Silver Springs schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Maryland is one of the states with the most segregated schools in the country. And, MoCo schools are MORE segregated than they were 40 years ago.

These are facts. (Google it.)

There is more to be segregated (de facto) about in Montgomery County now than there was 40 years ago.

(50 years ago, of course, MCPS was just finishing the process of ending segregation de jure.)

[Anonymous]

OP - please, ignore all these crazy posts from that angry "Mexico city" poster. What a nut. He or she apparently doesn't know much about our great town.

Our child goes to Silver Spring Day School - a cooperative nursery school in 20901 (smack at Four Corners) It is a very inclusive, diverse community. We have lots of "non-traditional" families with same sex parents or interracial parents/kids. Check it out!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - please, ignore all these crazy posts from that angry "Mexico city" poster. What a nut. He or she apparently doesn't know much about our great town.

Our child goes to Silver Spring Day School - a cooperative nursery school in 20901 (smack at Four Corners) It is a very inclusive, diverse community. We have lots of "non-traditional" families with same sex parents or interracial parents/kids. Check it out!

Note the over prejudice in the use of a label by the self-proclaimed inclusive poster.

[Anonymous]

We are in DTSS as well and have noticed a white flight into the area as well and communities of families where kids play on the street or park together, go to the neighborhood school, classrooms with teachers who are able to offer differentiated learning, active PTAs. Perhaps we don't know better. Perhaps the west county schools are just exceptional and no one is unhappy, teaching and peer effect stellar and those people don't know about dcum.

[Anonymous]

We left Silver Spring because of the schools and because of the culture within MCPS to talk down to concerned parents and community members and completely disregard our feedback. I think we would have been more willing to give the schools a chance if we felt the administration actually wanted what was best for our schools and communities. Instead we got complete disengagement from Starr, a meaningless string of numbers offered to justify terrible decisions and that could only serve to diminish the quality of education for our kids. I think characterizing it as White flight obscures the real problem, which is that educated parents of any race who have the financial resources know they can do better and are not willing to invest the time and effort to improve the schools if it is a process that MCPS is not interested in facilitating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We left Silver Spring because of the schools and because of the culture within MCPS to talk down to concerned parents and community members and completely disregard our feedback. I think we would have been more willing to give the schools a chance if we felt the administration actually wanted what was best for our schools and communities. Instead we got complete disengagement from Starr, a meaningless string of numbers offered to justify terrible decisions and that could only serve to diminish the quality of education for our kids. I think characterizing it as White flight obscures the real problem, which is that educated parents of any race who have the financial resources know they can do better and are not willing to invest the time and effort to improve the schools if it is a process that MCPS is not interested in facilitating.

Thank you for giving voice to a message I have unsuccessfully tried to convey to the administration at the HS my DC attends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We left Silver Spring because of the schools and because of the culture within MCPS to talk down to concerned parents and community members and completely disregard our feedback. I think we would have been more willing to give the schools a chance if we felt the administration actually wanted what was best for our schools and communities. Instead we got complete disengagement from Starr, a meaningless string of numbers offered to justify terrible decisions and that could only serve to diminish the quality of education for our kids. I think characterizing it as White flight obscures the real problem, which is that educated parents of any race who have the financial resources know they can do better and are not willing to invest the time and effort to improve the schools if it is a process that MCPS is not interested in facilitating.

It's so hard to evaluate this without knowing the specific circumstances. It could mean "There was a serious problem, and MCPS refused to acknowledge it because not acknowledging it protected MCPS as a bureaucracy." Or it could mean, "We wanted something, and we didn't get it, so we took our ball and went home."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We left Silver Spring because of the schools and because of the culture within MCPS to talk down to concerned parents and community members and completely disregard our feedback. I think we would have been more willing to give the schools a chance if we felt the administration actually wanted what was best for our schools and communities. Instead we got complete disengagement from Starr, a meaningless string of numbers offered to justify terrible decisions and that could only serve to diminish the quality of education for our kids. I think characterizing it as White flight obscures the real problem, which is that educated parents of any race who have the financial resources know they can do better and are not willing to invest the time and effort to improve the schools if it is a process that MCPS is not interested in facilitating.

It's so hard to evaluate this without knowing the specific circumstances. It could mean "There was a serious problem, and MCPS refused to acknowledge it because not acknowledging it protected MCPS as a bureaucracy." Or it could mean, "We wanted something, and we didn't get it, so we took our ball and went home."

Interpret it however you like. The issues were serious and we weren't just bad sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We left Silver Spring because of the schools and because of the culture within MCPS to talk down to concerned parents and community members and completely disregard our feedback. I think we would have been more willing to give the schools a chance if we felt the administration actually wanted what was best for our schools and communities. Instead we got complete disengagement from Starr, a meaningless string of numbers offered to justify terrible decisions and that could only serve to diminish the quality of education for our kids. I think characterizing it as White flight obscures the real problem, which is that educated parents of any race who have the financial resources know they can do better and are not willing to invest the time and effort to improve the schools if it is a process that MCPS is not interested in facilitating.

It's so hard to evaluate this without knowing the specific circumstances. It could mean "There was a serious problem, and MCPS refused to acknowledge it because not acknowledging it protected MCPS as a bureaucracy." Or it could mean, "We wanted something, and we didn't get it, so we took our ball and went home."

Maybe it is this nitpicking and inability to deal with reality that has blessed the NEC and DCC with the lousy schools. It is obvious, that many of you are happy with a DCC and NEC education. Tell the County Council you are happy and let those who want a better education in the DCC and NEC have their say as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe it is this nitpicking and inability to deal with reality that has blessed the NEC and DCC with the lousy schools. It is obvious, that many of you are happy with a DCC and NEC education. Tell the County Council you are happy and let those who want a better education in the DCC and NEC have their say as well.

Why do you assume it is nitpicking? There are plenty of problems in MCPS. There are also plenty of entitled parents -- possibly even in the NEC and DCC -- who believe that MCPS should do what they want MCPS to do, because they want MCPS to do it.

(And I'm pretty sure that the results you're citing for the NEC and DCC are not caused by nitpicking and an inability to deal with reality, but rather with economic residential segregation plus increasing poverty rates in Montgomery County.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We left Silver Spring because of the schools and because of the culture within MCPS to talk down to concerned parents and community members and completely disregard our feedback. I think we would have been more willing to give the schools a chance if we felt the administration actually wanted what was best for our schools and communities. Instead we got complete disengagement from Starr, a meaningless string of numbers offered to justify terrible decisions and that could only serve to diminish the quality of education for our kids. I think characterizing it as White flight obscures the real problem, which is that educated parents of any race who have the financial resources know they can do better and are not willing to invest the time and effort to improve the schools if it is a process that MCPS is not interested in facilitating.

It's so hard to evaluate this without knowing the specific circumstances. It could mean "There was a serious problem, and MCPS refused to acknowledge it because not acknowledging it protected MCPS as a bureaucracy." Or it could mean, "We wanted something, and we didn't get it, so we took our ball and went home."

Maybe it is this nitpicking and inability to deal with reality that has blessed the NEC and DCC with the lousy schools. It is obvious, that many of you are happy with a DCC and NEC education. Tell the County Council you are happy and let those who want a better education in the DCC and NEC have their say as well.

Thank you - having to constantly justify our voices as valid was part of the problem. It's not like this everywhere. Seriously. We went someplace else and all is well. MCPS's attitude is really holding these schools back and it's sad to watch. But I am watching from a distance because I'm done trying to swim against the tide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe it is this nitpicking and inability to deal with reality that has blessed the NEC and DCC with the lousy schools. It is obvious, that many of you are happy with a DCC and NEC education. Tell the County Council you are happy and let those who want a better education in the DCC and NEC have their say as well.

Why do you assume it is nitpicking? There are plenty of problems in MCPS. There are also plenty of entitled parents -- possibly even in the NEC and DCC -- who believe that MCPS should do what they want MCPS to do, because they want MCPS to do it.

(And I'm pretty sure that the results you're citing for the NEC and DCC are not caused by nitpicking and an inability to deal with reality, but rather with economic residential segregation plus increasing poverty rates in Montgomery County.)

Just to be clear - some of the issues were very serious, by anyone's standards. If it makes you feel better, tell yourself it's just entitled parents who walk away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe it is this nitpicking and inability to deal with reality that has blessed the NEC and DCC with the lousy schools. It is obvious, that many of you are happy with a DCC and NEC education. Tell the County Council you are happy and let those who want a better education in the DCC and NEC have their say as well.

Why do you assume it is nitpicking? There are plenty of problems in MCPS. There are also plenty of entitled parents -- possibly even in the NEC and DCC -- who believe that MCPS should do what they want MCPS to do, because they want MCPS to do it.

(And I'm pretty sure that the results you're citing for the NEC and DCC are not caused by nitpicking and an inability to deal with reality, but rather with economic residential segregation plus increasing poverty rates in Montgomery County.)

Just to be clear - some of the issues were very serious, by anyone's standards. If it makes you feel better, tell yourself it's just entitled parents who walk away.

It doesn't make me feel better or worse. The point is: without more information, it's impossible to tell whether it's serious issues or entitled parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe it is this nitpicking and inability to deal with reality that has blessed the NEC and DCC with the lousy schools. It is obvious, that many of you are happy with a DCC and NEC education. Tell the County Council you are happy and let those who want a better education in the DCC and NEC have their say as well.

Why do you assume it is nitpicking? There are plenty of problems in MCPS. There are also plenty of entitled parents -- possibly even in the NEC and DCC -- who believe that MCPS should do what they want MCPS to do, because they want MCPS to do it.

(And I'm pretty sure that the results you're citing for the NEC and DCC are not caused by nitpicking and an inability to deal with reality, but rather with economic residential segregation plus increasing poverty rates in Montgomery County.)

Just to be clear - some of the issues were very serious, by anyone's standards. If it makes you feel better, tell yourself it's just entitled parents who walk away.

It doesn't make me feel better or worse. The point is: without more information, it's impossible to tell whether it's serious issues or entitled parents.

We should be on the same team, but instead you're all geared up to knock me down in case you judge my issue to not be serious enough in your book. This feels like just the type of exchange, albeit with more BOE meetings and paperwork involved, we came to expect from MCPS bureaucracy. I'm so glad we got out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
We should be on the same team, but instead you're all geared up to knock me down in case you judge my issue to not be serious enough in your book. This feels like just the type of exchange, albeit with more BOE meetings and paperwork involved, we came to expect from MCPS bureaucracy. I'm so glad we got out.

I apologize -- I am not all geared to knock you down. The fact is, as I said, that there are plenty of problems in MCPS, and there are also plenty of entitled parents in MCPS (and especially on DCUM!), and how can one anonymous poster on DCUM know whether another anonymous poster on DCUM is talking about one or the other, without more specific information about the specific problem(s)?