What’s going on at Travilah ES?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why some people still think our school is doing fine!

The teacher turnover rate at our school is very high. Since the principal joined, only three teachers have remained. The principal claimed the turnover rate is 18%, but this is not accurate. Even if it were true, the turnover rate for MCPS over the past four years is 4.85% (excluding retirement based on the principal), according to page 101 of this report (chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/Resources/Files/REPORTS/2024/MCPS-2024.pdf)

Despite the principal's year-end message stating that only 50% of 5th graders met the benchmark, our school's MCAP math test scores have dropped from nearly 90 in 2018 to 62.5 in 2023. We went from being one of the highest-achieving schools in the cluster to the lowest-achieving. It's important to note that neither our cluster schools, MCPS, nor the state of Maryland have experienced this decline.

These are valid questions and concerns. The principal doesn't seem to have an answer. She mentioned having improvement plans, but what are they? Where are they? Based on the MCPS Leadership Standards, Criteria, and Descriptive Examples, she is very ineffective.

Sadly, this isn’t going to turn around quickly. As the principal drove away basically the entire teaching and support staff in a few years and has revolving door for new hires, it will be very hard to attract good teachers. If luck strikes and a qualified teacher does choose Travilah they won’t stay. This plays out in mismanaged classrooms, increased bullying and lower academic performance.

Best options for parents. 1. Go private if you can afford it for K-5. Frost is still good so plan to enter Frost in middle school.
2. Stay but become very involved. Document and send a complaint to the BOE whenever you experience the principal screaming at someone, too high a % of instructional time being delivered by a substitute, safety issues from lack of supervision at drop off, pick up , lunch and recess, bullying, and non responsive in a timely manner behavior. Despite MCPS appearing to circle the wagons, they are aware. The hope is that parents will just slink away. If you stick with it, a sustained volume of actionable offenses will require action. 3. Do not trust the school to educate your child. Focus at home on providing adequate math and language arts instruction, use outside tutors, on line programs and whatever it takes. View Travilah as a daycare where your child gets socialization and is watched by babysitters.

Face it, most of you are too poor for private, despite your haughty attitudes (and aging homes and middling bank accounts). So you will stay and life will go on. The truly wealthy will continue to go private because they can afford to pay for a good education. You, not so much. When will you accept that public school is like eating at the buffet - limited options but every now and then you find something you like. You just have to accept that.You can scream until you're red in the face, sending emails every hour but at the end of the day, you're just another poor customer in line at the buffet.

So you're one of the lucky families who spent nearly $2 million to buy into the lowest-scoring school in the cluster?😅

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why some people still think our school is doing fine!

The teacher turnover rate at our school is very high. Since the principal joined, only three teachers have remained. The principal claimed the turnover rate is 18%, but this is not accurate. Even if it were true, the turnover rate for MCPS over the past four years is 4.85% (excluding retirement based on the principal), according to page 101 of this report (chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/Resources/Files/REPORTS/2024/MCPS-2024.pdf)

Despite the principal's year-end message stating that only 50% of 5th graders met the benchmark, our school's MCAP math test scores have dropped from nearly 90 in 2018 to 62.5 in 2023. We went from being one of the highest-achieving schools in the cluster to the lowest-achieving. It's important to note that neither our cluster schools, MCPS, nor the state of Maryland have experienced this decline.

These are valid questions and concerns. The principal doesn't seem to have an answer. She mentioned having improvement plans, but what are they? Where are they? Based on the MCPS Leadership Standards, Criteria, and Descriptive Examples, she is very ineffective.

Sadly, this isn’t going to turn around quickly. As the principal drove away basically the entire teaching and support staff in a few years and has revolving door for new hires, it will be very hard to attract good teachers. If luck strikes and a qualified teacher does choose Travilah they won’t stay. This plays out in mismanaged classrooms, increased bullying and lower academic performance.

Best options for parents. 1. Go private if you can afford it for K-5. Frost is still good so plan to enter Frost in middle school.
2. Stay but become very involved. Document and send a complaint to the BOE whenever you experience the principal screaming at someone, too high a % of instructional time being delivered by a substitute, safety issues from lack of supervision at drop off, pick up , lunch and recess, bullying, and non responsive in a timely manner behavior. Despite MCPS appearing to circle the wagons, they are aware. The hope is that parents will just slink away. If you stick with it, a sustained volume of actionable offenses will require action. 3. Do not trust the school to educate your child. Focus at home on providing adequate math and language arts instruction, use outside tutors, on line programs and whatever it takes. View Travilah as a daycare where your child gets socialization and is watched by babysitters.

Face it, most of you are too poor for private, despite your haughty attitudes (and aging homes and middling bank accounts). So you will stay and life will go on. The truly wealthy will continue to go private because they can afford to pay for a good education. You, not so much. When will you accept that public school is like eating at the buffet - limited options but every now and then you find something you like. You just have to accept that.You can scream until you're red in the face, sending emails every hour but at the end of the day, you're just another poor customer in line at the buffet.

This is not true. Let's ignore the noise and keep pushing forward for the betterment of our community and our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why some people still think our school is doing fine!

The teacher turnover rate at our school is very high. Since the principal joined, only three teachers have remained. The principal claimed the turnover rate is 18%, but this is not accurate. Even if it were true, the turnover rate for MCPS over the past four years is 4.85% (excluding retirement based on the principal), according to page 101 of this report (chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/Resources/Files/REPORTS/2024/MCPS-2024.pdf)

Despite the principal's year-end message stating that only 50% of 5th graders met the benchmark, our school's MCAP math test scores have dropped from nearly 90 in 2018 to 62.5 in 2023. We went from being one of the highest-achieving schools in the cluster to the lowest-achieving. It's important to note that neither our cluster schools, MCPS, nor the state of Maryland have experienced this decline.

These are valid questions and concerns. The principal doesn't seem to have an answer. She mentioned having improvement plans, but what are they? Where are they? Based on the MCPS Leadership Standards, Criteria, and Descriptive Examples, she is very ineffective.

Sadly, this isn’t going to turn around quickly. As the principal drove away basically the entire teaching and support staff in a few years and has revolving door for new hires, it will be very hard to attract good teachers. If luck strikes and a qualified teacher does choose Travilah they won’t stay. This plays out in mismanaged classrooms, increased bullying and lower academic performance.

Best options for parents. 1. Go private if you can afford it for K-5. Frost is still good so plan to enter Frost in middle school.
2. Stay but become very involved. Document and send a complaint to the BOE whenever you experience the principal screaming at someone, too high a % of instructional time being delivered by a substitute, safety issues from lack of supervision at drop off, pick up , lunch and recess, bullying, and non responsive in a timely manner behavior. Despite MCPS appearing to circle the wagons, they are aware. The hope is that parents will just slink away. If you stick with it, a sustained volume of actionable offenses will require action. 3. Do not trust the school to educate your child. Focus at home on providing adequate math and language arts instruction, use outside tutors, on line programs and whatever it takes. View Travilah as a daycare where your child gets socialization and is watched by babysitters.

Face it, most of you are too poor for private, despite your haughty attitudes (and aging homes and middling bank accounts). So you will stay and life will go on. The truly wealthy will continue to go private because they can afford to pay for a good education. You, not so much. When will you accept that public school is like eating at the buffet - limited options but every now and then you find something you like. You just have to accept that.You can scream until you're red in the face, sending emails every hour but at the end of the day, you're just another poor customer in line at the buffet.

I understand the frustration, but dismissing efforts to improve our school as futile isn't helpful. Many of us are committed to making Travilah better for our kids, whether we can afford private school or not. Documenting issues and persistently advocating for change is essential. Travilah can and should provide a quality education just like 5-6 years ago, and it's up to us to demand it. There is nothing wrong to hold the administration accountable and support each other in this effort.

This!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why some people still think our school is doing fine!

The teacher turnover rate at our school is very high. Since the principal joined, only three teachers have remained. The principal claimed the turnover rate is 18%, but this is not accurate. Even if it were true, the turnover rate for MCPS over the past four years is 4.85% (excluding retirement based on the principal), according to page 101 of this report (chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/Resources/Files/REPORTS/2024/MCPS-2024.pdf)

Despite the principal's year-end message stating that only 50% of 5th graders met the benchmark, our school's MCAP math test scores have dropped from nearly 90 in 2018 to 62.5 in 2023. We went from being one of the highest-achieving schools in the cluster to the lowest-achieving. It's important to note that neither our cluster schools, MCPS, nor the state of Maryland have experienced this decline.

These are valid questions and concerns. The principal doesn't seem to have an answer. She mentioned having improvement plans, but what are they? Where are they? Based on the MCPS Leadership Standards, Criteria, and Descriptive Examples, she is very ineffective.

Sadly, this isn’t going to turn around quickly. As the principal drove away basically the entire teaching and support staff in a few years and has revolving door for new hires, it will be very hard to attract good teachers. If luck strikes and a qualified teacher does choose Travilah they won’t stay. This plays out in mismanaged classrooms, increased bullying and lower academic performance.

Best options for parents. 1. Go private if you can afford it for K-5. Frost is still good so plan to enter Frost in middle school.
2. Stay but become very involved. Document and send a complaint to the BOE whenever you experience the principal screaming at someone, too high a % of instructional time being delivered by a substitute, safety issues from lack of supervision at drop off, pick up , lunch and recess, bullying, and non responsive in a timely manner behavior. Despite MCPS appearing to circle the wagons, they are aware. The hope is that parents will just slink away. If you stick with it, a sustained volume of actionable offenses will require action. 3. Do not trust the school to educate your child. Focus at home on providing adequate math and language arts instruction, use outside tutors, on line programs and whatever it takes. View Travilah as a daycare where your child gets socialization and is watched by babysitters.

Face it, most of you are too poor for private, despite your haughty attitudes (and aging homes and middling bank accounts). So you will stay and life will go on. The truly wealthy will continue to go private because they can afford to pay for a good education. You, not so much. When will you accept that public school is like eating at the buffet - limited options but every now and then you find something you like. You just have to accept that.You can scream until you're red in the face, sending emails every hour but at the end of the day, you're just another poor customer in line at the buffet.

Who are you to judge who is poor and who isn't and why someone should be poor to go to public school. Your school, if indeed you actually even have children who go there, needs help. Maybe that is not your opinion but the things happening at this school are real, they are not normal, and they are not acceptable. The teachers and students are suffering and enough is enough. There are a lot of stories that you are not even hearing about that the staff are living.

[Anonymous]

Can someone share the situation with the 3rd grade teacher? We will have a 3rd grader there next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why some people still think our school is doing fine!

The teacher turnover rate at our school is very high. Since the principal joined, only three teachers have remained. The principal claimed the turnover rate is 18%, but this is not accurate. Even if it were true, the turnover rate for MCPS over the past four years is 4.85% (excluding retirement based on the principal), according to page 101 of this report (chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/Resources/Files/REPORTS/2024/MCPS-2024.pdf)

Despite the principal's year-end message stating that only 50% of 5th graders met the benchmark, our school's MCAP math test scores have dropped from nearly 90 in 2018 to 62.5 in 2023. We went from being one of the highest-achieving schools in the cluster to the lowest-achieving. It's important to note that neither our cluster schools, MCPS, nor the state of Maryland have experienced this decline.

These are valid questions and concerns. The principal doesn't seem to have an answer. She mentioned having improvement plans, but what are they? Where are they? Based on the MCPS Leadership Standards, Criteria, and Descriptive Examples, she is very ineffective.

Sadly, this isn’t going to turn around quickly. As the principal drove away basically the entire teaching and support staff in a few years and has revolving door for new hires, it will be very hard to attract good teachers. If luck strikes and a qualified teacher does choose Travilah they won’t stay. This plays out in mismanaged classrooms, increased bullying and lower academic performance.

Best options for parents. 1. Go private if you can afford it for K-5. Frost is still good so plan to enter Frost in middle school.
2. Stay but become very involved. Document and send a complaint to the BOE whenever you experience the principal screaming at someone, too high a % of instructional time being delivered by a substitute, safety issues from lack of supervision at drop off, pick up , lunch and recess, bullying, and non responsive in a timely manner behavior. Despite MCPS appearing to circle the wagons, they are aware. The hope is that parents will just slink away. If you stick with it, a sustained volume of actionable offenses will require action. 3. Do not trust the school to educate your child. Focus at home on providing adequate math and language arts instruction, use outside tutors, on line programs and whatever it takes. View Travilah as a daycare where your child gets socialization and is watched by babysitters.

Face it, most of you are too poor for private, despite your haughty attitudes (and aging homes and middling bank accounts). So you will stay and life will go on. The truly wealthy will continue to go private because they can afford to pay for a good education. You, not so much. When will you accept that public school is like eating at the buffet - limited options but every now and then you find something you like. You just have to accept that.You can scream until you're red in the face, sending emails every hour but at the end of the day, you're just another poor customer in line at the buffet.

Who are you to judge who is poor and who isn't and why someone should be poor to go to public school. Your school, if indeed you actually even have children who go there, needs help. Maybe that is not your opinion but the things happening at this school are real, they are not normal, and they are not acceptable. The teachers and students are suffering and enough is enough. There are a lot of stories that you are not even hearing about that the staff are living.

Suffering, huh? So dramatic.

[Anonymous]

I know forums like this are easy to hide behind and say all kinds of things you would not say to someone in person. So while we work together with the admin to improve things, let’s attempt to keep the vitriol down at least among us parents. We can agree we want things to be better even if we disagree on numbers and how things are calculated. And many of these posts actually do sound like a witch hunt on the principal- we can do without that, assume good intent, and work with the admin to improve things. Otherwise a small group of parents are shooting the rest of us in the foot with the principal blame game. It’s not going to go anywhere with MCPS- they go by their numbers and calculations, not a group of parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know forums like this are easy to hide behind and say all kinds of things you would not say to someone in person. So while we work together with the admin to improve things, let’s attempt to keep the vitriol down at least among us parents. We can agree we want things to be better even if we disagree on numbers and how things are calculated. And many of these posts actually do sound like a witch hunt on the principal- we can do without that, assume good intent, and work with the admin to improve things. Otherwise a small group of parents are shooting the rest of us in the foot with the principal blame game. It’s not going to go anywhere with MCPS- they go by their numbers and calculations, not a group of parents.

Don’t underestimate the power of parent voice w/CO folks.

[Anonymous]

What happened at travilah es? 3 of my kids graduated there. Just visited the school for my nephew’s graduation and wondering where the teachers went? Don’t know any of them. 🧐

[Anonymous]

If nothing improves, I believe the parents concerned about teacher turnover and test scores will make sure their kids meet benchmarks and score 90+. It's the families who don't recognize the problem whose kids will suffer. There's nothing wrong with parents who are okay with not meeting benchmarks and having an average score of 60+, but we can do better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What happened at travilah es? 3 of my kids graduated there. Just visited the school for my nephew’s graduation and wondering where the teachers went? Don’t know any of them. 🧐

Most of the teachers are all gone, we have 3 k-5 teachers are still here since 2019 school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know forums like this are easy to hide behind and say all kinds of things you would not say to someone in person. So while we work together with the admin to improve things, let’s attempt to keep the vitriol down at least among us parents. We can agree we want things to be better even if we disagree on numbers and how things are calculated. And many of these posts actually do sound like a witch hunt on the principal- we can do without that, assume good intent, and work with the admin to improve things. Otherwise a small group of parents are shooting the rest of us in the foot with the principal blame game. It’s not going to go anywhere with MCPS- they go by their numbers and calculations, not a group of parents.

Yep - this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What happened at travilah es? 3 of my kids graduated there. Just visited the school for my nephew’s graduation and wondering where the teachers went? Don’t know any of them. 🧐

Really? You've never seen staff turnover? I wish the annoying, "Oh my gosh, I visited the school and noticed they painted the doorbell" posts would just give it up. You sound dumb. Yes, things have changed since you left the school. I've heard first hand of so many schools having lots of staff changes. It happens. And usually when one or two people leave, others start to leave as well, especially when there is a new supervisor/principal. It's like the parents posting have never worked a day in their life.

[Anonymous]

The entire school leaving within your first few years is not normal staff turnover.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The entire school leaving within your first few years is not normal staff turnover.

Yep!