To the parents in "good schools"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a moment now in between waiting for kids at different sports, but I wanted to write a post to maybe spur a real discussion.

I taught in FCPS for over 10 years. The first ten I worked in a high poverty, high ESOL school. It was an amazing experience. I learned so much as a teacher. I was constantly challenged and I was constantly pushed to come up with ways to reach our kids. I still remember the day when a kid I taught who spoke no English told me she got into TJ. This is why I love teaching. The school had a high turnover because it was a tough place to teach. They had a lot of people who used it to get into the system and then ran to schools where student performance wasn't an issue.

Well, life happened. I normally worked 12 hour days during the school year and usually spent Sunday afternoons planning for Monday. I had a baby. And another one. And I don't live near our school, so I decided to transfer to a new school closer to where we live. It's one of those affluent schools the SOL pass rates are so high no one even blinks an eye.

And the past few years has been easy. The kids are great (because I love kids and these kids are awesome too). The parents are responsive in a way that blows my mind. I send a note for supplies and am given tons. It's night and day. And I really love the community. These are good people.

But they deserve better. And by that I mean we coast. I will give an example. I had a teacher in my grade mention that her kids were not getting a math issue. I offered ten different ways to teach it beyond the default pacing guide and she shrugged and said she's sending home some worksheets and a note. The parents will either handle it or get the kids tutoring.

It hit me that these people who are spending so much money to live around here, who care so deeply, and who tout our school as amazing. It's not us. It's them. I don't know what to do that. Anyway, sorry for the vent, but if anyone feels this way, it might make me feel less bonkers.

I have had the exact same experience - I always tell people that the best teachers are in the "bad" schools. When I moved to a "good" school, I was appalled at the teaching there. Those test scores had nothing to do with the teachers - most of them couldn't have taught their way out of a paper bag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a moment now in between waiting for kids at different sports, but I wanted to write a post to maybe spur a real discussion.

I taught in FCPS for over 10 years. The first ten I worked in a high poverty, high ESOL school. It was an amazing experience. I learned so much as a teacher. I was constantly challenged and I was constantly pushed to come up with ways to reach our kids. I still remember the day when a kid I taught who spoke no English told me she got into TJ. This is why I love teaching. The school had a high turnover because it was a tough place to teach. They had a lot of people who used it to get into the system and then ran to schools where student performance wasn't an issue.

Well, life happened. I normally worked 12 hour days during the school year and usually spent Sunday afternoons planning for Monday. I had a baby. And another one. And I don't live near our school, so I decided to transfer to a new school closer to where we live. It's one of those affluent schools the SOL pass rates are so high no one even blinks an eye.

And the past few years has been easy. The kids are great (because I love kids and these kids are awesome too). The parents are responsive in a way that blows my mind. I send a note for supplies and am given tons. It's night and day. And I really love the community. These are good people.

But they deserve better. And by that I mean we coast. I will give an example. I had a teacher in my grade mention that her kids were not getting a math issue. I offered ten different ways to teach it beyond the default pacing guide and she shrugged and said she's sending home some worksheets and a note. The parents will either handle it or get the kids tutoring.

It hit me that these people who are spending so much money to live around here, who care so deeply, and who tout our school as amazing. It's not us. It's them. I don't know what to do that. Anyway, sorry for the vent, but if anyone feels this way, it might make me feel less bonkers.

I have had the exact same experience - I always tell people that the best teachers are in the "bad" schools. When I moved to a "good" school, I was appalled at the teaching there. Those test scores had nothing to do with the teachers - most of them couldn't have taught their way out of a paper bag.

We had the exact opposite experience. Much better teachers at a top FCPS pyramid than in the average pyramid where we’d lived previously. I think the smarter kids and more demanding parents made the teachers raise their game.

[Anonymous]

I’m a teacher and I agree with the PPs too— At least about the kids and the parents being the source of their achievements. I’ve seen my fair share of bad teachers in poor performing schools, but I have no illusions that the high performing schools are due to the standards and performance of the kids and their parents. There are definitely individual cases like that in the low performing schools, but it is simply the norm in the high performing schools.

[Anonymous]

I am a teacher and am home sick.

OP is so, so spot on when it comes to FCPS. There is an expectation that parents will re-teach, teach or supplement in schools where there is a population that is ... not struggling with poverty. I will run an assessment and if a kid is struggling,

The flip side is also really true. The county is amazing about working really hard about closing the achievement gap. I would say in FCPS, there is an absolute effort to put the best admins in schools that are struggling and need leadership.

Another point is really true. In FCPS, many, many teacher get into the system by working in "hard' Title I schools and bolt. But the ones who stick around are probably the strongest teachers in the entire system. I think they combat this by putting strong admins in these schools. It tends to work well. If you look at Justice, which was a mess, you can see how a strong admin improves student performance.

But the peer group is sort of a dog whistle. It means people want their kids around people who went to college, who aren't hourly wage workers, and who feel familiar.

[Anonymous]

PP here. I lost the last clause of my thought in the post. If a kid is struggling, I will send home work. And it's my expectation that the parents will handle it absent special needs. And they do.

[Anonymous]

Has a lot to do with the principal too. Like for example, McNair Elementary in Herndon. The Principal there doesn’t care much about the kids and therefore many of the teachers have the same attitude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher and am home sick.

OP is so, so spot on when it comes to FCPS. There is an expectation that parents will re-teach, teach or supplement in schools where there is a population that is ... not struggling with poverty. I will run an assessment and if a kid is struggling,

The flip side is also really true. The county is amazing about working really hard about closing the achievement gap. I would say in FCPS, there is an absolute effort to put the best admins in schools that are struggling and need leadership.

Another point is really true. In FCPS, many, many teacher get into the system by working in "hard' Title I schools and bolt. But the ones who stick around are probably the strongest teachers in the entire system. I think they combat this by putting strong admins in these schools. It tends to work well. If you look at Justice, which was a mess, you can see how a strong admin improves student performance.

But the peer group is sort of a dog whistle. It means people want their kids around people who went to college, who aren't hourly wage workers, and who feel familiar.

Justice has suspended multiple teachers over the past year, and some of their teachers are idealistic, but not very experienced or bright. I wouldn’t send a kid there with any expectation they’d get a better education than at higher-achieving school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher and am home sick.

OP is so, so spot on when it comes to FCPS. There is an expectation that parents will re-teach, teach or supplement in schools where there is a population that is ... not struggling with poverty. I will run an assessment and if a kid is struggling,

The flip side is also really true. The county is amazing about working really hard about closing the achievement gap. I would say in FCPS, there is an absolute effort to put the best admins in schools that are struggling and need leadership.

Another point is really true. In FCPS, many, many teacher get into the system by working in "hard' Title I schools and bolt. But the ones who stick around are probably the strongest teachers in the entire system. I think they combat this by putting strong admins in these schools. It tends to work well. If you look at Justice, which was a mess, you can see how a strong admin improves student performance.

But the peer group is sort of a dog whistle. It means people want their kids around people who went to college, who aren't hourly wage workers, and who feel familiar.

Justice has suspended multiple teachers over the past year, and some of their teachers are idealistic, but not very experienced or bright. I wouldn’t send a kid there with any expectation they’d get a better education than at higher-achieving school.

PP here. Look at the test scores and student achievement. It's improved tons since Penny arrived. Lake Braddock is lucky to get her, but she runs a tight ship (and I imagine the nonsense is tied to her leaving fwiw).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher and am home sick.

OP is so, so spot on when it comes to FCPS. There is an expectation that parents will re-teach, teach or supplement in schools where there is a population that is ... not struggling with poverty. I will run an assessment and if a kid is struggling,

The flip side is also really true. The county is amazing about working really hard about closing the achievement gap. I would say in FCPS, there is an absolute effort to put the best admins in schools that are struggling and need leadership.

Another point is really true. In FCPS, many, many teacher get into the system by working in "hard' Title I schools and bolt. But the ones who stick around are probably the strongest teachers in the entire system. I think they combat this by putting strong admins in these schools. It tends to work well. If you look at Justice, which was a mess, you can see how a strong admin improves student performance.

But the peer group is sort of a dog whistle. It means people want their kids around people who went to college, who aren't hourly wage workers, and who feel familiar.

Justice has suspended multiple teachers over the past year, and some of their teachers are idealistic, but not very experienced or bright. I wouldn’t send a kid there with any expectation they’d get a better education than at higher-achieving school.

PP here. Look at the test scores and student achievement. It's improved tons since Penny arrived. Lake Braddock is lucky to get her, but she runs a tight ship (and I imagine the nonsense is tied to her leaving fwiw).

She was OK. The reality is that her predecessors were among the worst principals in the county. Things could only improve from there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher and am home sick.

OP is so, so spot on when it comes to FCPS. There is an expectation that parents will re-teach, teach or supplement in schools where there is a population that is ... not struggling with poverty. I will run an assessment and if a kid is struggling,

The flip side is also really true. The county is amazing about working really hard about closing the achievement gap. I would say in FCPS, there is an absolute effort to put the best admins in schools that are struggling and need leadership.

Another point is really true. In FCPS, many, many teacher get into the system by working in "hard' Title I schools and bolt. But the ones who stick around are probably the strongest teachers in the entire system. I think they combat this by putting strong admins in these schools. It tends to work well. If you look at Justice, which was a mess, you can see how a strong admin improves student performance.

But the peer group is sort of a dog whistle. It means people want their kids around people who went to college, who aren't hourly wage workers, and who feel familiar.

So wanting a strong peer group is OK for private school parents, but a dog whistle for public school parents?

Sorry, but a strong pyramid with experienced teachers and a high-performing peer group is what most thinking about public school want if they can swing it.

[Anonymous]

True, and a school with no fighting, if one exists. I wonder how much fighting goes on at the top tier schools. Are the incident reports true?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:True, and a school with no fighting, if one exists. I wonder how much fighting goes on at the top tier schools. Are the incident reports true?

I know at McNair the administration doesn’t report the fights that happen so you may personally know of 5 fights and read a report that only 1 happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher and am home sick.

OP is so, so spot on when it comes to FCPS. There is an expectation that parents will re-teach, teach or supplement in schools where there is a population that is ... not struggling with poverty. I will run an assessment and if a kid is struggling,

The flip side is also really true. The county is amazing about working really hard about closing the achievement gap. I would say in FCPS, there is an absolute effort to put the best admins in schools that are struggling and need leadership.

Another point is really true. In FCPS, many, many teacher get into the system by working in "hard' Title I schools and bolt. But the ones who stick around are probably the strongest teachers in the entire system. I think they combat this by putting strong admins in these schools. It tends to work well. If you look at Justice, which was a mess, you can see how a strong admin improves student performance.

But the peer group is sort of a dog whistle. It means people want their kids around people who went to college, who aren't hourly wage workers, and who feel familiar.

So wanting a strong peer group is OK for private school parents, but a dog whistle for public school parents?

Sorry, but a strong pyramid with experienced teachers and a high-performing peer group is what most thinking about public school want if they can swing it.

Well maybe we should refer to good schools as schools with fewer poor people and with more people who went to college? I see OP's point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher and am home sick.

OP is so, so spot on when it comes to FCPS. There is an expectation that parents will re-teach, teach or supplement in schools where there is a population that is ... not struggling with poverty. I will run an assessment and if a kid is struggling,

The flip side is also really true. The county is amazing about working really hard about closing the achievement gap. I would say in FCPS, there is an absolute effort to put the best admins in schools that are struggling and need leadership.

Another point is really true. In FCPS, many, many teacher get into the system by working in "hard' Title I schools and bolt. But the ones who stick around are probably the strongest teachers in the entire system. I think they combat this by putting strong admins in these schools. It tends to work well. If you look at Justice, which was a mess, you can see how a strong admin improves student performance.

But the peer group is sort of a dog whistle. It means people want their kids around people who went to college, who aren't hourly wage workers, and who feel familiar.

So wanting a strong peer group is OK for private school parents, but a dog whistle for public school parents?

Sorry, but a strong pyramid with experienced teachers and a high-performing peer group is what most thinking about public school want if they can swing it.

Well maybe we should refer to good schools as schools with fewer poor people and with more people who went to college? I see OP's point.

Or maybe you should work to improve the schools rather than fall back on the economic determinism.

[Anonymous]

Easier said than done. I'm sure there are probably 100 efforts of advocacy for every 1 effort that actually gets implemented.