal friends with the former chancellors. The staff turnover is ridiculously high. In seven years, they've had more than 60 teaches and staff leave!! No continuity. They had a doctorate level teacher working as the 8th grade teacher whom N.G. excesses her only for Deal to quickly scoop her up! The current principal is a N.G. blind follower and neither can move overall achievement and growth. The few teachers that remain are young and doing their community service for loan forgiveness and will be leaving as soon as they put their time in as well. The only way this school will succeed is if they stop hiring and rating people H.E. because they are drunken drinking buddies (troll their social media sites for proof) and actually keep good teachers and staff regardless of personal feelings; stop teaching to the test; and hire some veteran old school teachers with proven teaching skills; brighten that dark dreary place up; STOP MAKING M.S. kids walk in a straight line like they are in prison or elementary school; stop the union busting; stop making teachers work until 5pm with an expectation to come in early the next day three out of five days; TEACH THE common core CURRICULM; stop the double blocks (kids brains are fried with 90 straight minutes of math and ELA); offer a TRUE HISTORY AND SCIENCE CURRICULUM (what is a damn humanities block)!!! When these things begin occurring, you may begin to see enrollment from Brent families and Thompson families (who are TOLD JA is a BAD School). Until then, I wouldn't send my enemies' child to JA! Not a Devos fan but she got that one right!!!

Whoa, this post interesting. Not remotely well-written or balanced, but interesting to this Brent parent. If true, the galloping staff turnover is indeed a worry.

Thanks for sharing.

[Anonymous]

^^^ This isn't an English class, you get what you get when typing from a mobile device. And as a Brent parent, whom I'm sure isn't strongly considering JA anyway (because none of you ever do) then do some actual research into the school. Contact Deal and ask if they have a math teacher with a doctorate degree who transferred from JA because she was excessed. Then ask if there AP came from JA as well. Then Google past JA faculty (the internet leaves a fingerprint of everything). In 2011 they have TWO separately functioning schools in one building, JMS and JA. It didn't work, two different ways to operate a building, educate and function. In 2011, about 10 people from JMS left. In 2012 they lost about 12 staff members (half were left over teachers from JMS-other half were new to JA); 2013 lost about 15; 2014 lost about 13; 2015 lost about 11. And the hemorrhaging continues. I would highly recommend you do a "pop up" visit and STOP attending the perfectly planned and manicured visits days. In those moments the illusion is created. Problem students are hidden; problem classes are ignored or hidden, and parents are greated and fed light snacks and guided to the classes where teachers are instructed and warned to present great, engaging lessons. Visit when they aren't expecting you and that holds true for ANY school.

And for the person who says they don't care if their teachers drink on their off time, you're foolish. Children look to the adults in their lives for direction and JA teachers and staff are oftentimes friends on social media with their students and their parents. If you want to maintain a private life and get drunk accordingly, then you shouldn't invite your students and their families into your personal lives. 3/4 of the staff violate the DCPS social media policy of not befriending students, not giving them access to your personal sites, AND NOT POSTING PICTURES OF STUDENTS ON THEIR PERSONAL PAGES!! But what do I care I would never send my child to a school where educators don't even practice common sense. But then having sense isn't common and it damn sure isn't easy when your old principal NG is a drunk managing a bunch of drunks. Hard to make good decisions. But I digressed, the school is about 20 years away from being useful to anyone interested in obtaining a good free education.

[Anonymous]

OK, but I wouldn't be so sure that nobody at Brent is seriously consider JA. In recent months, a bunch of the parent of rising 4th and 5th graders have been swearing up and down that they will enroll their children in 6th grade. The rest of us will believe it when we see it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^ This isn't an English class, you get what you get when typing from a mobile device. And as a Brent parent, whom I'm sure isn't strongly considering JA anyway (because none of you ever do) then do some actual research into the school. Contact Deal and ask if they have a math teacher with a doctorate degree who transferred from JA because she was excessed. Then ask if there AP came from JA as well. Then Google past JA faculty (the internet leaves a fingerprint of everything). In 2011 they have TWO separately functioning schools in one building, JMS and JA. It didn't work, two different ways to operate a building, educate and function. In 2011, about 10 people from JMS left. In 2012 they lost about 12 staff members (half were left over teachers from JMS-other half were new to JA); 2013 lost about 15; 2014 lost about 13; 2015 lost about 11. And the hemorrhaging continues. I would highly recommend you do a "pop up" visit and STOP attending the perfectly planned and manicured visits days. In those moments the illusion is created. Problem students are hidden; problem classes are ignored or hidden, and parents are greated and fed light snacks and guided to the classes where teachers are instructed and warned to present great, engaging lessons. Visit when they aren't expecting you and that holds true for ANY school.

And for the person who says they don't care if their teachers drink on their off time, you're foolish. Children look to the adults in their lives for direction and JA teachers and staff are oftentimes friends on social media with their students and their parents. If you want to maintain a private life and get drunk accordingly, then you shouldn't invite your students and their families into your personal lives. 3/4 of the staff violate the DCPS social media policy of not befriending students, not giving them access to your personal sites, AND NOT POSTING PICTURES OF STUDENTS ON THEIR PERSONAL PAGES!! But what do I care I would never send my child to a school where educators don't even practice common sense. But then having sense isn't common and it damn sure isn't easy when your old principal NG is a drunk managing a bunch of drunks. Hard to make good decisions. But I digressed, the school is about 20 years away from being useful to anyone interested in obtaining a good free education.

Did NG fire you, PP?

[Anonymous]

I probably shouldn't have asked that, and I apologize. But this does sound vendetta-like.

[Anonymous]

^^^^ not the poster you were replying to but I am a teacher at another DCPS middle school. NG's reputation is well known. She is insufferable. Don't believe me? Ask the middle school teachers that were recently fired or unexpectedly 'resigned.'

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^^ not the poster you were replying to but I am a teacher at another DCPS middle school. NG's reputation is well known. She is insufferable. Don't believe me? Ask the middle school teachers that were recently fired or unexpectedly 'resigned.'

How many of the 11 middle schools under her are getting new principals next year?

[Anonymous]

sorry I meant principals. six new principals