Parent Essay critical of DCI

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“Can you go deeper?” is seriously a question the writer believes constitutes effective parenting? Oy.

No it’s more like I’m busy with dinner.......

[Anonymous]

Another interesting thread has been hijacked by facetious DCI boosters. Too bad.

[Anonymous]

DCI Parent here,

My kid also thought the summer reading books were easy. I had my kid read all of them a the response.

Mostly social justice and social emotional themes. All available online as electronic books. School provided a link where all the books could be accessed

There was an assignment choice for each book. Students could choose from seven submission options ( eg write an online review, create a book cover, etc.

According to my kid, no one has said anything about the summer reading and is unsure if anyone actually cares.

[Anonymous]

PP, 13:45 DCI parent here,

Kid just mentioned that students could also choose their own books and complete a project about those books, just as long as at least two were from the reading list.

Last year they read Seedfolks, which was discussed on the first day of classes.

[Anonymous]

I'm continually amazed the DCI hasn't figured out how to block YouTube on their Chromebooks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm continually amazed the DCI hasn't figured out how to block YouTube on their Chromebooks.

This is crazy this alone makes me rethink sending my kid there.

[Anonymous]

My 6th grader does not have access to Youtube. Everything is blocked except google classroom. It is my understanding that parents of kids in upper grades have the option to ask school to block YouTube, Netflix ,etc.

[Anonymous]

No youtube in 6th grade, restricted youtube in 7th grade. not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:to 15:01 - I think you sound unhinged.

She may b nuts but she has a point. Passive DC public school parents/voters are a big part of the problem. Move to the burbs and you'll get it, hon.

BTW, it's not unusual for Deal parents to band together to hire tutors, particularly to teach writing. The emails asking for takers go around. You'll see this at DCI eventually.

Signed
Unhinged Deal Parent who was in a DCI Feeder

[b]I read this article, as a both a former DCPS teacher and former charter school employee, the mother has a point. I currently teach in the suburbs and I can most assuredly tell you that the parents advocate hard as hell to ensure their children receive enrichment and acceleration [both are two different things]. As parents she and her husband seem very involved in trying to hold DCI accountable to their mission statement. There isn’t anything wrong with that. People are just upset because she is calling DCI on what is is lacking and there’s also the issue of unintentional bias that she seemingly touches upon. People in this area rarely like to admit that *their school* in DC isn’t on the golden brick road.

No teenager (white, black, Asian or other) will ask for more enriching assignments after they complete their class work, most times they are happy to have placed a check mark next to the assignment and move on. The *only* exception to this age group are my Gifted & Talented students who are eager to learn and love challenges.

One of the differences between the District (publics/charters) and suburban schools is the enrichment & acceleration component. In the District, they are philosophically opposed to enrichment & acceleration for fear that it will single out and only be beneficial to White and Asian students. IMHO, this belief is racist, in the suburbs we welcome enrichment and acceleration, we test for it, quantify the data and also recognize GT/2e (twice exceptional students who are GT but have a few learning disabilities such as ADHD/Asperger’s). In the suburbs we let the chips fall where they fall and move on. No one is trying to outrank each other in the social justice war.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:to 15:01 - I think you sound unhinged.

She may b nuts but she has a point. Passive DC public school parents/voters are a big part of the problem. Move to the burbs and you'll get it, hon.

BTW, it's not unusual for Deal parents to band together to hire tutors, particularly to teach writing. The emails asking for takers go around. You'll see this at DCI eventually.

Signed
Unhinged Deal Parent who was in a DCI Feeder

I read this article, as a both a former DCPS teacher and former charter school employee, the mother has a point. I currently teach in the suburbs and I can most assuredly tell you that the parents advocate hard as hell to ensure their children receive enrichment and acceleration [both are two different things]. As parents she and her husband seem very involved in trying to hold DCI accountable to their mission statement. There isn’t anything wrong with that. People are just upset because she is calling DCI on what is is lacking and there’s also the issue of unintentional bias that she seemingly touches upon. People in this area rarely like to admit that *their school* in DC isn’t on the golden brick road.

No teenager (white, black, Asian or other) will ask for more enriching assignments after they complete their class work, most times they are happy to have placed a check mark next to the assignment and move on. The *only* exception to this age group are my Gifted & Talented students who are eager to learn and love challenges.

One of the differences between the District (publics/charters) and suburban schools is the enrichment & acceleration component. In the District, they are philosophically opposed to enrichment & acceleration for fear that it will single out and only be beneficial to White and Asian students. IMHO, this belief is racist, in the suburbs we welcome enrichment and acceleration, we test for it, quantify the data and also recognize GT/2e (twice exceptional students who are GT but have a few learning disabilities such as ADHD/Asperger’s). In the suburbs we let the chips fall where they fall and move on. [b]No one is trying to outrank each other in the social justice war.

m"
Thanks for this thoughtful post, PP. Suburban parents not only "advocate as hard as hell to ensure that their children receive enrichment and acceleration," they campaign as hard as hell to elect politicians, at least at the Ward/very local level, who support these goals. DC parents seldom do this. They strongly prefer to be onlookers or foot soldiers in the social justice war. Alternatively, they flee public schools. Fight your corner and you're "unhinged."

[Anonymous]

no one is really talking about the numbers here... Deal had over 450 sixth graders last year, DCI over 250. this is well above the average number of sixth graders most DC middle schools in DC are charged with managing.

if your kid goes to a school with a large class, you cant expect a huge amount of differentiation, you have to supplement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:to 15:01 - I think you sound unhinged.

She may b nuts but she has a point. Passive DC public school parents/voters are a big part of the problem. Move to the burbs and you'll get it, hon.

BTW, it's not unusual for Deal parents to band together to hire tutors, particularly to teach writing. The emails asking for takers go around. You'll see this at DCI eventually.

Signed
Unhinged Deal Parent who was in a DCI Feeder

[b]I read this article, as a both a former DCPS teacher and former charter school employee, the mother has a point. I currently teach in the suburbs and I can most assuredly tell you that the parents advocate hard as hell to ensure their children receive enrichment and acceleration [both are two different things]. As parents she and her husband seem very involved in trying to hold DCI accountable to their mission statement. There isn’t anything wrong with that. People are just upset because she is calling DCI on what is is lacking and there’s also the issue of unintentional bias that she seemingly touches upon. People in this area rarely like to admit that *their school* in DC isn’t on the golden brick road.

No teenager (white, black, Asian or other) will ask for more enriching assignments after they complete their class work, most times they are happy to have placed a check mark next to the assignment and move on. The *only* exception to this age group are my Gifted & Talented students who are eager to learn and love challenges.

One of the differences between the District (publics/charters) and suburban schools is the enrichment & acceleration component. In the District, they are philosophically opposed to enrichment & acceleration for fear that it will single out and only be beneficial to White and Asian students. IMHO, this belief is racist, in the suburbs we welcome enrichment and acceleration, we test for it, quantify the data and also recognize GT/2e (twice exceptional students who are GT but have a few learning disabilities such as ADHD/Asperger’s). In the suburbs we let the chips fall where they fall and move on. No one is trying to outrank each other in the social justice war.

What suburb are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:no one is really talking about the numbers here... Deal had over 450 sixth graders last year, DCI over 250. this is well above the average number of sixth graders most DC middle schools in DC are charged with managing.

if your kid goes to a school with a large class, you cant expect a huge amount of differentiation, you have to supplement.

Why can’t DC parents expect differentiation? They are entitled to it because they pay taxes. Without a true GT curriculum, people in DC are being taxed without representation. Surely, with all the overachievers in the Nations Capital we should have a vast amount of GT kids in the diamond dimensional space called DC. DC needs to reimplement a Board of Education representing all eight wards with the Mayor being the tie breaker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:to 15:01 - I think you sound unhinged.

She may b nuts but she has a point. Passive DC public school parents/voters are a big part of the problem. Move to the burbs and you'll get it, hon.

BTW, it's not unusual for Deal parents to band together to hire tutors, particularly to teach writing. The emails asking for takers go around. You'll see this at DCI eventually.

Signed
Unhinged Deal Parent who was in a DCI Feeder

[b]I read this article, as a both a former DCPS teacher and former charter school employee, the mother has a point. I currently teach in the suburbs and I can most assuredly tell you that the parents advocate hard as hell to ensure their children receive enrichment and acceleration [both are two different things]. As parents she and her husband seem very involved in trying to hold DCI accountable to their mission statement. There isn’t anything wrong with that. People are just upset because she is calling DCI on what is is lacking and there’s also the issue of unintentional bias that she seemingly touches upon. People in this area rarely like to admit that *their school* in DC isn’t on the golden brick road.

No teenager (white, black, Asian or other) will ask for more enriching assignments after they complete their class work, most times they are happy to have placed a check mark next to the assignment and move on. The *only* exception to this age group are my Gifted & Talented students who are eager to learn and love challenges.

One of the differences between the District (publics/charters) and suburban schools is the enrichment & acceleration component. In the District, they are philosophically opposed to enrichment & acceleration for fear that it will single out and only be beneficial to White and Asian students. IMHO, this belief is racist, in the suburbs we welcome enrichment and acceleration, we test for it, quantify the data and also recognize GT/2e (twice exceptional students who are GT but have a few learning disabilities such as ADHD/Asperger’s). In the suburbs we let the chips fall where they fall and move on. No one is trying to outrank each other in the social justice war.

What suburb are you talking about?

Howard County

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:no one is really talking about the numbers here... Deal had over 450 sixth graders last year, DCI over 250. this is well above the average number of sixth graders most DC middle schools in DC are charged with managing.

if your kid goes to a school with a large class, you cant expect a huge amount of differentiation, you have to supplement.

Why can’t DC parents expect differentiation? They are entitled to it because they pay taxes. Without a true GT curriculum, people in DC are being taxed without representation. Surely, with all the overachievers in the Nations Capital we should have a vast amount of GT kids in the diamond dimensional space called DC. DC needs to reimplement a Board of Education representing all eight wards with the Mayor being the tie breaker. [/quothigj

High achieving parents does not necessarily mean gifted children. There are 90000 public school students in the city and about 2% will be gifted.

The priority in the city has to be to help the tens of thousands who are underrepresented and poor. Stop whining.