Brent parents: Give me the lowdown on the school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Better yet, have Brent consult JKLM on how they do things to increase challenge. Refrain from mocking those who want more JKLM-type quality here in SE. You move to NW.

DCUM is not actually a means to an educational end. Get off the internet and back to the PTA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As has already been pointed out, discipline becomes more of an issue as kids go up the chain at Brent because the curriculum is geared toward remedial education, vs. the advanced work most of the kids, who are high SES with professional parents, need. Bored kids have a strong tendency to behave badly in class, space out, or both.

The principal shows little interest in taking the problem seriously, or even acknowledging it. IMO, most long-time parents have been passive about pushing back. The PTA and LSAT need to work to keep those who do challenge from being branded as pesky helicopter parents, and from burning out, and pulling out. Also, Brent needs to develop ties to the JKLM schools to learn how to bend the DCPS curriculum and test prep culture to work for advnced kids. Murch seems particularly adept at furnishing upper grades challenge.

I think you need to take your ax to grind to the school and off of DCUM.

+1. Better yet would be for you to move to NW instead of just wishing you lived there.

It may surprise you to hear that some of us have no wish to live in Upper Caucasia. Perhaps we're gluttons for punishment with the middle school situation and all, but we've loved our decade on the Hill and would love nothing more than for Brent to try to up its game for other families once they hit First and Second Grade.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for this post. I've been on the Hill for 20 years, and my spouse for 10. We'd rather homeschool than move to NW at this stage.

I'm not clear on why those who don't see a need for Brent to provide more upper grades challenge to bother advising those who do to hit the road. To preserve the honor of the school? If you're satisfied, why not quietly bask in the glow of your satisfaction? Parents often come to DCUM to seek the like-minded when convinced that nobody much at a school is listening.

I see issues with challenge as having been manufactured by DCPS, not Brent. This is after all, one of the several lowest-performing school urban school systems in the country. Unfortunately, DCPS indifference to the fate of advanced learners puts the onus on Brent to up its game. More parents will get it, and dig in to challenge the leadership, as time goes on.

[Anonymous]

My kid is currently in K (and we're totally happy with the program). I guess I don't understand what happens in first and above. I mean, the cohort - all high-SES kids of highly educated parents - remains the same. Are upper grades slaves to some DCPS curriculum that is way too easy for this cohort? If DCPS is mandating some curriculum, wouldn't it be the same at all schools, including the much touted JKLMM? I mean, these are all kids of lawyers, doctors, nuclear physicists, etc., - they are ALL pretty smart. Are posters saying that Brent utterly fails to meet these kids' smarts starting in first?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is currently in K (and we're totally happy with the program). I guess I don't understand what happens in first and above. I mean, the cohort - all high-SES kids of highly educated parents - remains the same. Are upper grades slaves to some DCPS curriculum that is way too easy for this cohort? If DCPS is mandating some curriculum, wouldn't it be the same at all schools, including the much touted JKLMM? I mean, these are all kids of lawyers, doctors, nuclear physicists, etc., - they are ALL pretty smart. Are posters saying that Brent utterly fails to meet these kids' smarts starting in first?

I think only 1-2 people are saying that. It has not been my experience or the experience of other parents I know with children who are in first and above.

Fifth grade is a problem, but that is because of the middle school situation, not Brent.

[Anonymous]

Most of the parents who responded to parent survey in the spring indicated that support for advanced learners could be ramped up. Things don't fall apart at first grade, but they begin to slide for the strongest students. On current trends, the problem might get sorted out in the next few years. At least Brent is about to start an after-school math club/tutoring aimed at kids heading to BASIS.

[Anonymous]

The cohort doesn't necessarily stay the same. OOB students begin to be admitted in K (which may not happen next year). The school has the data to show the stark achievement gap between IB families and OOB families admitted in the testing grades. BTW, this isn't a knock on on the latter, but simply a fact that reflects the reality of the disparities between the academic experience for many at Brent and the experience for many at lower performing schools. My sense there is a reluctance to do anything which would result in even greater disparities. Among other things, this could lead to a situation whereby Brent could be accused of not doing everything within its power to provide an education to lower SES students on par with higher SES students.

[Anonymous]

1. Regarding the parent surveys, I also responded that we were interested in seeing more for advanced learners. That's not because we're unhappy, just because I know a lot of smart Brent kids, including my own, and I wanted to encourage more opportunities for them. Those responses might not come from dissatisfaction but just the needs of the population that Brent serves.

2. Regarding the cohort, most of the OOB children still live on the Hill or close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad to hear that your son enjoys art class. This does not change rhe fact that, as reflected in the PTA survey comducted last Spring, there is room for substantial improvement and better coordination with other curricula. The National Gallery is only a 20 minute walk from Brent and yet our children have yet to take a field trip there in the past three years. Forget about the Corcoran snd Philips, or even the Sackler, Renwick, or Portrait Gallery. Don't forget, art instruction is mandated and funded by DCPS, as opposed to science, which Brent is really fortunate to have due to the gemerosity of parents.

Did you visit art galleries as part of your elementary school art classes? I went to a top-notch private school with a strong art program, and we didn't do museum trips. Art class for us was all about studio art -- pencils, painting, ceramics, getting our hands dirty and learning techniques.

[Anonymous]

In past years, it was true that many OOB students came from nearby neighborhoods on the Hill and included siblings of students already enrolled. However, IIRC some of the largest cohorts came from Bolling and SW (Amidon). Brent after all is 50 percent OOB.

[Anonymous]

It may have been 50% OOB according to last year's stats - but those stats also show it was only 11% FARMS. I would bet both those numbers change (the former up; the latter down) after this year's count day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is currently in K (and we're totally happy with the program). I guess I don't understand what happens in first and above. I mean, the cohort - all high-SES kids of highly educated parents - remains the same. Are upper grades slaves to some DCPS curriculum that is way too easy for this cohort? If DCPS is mandating some curriculum, wouldn't it be the same at all schools, including the much touted JKLMM? I mean, these are all kids of lawyers, doctors, nuclear physicists, etc., - they are ALL pretty smart. Are posters saying that Brent utterly fails to meet these kids' smarts starting in first?

I think only 1-2 people are saying that. It has not been my experience or the experience of other parents I know with children who are in first and above.

Fifth grade is a problem, but that is because of the middle school situation, not Brent.

Lawyers - yes. Doctors? While I may have met a few on the Hill, I honestly can only think of very few physician parents in my Hill (proper) circle of parents/friends/acquaintances. Nuclear physicist? that sounds pretty arcane -- do you actually know of any nuclear physicists on the Hill? In NYC the money follows finance. In DC it follows lobbyists. Plenty of them are accomplished without them or their kids being THAT smart.

[Anonymous]

This thread is just insane. I have a kid in an upper grade and another who went through the upper grades. We are very pleased with the level of rigor. The reading and writing can be expanded infinitely depending on the skill set of the student.

I just signed 3 field trip forms for visits to museums. DC loves the art class.

Some of the kids are misbehaved. As far as I can tell, they have acted exactly the same way since Kindergarten at least. Their parents don't seem to be particularly bothered by it. They are not necessarily above average or even average so I doubt it's because all of them are so wildly bored.

We know several out of bounds kids in the upper grades and some more who left for 5th grade. They were all well-behaved, smart kids who lived on or near the Hill. 3 of DC's best friends are OOB, AA, smart, hard-working, with fabulous, involved parents.

The teachers in the upper grades have all ranged from extremely good to jaw-dropping fantastic to me. Almost every single one of them has gone way beyond what is strictly their job to help their students. I have always felt like issues were addressed.

I know more than 1 doctor who has a kid at Brent, but of course there are all sorts of professions represented. Including teachers, at least 1 police officer, the security guard at the school's kid, many government workers, professors, social workers, therapists, just thinking off the top of my head.

The Chinese teacher can't keep control of the class, like many language teachers in many schools. The playground is rather chaotic and it's just a matter of time before someone gets more hurt than they already have.

Brent is nowhere near perfect because even the most wonderful private school is not perfect. It is a very solid school where I feel comfortable sending my child every day. Like many other posters, I have absolutely zero interest in living in Upper NW.

If there are Brent parents who are less thrilled, they should (A) work to improve the resources for more advanced kids and (B) remember that Brent has gone from a failing, Title I school with some great students and teachers but a lot of problems to a solid school in less than a decade. I am not particularly to be thanked for that, but I certainly thank those who made it happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is just insane. I have a kid in an upper grade and another who went through the upper grades. We are very pleased with the level of rigor. The reading and writing can be expanded infinitely depending on the skill set of the student.

I just signed 3 field trip forms for visits to museums. DC loves the art class.

Some of the kids are misbehaved. As far as I can tell, they have acted exactly the same way since Kindergarten at least. Their parents don't seem to be particularly bothered by it. They are not necessarily above average or even average so I doubt it's because all of them are so wildly bored.

We know several out of bounds kids in the upper grades and some more who left for 5th grade. They were all well-behaved, smart kids who lived on or near the Hill. 3 of DC's best friends are OOB, AA, smart, hard-working, with fabulous, involved parents.

The teachers in the upper grades have all ranged from extremely good to jaw-dropping fantastic to me. Almost every single one of them has gone way beyond what is strictly their job to help their students. I have always felt like issues were addressed.

I know more than 1 doctor who has a kid at Brent, but of course there are all sorts of professions represented. Including teachers, at least 1 police officer, the security guard at the school's kid, many government workers, professors, social workers, therapists, just thinking off the top of my head.

The Chinese teacher can't keep control of the class, like many language teachers in many schools. The playground is rather chaotic and it's just a matter of time before someone gets more hurt than they already have.

Brent is nowhere near perfect because even the most wonderful private school is not perfect. It is a very solid school where I feel comfortable sending my child every day. Like many other posters, I have absolutely zero interest in living in Upper NW.

If there are Brent parents who are less thrilled, they should (A) work to improve the resources for more advanced kids and (B) remember that Brent has gone from a failing, Title I school with some great students and teachers but a lot of problems to a solid school in less than a decade. I am not particularly to be thanked for that, but I certainly thank those who made it happen.

Well-said, and probably representative of the views of many or most Brent families. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Parents can work all they want to improve resources for all kids, whether advanced or not, but in the end it is the principal who has to deliver the goods. It is also encumbent on the principal to demand better results from teachers and students alike. Bottom line, the vast majority of the staff is quite good to excellent and very engaged. That doesn't mean there isn't room for significant improvement.