RIP DC Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've seen some ignorant and lazy threads on DCUM, but this one takes the cake. What a ridiculous collection of misunderstood, made-up and taken out of context nonsense.

There's plenty to complain about in DCPS, but this generalized bitching based on no information is absurd.

Really? The negatives add up. A couple of years ago, I felt positive about staying with DCPS all the way through Wilson. But I’ve since grown to fear where things are heading. It is easy to see how standards are being watered down; it is hard to see what will improve for high-achieving students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen some ignorant and lazy threads on DCUM, but this one takes the cake. What a ridiculous collection of misunderstood, made-up and taken out of context nonsense.

There's plenty to complain about in DCPS, but this generalized bitching based on no information is absurd.

Really? The negatives add up. A couple of years ago, I felt positive about staying with DCPS all the way through Wilson. But I’ve since grown to fear where things are heading. It is easy to see how standards are being watered down; it is hard to see what will improve for high-achieving students.

How old is your kid/oldest kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To clarify a few things mentioned:
1. Social studies standards: DC has social studies standards for PK-12th grade. They were last revised and adopted in 2006, but the DC State Board of Education has a working group exploring whether to update the standards. The social studies standards primarily include the disciplines of history, civics/government, geography, and economics.
2. Social studies curriculum: DCPS provides a social studies curriculum for Kindergarten through 5th grade that has been developed in collaboration between teachers and the central office. This curriculum provides guidance to teachers/schools on how to use the DC state social studies standards to organize the year into units of study, with recommendations for assessments, lessons, and resources to support teaching. Teachers have had opportunities to learn about the curriculum since it rolled out in 2017-2018 and they can access detailed Unit Guides with linked resources via the Canvas learning management system that houses all DCPS curriculum. Parents can check out the Parent Curriculum Guides to learn more about the DCPS curriculum for social studies and other content areas by clicking here: https://dcps.dc.gov/publication/parent-curriculum-guides
3. Social studies scheduling: DCPS guidance for elementary grades requires that social studies be taught to all students beginning in Kindergarten. The guidance has recently shifted to include more separate time for social studies (and science) beginning in Kindergarten and separate from an ELA block given that research increasingly points to the importance of knowledge-building for reading comprehension. In grades K-2, students in DCPS are required to receive English/Language Arts (120 minutes/day), Math (75 minutes/day), Science (45 minutes/day, for the equivalent of at least one semester), social studies (45 minutes/day, for the equivalent of at least one semester). For grades 3-5, students in DCPS are required to receive English/Language Arts (90 minutes/day), Math (90 minutes/day), Science (30 minutes/day for the full year), social studies (45 minutes/day, for the full year). While social studies and science topics are often addressed in the ELA units and literacy practices are integrated into science and SS instruction, they are supposed to be taught separately given the different instructional methods and curriculum for each discipline.

Teachers and principals can often clarify questions about the schedule, standards, and curriculum, or more information can be found on the DCPS website.

Thank you for posting this. At my ES school we just wrapped up the first part of a Social Studies Inquiry Group where we had a few representatives from each grade dig into the units on Canvas and try to identify the themes we can align through the grades. Starting in January after break we're building lesson plans to try out in the Spring and then hopefully roll out more in 2020/21.

DCPS is definitely in a phase of expanding and improving what's happening with social studies in elementary grades, so it's great to hear schools are tackling this work thoughtfully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had forgotten about Honors For All!
What happened to Deal for all?

How has honors for all worked? Back in my day, almost anyone could enroll in advanced classes, but those who couldn't keep up dropped down to the regular classes. In this way, the advanced classes weren't watered down. Is that not what's happening now?

[Anonymous]

Just fyi, if you look at the news coming out of FCPS and MOCO, they are changing everything to improve "equity." Pretty sure this is a federal requirement for all public districts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen some ignorant and lazy threads on DCUM, but this one takes the cake. What a ridiculous collection of misunderstood, made-up and taken out of context nonsense.

There's plenty to complain about in DCPS, but this generalized bitching based on no information is absurd.

Really? The negatives add up. A couple of years ago, I felt positive about staying with DCPS all the way through Wilson. But I’ve since grown to fear where things are heading. It is easy to see how standards are being watered down; it is hard to see what will improve for high-achieving students.

How old is your kid/oldest kid?

Oldest is in 3rd grade.

[Anonymous]

My oldest in is in 3rd Grade at a school EOTP, and honestly, the problem isn't the standards or any watering-down -- the resources are there if you ask for them, and (our kid's teachers at least) have always pushed my kid to achieve at his highest level. The problem for us is making sure that our child is demanding the most from himself. While he has other high-achieving kids in his class, it's too easy for him to do the minimum and not push himself to do more. I grew up in a gifted track where classroom competition was intense. I thrived in that atmosphere, but at the same time, I knew quite a few that crumbled under that intensity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just fyi, if you look at the news coming out of FCPS and MOCO, they are changing everything to improve "equity." Pretty sure this is a federal requirement for all public districts.

Nope only in places with Democrats in charge

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen some ignorant and lazy threads on DCUM, but this one takes the cake. What a ridiculous collection of misunderstood, made-up and taken out of context nonsense.

There's plenty to complain about in DCPS, but this generalized bitching based on no information is absurd.

Really? The negatives add up. A couple of years ago, I felt positive about staying with DCPS all the way through Wilson. But I’ve since grown to fear where things are heading. It is easy to see how standards are being watered down; it is hard to see what will improve for high-achieving students.

DCPS has never cared about high achieving students period. It's why anyone with half a brain moves, goes charter or goes private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen some ignorant and lazy threads on DCUM, but this one takes the cake. What a ridiculous collection of misunderstood, made-up and taken out of context nonsense.

There's plenty to complain about in DCPS, but this generalized bitching based on no information is absurd.

Really? The negatives add up. A couple of years ago, I felt positive about staying with DCPS all the way through Wilson. But I’ve since grown to fear where things are heading. It is easy to see how standards are being watered down; it is hard to see what will improve for high-achieving students.

DCPS has never cared about high achieving students period. It's why anyone with half a brain moves, goes charter or goes private.

Yeah, “RIP” like DCPS was great and has fallen on hard times. When was DCPS ever more than mediocre?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just fyi, if you look at the news coming out of FCPS and MOCO, they are changing everything to improve "equity." Pretty sure this is a federal requirement for all public districts.

Nope only in places with Democrats in charge

Well I guess that means the Every Student Succeeds Act only applies to selected states.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just fyi, if you look at the news coming out of FCPS and MOCO, they are changing everything to improve "equity." Pretty sure this is a federal requirement for all public districts.

Nope only in places with Democrats in charge

Well I guess that means the Every Student Succeeds Act only applies to selected states.

there is a difference between collecting data and creating insane policies to try and make everyone/everything equal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My oldest in is in 3rd Grade at a school EOTP, and honestly, the problem isn't the standards or any watering-down -- the resources are there if you ask for them, and (our kid's teachers at least) have always pushed my kid to achieve at his highest level. The problem for us is making sure that our child is demanding the most from himself. While he has other high-achieving kids in his class, it's too easy for him to do the minimum and not push himself to do more. I grew up in a gifted track where classroom competition was intense. I thrived in that atmosphere, but at the same time, I knew quite a few that crumbled under that intensity.

I hear you, PP. My bright 4th grader likes to cruise at school, because she can.

Our EotP DCPS routinely displays student work on hallway walls featuring many spelling, punctuation and grammatical mistakes. Where's the kids' incentive to learn to spell and punctuate correctly, or to craft grammatical sentences? It's an everybody-gets-a-trophy culture that leaves us to supplement and bribe a good deal at home to ensure that kids are acquiring basic academic skills. Our children love their cheerful school, but don't need to break a sweat while they're there, or in doing HW. That must be part of the allure for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My oldest in is in 3rd Grade at a school EOTP, and honestly, the problem isn't the standards or any watering-down -- the resources are there if you ask for them, and (our kid's teachers at least) have always pushed my kid to achieve at his highest level. The problem for us is making sure that our child is demanding the most from himself. While he has other high-achieving kids in his class, it's too easy for him to do the minimum and not push himself to do more. I grew up in a gifted track where classroom competition was intense. I thrived in that atmosphere, but at the same time, I knew quite a few that crumbled under that intensity.

I hear you, PP. My bright 4th grader likes to cruise at school, because she can.

Our EotP DCPS routinely displays student work on hallway walls featuring many spelling, punctuation and grammatical mistakes. Where's the kids' incentive to learn to spell and punctuate correctly, or to craft grammatical sentences? It's an everybody-gets-a-trophy culture that leaves us to supplement and bribe a good deal at home to ensure that kids are acquiring basic academic skills. Our children love their cheerful school, but don't need to break a sweat while they're there, or in doing HW. That must be part of the allure for them.

go away you are messing with the system everything is great everything is wonderful see look how happy everyone is here at our school

totally agree with both of these it's just further proof of the march to mediocrity

[Anonymous]

Omg! The hand wringing on this thread is over the top. I am so thankful I didn’t have parents like you. You probably spent hours doing flash cards and worksheets with your toddlers. Now constantly ride your MS and HS kids to the brink of suicide obsessed with getting some imaginary leg up on your hypothetical competition. At the end of the day, if you’re making the typical DCUM income, your kid will do just fine in life because as study after study states, it’s better to be rich than smart. In the end, whether or not your Lake Wobegone gifted child is being challenged enough in DCPS, s/he will likely go to college, graduate, and do fine.

Now if your complaints were actually concerns for our DCPS community as a whole, I have respect for you.