Lee Montessori - Brookland

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longtime Lee parent here. Yes, the test scores suck. The reason is pretty obvious: much less time is spent learning the narrow academics tested on the PARCC test. I’m not saying those topics aren’t valuable, but it doesn’t mean your kid isn’t learning things, just that they’re not learning as much of those specific things. (I do think some of it is that they aren’t taught math and reading in the form it is tested by PARCC, but I don’t believe that’s the whole explanation.)

Most parents seem think it’s a terrific school and are happy to send their kids there every day. The five-year qualitative review from 2018 is worth reading. (Ok, it’s old, but I think it still applies.) The review is stellar. Lee quotes from it on their website:

“Classrooms were peaceful and quiet, and students were happy; lessons were well planned and taught with passion; students with all needs were fully supported; teachers understood the Montessori model and implemented it with fidelity.”

Report is here: https://dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/2018-05-17-QSR-Report-Lee-Montessori-_Redacted.pdf

I also think the cliche that a Montessori education isn’t for every kid is true. My older kid probably would have been better off with more structure. Montessori expects kids to be motivated in part by their interests. The older one mostly did as little work as possible and could get away with it more than at a traditional school. Now in middle school they’re struggling with the stricter expectations and would probably have an easier time if those expectations were there since kindergarten.

The younger kid loves Lee and is tearing it up there. They’re able to work a year ahead on math because kids can work at their own level in Montessori. They’re interested in most of the lessons. They love that they can work with other kids whenever they want and talk (quietly) in class and move around. They love writing stories and can spend an hour or more doing that most days - provided it’s balanced with other work. They’re probably going to do great in middle school whether it’s Montessori or traditional.

So, yes, the test scores suck, but the total picture is a lot bigger than that.

This is all very relatable. We are at another Montessori and with my older in lower El, not totally sure if she is more like your older or younger. Seems to be doing ok but I wonder if more traditional structures would benefit. Looking at test scores is a pretty rough way to gauge an education like this.

I guess the question is, what kind of test scores does that rationale allow you to accept. Because on the last PARCC (2019), fully one-third of Lee students scored a ONE out of five in math. That's really bad! Will you be happy at Lee if your child is scoring a one, and other parents are telling you it's perfectly fine? And if your child is advanced, will they be well-served at a school where the majority of students are significantly below grade level in math? Will be comfortable with it? It's easy to look at a sweet preschool, which nobody disputes is high quality, and assume you'll be happy with the upper elementary too. But that assumption has come around to bite so many HRCS parents in the end.

Lee's PARCC scores can be viewed here:
https://dcschoolreportcard.org/schools/177-0228/student-achievement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know if they’re going to have a principal for next year?

They announced the principal last week in a communication on PS as well as on social media.

Does the new principal have Montessori experience?

Doesn’t look like it. This is what we were sent.

“Good morning Brookland Families,

I am writing to share the exciting news that Dr. Kenya Fowler-Parks has joined our team this week as the Principal of the Brookland campus! Dr. Fowler-Parks brings a wealth of experience, having served as Assistant Principal for 9 years in Lynchburg City Schools, as well as a deep understanding of research, having recently completed a Doctor of Education degree in Leadership Studies.

In addition to her impressive background, our interview committee -- consisting of caregivers, staff, and administrators -- was blown away by her focus on culturally responsive instruction, with a lens on identifying student’s assets and building a culture of educators and stakeholders who are ready to empower student growth. This focus is directly aligned with Lee Montessori’s vision and mission, and we are excited to have Kenya join our team and push us forward.

We know you all will be excited to meet and get to know Kenya! Although there will be plenty of opportunities to meet her once the school year starts, we will also be working to schedule a few opportunities to meet her during the summer - we just know that some folks will appreciate the opportunity for early conversations.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in the process!“

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know if they’re going to have a principal for next year?

They announced the principal last week in a communication on PS as well as on social media.

Does the new principal have Montessori experience?

Doesn’t look like it. This is what we were sent.

“Good morning Brookland Families,

I am writing to share the exciting news that Dr. Kenya Fowler-Parks has joined our team this week as the Principal of the Brookland campus! Dr. Fowler-Parks brings a wealth of experience, having served as Assistant Principal for 9 years in Lynchburg City Schools, as well as a deep understanding of research, having recently completed a Doctor of Education degree in Leadership Studies.

In addition to her impressive background, our interview committee -- consisting of caregivers, staff, and administrators -- was blown away by her focus on culturally responsive instruction, with a lens on identifying student’s assets and building a culture of educators and stakeholders who are ready to empower student growth. This focus is directly aligned with Lee Montessori’s vision and mission, and we are excited to have Kenya join our team and push us forward.

We know you all will be excited to meet and get to know Kenya! Although there will be plenty of opportunities to meet her once the school year starts, we will also be working to schedule a few opportunities to meet her during the summer - we just know that some folks will appreciate the opportunity for early conversations.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in the process!“

We are new to the school but my child is coming from another Montessori. I do not see this as worrisome if others in the administration know Montessori and how it looks on the ground. I would worry if a classroom lead was new to Montessori.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are friends with a few families with kids in the first class at Lee who are now in 6th grade. They love it and their kids are thriving. I see these kids a lot and they are wonderful and intelligent and curious. We also have friends who had kids there and left because it wasn't a good fit.

In other words, you'd get a very different impression of the school depending on who you happen to talk to.

What's their explanation for the godawful test scores?

The standardized tests don't capture the students' knowledge of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racists activism. Otherwise Lee would be right near the top.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are friends with a few families with kids in the first class at Lee who are now in 6th grade. They love it and their kids are thriving. I see these kids a lot and they are wonderful and intelligent and curious. We also have friends who had kids there and left because it wasn't a good fit.

In other words, you'd get a very different impression of the school depending on who you happen to talk to.

What's their explanation for the godawful test scores?

The standardized tests don't capture the students' knowledge of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racists activism. Otherwise Lee would be right near the top.

Okay, so more than half the kids scoring not-even-close-to-grade-level in math is no problem?

Lee's racial testing gap is concerning in light of their protestations of wokeness, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are friends with a few families with kids in the first class at Lee who are now in 6th grade. They love it and their kids are thriving. I see these kids a lot and they are wonderful and intelligent and curious. We also have friends who had kids there and left because it wasn't a good fit.

In other words, you'd get a very different impression of the school depending on who you happen to talk to.

What's their explanation for the godawful test scores?

The standardized tests don't capture the students' knowledge of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racists activism. Otherwise Lee would be right near the top.

A school can't have those things and produce okay-ish test scores too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are friends with a few families with kids in the first class at Lee who are now in 6th grade. They love it and their kids are thriving. I see these kids a lot and they are wonderful and intelligent and curious. We also have friends who had kids there and left because it wasn't a good fit.

In other words, you'd get a very different impression of the school depending on who you happen to talk to.

What's their explanation for the godawful test scores?

The standardized tests don't capture the students' knowledge of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racists activism. Otherwise Lee would be right near the top.

Pretty tough talk for a school where 50% of the white kids were meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA but only 12.5% of the AA kids are.

Math was 67% of the white kids meeting or exceeding expecations, LESS THAN 10 PERCENT of the AA kids.


https://dcschoolreportcard.org/schools/177-0228/metric/parcc_msaa_34_reading

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The test scores are appallingly bad. Like why isn't this school treated like other failing charters bad. The families seem mostly happy.

Can anyone slap on the Montessori name??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The test scores are appallingly bad. Like why isn't this school treated like other failing charters bad. The families seem mostly happy.

Can anyone slap on the Montessori name??

Because the way the DCPCSB scores schools, the test scores are only one part of it. Lee does well on a lot of other metrics such as attendance and re-enrollment and their QSRs are glowing. The bar for charter renewal is pretty low, and it's not controlled for demographics. Lee's test scores are appalling in light of its higher-income demographics, but they're not atrocious if you don't control for that. Also, Lee doesn't have very many students in the PARCC testing grades, so the numbers aren't that meaningful.

Having said that, Lee is up for review in school year 23-24 and we'll see how that goes. Most likely they'll be passed along with little discussion just like SSMA was. But the PCSB is changing the way that it scores schools, so maybe that will have some impact. In the meantime, parents beware.

Montessori accreditation is a separate thing.

[Anonymous]

They're not going to shut down Lee. They are really reluctant to shut down a school that's popular and has some good metrics. More likely they'd give a conditional continuance with a plan of improvement.

Cynically, school shutdowns are something we're only willing to do to low-income kids. High-income parents won't tolerate it, and they feel entitled to have the taxpayer give them a school with cr*p test scores if that's what they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They're not going to shut down Lee. They are really reluctant to shut down a school that's popular and has some good metrics. More likely they'd give a conditional continuance with a plan of improvement.

Cynically, school shutdowns are something we're only willing to do to low-income kids. High-income parents won't tolerate it, and they feel entitled to have the taxpayer give them a school with cr*p test scores if that's what they want.

How is it that no one considering the sample size of the students who were being tested and when the tests were administered, when using this metric for how *well* a school is meeting the needs of all populations? It is my understanding that the students who participated in PARCC were fewer than 50. In 2019.

What I want to see is every DCUM poster submit their ACT/SAT scores and how they did in college. What did your standardized tests predict about your future success?

Do not let the scores speak for themselves. Let the families and their children do that. And let the families of color speak loudest.

FWIW, I am a POC and unwilling to identify how I interact with the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They're not going to shut down Lee. They are really reluctant to shut down a school that's popular and has some good metrics. More likely they'd give a conditional continuance with a plan of improvement.

Cynically, school shutdowns are something we're only willing to do to low-income kids. High-income parents won't tolerate it, and they feel entitled to have the taxpayer give them a school with cr*p test scores if that's what they want.

How is it that no one considering the sample size of the students who were being tested and when the tests were administered, when using this metric for how *well* a school is meeting the needs of all populations? It is my understanding that the students who participated in PARCC were fewer than 50. In 2019.

What I want to see is every DCUM poster submit their ACT/SAT scores and how they did in college. What did your standardized tests predict about your future success?

Do not let the scores speak for themselves. Let the families and their children do that. And let the families of color speak loudest.

FWIW, I am a POC and unwilling to identify how I interact with the school.

What speaks loud to me is that a school almost 10 years in operation has so few older kids at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The test scores are appallingly bad. Like why isn't this school treated like other failing charters bad. The families seem mostly happy.

Can anyone slap on the Montessori name??

Because the way the DCPCSB scores schools, the test scores are only one part of it. Lee does well on a lot of other metrics such as attendance and re-enrollment and their QSRs are glowing. The bar for charter renewal is pretty low, and it's not controlled for demographics. Lee's test scores are appalling in light of its higher-income demographics, but they're not atrocious if you don't control for that. Also, Lee doesn't have very many students in the PARCC testing grades, so the numbers aren't that meaningful.

Having said that, Lee is up for review in school year 23-24 and we'll see how that goes. Most likely they'll be passed along with little discussion just like SSMA was. But the PCSB is changing the way that it scores schools, so maybe that will have some impact. In the meantime, parents beware.

Montessori accreditation is a separate thing.

Who does the Montessori accreditation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They're not going to shut down Lee. They are really reluctant to shut down a school that's popular and has some good metrics. More likely they'd give a conditional continuance with a plan of improvement.

Cynically, school shutdowns are something we're only willing to do to low-income kids. High-income parents won't tolerate it, and they feel entitled to have the taxpayer give them a school with cr*p test scores if that's what they want.

How is it that no one considering the sample size of the students who were being tested and when the tests were administered, when using this metric for how *well* a school is meeting the needs of all populations? It is my understanding that the students who participated in PARCC were fewer than 50. In 2019.

What I want to see is every DCUM poster submit their ACT/SAT scores and how they did in college. What did your standardized tests predict about your future success?

Do not let the scores speak for themselves. Let the families and their children do that. And let the families of color speak loudest.

FWIW, I am a POC and unwilling to identify how I interact with the school.

What speaks loud to me is that a school almost 10 years in operation has so few older kids at all.

This test was when the school was 4 years old I think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They're not going to shut down Lee. They are really reluctant to shut down a school that's popular and has some good metrics. More likely they'd give a conditional continuance with a plan of improvement.

Cynically, school shutdowns are something we're only willing to do to low-income kids. High-income parents won't tolerate it, and they feel entitled to have the taxpayer give them a school with cr*p test scores if that's what they want.

How is it that no one considering the sample size of the students who were being tested and when the tests were administered, when using this metric for how *well* a school is meeting the needs of all populations? It is my understanding that the students who participated in PARCC were fewer than 50. In 2019.

What I want to see is every DCUM poster submit their ACT/SAT scores and how they did in college. What did your standardized tests predict about your future success?

Do not let the scores speak for themselves. Let the families and their children do that. And let the families of color speak loudest.

FWIW, I am a POC and unwilling to identify how I interact with the school.

What speaks loud to me is that a school almost 10 years in operation has so few older kids at all.

This test was when the school was 4 years old I think?

The test scores are old, but enrollment stats are available for each year. For SY 2021-22, there were 18 4th graders, 13 5th graders, and one 6th grader. Compared to numbers in the 30s and 40s for ECE and Primary.

https://stossepublicdocsprod.blob.core.windows.net/public-docs/dc-school-report-card/2020-21/profiles/177-0228(Lee%20Montessori%20PCS%20-%20Brookland).pdf