What can we do to improve our neighborhood schools as a community?

[Anonymous]

What can we do to improve our neighborhood schools as a community?

My current elementary is rated as a 3 (Kettering), middle school (Kettering) is a 3, and high school (Wise) is a 3 on great schools. We are looking for long a term solution to get the families, teachers, students, neighbors, businesses, etc. involved to help improve the schools in our cluster, any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

We are tired of seeing our kids collectively perform below the state average at these schools. We have attended the town hall meetings and been involved with the PTA but there still seems to be no progress for the schools collectively. While we are waiting on the school district for solutions the cycle continues year after year as our students go from elementary to middle to high school.

There are kids at these schools that I mentioned above that are performing well above the state average and involved in the TAG program, honors courses, AP Courses, and IB courses. However, what can we do to reach the kids that are not performing as well.


Remo

[Anonymous]

Was there decent teacher representation at the PTA? I would ask the teachers. Some of them may have some very concrete ideas, or at least know what the stumbling blocks are. It might be class size, the way the day is structured, not enough aids, language barriers without appropriate services, etc.

[Anonymous]

I don't think there's clear consensus on what to do.

And I don't think that the people who have the power to make the changes have the political will to do so.

At any rate, I'd look at the couple of middle schools and high schools that are doing the best and see how those practices can be employed at a younger age.

I want so much to live in PG county (I love my area) and to support the public school but I just can't sacrifice my child's education for that greater good. Not sure we'll stick it out beyond elementary, but we will see how it goes.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PP at 11:39. There is some pressure in our community (though nothing like Hyattsville, Mt. Rainier, etc.) to have our children attend the PGCPS Elementary - that by sending your child elsewhere, you are perpetuating the problem. I don't really disagree, but the alternative is simply not viable. The reality is that my community ES isn't a Hyattsville, or a UP, or anything remotely comparable. It is terrible. My kid isn't going to be the guinea pig out of some misplaced desire to prove that I am tolerant.

My honest opinion is that the students performing well at under-performing schools do so because of parental and familial support. Education, the value of learning, and the joy of learning, are emphasized in the home, regardless of the parent(s)' own educational background. Most kids in these schools don't have that kind of support, so the background knowledge, the love of learning, the respect for learning aren't always there. It takes a very bright, inquisitive student, and some really fantastic teaching, to overcome that kind of pre-established obstacle. Maybe if parental involvement was stronger, and was better integrated with teacher involvement (as the first PP suggested) parents would realize it's not all about obedience but rather about a desire to learn and to let your dreams take you as far as they can. A lot of what I see is "listen to your teacher or I'll tan your hide". That's simply not the same thing. Frankly, it's cultural.

[Anonymous]

The PP pointed to something that has kept us from sending our kid to the neighborhood school, despite the fact that we believe, on some level, that we SHOULD. The school suspends little kids. Its website proclaims that its primary goal is to provide a safe environment. They use all sorts of ways to show how no-tolerance they are, and it all adds up to an environment of get-in-line discipline that I can't abide. We're hippy dippy attachment parenting types - I can't just ditch my values at the school room door. There is no open house, and the principle won't meet with neighborhood parents who are considering sending their kids. And so we sent our kid to private, but I still feel terrible about it.

[Anonymous]

Hyattsville es got to where it is today by having parents who decided to become involved even before their kids were old enough for school. Persistent, visible involvement by parents and community can make a difference. It takes committment though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was there decent teacher representation at the PTA? I would ask the teachers. Some of them may have some very concrete ideas, or at least know what the stumbling blocks are. It might be class size, the way the day is structured, not enough aids, language barriers without appropriate services, etc.

A good part of why a school does well or does not is really determined by the quality of the administration. How well does the principal advocate for services for the school? How willing are they to have parent volunteers in the classroom, helping out struggling students vs. constructing a wall between parent and teacher? Class size, how the day is structured, teaching aids, and quantity and quality of services are all things that the principal has some control over esp. with school based budgeting. There will/may be language barriers which the school won't have control over, but what is the Parent and Community Outreach Coordinator like? How much out of their way do they go to get services for their families? Principals need to be good day to day managers, instructional leaders, and also, ideally, a community organizer. It's extraordinarily rare, if not impossible, to find a principal good at all of these, but absolute necessity for a struggling or challenged neighborhoods to thrive. A middle class neighborhood with a lot of parent involvement can get by on either of the first two and many schools do.

Do you have a school aged child? What is the quality of the teaching like?

[Anonymous]

Our school is a 2. I think it's parent involvement and the environment around the school. If you find the answer PLEASE let us know. I would love to send my kid to public.

[Anonymous]

It starts at home with simple things like making sure your child attends school and is on time everyday, making sure your child is prepared for class everyday (homework compeleted and reviewed, studied yesterday lessons to sure up understanding of material, skimmed the upcoming lesson, have their homework with them in mornings to take to school, have school supplies in their bags such as pens, pencils, paper, etc), a quite place for your child to study/complete homework daily, make sure your child understands class docurm and how to behave in school including paying attention, expect that your child will be high achiever, get involved with the PTA involvement, volunteer at the school at least twice a year, talk to your child about school and what is their favorite or least favorite subject, spend quality time with your child, and provide any other resources the child needs to succeed daily in school.

Teachers have to do their jobs as teachers as well as alert parents/adminstration about any students that may be falling behind early. Don't wait until the quarter is almost over, what can be done to rectify the problem early. If a kid may need some extra help in an area or is not completing assignments, see if the PTA can provide an after school study hall to help that child and ensure that he/she finishes their daily homework and assignments. We don't know what is going on after the child leaves school that is preventing them from doing their homework.

Adminstration has to fight for the resources for their schools and challenge their staff to go above and beyond in teaching the students. Hold everyone accountable from staff, to parents, to students, to the board of education.

Community has to care about the schools and support the schools, even if it is simple things like yard sales, bake sales, or any other type of fundraising events that will help the school out. Voulnteer time to sit inside a class or help out after school with different PTA and non-PTA programs. If there is a person that teaches music in the community see if they are will to conduct music lessons after school at a reduced rate to help out. Have businesses donate for various activities and fundraisers the schools are hosting. Have a community day twice a month where different professionals come in and talk to the students about their professions and what students will have to do to be in their profession.

The schools did not go down hill overnight and they are not going to change into winners over night. It is going to take time, you have to continue to champion for the greater of the good even when you have or don't have kids in those schools in your community. Get out and vote in local elections and hold the elected officials accountable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school is a 2. I think it's parent involvement and the environment around the school. If you find the answer PLEASE let us know. I would love to send my kid to public.

Same here. Anyone herein a school ranked 5 or higher? If I remember from another post, didn't Greenbelt go way up this year. Please tell what are you actually doing differently?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school is a 2. I think it's parent involvement and the environment around the school. If you find the answer PLEASE let us know. I would love to send my kid to public.

Same here. Anyone herein a school ranked 5 or higher? If I remember from another post, didn't Greenbelt go way up this year. Please tell what are you actually doing differently?

Our neighborhood school is currently a 5, and was a 7 just a couple years ago, which is a little disappointing I guess. I wonder what went downhill, but I realize that in a school with only 300 or so kids, 5 or 6 kids who are either extremely bright or extremely behind could throw off test scores for a whole grade, so I try to think about it like that.

[Anonymous]

Great dialogue and thoughtful comments, if anyone from Hyattsville or Greenbelt Elementary could chime in that would be greatly appreciated.

[Anonymous]

I just wanted to say that while my kid is not in elementary school yet, I wrote to Superintendent Maxwell (CC to our local elected officials) with some of my concerns and actually received a very thoughtful response, via email and voicemail, from one of his staff.. Educators I know throughout the state of Maryland have a LOT of respect for Dr. Maxwell. Whether the political will exists to back his ideas and fund them of course remains to be seen, but advocating to our elected officials and the board of education is one thing we can do for our communities even if public school is not an immediate option for our children.

[Anonymous]

We have a 7 for a ES but the middle and high schools are both 2. Even the strong public education advocates in town are not even considering them as options once their kids get older.
I'm not sure what the solution is. I am really hopeful that Maxwell can improve things but I'm not sure it's going to happen in our tenure at the school.
MLK Middle in Beltsville and Samuel Ogle in Bowie both have GS ratings of 8 but the associated HS aren't scored high at all.

[Anonymous]

I think one part of the equation has to be encouraging charter schools to locate in PG. This has helped elevate the perception of DCPS - people no longer feel limited to move to certain school boundaries because of the flourishing charter system. As a result, neighborhoods improve and property values increase which by extension improves the local school. I have no idea how one goes about "encouraging" charters though.