Redshirting should be banned

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are several schools in Montgomery County where this is seemingly encouraged, specifically to gain unfair advantages in athletics. Landon and Mater Dei are particularly egregious. It’s gross, but it’s reality. One thing that would put a stop to this would be age limits for middle school and high school athletics. It would be nice to stop seeing 15 year olds maiming 70 lb 12 year olds at middle school games.

Do you understand how private schools work? Usually DCUM anti-redshirters struggle with the concept, so I wanted to ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree, but because everyone does it, my August son is behind his peers and we're holding him back. We'd send him on time if the majority of kids weren't already over a year older than him. I've also seen the absolute drudgery and hell that is Kindergarten. Little to no movement, zero field trips, nonstop focused learning by yourself vs classroom learning. Kindergarteners aren't even allowed on the playground, so they have to just play in a courtyard with no toys (they do have chalk and balls). If your kid isn't way behind the curve, they get no attention and no help from teachers. I'm so excited to give him another year of fabulous Pre-K.

We sent our two summer girls on time.

“Everyone does it” is a horrible reason and completely proves the point of this thread, because no, not everyone does it - just the people who can afford it. Even when they don’t need to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree, but because everyone does it, my August son is behind his peers and we're holding him back. We'd send him on time if the majority of kids weren't already over a year older than him. I've also seen the absolute drudgery and hell that is Kindergarten. Little to no movement, zero field trips, nonstop focused learning by yourself vs classroom learning. Kindergarteners aren't even allowed on the playground, so they have to just play in a courtyard with no toys (they do have chalk and balls). If your kid isn't way behind the curve, they get no attention and no help from teachers. I'm so excited to give him another year of fabulous Pre-K.

We sent our two summer girls on time.

Your school is bad. That's not what kindergarten is like at our (Title 1!) school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, but because everyone does it, my August son is behind his peers and we're holding him back. We'd send him on time if the majority of kids weren't already over a year older than him. I've also seen the absolute drudgery and hell that is Kindergarten. Little to no movement, zero field trips, nonstop focused learning by yourself vs classroom learning. Kindergarteners aren't even allowed on the playground, so they have to just play in a courtyard with no toys (they do have chalk and balls). If your kid isn't way behind the curve, they get no attention and no help from teachers. I'm so excited to give him another year of fabulous Pre-K.

We sent our two summer girls on time.

Your school is bad. That's not what kindergarten is like at our (Title 1!) school.

How many redshirted kindergarteners are at your Title 1 school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m shocked that this is not a major issue for the democrats. It is obvious that only those with significant means can afford to do this. And clearly it’s a huge disadvantage for those kids who are left to compete and be compared with people up to two years older than them in their classes, whether that’s formally through test results or informally through behavior expectations etc. It seems like a very easy way to close some of the racial (and SES more broadly) achievement gap.

And republicans seem to like the idea too. Or is that the actual problem??

I know DCUMs anti-redshirt contingent has a history of being totally insane as a group, but yet they always manage to surprise me with yet one more even more insane post. I actually relish these threads because I know that one of the anti-redshirters will say something absolutely not in alignment with any sort of reality, and here we are just one page in already with this thread’s contribution. Well done! Love it, my crazy anti-redshirt friend!

I didn’t redshirt, but I support people doing it. I just read these threads for the entertainment value from the frothing, bonkers, and supremely math-challenged anti-redshirt posters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, but because everyone does it, my August son is behind his peers and we're holding him back. We'd send him on time if the majority of kids weren't already over a year older than him. I've also seen the absolute drudgery and hell that is Kindergarten. Little to no movement, zero field trips, nonstop focused learning by yourself vs classroom learning. Kindergarteners aren't even allowed on the playground, so they have to just play in a courtyard with no toys (they do have chalk and balls). If your kid isn't way behind the curve, they get no attention and no help from teachers. I'm so excited to give him another year of fabulous Pre-K.

We sent our two summer girls on time.

“Everyone does it” is a horrible reason and completely proves the point of this thread, because no, not everyone does it - just the people who can afford it. Even when they don’t need to.

+1, we didn't even know what redshirting was and would not have been able to do it for out August birthday. Redshirting is not some democratizing force for parents who are worried about their kids. It's exclusively an activity engaged in by UMC and wealthy parents. And it compounds benefits these families already give their kids.

We recently met a family at an elite DC private who told us that one way their school encourages/forces redshirting without calling it redshirting is by requiring incoming Kindergarteners to be reading. What this means is that either parents get reading tutors for their 4 year olds if they aren't there yet (creepy and weird) or parents delay kids a year so that they can be reading, or both. And then the kids at this private school get to start school at a distinct advantage to kindergarteners at other schools, because since all the kids are reading they can greatly accelerate all academics. This results in 5th graders who are better writers and reading at a higher level, as well as middle schoolers, and of course high school juniors. But then when these kids do well on the SAT and get into elite colleges (that their parents can afford) everyone will say it's because of their inherent worth and applaud the private schools they emerged from as offering superior education. But the entire system is gamed from the get go by wealthy families who can afford to do so.

But yes, please explain to me how "it's not a competition."

It's a competition, and I didn't make it that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, but because everyone does it, my August son is behind his peers and we're holding him back. We'd send him on time if the majority of kids weren't already over a year older than him. I've also seen the absolute drudgery and hell that is Kindergarten. Little to no movement, zero field trips, nonstop focused learning by yourself vs classroom learning. Kindergarteners aren't even allowed on the playground, so they have to just play in a courtyard with no toys (they do have chalk and balls). If your kid isn't way behind the curve, they get no attention and no help from teachers. I'm so excited to give him another year of fabulous Pre-K.

We sent our two summer girls on time.

Your school is bad. That's not what kindergarten is like at our (Title 1!) school.

How many redshirted kindergarteners are at your Title 1 school?

None. I've never encountered a redshirted kid at our school.

The fact that your school is full of redshirted kids AND apparently don't allow kindergarteners to go on the playground indicates YOUR SCHOOL IS BAD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, but because everyone does it, my August son is behind his peers and we're holding him back. We'd send him on time if the majority of kids weren't already over a year older than him. I've also seen the absolute drudgery and hell that is Kindergarten. Little to no movement, zero field trips, nonstop focused learning by yourself vs classroom learning. Kindergarteners aren't even allowed on the playground, so they have to just play in a courtyard with no toys (they do have chalk and balls). If your kid isn't way behind the curve, they get no attention and no help from teachers. I'm so excited to give him another year of fabulous Pre-K.

We sent our two summer girls on time.

“Everyone does it” is a horrible reason and completely proves the point of this thread, because no, not everyone does it - just the people who can afford it. Even when they don’t need to.

+1, we didn't even know what redshirting was and would not have been able to do it for out August birthday. Redshirting is not some democratizing force for parents who are worried about their kids. It's exclusively an activity engaged in by UMC and wealthy parents. And it compounds benefits these families already give their kids.

We recently met a family at an elite DC private who told us that one way their school encourages/forces redshirting without calling it redshirting is by requiring incoming Kindergarteners to be reading. What this means is that either parents get reading tutors for their 4 year olds if they aren't there yet (creepy and weird) or parents delay kids a year so that they can be reading, or both. And then the kids at this private school get to start school at a distinct advantage to kindergarteners at other schools, because since all the kids are reading they can greatly accelerate all academics. This results in 5th graders who are better writers and reading at a higher level, as well as middle schoolers, and of course high school juniors. But then when these kids do well on the SAT and get into elite colleges (that their parents can afford) everyone will say it's because of their inherent worth and applaud the private schools they emerged from as offering superior education. But the entire system is gamed from the get go by wealthy families who can afford to do so.

But yes, please explain to me how "it's not a competition."

It's a competition, and I didn't make it that way.

So the bigger issue is "ban private schools" not just focusing on one of the many things happening there you don't like.

[Anonymous]

I did not grow up UMC and had no idea what redshirting was until I started reading mommy forums.

I grew up in NYC. Believe it or not, most poor parents dont know what redshirting is and can't do this. Most poor and working class parents want their children to go to school asap so they can work, go back to school and frankly just get a break. Especially, single mothers.

I have an october bday and could have benefitted from this. I wonder how much difference it would have made in my academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, but because everyone does it, my August son is behind his peers and we're holding him back. We'd send him on time if the majority of kids weren't already over a year older than him. I've also seen the absolute drudgery and hell that is Kindergarten. Little to no movement, zero field trips, nonstop focused learning by yourself vs classroom learning. Kindergarteners aren't even allowed on the playground, so they have to just play in a courtyard with no toys (they do have chalk and balls). If your kid isn't way behind the curve, they get no attention and no help from teachers. I'm so excited to give him another year of fabulous Pre-K.

We sent our two summer girls on time.

Your school is bad. That's not what kindergarten is like at our (Title 1!) school.

How many redshirted kindergarteners are at your Title 1 school?

None. I've never encountered a redshirted kid at our school.

The fact that your school is full of redshirted kids AND apparently don't allow kindergarteners to go on the playground indicates YOUR SCHOOL IS BAD.

You care deeply about an issue that has no effect on you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, but because everyone does it, my August son is behind his peers and we're holding him back. We'd send him on time if the majority of kids weren't already over a year older than him. I've also seen the absolute drudgery and hell that is Kindergarten. Little to no movement, zero field trips, nonstop focused learning by yourself vs classroom learning. Kindergarteners aren't even allowed on the playground, so they have to just play in a courtyard with no toys (they do have chalk and balls). If your kid isn't way behind the curve, they get no attention and no help from teachers. I'm so excited to give him another year of fabulous Pre-K.

We sent our two summer girls on time.

“Everyone does it” is a horrible reason and completely proves the point of this thread, because no, not everyone does it - just the people who can afford it. Even when they don’t need to.

+1, we didn't even know what redshirting was and would not have been able to do it for out August birthday. Redshirting is not some democratizing force for parents who are worried about their kids. It's exclusively an activity engaged in by UMC and wealthy parents. And it compounds benefits these families already give their kids.

We recently met a family at an elite DC private who told us that one way their school encourages/forces redshirting without calling it redshirting is by requiring incoming Kindergarteners to be reading. What this means is that either parents get reading tutors for their 4 year olds if they aren't there yet (creepy and weird) or parents delay kids a year so that they can be reading, or both. And then the kids at this private school get to start school at a distinct advantage to kindergarteners at other schools, because since all the kids are reading they can greatly accelerate all academics. This results in 5th graders who are better writers and reading at a higher level, as well as middle schoolers, and of course high school juniors. But then when these kids do well on the SAT and get into elite colleges (that their parents can afford) everyone will say it's because of their inherent worth and applaud the private schools they emerged from as offering superior education. But the entire system is gamed from the get go by wealthy families who can afford to do so.

But yes, please explain to me how "it's not a competition."

It's a competition, and I didn't make it that way.

You don’t have to send your child to a private school, you know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, but because everyone does it, my August son is behind his peers and we're holding him back. We'd send him on time if the majority of kids weren't already over a year older than him. I've also seen the absolute drudgery and hell that is Kindergarten. Little to no movement, zero field trips, nonstop focused learning by yourself vs classroom learning. Kindergarteners aren't even allowed on the playground, so they have to just play in a courtyard with no toys (they do have chalk and balls). If your kid isn't way behind the curve, they get no attention and no help from teachers. I'm so excited to give him another year of fabulous Pre-K.

We sent our two summer girls on time.

Your school is bad. That's not what kindergarten is like at our (Title 1!) school.

How many redshirted kindergarteners are at your Title 1 school?

None. I've never encountered a redshirted kid at our school.

The fact that your school is full of redshirted kids AND apparently don't allow kindergarteners to go on the playground indicates YOUR SCHOOL IS BAD.

You care deeply about an issue that has no effect on you?

+1

Apparently that PP cares extremely deeply about an issue that is statistically fairly rare (there are studies on this) and does not impact her personally at all, to the point where she is raging bizarrely on DCUM. So odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, but because everyone does it, my August son is behind his peers and we're holding him back. We'd send him on time if the majority of kids weren't already over a year older than him. I've also seen the absolute drudgery and hell that is Kindergarten. Little to no movement, zero field trips, nonstop focused learning by yourself vs classroom learning. Kindergarteners aren't even allowed on the playground, so they have to just play in a courtyard with no toys (they do have chalk and balls). If your kid isn't way behind the curve, they get no attention and no help from teachers. I'm so excited to give him another year of fabulous Pre-K.

We sent our two summer girls on time.

“Everyone does it” is a horrible reason and completely proves the point of this thread, because no, not everyone does it - just the people who can afford it. Even when they don’t need to.

+1, we didn't even know what redshirting was and would not have been able to do it for out August birthday. Redshirting is not some democratizing force for parents who are worried about their kids. It's exclusively an activity engaged in by UMC and wealthy parents. And it compounds benefits these families already give their kids.

We recently met a family at an elite DC private who told us that one way their school encourages/forces redshirting without calling it redshirting is by requiring incoming Kindergarteners to be reading. What this means is that either parents get reading tutors for their 4 year olds if they aren't there yet (creepy and weird) or parents delay kids a year so that they can be reading, or both. And then the kids at this private school get to start school at a distinct advantage to kindergarteners at other schools, because since all the kids are reading they can greatly accelerate all academics. This results in 5th graders who are better writers and reading at a higher level, as well as middle schoolers, and of course high school juniors. But then when these kids do well on the SAT and get into elite colleges (that their parents can afford) everyone will say it's because of their inherent worth and applaud the private schools they emerged from as offering superior education. But the entire system is gamed from the get go by wealthy families who can afford to do so.

But yes, please explain to me how "it's not a competition."

It's a competition, and I didn't make it that way.

You don’t have to send your child to a private school, you know.

Do you understand that people who attend public school wind up competing against people who did their entire lives?

I'm specifically responding to the people upthread saying "it's not a competition" and "people should do what's best for their kid." When it is obviously a competition and pretending it isn't is ridiculous. This is an extreme example of how redshirting is used to facilitate that competition, but all redshirting is part of the same dynamic -- "I want my kid to better compete against peers, so I'm going to give them an advantage of age."

If this phenomenon were really just about doing what is best for kids, you'd see parents starting their kids early. After all, if you read DCUM, you know that many parents seem to think their child is unusually advanced for their age. Are all the people who taught their children to read at age 3 on here sending them to kindergarten early?

Nope. This is entirely about competition and giving your child an edge. Redshirting has nothing to do with nurturing your child and everything to do with trying to game the system on their behalf.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, but because everyone does it, my August son is behind his peers and we're holding him back. We'd send him on time if the majority of kids weren't already over a year older than him. I've also seen the absolute drudgery and hell that is Kindergarten. Little to no movement, zero field trips, nonstop focused learning by yourself vs classroom learning. Kindergarteners aren't even allowed on the playground, so they have to just play in a courtyard with no toys (they do have chalk and balls). If your kid isn't way behind the curve, they get no attention and no help from teachers. I'm so excited to give him another year of fabulous Pre-K.

We sent our two summer girls on time.

Your school is bad. That's not what kindergarten is like at our (Title 1!) school.

How many redshirted kindergarteners are at your Title 1 school?

None. I've never encountered a redshirted kid at our school.

The fact that your school is full of redshirted kids AND apparently don't allow kindergarteners to go on the playground indicates YOUR SCHOOL IS BAD.

You care deeply about an issue that has no effect on you?

+1

Apparently that PP cares extremely deeply about an issue that is statistically fairly rare (there are studies on this) and does not impact her personally at all, to the point where she is raging bizarrely on DCUM. So odd.

What's bizarre is that pro-redshirters in this thread are simultaneously arguing that they "had" to redshirt because everyone else does, and also that it's incredibly rare and doesn't impact anyone else.

Which is it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, but because everyone does it, my August son is behind his peers and we're holding him back. We'd send him on time if the majority of kids weren't already over a year older than him. I've also seen the absolute drudgery and hell that is Kindergarten. Little to no movement, zero field trips, nonstop focused learning by yourself vs classroom learning. Kindergarteners aren't even allowed on the playground, so they have to just play in a courtyard with no toys (they do have chalk and balls). If your kid isn't way behind the curve, they get no attention and no help from teachers. I'm so excited to give him another year of fabulous Pre-K.

We sent our two summer girls on time.

Your school is bad. That's not what kindergarten is like at our (Title 1!) school.

How many redshirted kindergarteners are at your Title 1 school?

None. I've never encountered a redshirted kid at our school.

The fact that your school is full of redshirted kids AND apparently don't allow kindergarteners to go on the playground indicates YOUR SCHOOL IS BAD.

You care deeply about an issue that has no effect on you?

+1

Apparently that PP cares extremely deeply about an issue that is statistically fairly rare (there are studies on this) and does not impact her personally at all, to the point where she is raging bizarrely on DCUM. So odd.

What's bizarre is that pro-redshirters in this thread are simultaneously arguing that they "had" to redshirt because everyone else does, and also that it's incredibly rare and doesn't impact anyone else.

Which is it?

Nah, you first. Is it a real advantage or are the kids shunned brats who misbehave and have low self esteem because their parents didn't think they could hack it?It can't be both.