Best 2nd and 3rd grade teachers at Louise Archer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Wow...hard to believe what I thought was an innocent question would be met with some of these comments. I'm not asking that an innocent teacher be trashed. I'm asking for input so that I can help my kids with any adjustment and expectations. Of course I wouldn't tell my kids verbatim comments from here...but I would want to set up expectations.

We are moving mid year because my father can no longer live alone due to some falls. I'm an only child and promised my mother I would assist. We were moving in the summer anyway due to my husband's job, but my father has declined so much that we can't wait for his own safety.

And last thing...of course I'm not thinking of requesting any particular teacher. Wow...please...if you have any input, lthat is responsive to what I asked, let me know. Otherwise, dissing my question isn't helping what is already a stressful situation for us.

I understand that you've got a difficult situation, and I think it's a wonderful thing that you're coming to take care of your father. I don't understand how having a "difficult situation" makes it OK to invite people to make negative comments about someone online. I work in a field where sometimes I google teachers who are looking for jobs. I also know that when I was a teacher sometimes people googled me, whether they were prospective parents or an old college buddy looking to get back in touch. I hope you can appreciate that having negative comments, that you can't respond to because they're anonymous, online about you would be stressful and a "difficult situation" too.

I also don't understand how knowing that some anonymous person thinks your child's teacher is the "best" or the "worst" is going to help you prepare your kids in any meaningful way. The best way to learn about a person is to form a relationship with that person, not to talk about them on an internet forum.

Finally, I would like to point out that you've now effectively ID's yourself to the Louise Archer community. They'll figure out pretty quickly who the new second grader moving into be close to the ailing grandfather is. If someone does post something negative about your child's teacher, the community and your child's teacher will know that you're the one who created the opportunity for that to happen. Is that really what you want?
I think this post really sums up what the parents at LA are really like. Back stabbing...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think this post really sums up what the parents at LA are really like. Back stabbing...

This comment makes no sense. Backstabbing would be posting negative comments that named specific teachers, while appearing supportive of the teachers in personal interactions. And the post referred to obviously was not by a LA parent.

[Anonymous]

No, but maybe made by an LA employee. I think the PP comments were in reply to the other PP commenting how the OPs question was going to shine a negative light on her and/or her kids.

[Anonymous]

To the "back stabbing parents" poster -- Do you actually have children who currently attend LA? In nearly four years there I've found that most parents have got my back -- they aren't stabbing it.

Let's get back the original poster's intent and question. She just didn't realize that she shouldn't ask for names. She's been slammed for it, repeatedly. Let it go, and IF you have real, specific issues with LA and have children there, spend your time focusing on those issues at the school, and not name-calling LA parents on a safely anonymous forum.

[Anonymous]

"I think the PP comments were in reply to the other PP commenting how the OPs question was going to shine a negative light on her and/or her kids."

It could be, but the PP did not say there would be any specific negative consequence to LA parents knowing who the poster was. Only that the knowledge of the person's identity would exist. There doesn't seem to be any logical connection to the idea of backstabbing. Either way, it does seem best to let it go as 10:41 suggests since the original question may have been asked without a lot of thought at a stressful time.

[Anonymous]

After 8 years at LA good or bad depends on which teachers your DCs have. If you have "good" teachers the experience is good. If you have "bad" ones and there are some truly bad teachers there -- it is a bad to awful. Parents who had problems either left for private, or if they could not afford that, had to take a sledge hammer approach to solve problems which were large and obvious. A light touch does not work. My inbox was always bulging with emails about this school.
There is a lot of social pressure to praise LA sky high and quick disapproval for any dissenting opinions except with very close friends. Note there is already a threatening post -- perfect LA parent self description. The principal completely gives in to the parents who are there every day volunteering or who have political pull. Those are the ones constantly praising the school, because they do not experience the bad teachers. Also is old, run down, and over crowded. Other than that -- what a great school.

[Anonymous]

It's in a great location. At least it's getting less crowded next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the "back stabbing parents" poster -- Do you actually have children who currently attend LA? In nearly four years there I've found that most parents have got my back -- they aren't stabbing it.

Let's get back the original poster's intent and question. She just didn't realize that she shouldn't ask for names. She's been slammed for it, repeatedly. Let it go, and IF you have real, specific issues with LA and have children there, spend your time focusing on those issues at the school, and not name-calling LA parents on a safely anonymous forum.

I would agree, except that she also came back and sock-puppeted her own thread after she realized she was wrong. That's just embarassing.

[Anonymous]

OP: If you are reading this anymore, which you probably are not! While the thread here does give an idea of the kinds of moms who go to LA. Really is a perfect description of their mean and petty side. No one at the school would be as directly mean (at least to your face) as these posters have been. There are many nice people at LA for you and your DCs to be freinds with. This is DCUM where mean and petty rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I taught first grade. One year I had the "perfect" class. I said "jump" and the kids said "how high?" It was a terrific group of kids-some smart, some middle and some not so smart. However, they were ALL well behaved. After years of struggling with discipline problems I thought I had all the answers. We were able to accomplish so much because the kids were cooperative and respected each other as well as the teacher.
The next year, the principal had lots of requests for me because I had such a terrific class. Guess what? It was the class from Hell. (Nice kids--but tons of issues.) The principal also threw in some problem children because I "had such good control" of the classroom. I'm sure all those parents who requested me regretted it. I spent most of my time with a girl who was emotionally disturbed. The psychologist thought it would be worse if she were put in a class of like children because she would follow their lead.........I had to keep her constantly by my side or she would hurt other kids. I worked three times harder that year and probably accomplished less than 60% of what my class had done the year before.
Moral: be careful what you ask for--a lot of the effectiveness of a teacher depends on the make up of the class.

.

I LOVE this story. We were in another state and ALL of the supermoms requested this one teacher who was supposed to be amazing. My friends all told me I needed to ask for that teacher too. I was not a supermom, but I am a former teacher and daughter of a teacher. So I asked that they put my child in a class with the teacher that was best for his learning style, strentghs and weaknesses.

Guess what, my child was placed in the class with the most experienced teacher who also specialized in gifted instruction. The other students were amazingly well behaved, partly because she ran a tight ship and partly because they were well behaved kids. The parents were laid back, yet involved. Lots of differentiation for all, creative activities and projects. It was a fabulous year.

The most requested teacher that all the supermoms had to have? She had a wild class. They funneled all the special needs and behavior issues into her class. There were six aides in there, to either help one specific child or monitor a couple of kids. I don't think they accomplished nearly as much as my non-requested teacher did. I am so glad I let the school use their judgement to place my child.

Ever since that experience, I always ask the school to place my children in the class that the current teacher believes has the best teaching style for them. It has worked very well for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Wow...hard to believe what I thought was an innocent question would be met with some of these comments. I'm not asking that an innocent teacher be trashed. I'm asking for input so that I can help my kids with any adjustment and expectations. Of course I wouldn't tell my kids verbatim comments from here...but I would want to set up expectations.

We are moving mid year because my father can no longer live alone due to some falls. I'm an only child and promised my mother I would assist. We were moving in the summer anyway due to my husband's job, but my father has declined so much that we can't wait for his own safety.

And last thing...of course I'm not thinking of requesting any particular teacher. Wow...please...if you have any input, lthat is responsive to what I asked, let me know. Otherwise, dissing my question isn't helping what is already a stressful situation for us.

Welcome to DCUM. It gives you a taste of what you are in for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Wow...hard to believe what I thought was an innocent question would be met with some of these comments. I'm not asking that an innocent teacher be trashed. I'm asking for input so that I can help my kids with any adjustment and expectations. Of course I wouldn't tell my kids verbatim comments from here...but I would want to set up expectations.

We are moving mid year because my father can no longer live alone due to some falls. I'm an only child and promised my mother I would assist. We were moving in the summer anyway due to my husband's job, but my father has declined so much that we can't wait for his own safety.

And last thing...of course I'm not thinking of requesting any particular teacher. Wow...please...if you have any input, lthat is responsive to what I asked, let me know. Otherwise, dissing my question isn't helping what is already a stressful situation for us.

Welcome to DCUM. It gives you a taste of what you are in for.

Hope the kids are nicer than their parents...!

[Anonymous]

No, kids tend to be mini versions co mom and dad!

[Anonymous]

When it comes down to it I go on the school's website, see which teacher is the cutest, and request that one.

[Anonymous]

I was there today. It is kind of high pressure.