would you move from AU to Woodley for Oyster?

[Anonymous]

I'd like to add that in the first year not too many Adams students came to Oyster at the upper grades, the school recruited Seventh and Eighth Graders from around the city to round out the class. Also, for children learning Spanish as a second language, the dual immersion model is not effective. Full or close to immersion in Spanish for a few years at the early years would make sense. The only truly bilingual students at Oyster come from bilingual homes. At least that was our experience. I so agree that Rhee's comments about bilingual education were ignorant at best. Students don't learn Spanish in one academic year under this model. Oyster has had some characters as principals -- all Latino (Cuban, Mexican). Aguirre isn't even Latina. She majored in Spanish in college and married a Latino.

[Anonymous]

I don't think you need to be a Latina/Latino to be the principal at Oyster. It would be nice, but not necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The year before Oyster merged with Adams it was a blue ribbon award winner. Not based on the highest test scores in the city, but based on the fact that while it has an achievement gap, its Latino and AA students who make up a significant portion of the school were scoring significantly better than in many other schools in the city. Something to be proud of. When Oyster merged with the Adams campus it admitted existing students from Adams, a sub-performing school with dwindling population that was closed and absorbed into Oyster (this was highly politicized and not pleasant for the families of Adams of course, almost all of whom were out of boundary but had formed a strong identity as a group and wanted to 'save their school'). However, they were offered places at Oyster and some stayed, especially at the emerging Middle School level. The transition thus took on the complexity of adding on a Middle School component with existing Oyster students (7th grade the first year), bringing on new students who had not had the same preparation as Oyster students, and one principal (Guzman) managing two campuses (Much as Rhee recently proposed the Hyde principal do with Hardy). Add on a core group of parents who were anti-Guzman and a Chancellor who wanted to sweep a broom and a logical dip in test scores the first transition year -- Rhee held up the dip and existing though smaller than average achievement gap as a defect that and a key reason to fire Snr. Guzman. She also made claims as to how her kids, who entered late, weren't learning Spanish etc. etc. Then she brought in Aguirre to 'fix' all this. She found support from core group of parents whom she dined with (most of whom--I am going to say the ugly truth-have now left for Deal) and in a letter issued by the teacher reps in the school saying they supported the move. What never came out fully in the ensuing fracas is that these elected reps acted on the fact that they were elected and had 'representative ability' to issue this formal letter--WITHOUT polling each teacher--so it may or may not have reflected the majority opinion of faculty. Many were upset at a) not being polled and b) at the sense that instability begets instability and in the midst of a transition and growing the school it was simply not the right time to change leadership--no matter how unpopular Guzman might be. However, it was reprinted in 'papers' and became 'truth'.

Now Aguirre is in her second year at the school. Guzman was admittedly polarizing but colorful. Aguirre is a sort of cool, 'list' person. She doesn't seem to have much fire, and in all honesty, I think fire is what helped make Oyster fun--and offset some of the annoying aspects of the chaos which is for better or worse synonymous with Oyster culture. People who have been part of Oyster for years roll their eyes at the chaos but kind of liked it, like one big, dysfunctional ongoing family wedding--it was odd, but kind of freeing and fun. For Aguirre to change the chaos, and then change the culture, and still keep it 'Oyster' is a big task and I think a lot of people are reacting to the fact that it is still chaotic, but kind of less 'fun'. The DC-CAS scores have continued to dip and last year the school did not make AYP for the second year running.

Rhee showed huge ignorance of the achievement gap (a DC and NATIONAL problem that experts have been working on for 30 plus years) by touting Oyster of all places as an example of its egregiousness, and then bringing in her untested protege to 'fix it'--not that closing the achievement gap is an unworthy goal, but she might have given credit that its a lot better at Oyster than just about anywhere else and then built on Oyster's strengths to make it even better instead of her sort of systematically dismantling tack that she constantly seems to take. She also showed great ignorance of bilingual pedagogy by her assumptions that her children were not 'learning' Spanish in their first year at the school and running around all chicken little. There is so much debate about what a bilingual education leads to, what skills a child emerges with, the fact that there is a long wobbly period before facility in both languages gels, the fact that there is no such thing as 'balanced' bilingualism--anyway, her remarks on the achievement gap and bilingualism at Oyster were so basically uninformed--a surface read of data combined with the anecdotal--any social scientist would shudder! that it made me at the time question what criteria exactly she would use as a starting point for a search for new leadership who would wave the wand and fix everything. Was her search based on pedagogical knowledge? A proven track record? Expertise? Was her new leadership provided ample support to gear up and steer a school in, basically, crisis to a new beginning? I personally think Aguirre was thrown into the fire of a very difficult school to run, and, without the acknowledgment from admin central that revamping Oyster while growing a school would be a massive task for anyone, is finding it just as hard as the last lady. Finally, I do find it disturbing that Aguirre's husband is a high level Rhee staffer. I wonder how much weight that received in the hiring formula.

Marta, we've all moved on. You should too. Be well and enjoy your retirement.

[Anonymous]

9:45 Not necessarily but she's not a native speaker and that's a first for Oyster or, if not a first, the first in decades.

[Anonymous]

Even if that's Marta, she sums up a lot of parents' concerns and observations!

[Anonymous]

Does she have other experiences with bilingual schools or is Oyster her first?

[Anonymous]

new poster here - - why would you leave AU for Woodley?

[Anonymous]

15:38 The current principal helped found a bilingual school in Arizona. My sense is it's a different demographic, not as privileged as Oyster.

[Anonymous]

Charter school in AZ Tertulia Pre-College

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even if that's Marta, she sums up a lot of parents' concerns and observations!

Not this parent and not the parents I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:new poster here - - why would you leave AU for Woodley?

Because AU Park is soul-crushingly dull.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The year before Oyster merged with Adams it was a blue ribbon award winner. Not based on the highest test scores in the city, but based on the fact that while it has an achievement gap, its Latino and AA students who make up a significant portion of the school were scoring significantly better than in many other schools in the city. Something to be proud of. When Oyster merged with the Adams campus it admitted existing students from Adams, a sub-performing school with dwindling population that was closed and absorbed into Oyster (this was highly politicized and not pleasant for the families of Adams of course, almost all of whom were out of boundary but had formed a strong identity as a group and wanted to 'save their school'). However, they were offered places at Oyster and some stayed, especially at the emerging Middle School level. The transition thus took on the complexity of adding on a Middle School component with existing Oyster students (7th grade the first year), bringing on new students who had not had the same preparation as Oyster students, and one principal (Guzman) managing two campuses (Much as Rhee recently proposed the Hyde principal do with Hardy). Add on a core group of parents who were anti-Guzman and a Chancellor who wanted to sweep a broom and a logical dip in test scores the first transition year -- Rhee held up the dip and existing though smaller than average achievement gap as a defect that and a key reason to fire Snr. Guzman. She also made claims as to how her kids, who entered late, weren't learning Spanish etc. etc. Then she brought in Aguirre to 'fix' all this. She found support from core group of parents whom she dined with (most of whom--I am going to say the ugly truth-have now left for Deal) and in a letter issued by the teacher reps in the school saying they supported the move. What never came out fully in the ensuing fracas is that these elected reps acted on the fact that they were elected and had 'representative ability' to issue this formal letter--WITHOUT polling each teacher--so it may or may not have reflected the majority opinion of faculty. Many were upset at a) not being polled and b) at the sense that instability begets instability and in the midst of a transition and growing the school it was simply not the right time to change leadership--no matter how unpopular Guzman might be. However, it was reprinted in 'papers' and became 'truth'.

Now Aguirre is in her second year at the school. Guzman was admittedly polarizing but colorful. Aguirre is a sort of cool, 'list' person. She doesn't seem to have much fire, and in all honesty, I think fire is what helped make Oyster fun--and offset some of the annoying aspects of the chaos which is for better or worse synonymous with Oyster culture. People who have been part of Oyster for years roll their eyes at the chaos but kind of liked it, like one big, dysfunctional ongoing family wedding--it was odd, but kind of freeing and fun. For Aguirre to change the chaos, and then change the culture, and still keep it 'Oyster' is a big task and I think a lot of people are reacting to the fact that it is still chaotic, but kind of less 'fun'. The DC-CAS scores have continued to dip and last year the school did not make AYP for the second year running.

Rhee showed huge ignorance of the achievement gap (a DC and NATIONAL problem that experts have been working on for 30 plus years) by touting Oyster of all places as an example of its egregiousness, and then bringing in her untested protege to 'fix it'--not that closing the achievement gap is an unworthy goal, but she might have given credit that its a lot better at Oyster than just about anywhere else and then built on Oyster's strengths to make it even better instead of her sort of systematically dismantling tack that she constantly seems to take. She also showed great ignorance of bilingual pedagogy by her assumptions that her children were not 'learning' Spanish in their first year at the school and running around all chicken little. There is so much debate about what a bilingual education leads to, what skills a child emerges with, the fact that there is a long wobbly period before facility in both languages gels, the fact that there is no such thing as 'balanced' bilingualism--anyway, her remarks on the achievement gap and bilingualism at Oyster were so basically uninformed--a surface read of data combined with the anecdotal--any social scientist would shudder! that it made me at the time question what criteria exactly she would use as a starting point for a search for new leadership who would wave the wand and fix everything. Was her search based on pedagogical knowledge? A proven track record? Expertise? Was her new leadership provided ample support to gear up and steer a school in, basically, crisis to a new beginning? I personally think Aguirre was thrown into the fire of a very difficult school to run, and, without the acknowledgment from admin central that revamping Oyster while growing a school would be a massive task for anyone, is finding it just as hard as the last lady. Finally, I do find it disturbing that Aguirre's husband is a high level Rhee staffer. I wonder how much weight that received in the hiring formula.

Marta, we've all moved on. You should too. Be well and enjoy your retirement.

I look forward to a joyous retirement one day; thanks. And I encourage you to be a continued positive advocate (ie exercising critical thinking abilities) for good in Oyster - rather than putting fingers in ears and saying 'bliss bliss bliss'...
Marta was a polarizing leader. Monica is an underwhelming one. I think the unvarnished circumstances around the changeover somewhat explain the lingering fault lines today. However, now the school is where it is. So what to do now? Rather than say 'la- la- la- Oyster is so great I can't hear you stop threatening my property values" I would invest even more in the school: continue to meet with Rhee and hold her accountable for her decisions and a long-term plan. Give Monica feedback. Everyone was so scared of Marta--isn't Monica supposed to be the open door, constructive type? Work tirelessly to shore up and improve the school. There are lots of positive parents there--sticking out the Upper Grades with their kids, working tirelessly to put in new playgrounds--but it's going to take a lot more of that to bring Oyster from what I believe was a real crisis point it hit about two years ago... great teachers and parents and kids yes; but when you are shoveling the Augean stables you also want great leadership and a plan out.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, Oyster's hey day is over, and Rhee only hastened it's mediocrity by putting the current drone in place. It's a sweetheart deal, nothing more.


02/16/2010 20:47 Subject: Oyster-Adams School
Anonymous



Further, the few die-hard Rhee/Aguirre guard dogs are the usual suspects...if anyone ever actually came in and took charge of this school with grace, outreach, talent, and ability to understand and embrace all of the families regardless of socio-economic incomes, the Uber Moms who can't exist without running Oyster would have no lives. The core teachers are excellent, and as driven and talented as any you'll ever find, English and Spanish. The arts are a lost cause, the current "leadership" believes bilingualism is to the exclusion of high quality enrichment programming. If only someone would HONESTLY critique Rhee in her role, and then her appointed principals, a veil will be lifted. Having not subscribed to this listserve in years I was simultaneously saddened (that it's all true, all negative posts of Oyster) and then elated that I AM NOT CRAZY!!! See, in the Oyster-Rhee-Aguirre culture, critiques are forbidden and quickly dismissed and discounted. The open house stories DO represent the current dis-organization. You don't need an admissions committee and funds for a successful open house, only honest enthusiasm. No, Aguirre doesn't appear to try because she is a puppet/drone doing time. The LSRT is meaningless there, anything important is either faked to the community or just misrepresented. Go elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

16:34 Come on. I know people who supported her and those do not. So strange that you don't know anyone who supported her -- including some teachers who almost quit!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, Oyster's hey day is over, and Rhee only hastened it's mediocrity by putting the current drone in place. It's a sweetheart deal, nothing more.


02/16/2010 20:47 Subject: Oyster-Adams School
Anonymous



Further, the few die-hard Rhee/Aguirre guard dogs are the usual suspects...if anyone ever actually came in and took charge of this school with grace, outreach, talent, and ability to understand and embrace all of the families regardless of socio-economic incomes, the Uber Moms who can't exist without running Oyster would have no lives. The core teachers are excellent, and as driven and talented as any you'll ever find, English and Spanish. The arts are a lost cause, the current "leadership" believes bilingualism is to the exclusion of high quality enrichment programming. If only someone would HONESTLY critique Rhee in her role, and then her appointed principals, a veil will be lifted. Having not subscribed to this listserve in years I was simultaneously saddened (that it's all true, all negative posts of Oyster) and then elated that I AM NOT CRAZY!!! See, in the Oyster-Rhee-Aguirre culture, critiques are forbidden and quickly dismissed and discounted. The open house stories DO represent the current dis-organization. You don't need an admissions committee and funds for a successful open house, only honest enthusiasm. No, Aguirre doesn't appear to try because she is a puppet/drone doing time. The LSRT is meaningless there, anything important is either faked to the community or just misrepresented. Go elsewhere.

I'm sorry, I'm afraid I must be missing your point. Surely it's my own fault. I would have thought that Rhee enrolling her own children in the school (and then keeping them there) was a vote of confidence, but the volatility of your reaction(s) gives me pause. Are you vastly overstating your case against Oyster or is Rhee hiding something even the expense of her own children? Hmm....