What are folks doing for MS EOTP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I don't get why neighborhoods that already have the demographics to support full honors classes, e.g. Brentwood, have to wait for years for the classes to be created. Apparently, the demographics came long before the classes at Stuart Hobson, and advanced math at Hardy (namely 7th grade algebra).

It's very difficult to get high SES parents to enroll without the honors classes. Why not just set them up once neighborhood demographics have shifted?

Because DCPS doesn't budget along those lines?? Serious Q.

That would make too much sense. Instead of luring with an obvious carrot, DCPS insists that MC/UMC folks enroll in their IB school that doesn't meet their needs and fight to turn it around. Unless of course you're a semi-important DC government employee. Then you just get plopped into a desirable WOTP school of your choice.

I feel like not just DCPS insists, half of this board also insists.

Sorry to post again but bears repeating. What is the #1 goal of DCPS closing the achievement gap. Getting more high SES people in the system expands the achievement gap which is counter to the goal of DCPS.

MS parents don't really care the achievement gap. MS is where academics become extremely important and non-negotiable for parents that really care. DCPS is more of a social program than school system. No one can answer why DC may be the only school system in the country without magnet program or component? The fall back is racial dynamics. Meanwhile, most MC\UMC African-American families chose private schools versus chancing a subpar education for their kids. If DCPS had any type of leadership, I'd be trying to lure customers back not ignore them.

oh personally I totally agree with you but again the new chancellor is going to be judged on closing the achievement gap. Adding in UMC folks expands the achievement gap and note it's not even racial anymore. The council is demanding that the at-risk gap be closed. No school district in the country has been successful doing this but again one way to fudge the numbers is to make sure non at-risk kids don't advance too quickly and you do that by not having tracking and honors classes.

I'm afraid you're quite right about this. Ooh look - we're closing the achievement gap! Yes by artificially increasing attrition of advanced and UMC students. But, it doesn't help to have research showing that lower performing kids do indeed suffer from tracking (there may be contrary research as well, but it has not moved into the category of common assumptions). I believe that is why also tracking might be unpopular on this board, among some.

I agree with you tracking is part of it too

Most places track for math as early as 4th 5th grade and then high school is all tracking but until high school the core subjects outside of math usually aren't tracked

Most "places" in the country aren't home to the highest-performing white students in any jurisdiction as a group and among the lowest-performing low SES AA students (competing with heavily minority inner cities like Detroit, Philly and Atlanta for the lowest-performing students).

If you don't track in DC in predominantly low SES schools, almost all the UMC parents stay away. It's a no-brainer. So figure out how to thoughtfully track as a lesser-of-the-evils solution. Do it for the simple reason that the poor kids clearly don't gain from the phenomenon of UMC families avoiding their schools altogether.

This is a really good point. I'm not sure that "tracking" is the answer, but if DC schools are going to integrate, the schools have to be prepared to meet the academic needs of all students.

[Anonymous]

There is already "tracking" for math and ELA at SH, Hardy and Brookland -- and perhaps more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I don't get why neighborhoods that already have the demographics to support full honors classes, e.g. Brentwood, have to wait for years for the classes to be created. Apparently, the demographics came long before the classes at Stuart Hobson, and advanced math at Hardy (namely 7th grade algebra).

It's very difficult to get high SES parents to enroll without the honors classes. Why not just set them up once neighborhood demographics have shifted?

Because DCPS doesn't budget along those lines?? Serious Q.

That would make too much sense. Instead of luring with an obvious carrot, DCPS insists that MC/UMC folks enroll in their IB school that doesn't meet their needs and fight to turn it around. Unless of course you're a semi-important DC government employee. Then you just get plopped into a desirable WOTP school of your choice.

I feel like not just DCPS insists, half of this board also insists.

Sorry to post again but bears repeating. What is the #1 goal of DCPS closing the achievement gap. Getting more high SES people in the system expands the achievement gap which is counter to the goal of DCPS.

MS parents don't really care the achievement gap. MS is where academics become extremely important and non-negotiable for parents that really care. DCPS is more of a social program than school system. No one can answer why DC may be the only school system in the country without magnet program or component? The fall back is racial dynamics. Meanwhile, most MC\UMC African-American families chose private schools versus chancing a subpar education for their kids. If DCPS had any type of leadership, I'd be trying to lure customers back not ignore them.

oh personally I totally agree with you but again the new chancellor is going to be judged on closing the achievement gap. Adding in UMC folks expands the achievement gap and note it's not even racial anymore. The council is demanding that the at-risk gap be closed. No school district in the country has been successful doing this but again one way to fudge the numbers is to make sure non at-risk kids don't advance too quickly and you do that by not having tracking and honors classes.

I'm afraid you're quite right about this. Ooh look - we're closing the achievement gap! Yes by artificially increasing attrition of advanced and UMC students. But, it doesn't help to have research showing that lower performing kids do indeed suffer from tracking (there may be contrary research as well, but it has not moved into the category of common assumptions). I believe that is why also tracking might be unpopular on this board, among some.

I agree with you tracking is part of it too

Most places track for math as early as 4th 5th grade and then high school is all tracking but until high school the core subjects outside of math usually aren't tracked

Most "places" in the country aren't home to the highest-performing white students in any jurisdiction as a group and among the lowest-performing low SES AA students (competing with heavily minority inner cities like Detroit, Philly and Atlanta for the lowest-performing students).

If you don't track in DC in predominantly low SES schools, almost all the UMC parents stay away. It's a no-brainer. So figure out how to thoughtfully track as a lesser-of-the-evils solution. Do it for the simple reason that the poor kids clearly don't gain from the phenomenon of UMC families avoiding their schools altogether.

This is a really good point. I'm not sure that "tracking" is the answer, but if DC schools are going to integrate, the schools have to be prepared to meet the academic needs of all students.

This suggests that only white students need higher level classes.

[Anonymous]

our elementary school has been like that so far. We are awake to the fact that our son is an academic and testing star compared to his peers, but at every point when we have checked in, he is still learning and being challenged. I want integrated classes for him all the way up, and I've seen middle school schedules that look like it works - 5 classes a day, 3 with mixed peers and 2 where there's leveled learning (e.g., Algebra instead of 7th grade math). It looks doable. When things stall out, we revisit, but we're not pulling any plugs prematurely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mainly in the Takoma, Brightwood, Brightwood Park, Petworth and Fort Totten neighbohoods. Where do folks send their 10, 11 and 12 year olds? We are in a feeder for MacFarland and want to take a hard pass on it.

Currently in the 3rd grade and hope to "win" the lottery for a feeder with a decent MS.

Why won't you give McFarland a chance to mature before you "hard pass". You are very lucky to have a center feeder.

We think the English-only path won't be supported or as rigorous as the Spanish track.

Greetings! I am the 8th grade ELA teacher at MacFarland. I strongly encourage you learn more about the academic programs we offer before jumping to conclusions about the academic programs we offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mainly in the Takoma, Brightwood, Brightwood Park, Petworth and Fort Totten neighbohoods. Where do folks send their 10, 11 and 12 year olds? We are in a feeder for MacFarland and want to take a hard pass on it.

Currently in the 3rd grade and hope to "win" the lottery for a feeder with a decent MS.

Why won't you give McFarland a chance to mature before you "hard pass". You are very lucky to have a center feeder.

We think the English-only path won't be supported or as rigorous as the Spanish track.

Greetings! I am the 8th grade ELA teacher at MacFarland. I strongly encourage you learn more about the academic programs we offer before jumping to conclusions about the academic programs we offer.

Ha! The sentence I wrote is a mess! Not a good look for the ELA teacher, but you get my point. Please take the time to learn about our school community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I don't get why neighborhoods that already have the demographics to support full honors classes, e.g. Brentwood, have to wait for years for the classes to be created. Apparently, the demographics came long before the classes at Stuart Hobson, and advanced math at Hardy (namely 7th grade algebra).

It's very difficult to get high SES parents to enroll without the honors classes. Why not just set them up once neighborhood demographics have shifted?

Because DCPS doesn't budget along those lines?? Serious Q.

That would make too much sense. Instead of luring with an obvious carrot, DCPS insists that MC/UMC folks enroll in their IB school that doesn't meet their needs and fight to turn it around. Unless of course you're a semi-important DC government employee. Then you just get plopped into a desirable WOTP school of your choice.

I feel like not just DCPS insists, half of this board also insists.

Sorry to post again but bears repeating. What is the #1 goal of DCPS closing the achievement gap. Getting more high SES people in the system expands the achievement gap which is counter to the goal of DCPS.

MS parents don't really care the achievement gap. MS is where academics become extremely important and non-negotiable for parents that really care. DCPS is more of a social program than school system. No one can answer why DC may be the only school system in the country without magnet program or component? The fall back is racial dynamics. Meanwhile, most MC\UMC African-American families chose private schools versus chancing a subpar education for their kids. If DCPS had any type of leadership, I'd be trying to lure customers back not ignore them.

oh personally I totally agree with you but again the new chancellor is going to be judged on closing the achievement gap. Adding in UMC folks expands the achievement gap and note it's not even racial anymore. The council is demanding that the at-risk gap be closed. No school district in the country has been successful doing this but again one way to fudge the numbers is to make sure non at-risk kids don't advance too quickly and you do that by not having tracking and honors classes.

I'm afraid you're quite right about this. Ooh look - we're closing the achievement gap! Yes by artificially increasing attrition of advanced and UMC students. But, it doesn't help to have research showing that lower performing kids do indeed suffer from tracking (there may be contrary research as well, but it has not moved into the category of common assumptions). I believe that is why also tracking might be unpopular on this board, among some.

I agree with you tracking is part of it too

Most places track for math as early as 4th 5th grade and then high school is all tracking but until high school the core subjects outside of math usually aren't tracked

Most "places" in the country aren't home to the highest-performing white students in any jurisdiction as a group and among the lowest-performing low SES AA students (competing with heavily minority inner cities like Detroit, Philly and Atlanta for the lowest-performing students).

If you don't track in DC in predominantly low SES schools, almost all the UMC parents stay away. It's a no-brainer. So figure out how to thoughtfully track as a lesser-of-the-evils solution. Do it for the simple reason that the poor kids clearly don't gain from the phenomenon of UMC families avoiding their schools altogether.

This is a really good point. I'm not sure that "tracking" is the answer, but if DC schools are going to integrate, the schools have to be prepared to meet the academic needs of all students.

This suggests that only white students need higher level classes.

DP here. No, integration of SES is a big issue too. Lots of UMC non-white families have stayed away from public schools, both DCPS and charters. Some are trying it now that private tuition has skyrocketed, but there are valid concerns regarding being able to meet their children's needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mainly in the Takoma, Brightwood, Brightwood Park, Petworth and Fort Totten neighbohoods. Where do folks send their 10, 11 and 12 year olds? We are in a feeder for MacFarland and want to take a hard pass on it.

Currently in the 3rd grade and hope to "win" the lottery for a feeder with a decent MS.

Why won't you give McFarland a chance to mature before you "hard pass". You are very lucky to have a center feeder.

We think the English-only path won't be supported or as rigorous as the Spanish track.

Greetings! I am the 8th grade ELA teacher at MacFarland. I strongly encourage you learn more about the academic programs we offer before jumping to conclusions about the academic programs we offer.

Ha! The sentence I wrote is a mess! Not a good look for the ELA teacher, but you get my point. Please take the time to learn about our school community.

We can see your demographics for ourselves, and we know that the achievement gap isn't a gap, it's a chasm. We also know that MacFarland doesn't offer a test-in program for students who work at or above grade level.

Sadly, you can market your school cheerfully without being able to offer us what we're looking for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mainly in the Takoma, Brightwood, Brightwood Park, Petworth and Fort Totten neighbohoods. Where do folks send their 10, 11 and 12 year olds? We are in a feeder for MacFarland and want to take a hard pass on it.

Currently in the 3rd grade and hope to "win" the lottery for a feeder with a decent MS.

Why won't you give McFarland a chance to mature before you "hard pass". You are very lucky to have a center feeder.

We think the English-only path won't be supported or as rigorous as the Spanish track.

Greetings! I am the 8th grade ELA teacher at MacFarland. I strongly encourage you learn more about the academic programs we offer before jumping to conclusions about the academic programs we offer.

Ha! The sentence I wrote is a mess! Not a good look for the ELA teacher, but you get my point. Please take the time to learn about our school community.

We can see your demographics for ourselves, and we know that the achievement gap isn't a gap, it's a chasm. We also know that MacFarland doesn't offer a test-in program for students who work at or above grade level.

Sadly, you can market your school cheerfully without being able to offer us what we're looking for.

NP. So demographics is destiny, end of story? The ELA teacher asked you to look at their academic program offerings. Where is there a test-in program in DCPS for MS anywhere?

[Anonymous]

I think we in the soon-to-be-at MacFarland cohort don't need test-in demographics lady...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mainly in the Takoma, Brightwood, Brightwood Park, Petworth and Fort Totten neighbohoods. Where do folks send their 10, 11 and 12 year olds? We are in a feeder for MacFarland and want to take a hard pass on it.

Currently in the 3rd grade and hope to "win" the lottery for a feeder with a decent MS.

Why won't you give McFarland a chance to mature before you "hard pass". You are very lucky to have a center feeder.

We think the English-only path won't be supported or as rigorous as the Spanish track.

Greetings! I am the 8th grade ELA teacher at MacFarland. I strongly encourage you learn more about the academic programs we offer before jumping to conclusions about the academic programs we offer.

Ha! The sentence I wrote is a mess! Not a good look for the ELA teacher, but you get my point. Please take the time to learn about our school community.

We can see your demographics for ourselves, and we know that the achievement gap isn't a gap, it's a chasm. We also know that MacFarland doesn't offer a test-in program for students who work at or above grade level.

Sadly, you can market your school cheerfully without being able to offer us what we're looking for.

NP. So demographics is destiny, end of story? The ELA teacher asked you to look at their academic program offerings. Where is there a test-in program in DCPS for MS anywhere?

For us, yes. Call us realists, or trolls, that's the name of that tune. Academic offerings are meaningless to us without a cohort of UMC peers who are strong students. We're happy for poor kids to be in class with ours, indeed we prefer to have them, as long as they work at or above grade level in every subject.

Stuart Hobson doesn't permit students who don't work at grade level into their honors classes. That's as close to as a test-in program as we can find. If we don't get into Washington Latin at the end of the month, we will move on from Tyler SI to SH for middle school because we're in-boundary and can find the peer group we're looking for there. We plan to use a MoCo Spanish program on weekends and hire Spanish tutors. SH Hobson principal will permit us to home school in advanced Spanish with other Tyler families who won't go on to MacFarland. Not too bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think we in the soon-to-be-at MacFarland cohort don't need test-in demographics lady...

Ugh, it looks like she's coming to Stuart-Hobson, where my kids go/went. Maybe she will learn that the honors for all at SH is more flexible and more diverse than she expects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mainly in the Takoma, Brightwood, Brightwood Park, Petworth and Fort Totten neighbohoods. Where do folks send their 10, 11 and 12 year olds? We are in a feeder for MacFarland and want to take a hard pass on it.

Currently in the 3rd grade and hope to "win" the lottery for a feeder with a decent MS.

Why won't you give McFarland a chance to mature before you "hard pass". You are very lucky to have a center feeder.

We think the English-only path won't be supported or as rigorous as the Spanish track.

Greetings! I am the 8th grade ELA teacher at MacFarland. I strongly encourage you learn more about the academic programs we offer before jumping to conclusions about the academic programs we offer.

Ha! The sentence I wrote is a mess! Not a good look for the ELA teacher, but you get my point. Please take the time to learn about our school community.

We can see your demographics for ourselves, and we know that the achievement gap isn't a gap, it's a chasm. We also know that MacFarland doesn't offer a test-in program for students who work at or above grade level.

Sadly, you can market your school cheerfully without being able to offer us what we're looking for.

Let's face it. You're looking for a sheltered environment where you won't need to face any difficult realities. Hopefully your kid is more resilient than you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mainly in the Takoma, Brightwood, Brightwood Park, Petworth and Fort Totten neighbohoods. Where do folks send their 10, 11 and 12 year olds? We are in a feeder for MacFarland and want to take a hard pass on it.

Currently in the 3rd grade and hope to "win" the lottery for a feeder with a decent MS.

Why won't you give McFarland a chance to mature before you "hard pass". You are very lucky to have a center feeder.

We think the English-only path won't be supported or as rigorous as the Spanish track.

Greetings! I am the 8th grade ELA teacher at MacFarland. I strongly encourage you learn more about the academic programs we offer before jumping to conclusions about the academic programs we offer.

Ha! The sentence I wrote is a mess! Not a good look for the ELA teacher, but you get my point. Please take the time to learn about our school community.

To the MacFarland teacher - Are all IB students able to enter into the dual language program at MacFarland or only those from the right schools? If you were a kid from one of the other schools how would it make you feel when you are not given the same opportunity as your peers because you didn’t go to the right school in elementary.

[Anonymous]

Dude you know the answer to this. You can enter DL at MacFarland if you can test at grade level in Spanish. Otherwise you take 3 classes with your friends who are doing DL classes instead of all 5.