Ludlow-Taylor getting a new a new Principal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's statistics.

In DC, white= higher probability of being high SES= higher probability of no/low issues in academics in progeny= higher probability that the school attended will be 'good'.

Not because the school is actually good but because the load of issues that school might have to deal with is now significantly lower.

So if you are busy and have no time for deep analysis, a quick look at the demographics of the school will tell you how 'good' the school is.

I used to use FARM for this quick and dirty analysis, but am beginning to wonder about that. My thoughts being that FARM in DC = housing projects & homeless (therefore from families that do no value education highly). However, my current impression is that LT is Title 1, but still a better school than Watkins which is not. I suppose a less than eloquent way to say that of course there is no clear way to judge what school is filled with kids that are primed to learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's statistics.

In DC, white= higher probability of being high SES= higher probability of no/low issues in academics in progeny= higher probability that the school attended will be 'good'.

Not because the school is actually good but because the load of issues that school might have to deal with is now significantly lower.

So if you are busy and have no time for deep analysis, a quick look at the demographics of the school will tell you how 'good' the school is.

I used to use FARM for this quick and dirty analysis, but am beginning to wonder about that. My thoughts being that FARM in DC = housing projects & homeless (therefore from families that do no value education highly). However, my current impression is that LT is Title 1, but still a better school than Watkins which is not. I suppose a less than eloquent way to say that of course there is no clear way to judge what school is filled with kids that are primed to learn.

Wow. Just wow.

FARMs is not co-extensive with below the poverty line btw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's statistics.

In DC, white= higher probability of being high SES= higher probability of no/low issues in academics in progeny= higher probability that the school attended will be 'good'.

Not because the school is actually good but because the load of issues that school might have to deal with is now significantly lower.

So if you are busy and have no time for deep analysis, a quick look at the demographics of the school will tell you how 'good' the school is.

I used to use FARM for this quick and dirty analysis, but am beginning to wonder about that. My thoughts being that FARM in DC = housing projects & homeless (therefore from families that do no value education highly). However, my current impression is that LT is Title 1, but still a better school than Watkins which is not. I suppose a less than eloquent way to say that of course there is no clear way to judge what school is filled with kids that are primed to learn.

Wow. Just wow.

Ok so, Wow yourself. FARM is based on the documented inability to pay $2.10 for a lunch. Those who can not, are what? Not to mention as a matter of course, most FARMs get free breakfast and summer school meals as well. Not to say that is a bad thing, but it is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's statistics.

In DC, white= higher probability of being high SES= higher probability of no/low issues in academics in progeny= higher probability that the school attended will be 'good'.

Not because the school is actually good but because the load of issues that school might have to deal with is now significantly lower.

So if you are busy and have no time for deep analysis, a quick look at the demographics of the school will tell you how 'good' the school is.

I used to use FARM for this quick and dirty analysis, but am beginning to wonder about that. My thoughts being that FARM in DC = housing projects & homeless (therefore from families that do no value education highly). However, my current impression is that LT is Title 1, but still a better school than Watkins which is not. I suppose a less than eloquent way to say that of course there is no clear way to judge what school is filled with kids that are primed to learn.

Wow. Just wow.

Ok so, Wow yourself. FARM is based on the documented inability to pay $2.10 for a lunch. Those who can not, are what? Not to mention as a matter of course, most FARMs get free breakfast and summer school meals as well. Not to say that is a bad thing, but it is what it is.

Not the PP, but the wow is about the way you cavalierly equate FARM with housing projects and homeless, and then equate that with a low value on education.

This belief - accepted as fact by so many - that poor and minority people simply can't or don't want to learn is where the achievement gap starts.

[Anonymous]

This belief - accepted as fact by so many - that poor and minority people simply can't or don't want to learn is where the achievement gap starts.

–-----

The stressors of poverty are well known and they do impose a big burden on a child brain development - almost equivalent to PTSD. It is much harder to learn when you don't know if you'll have a place to stay that night or food on the table, or maybe you'll go home to see your mum passed out drunk on the couch and no dinner in sight

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This belief - accepted as fact by so many - that poor and minority people simply can't or don't want to learn is where the achievement gap starts.

–-----

The stressors of poverty are well known and they do impose a big burden on a child brain development - almost equivalent to PTSD. It is much harder to learn when you don't know if you'll have a place to stay that night or food on the table, or maybe you'll go home to see your mum passed out drunk on the couch and no dinner in sight

I think there's a significant difference between acknowledging the impact of those stressors on learning and saying families with kids receiving FARMs don't value education.

Also, in general there doesn't see to be much concern around here for helping poor children/families overcome these stressor; rather the emphasis is on moving them out of LT so their struggles don't adversely affect higher SES IB kids.

[Anonymous]

^Oh come on, there's plenty of concern about poor kids among high SES neighborhood families, even on this thread.

Neighborhood families leave because the school culture is too far from their version of the American dream as much as anything else. Hint: they smell pot on the clothes of fellow parents 20 years younger than they are, on a regular basis. Yes, the early childhood teachers are terrific, the facilites are fine, and most families involved seem hell bent on ensuring that their kids get a good education. Neighborhood parents seem to leave for social reasons as much as academic ones. But they don't leave with illusions that they'll be missed. If we were starting this fall, with more neighbors involved (possibly many more), we might have been in it for the long haul.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's statistics.

In DC, white= higher probability of being high SES= higher probability of no/low issues in academics in progeny= higher probability that the school attended will be 'good'.

Not because the school is actually good but because the load of issues that school might have to deal with is now significantly lower.

So if you are busy and have no time for deep analysis, a quick look at the demographics of the school will tell you how 'good' the school is.

I used to use FARM for this quick and dirty analysis, but am beginning to wonder about that. My thoughts being that FARM in DC = housing projects & homeless (therefore from families that do no value education highly). However, my current impression is that LT is Title 1, but still a better school than Watkins which is not. I suppose a less than eloquent way to say that of course there is no clear way to judge what school is filled with kids that are primed to learn.

Wow. Just wow.

Ok so, Wow yourself. FARM is based on the documented inability to pay $2.10 for a lunch. Those who can not, are what? Not to mention as a matter of course, most FARMs get free breakfast and summer school meals as well. Not to say that is a bad thing, but it is what it is.

@Brent, DCPS provides free breakfast to any student, regardless of FARM eligibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's statistics.

In DC, white= higher probability of being high SES= higher probability of no/low issues in academics in progeny= higher probability that the school attended will be 'good'.

Not because the school is actually good but because the load of issues that school might have to deal with is now significantly lower.

So if you are busy and have no time for deep analysis, a quick look at the demographics of the school will tell you how 'good' the school is.

I used to use FARM for this quick and dirty analysis, but am beginning to wonder about that. My thoughts being that FARM in DC = housing projects & homeless (therefore from families that do no value education highly). However, my current impression is that LT is Title 1, but still a better school than Watkins which is not. I suppose a less than eloquent way to say that of course there is no clear way to judge what school is filled with kids that are primed to learn.

From what I hear about Ludlow vs Watkins is that Ludlow has a good handle on discipline while Watkins does not. Watkins also has very low teacher morale and high turnover, that doesn't lend to a cohesive or effective approach to discipline.

Anonymous wrote:This belief - accepted as fact by so many - that poor and minority people simply can't or don't want to learn is where the achievement gap starts.

–-----

The stressors of poverty are well known and they do impose a big burden on a child brain development - almost equivalent to PTSD. It is much harder to learn when you don't know if you'll have a place to stay that night or food on the table, or maybe you'll go home to see your mum passed out drunk on the couch and no dinner in sight

That is a fair assessment. One of the biggest mitigating factors for students living in poverty and dealing with toxic stress is having really stable attachment bond to their parents/caregivers, network of family and community. I'm really grasping at straws here but I wonder if the act of residency cheating/working the lottery is proof of that. Also if you're a residency cheater you have more of an incentive to keep your kid's behavior in check. The only two times I've seen residency cheaters get caught it was because a social worker got involved and did a home visit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This belief - accepted as fact by so many - that poor and minority people simply can't or don't want to learn is where the achievement gap starts.

–-----

The stressors of poverty are well known and they do impose a big burden on a child brain development - almost equivalent to PTSD. It is much harder to learn when you don't know if you'll have a place to stay that night or food on the table, or maybe you'll go home to see your mum passed out drunk on the couch and no dinner in sight

Yeah, thanks, I read Paul Tough's book as well.

Not every student who qualifies for FARMs is facing that kind of situation and being low income does not equate with placing a low value on education. It's like saying high-SES = callous bigot. It may apply in some, and even many cases but should never be assumed of everyone in the class.

[Anonymous]

^both are pretty good approximations...

[Anonymous]

That is a joke before people get all riled up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^Oh come on, there's plenty of concern about poor kids among high SES neighborhood families, even on this thread.

Neighborhood families leave because the school culture is too far from their version of the American dream as much as anything else. Hint: they smell pot on the clothes of fellow parents 20 years younger than they are, on a regular basis. Yes, the early childhood teachers are terrific, the facilites are fine, and most families involved seem hell bent on ensuring that their kids get a good education. Neighborhood parents seem to leave for social reasons as much as academic ones. But they don't leave with illusions that they'll be missed. If we were starting this fall, with more neighbors involved (possibly many more), we might have been in it for the long haul.

Yes, you high SES families care about the poor kids, as long as they stay in their schools! And hell, why not give them extended day? Give them anything they want- but do not give them a way to sit next to my child in class. Thanks for your concern you mighty mighty rich folks. You guys are super awesome!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This belief - accepted as fact by so many - that poor and minority people simply can't or don't want to learn is where the achievement gap starts.

–-----

The stressors of poverty are well known and they do impose a big burden on a child brain development - almost equivalent to PTSD. It is much harder to learn when you don't know if you'll have a place to stay that night or food on the table, or maybe you'll go home to see your mum passed out drunk on the couch and no dinner in sight

Yeah, thanks, I read Paul Tough's book as well.

Not every student who qualifies for FARMs is facing that kind of situation and being low income does not equate with placing a low value on education. It's like saying high-SES = callous bigot. It may apply in some, and even many cases but should never be assumed of everyone in the class.

I think there is a difference between a child who qualifies for FARM in an area which has a huge newly immigrant community which may not have huge resources but does have a stable family life and values education (disclaimer, when we first immigrated I was a FARMs kid despite my father being a pHD and my mother being college-educated, simply because it took them some time to find jobs; my best friend in college, whose parents immigrated from a different country was in a similar situation. But this was not DC). But DCPS does not have this situation - most kids eligible for FARMs here come from systemic, multi-generational poverty which is not going to go away any time soon. And I don't know how much value that environment places on education but I do know that the stressors and instability that brings are different and harder to overcome when it's not a temporary thing. Those kids are absolutely entitled to a good education but toold to educate them can and should be different than educating little Suzie who has her parents hiring tutors for her to get her ahead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This belief - accepted as fact by so many - that poor and minority people simply can't or don't want to learn is where the achievement gap starts.

–-----

The stressors of poverty are well known and they do impose a big burden on a child brain development - almost equivalent to PTSD. It is much harder to learn when you don't know if you'll have a place to stay that night or food on the table, or maybe you'll go home to see your mum passed out drunk on the couch and no dinner in sight

I think there's a significant difference between acknowledging the impact of those stressors on learning and saying families with kids receiving FARMs don't value education.

Also, in general there doesn't see to be much concern around here for helping poor children/families overcome these stressor; rather the emphasis is on moving them out of LT so their struggles don't adversely affect higher SES IB kids.

Tell me, great oracle of DCUM, how do I help help with a domestic situation faced by an OOB student at my school whose mom is passed out and dinner is missing from the table. How would I even know this is taking place? And arent their social workers and other professionals at schools who are trained to deal with these circumstances? You might find this callous, but I have my own children to raise, support and educate.