Brent parents: Give me the lowdown on the school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ stuart Hobson and Hardy are both reasonable safety schools and highly likely you could get a spot in 6th

Having lived across the street from Hobson until recently, I don't see it as a "reasonable safety school." No way. Believe it or not, police storm in to break up playground fights, with knives involved on occasion. I watched a parent get handcuffed on a squad car parked outside the school, last year with dozens of kids watching. Parents thronging the nearby sidewalk shouted "drug dealer!"

Hobson kids are often seriously rowdy when they come and go, hitting, tripping and pushing one another like mad. You see 8th grade girls dressed like hookers, to the extent possible in uniform, and hear plenty of foul language, which kids shout across E Street. Even if the honors classes are as challenging as parents claim, the peer group clearly isn't going to be acceptable to many (most?) Brent parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ stuart Hobson and Hardy are both reasonable safety schools and highly likely you could get a spot in 6th

Having lived across the street from Hobson until recently, I don't see it as a "reasonable safety school." No way. Believe it or not, police storm in to break up playground fights, with knives involved on occasion. I watched a parent get handcuffed on a squad car parked outside the school, last year with dozens of kids watching. Parents thronging the nearby sidewalk shouted "drug dealer!"

Hobson kids are often seriously rowdy when they come and go, hitting, tripping and pushing one another like mad. You see 8th grade girls dressed like hookers, to the extent possible in uniform, and hear plenty of foul language, which kids shout across E Street. Even if the honors classes are as challenging as parents claim, the peer group clearly isn't going to be acceptable to many (most?) Brent parents.

Didn't you just describe every middle school in town, outside of Deal and a few select charters?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kindergarten field trip tied into classroom projects well. The students used the experience as a subject to explore in writer's workshop. They drew maps which ties into their social studies curriculum. If there are kindergarten parents who have concerns, I'm sure the teachers would gladly expand on how it ties in.

I don't doubt that there are potential improvements to the school, but nit picking a kindergarten field trip seems like an odd area of focus.

It's akin to the broken window theory of policing. Start with the small things that are easy to address, like holding teachers to a higher standard. Brent has some terrific teachers, but too many appear to be coasting. The principal promised that parents would be able meet with teachers in the morning (which was probably not permitted under the CBA) but they pushed back and it was dropped without further mention. This is important to families with two working parents who don't use the benefit of being able to talk to their child's teacher at 3:15. He also promised monthly meetings with interested parents, but never put that into action. I could go on, but there have been a number of initiatives announced at the end of each school year which apparently vanished into thin air.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Didn't you just describe every middle school in town, outside of Deal and a few select charters?

Not necessarily. I work near a KIPP middle/high school where I don't see much rowdiness outside at all. The school uses well-trained seeming student monitors to police peer behavior on the surrounding streets and sidewalks. Low is too tame a word for behavioral standards at Hobson, or least outside Hobson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The kindergarten field trip tied into classroom projects well. The students used the experience as a subject to explore in writer's workshop. They drew maps which ties into their social studies curriculum. If there are kindergarten parents who have concerns, I'm sure the teachers would gladly expand on how it ties in.

I don't doubt that there are potential improvements to the school, but nit picking a kindergarten field trip seems like an odd area of focus.

It's akin to the broken window theory of policing. Start with the small things that are easy to address, like holding teachers to a higher standard. Brent has some terrific teachers, but too many appear to be coasting. The principal promised that parents would be able meet with teachers in the morning (which was probably not permitted under the CBA) but they pushed back and it was dropped without further mention. This is important to families with two working parents who don't use the benefit of being able to talk to their child's teacher at 3:15. He also promised monthly meetings with interested parents, but never put that into action. I could go on, but there have been a number of initiatives announced at the end of each school year which apparently vanished into thin air.

I don't doubt this. What's to be done? It sounds like the PTA and LSAT need to organize to push back.

Why does Principal Young run general PTA meetings anyway? Is there no forum for parents to talk amongst themselves without the need to tiptoe around administration? To my knowledge, PTA board meeting are closed to non-members, which doesn't help.

[Anonymous]

None of the 8 teachers my kids have had coasted, and I'm honestly confused by many posts in this forum. If anything, the LSAT is better suited to address personnel concerns, but I don't have a clear understanding of a problem that has been identified.

PTA meetings are run by the PTA president. The structure of the PTA always involves members of the school and parents by its nature. I'm not sure what other parent only groups would do. The PTA board meetings are open to the public.

It sounds like your concerns might also be better suited to the parent working groups working on the strategic plan? Although the groups are already formed, I'm sure there will be more opportunity for parent input there too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg! I thought the K field trip around the hood to the police, service/station, etc. Was pretty cool! Goes to show, no pleasing everyone.

Really? I thought it was eh.

The kids are FIVE! Still excited about everything (unlike their jaded DCUM parents), including a visit to a police station, service station, etc. At least my kids was

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The premium put on relaxation is interesting -- especially when I look around and see kids who are on travel sports teams and have mutiple practices every week and games involving hours of travel time. I guess we all have our priorities, but I have no doubt that it is more likely for my DC to go to a good univerity than be drafted/recuited to play pro ball.

Interesting. I've wondered about the attraction/turn-off to BASIS for parents due to the lack of competitive sports and the impact of the workload on out school extra curriculars like competitive sports. Are there BASIS families who manage both or do the families pursuing non-school activities shy away from BASIS altogether even if it's appropriately challenging for their kids?

I'm in your camp on that one but still have a few years to decide on MS landing spots, including private options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The kindergarten field trip tied into classroom projects well. The students used the experience as a subject to explore in writer's workshop. They drew maps which ties into their social studies curriculum. If there are kindergarten parents who have concerns, I'm sure the teachers would gladly expand on how it ties in.

I don't doubt that there are potential improvements to the school, but nit picking a kindergarten field trip seems like an odd area of focus.

It's akin to the broken window theory of policing. Start with the small things that are easy to address, like holding teachers to a higher standard. Brent has some terrific teachers, but too many appear to be coasting. The principal promised that parents would be able meet with teachers in the morning (which was probably not permitted under the CBA) but they pushed back and it was dropped without further mention. This is important to families with two working parents who don't use the benefit of being able to talk to their child's teacher at 3:15. He also promised monthly meetings with interested parents, but never put that into action. I could go on, but there have been a number of initiatives announced at the end of each school year which apparently vanished into thin air.

This is such a lame statement! The cool little kindergarten field trip (which resulted in each kid drawing and labeling a neighborhood map) is not akin to a broken window!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The premium put on relaxation is interesting -- especially when I look around and see kids who are on travel sports teams and have mutiple practices every week and games involving hours of travel time. I guess we all have our priorities, but I have no doubt that it is more likely for my DC to go to a good univerity than be drafted/recuited to play pro ball.

Interesting. I've wondered about the attraction/turn-off to BASIS for parents due to the lack of competitive sports and the impact of the workload on out school extra curriculars like competitive sports. Are there BASIS families who manage both or do the families pursuing non-school activities shy away from BASIS altogether even if it's appropriately challenging for their kids?

I'm in your camp on that one but still have a few years to decide on MS landing spots, including private options.

My kids are in sports and activities outside of BASIS. One does travel ball and another sport, plus a club at school. The other does a few outside activities, plus a club two days a week. They are busy, but if you plan it right, and anticipate things, it is very manageable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The premium put on relaxation is interesting -- especially when I look around and see kids who are on travel sports teams and have mutiple practices every week and games involving hours of travel time. I guess we all have our priorities, but I have no doubt that it is more likely for my DC to go to a good univerity than be drafted/recuited to play pro ball.

Interesting. I've wondered about the attraction/turn-off to BASIS for parents due to the lack of competitive sports and the impact of the workload on out school extra curriculars like competitive sports. Are there BASIS families who manage both or do the families pursuing non-school activities shy away from BASIS altogether even if it's appropriately challenging for their kids?

I'm in your camp on that one but still have a few years to decide on MS landing spots, including private options.

PP here -- the BASIS 7th grade kids I know are on many different neighborhood rec and travel teams. Until high school, this isn't a big deal, but I can see it being a problem soon. Hopefully there will be enough sporty kids for BASIS to field its own teams. They currently have cross country, soccer, basketball.

[Anonymous]

Ross holds steady not sure about Brent. Both feed fifth graders to BASIS and Laitin.

[Anonymous]

I am a Brent parent and it drives me mad that our teacher is do uncommunicative. She seems stressed and treats my questions like I asked her how to make sushi. I don't know why there can't be more updates about our kids. Not sure if she is the exception or this is a Brent teacher thing .

[Anonymous]

In our experience, most teachers at Brent are very good in terms of pushing communications. Each grade has its own page on the Brent website, with homework assignments and other relevant info. I think teachers are also supposed to be sending weekly updates via email. Some school systems in nearby jurisdictions maintain sophisticated portals for accessing student information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a Brent parent and it drives me mad that our teacher is do uncommunicative. She seems stressed and treats my questions like I asked her how to make sushi. I don't know why there can't be more updates about our kids. Not sure if she is the exception or this is a Brent teacher thing .

It's not a Brent thing. We're in our fourth year at Brent and all of my children's teachers have been very accessible and communicative.

This is a weird thread. Brent's a great school, the kids love it, and most parents are happy, proud, and involved. Everyone in the neighborhood knows it's great.

The field trip complaint is really odd. We're only six weeks into school; be glad they are going on field trips already!

Bottom line: some people will never be happy. Bottom line #2: people love to complain (and lie). Yes, there is a middle school feeder problem, but that's a separate issue.