SWS has jumped the shark

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a former SWS parent, from the pre-woke times, I believe what PP says about the environment. It sounds like SWS has changed a lot over the years, but if one thing has remained the same it is the cult-like environment. PP, please know that in other schools, parents are not scared to challenge the administration or teachers. This sort of environment is really toxic. I’d argue that it is also counter to Reggio principles, which are supposed to encourage critical thinking!

NP here. We used to attend a charter school mentioned on this thread that is currently experiencing significant leadership struggles. The environment was eerily similar among parents and teachers--even though critical thinking was supposedly prioritized, parents were afraid to speak out against glaring issues with the school (particularly around COVID, when the former HOS refused to open in person). It was bizarre to me.

The challenge at that school (good riddance, DOCTOR K) and SWS and many others is that demographic advantages cover all manner of sins during the ECE years. I don't know that parents are afraid to challenge the school as much as they don't see a need to do so while things are going well. You look pats the SJW nonsense at SWS and the expeditionary crap at other unnamed schools because your kid is progressing and gets contact with kids from different walks of life. Then 2nd or 3rd grade and hormones hit and you start to hear about behavioral issues. You start to realize classroom management is not the string suit of these schools. You start to understand that the foundation of "equity, equity, EQUITY" that was a buzzword in ECE is a shield and sword used to shut up anyone who dissents. That's when kids leave. For BASIS, Latin, privates and the burbs. The cycle repeats. None of this is new. What I believe happened was that COVID exacerbated the behavioral and learning challenges and exposed the fiction that screaming equity solves anything.

Wrong! This equity based programming is in place to ensure that sheltered white students don’t end up being racists and afraid of black folks like their parents.

Troll better my friend.

Why is it that whenever anyone mentions anything about race, white folks get upset? Ask yourself why you’re getting upset when black people call out racism. Could it be that you’re guilty of being a racist?

There aren’t hours enough to respond to your blanket generalization, but it is clear that throwing out the word “racism” at any opportunity, even when inapplicable, is a strong cudgel employed (sometimes in bad faith) to end reasonable discourse.

Even if there is merit to saying that SWS is watering down academic vigor based on nebulous equity goals, your ability to stifle the conversation with shame based tactics by simply throwing out claims of “racism” is getting tired.

But that’s the world we live in. There is a political rightward drift across the world, partly probably because people feel that the left wing has gone completely overboard with these shame based attacks on free speech or on not allowing any constructive criticism. Obviously, hate speech has consequences and is terrible, but merely trying to objectively discuss whether policy is good or bad, and having ad hominem attacks used to shut down conversation is making people annoyed.

[Anonymous]

Look, the proof is in the pudding.

If a school in DC is great at promoting actual racial equity and meeting the needs of black students, you should see lots of middle and upper SES black families there. These are families that have choices (in both where they live and where their kids go to school), so if a school was really "doing the work" in a way that met their families' needs, you'd see these families referencing living near and lotterying into these schools in large numbers.

If a school talks endlessly about equity but is mostly serving high SES white families and low income black families (who by definition have fewer choices), you should be asking yourself why. Also, when equity is invoked frequently to explain why a school CAN'T do things, you should ask yourself why. If you live near schools like SWS and TR and even some of these DCPS schools that tout equity, but all the middle and UMC black families you know are going private or trying to get into DCI feeders or looking into moving, you have to ask yourself why.

Equity is a completely valid and important goal for a school. But equity does NOT mean lowering academic standards, avoiding doing hard things that would actually benefit families, or simply shaming white families into being quiet about things that bother them. That's just poor leadership using the name of equity as a shield without doing the work. Look around the school -- it's composition will give you some strong hints as to whether the school is actually enacting policies that promote racial equity.

[Anonymous]

If only things were that simple. Maybe we should be asking ourselves why DCPS is such a mess, yet city councils still don't get voted in our out over ed issues, let alone the DC Mayor.

-Signed parent who just spent thousands of dollars on tutoring for a 5th grader at SWS who couldn't spell, punctuate, capitalize to save his life at the start of the school year, or work at grade level in math despite being v. bright

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jesus christ. The POC Affinity Group didn't bother me. I read your description and thought "so what."

And then. Then. Then I read the White Affinity Group. This is the exact kind of thing that keeps Trump a viable brand.

current parent of a mixed race kid there - COUNTING the days until my kids is outta there! thankfully in 5th - It takes every ounce of self control for me not to roll up at one of these "exclusionary" events and give them all piece of my mind - THEY are creating the racial tension if there even is any.

These schools claim to be so tolerant with trans flags and BLM all over - but will happily segregate groups its so moronic - these DEI "experts" are raking in the dough now by creating more division and fabricating problems where they do not exist. EQUITY is a sham and its so infuriating - why do elementary kids need a survey asking them if they are trans or bi-sexual - NONE OF THESE ISSUES ARE A SCHOOLS RESPONSIBILITY - they focus more on teaching activism and leftist ideologies that spelling and math.

but what Im most offended at is this poster using my Lord and Saviors name in vain.


But if whites aren't into this and blacks aren't into in and those of us with mixed kids aren't into it - WHO IS ATTENDING THIS???? what sane person thinks any of this is a good idea let alone necessary. We all have kids and we know our kids interact with all kids - no child is coming home saying I dont want to play with Billy cuz hes black and black people are inferior to whites - DOES NOT HAPPEN or I dont like Sally cuz she has all the privilege - NOPE these thoughts are created by these dumb groups ... ughhh im so over this I just needed to vent. It pains me that our children have to grow up in this era of wokeism/technology - let kids be kids.

I am SO glad I'm not the only one who hated that survey. I have NO IDEA if ny child is trans or bisexual at this young of an age and I hated that the school asked this and is making kids label themselves so early. I agree - let kids be kids!!!

If my public school had my elem child fill out a survey like that, i would have threatened to sue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If only things were that simple. Maybe we should be asking ourselves why DCPS is such a mess, yet city councils still don't get voted in our out over ed issues, let alone the DC Mayor.

-Signed parent who just spent thousands of dollars on tutoring for a 5th grader at SWS who couldn't spell, punctuate, capitalize to save his life at the start of the school year, or work at grade level in math despite being v. bright

Because we have to water down curriculum and simply advance kids to the next grade. Whatever it takes to put lipstick on a pig. If it’s too hard the goal is to make easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If only things were that simple. Maybe we should be asking ourselves why DCPS is such a mess, yet city councils still don't get voted in our out over ed issues, let alone the DC Mayor.

-Signed parent who just spent thousands of dollars on tutoring for a 5th grader at SWS who couldn't spell, punctuate, capitalize to save his life at the start of the school year, or work at grade level in math despite being v. bright

The city council doesn’t get voted out because there are a lot of good hearted, but ultimately naive idealist voters in this city with progressive liberal beliefs who have chosen to buy expensive little row houses. the type of people who like to ride cargo bikes, tout urbanist goals and put up yard signs and basically “be the change they want to see.” Yet they also somehow also believe that not prosecuting criminals, or taking away drivers licenses even if speeders rack up $12,000 in fines and kill three people on rock creek, or that paying over $26k per student every year for failing schools that teach to the lowest common denominator and push policies intended to water down academic vigor is intelligent policy.

[Anonymous]

Correct about City Council. And to be clear DCPS has no interest in whether any of its students perform above grade level and do not support any schools in offering this material.

But I think that it is normal for most MC or UMC parents of young children entering school to expect their school to offer advanced material. Knowing that they will not receive support from DCPS central office for this, DCPS principals can respond to this in one of two ways. They can encourage teachers to differentiate (both up and down, not just down) and support their PTAs in fundraising like hell to hire extra teachers and staff to provide advanced programming. This is the JKLM/Deal model. Or, they brainwash/shame parents into thinking that providing advanced material is somehow damaging or racist, so parents are hesitant to ask for it. This is the SWS/certain charter model.

So you could complain about city council, the mayor, and DCPS. You would be correct but I'm not sure you will change anything. Or, SWS parents can simply insist on better, and fundraise specifically for that purpose. Unlikely to happen given the culture at SWS, though.

[Anonymous]

Also SWS is in Ward 6 repped by Charles Allen who is all about making big performative statements about racism while not pushing real change to benefit DC.

By the way, I was at a community meeting with Charles Allen where they discussed turning Sherwood Rec into a homeless shelter. When people said they were opposed to having a shelter so near a school, he tried to shame everyone for being opposed to this (as if Sherwood was the only option and it was okay to remove a community asset).

So there you go- you elect performative clowns who want to appear as anti racist as possible but make no real positive community change, and you end up with homeless shelters next to elementary schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If only things were that simple. Maybe we should be asking ourselves why DCPS is such a mess, yet city councils still don't get voted in our out over ed issues, let alone the DC Mayor.

-Signed parent who just spent thousands of dollars on tutoring for a 5th grader at SWS who couldn't spell, punctuate, capitalize to save his life at the start of the school year, or work at grade level in math despite being v. bright

The city council doesn’t get voted out because there are a lot of good hearted, but ultimately naive idealist voters in this city with progressive liberal beliefs who have chosen to buy expensive little row houses. the type of people who like to ride cargo bikes, tout urbanist goals and put up yard signs and basically “be the change they want to see.” Yet they also somehow also believe that not prosecuting criminals, or taking away drivers licenses even if speeders rack up $12,000 in fines and kill three people on rock creek, or that paying over $26k per student every year for failing schools that teach to the lowest common denominator and push policies intended to water down academic vigor is intelligent policy.

Well said. The naivete is rife.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If only things were that simple. Maybe we should be asking ourselves why DCPS is such a mess, yet city councils still don't get voted in our out over ed issues, let alone the DC Mayor.

-Signed parent who just spent thousands of dollars on tutoring for a 5th grader at SWS who couldn't spell, punctuate, capitalize to save his life at the start of the school year, or work at grade level in math despite being v. bright

The city council doesn’t get voted out because there are a lot of good hearted, but ultimately naive idealist voters in this city with progressive liberal beliefs who have chosen to buy expensive little row houses. the type of people who like to ride cargo bikes, tout urbanist goals and put up yard signs and basically “be the change they want to see.” Yet they also somehow also believe that not prosecuting criminals, or taking away drivers licenses even if speeders rack up $12,000 in fines and kill three people on rock creek, or that paying over $26k per student every year for failing schools that teach to the lowest common denominator and push policies intended to water down academic vigor is intelligent policy.

Well said. The naivete is rife.

Indeed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also SWS is in Ward 6 repped by Charles Allen who is all about making big performative statements about racism while not pushing real change to benefit DC.

By the way, I was at a community meeting with Charles Allen where they discussed turning Sherwood Rec into a homeless shelter. When people said they were opposed to having a shelter so near a school, he tried to shame everyone for being opposed to this (as if Sherwood was the only option and it was okay to remove a community asset).

So there you go- you elect performative clowns who want to appear as anti racist as possible but make no real positive community change, and you end up with homeless shelters next to elementary schools.

F that. LA council voted to not allow homeless encampments within a certain distance of schools some time ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also SWS is in Ward 6 repped by Charles Allen who is all about making big performative statements about racism while not pushing real change to benefit DC.

By the way, I was at a community meeting with Charles Allen where they discussed turning Sherwood Rec into a homeless shelter. When people said they were opposed to having a shelter so near a school, he tried to shame everyone for being opposed to this (as if Sherwood was the only option and it was okay to remove a community asset).

So there you go- you elect performative clowns who want to appear as anti racist as possible but make no real positive community change, and you end up with homeless shelters next to elementary schools.

I also heard how the playground will be closed for most of the fall. So a double whammy for SWS kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also SWS is in Ward 6 repped by Charles Allen who is all about making big performative statements about racism while not pushing real change to benefit DC.

By the way, I was at a community meeting with Charles Allen where they discussed turning Sherwood Rec into a homeless shelter. When people said they were opposed to having a shelter so near a school, he tried to shame everyone for being opposed to this (as if Sherwood was the only option and it was okay to remove a community asset).

So there you go- you elect performative clowns who want to appear as anti racist as possible but make no real positive community change, and you end up with homeless shelters next to elementary schools.

You seem not to know what "performative" means. You accuse him of being performative regarding racism and then take issue with him trying to convert Sherwood to a shelter. Performative would be giving lip service to the need for shelters and supports and then refusing to allow them in his Ward (hello W3). That's not what happened here. What happened here is he advocated for a scarce resource to be allocated to one marginalized group over and above another, both of which serve equity and racism goals.

What's funny is I categorically object to converting Sherwood to a shelter. I want it to remain what it is and I don't want the shelter next to a school. Heck, I don't want it in my neighborhood either, but I'm not a bleeding heart. I think he's wrong. I've told his staff this. But the example you cite above is NOT performative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also SWS is in Ward 6 repped by Charles Allen who is all about making big performative statements about racism while not pushing real change to benefit DC.

By the way, I was at a community meeting with Charles Allen where they discussed turning Sherwood Rec into a homeless shelter. When people said they were opposed to having a shelter so near a school, he tried to shame everyone for being opposed to this (as if Sherwood was the only option and it was okay to remove a community asset).

So there you go- you elect performative clowns who want to appear as anti racist as possible but make no real positive community change, and you end up with homeless shelters next to elementary schools.

You seem not to know what "performative" means. You accuse him of being performative regarding racism and then take issue with him trying to convert Sherwood to a shelter. Performative would be giving lip service to the need for shelters and supports and then refusing to allow them in his Ward (hello W3). That's not what happened here. What happened here is he advocated for a scarce resource to be allocated to one marginalized group over and above another, both of which serve equity and racism goals.

What's funny is I categorically object to converting Sherwood to a shelter. I want it to remain what it is and I don't want the shelter next to a school. Heck, I don't want it in my neighborhood either, but I'm not a bleeding heart. I think he's wrong. I've told his staff this. But the example you cite above is NOT performative.

No, it absolutely is performative. There was no need to sacrifice the rec center for this stunt. There are other places and hotels to house the drug addicts on H street. And while Allen gets the bragging rights for being a savior, it is his constituents who must suffer the loss of a valuable community resource, not him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also SWS is in Ward 6 repped by Charles Allen who is all about making big performative statements about racism while not pushing real change to benefit DC.

By the way, I was at a community meeting with Charles Allen where they discussed turning Sherwood Rec into a homeless shelter. When people said they were opposed to having a shelter so near a school, he tried to shame everyone for being opposed to this (as if Sherwood was the only option and it was okay to remove a community asset).

So there you go- you elect performative clowns who want to appear as anti racist as possible but make no real positive community change, and you end up with homeless shelters next to elementary schools.

You seem not to know what "performative" means. You accuse him of being performative regarding racism and then take issue with him trying to convert Sherwood to a shelter. Performative would be giving lip service to the need for shelters and supports and then refusing to allow them in his Ward (hello W3). That's not what happened here. What happened here is he advocated for a scarce resource to be allocated to one marginalized group over and above another, both of which serve equity and racism goals.

What's funny is I categorically object to converting Sherwood to a shelter. I want it to remain what it is and I don't want the shelter next to a school. Heck, I don't want it in my neighborhood either, but I'm not a bleeding heart. I think he's wrong. I've told his staff this. But the example you cite above is NOT performative.

No, it absolutely is performative. There was no need to sacrifice the rec center for this stunt. There are other places and hotels to house the drug addicts on H street. And while Allen gets the bragging rights for being a savior, it is his constituents who must suffer the loss of a valuable community resource, not him.

I don’t think there is a proposal to turn Sherwood into a homeless shelter. AFAIK it has been operating for years as an overflow hyperthermia shelter for women as needed during the winter.