Deal kid is floundering in private high school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid left Deal and is at a top private high school (Sidwell/NCS/STA/Potomac).
He/she was a top student at Deal: As every quarter in every class grades 6-8, top math track (Algebra 2), 5's on every PARCC since 3rd grade. 99% on the 6th grade Deal PARCC in both ELA and math.

Started private high school and it is an absolute SH$%T show. Currently getting Ds. My kid doesn't know how to study, how to read and annotate dense text in rapid fashion. He/she gets dozens of pages
a night to read and process (across history, ELA, science). Homework in every subject each evening. Has already written 5 essays and 2 lab lengthy reports. Has frequent pop quizzes. One class has one every single day.
Has a sequence of exams in every class this week.

It just f-ing frustrates me how little my kid learned at Deal. How he never learned to think critically or write well. So much wasted time in the pandemic. No Wednesdays, 45 minute classes twice a week. The chicken has come home to roost because my
kid is now having his/her ass kicked. And it all counts for college grades. Things will get better but we're quitting activities, hiring tutors and trying to right the course.

Not sure what the point of my post is except---if you have a kid in DCPS. Supplement like a mad person. We did but not enough. His/her classmates who are at Wilson report that they haven't done any
homework yet in most classes because with the 4x4 schedule, many teachers are only teaching for half of it and little or no homework is given (and what is given is done in class). So if you're at Wilson
(I have another kid likely headed there) continue to supplement.

I'm just so frustrated. I'm sure it is somewhat better in typical times but the pandemic learning was just a mess. Those of us who have left DCPS are seeing clearly just how bad it was.

We had a similar experience, although our straight 'A' public school kid eventually righted the ship and managed to pull out good grades. The reason your kid is having trouble is because ALL privates schools( even the middle tier ones) teach these critical skills in middle school - how to annotate text; how to properly take notes; how to manage your time and grammar. They also train the kids to do homework - it isn't always a lot but they cover most subjects every night, even if it's just reading a chunk of text. Public schools don't do this - not because they are 'bad' but because they don't have time. I ended up volunteering for some activities at my kid's new private school and our HOS remarked one of the things that always surprised her about public school transfers was how horrible their writing was. And you are right, 'Wasted Wednesdays' for the last couple of years did not help. You are right to stop all activities and get tutors. However, at some point, you have to determine whether it makes sense to have tutors AND pay for private school. You should post this on the private school forum though, because here you are likely to get parents who are prickly and sensitive about your perception of Deal because that is the school their kid(s) attend.

+1. Middle school at private school is all about study skills, grammar, vocabulary, and writing skills. The schools are tough on this kids at the middle school level, when the grades don't matter for college applications. They get rid of bad habits so kids are ready for challenging work in high school.

Yep, +2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, Deal really dropped the ball during COVID. Last year's experience is not representative of the education the school previously delivered. During COVID the administration knowingly prioritized the mental and physical health of teachers over that of their students.

My older children who went through Deal a few years ago were way better prepared for high school. Last year I watched my youngest sit behind a screen for 15 minutes at a time with basically no expectations of them. Most of the day was free time to play video games and watch TV because the teachers barely taught.

The school did a huge disservice to the current 9th graders and of course, they are gone so the administration will never have to come face to face with the damage they caused.

Well said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid just started at a Big3 for 9th and the summer reading was the Autobiography of Malcolm X.

A classic.

Exactly. But PPs insist that only white authors can write classics.

Currently at Deal,
6th graders are reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
7th graders are reading Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
8th graders are reading Raisin in the Sun

They're not reading entire books, just excerpts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid just started at a Big3 for 9th and the summer reading was the Autobiography of Malcolm X.

A classic.

Exactly. But PPs insist that only white authors can write classics.

Currently at Deal,
6th graders are reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
7th graders are reading Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
8th graders are reading Raisin in the Sun

They're not reading entire books, just excerpts.

Correct. My current 9th grader was assigned about 1/3 of Raisin in the Sun last year. Her team never finished the book.
She has read more in a week of private high school than in 3 years total at Deal. This is not an exaggeration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid just started at a Big3 for 9th and the summer reading was the Autobiography of Malcolm X.

A classic.

Exactly. But PPs insist that only white authors can write classics.

Currently at Deal,
6th graders are reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
7th graders are reading Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
8th graders are reading Raisin in the Sun

They're not reading entire books, just excerpts.

Correct. My current 9th grader was assigned about 1/3 of Raisin in the Sun last year. Her team never finished the book.
She has read more in a week of private high school than in 3 years total at Deal. This is not an exaggeration.

Honest question, why don't you just ask your kids to read the whole books?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid just started at a Big3 for 9th and the summer reading was the Autobiography of Malcolm X.

A classic.

Exactly. But PPs insist that only white authors can write classics.

Currently at Deal,
6th graders are reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
7th graders are reading Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
8th graders are reading Raisin in the Sun

They're not reading entire books, just excerpts.

Correct. My current 9th grader was assigned about 1/3 of Raisin in the Sun last year. Her team never finished the book.
She has read more in a week of private high school than in 3 years total at Deal. This is not an exaggeration.

I believe it and I'm so frustrated as a Deal parent.

[Anonymous]

If a kid isnt reading on their own by middle school, good luck getting them to turn on a switch in high school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid just started at a Big3 for 9th and the summer reading was the Autobiography of Malcolm X.

A classic.

Exactly. But PPs insist that only white authors can write classics.

Currently at Deal,
6th graders are reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
7th graders are reading Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
8th graders are reading Raisin in the Sun

They're not reading entire books, just excerpts.

Correct. My current 9th grader was assigned about 1/3 of Raisin in the Sun last year. Her team never finished the book.
She has read more in a week of private high school than in 3 years total at Deal. This is not an exaggeration.

that is pitiful and even more pitiful that they are hiding it under a fig leaf of diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid just started at a Big3 for 9th and the summer reading was the Autobiography of Malcolm X.

A classic.

Exactly. But PPs insist that only white authors can write classics.

Currently at Deal,
6th graders are reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
7th graders are reading Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
8th graders are reading Raisin in the Sun

They're not reading entire books, just excerpts.

Correct. My current 9th grader was assigned about 1/3 of Raisin in the Sun last year. Her team never finished the book.
She has read more in a week of private high school than in 3 years total at Deal. This is not an exaggeration.

Honest question, why don't you just ask your kids to read the whole books?

I did when I realized it was never assigned. I had him pick it back up and finish it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The books they read at Deal are not particularly advanced. And for some reason all the books are about racism or minority groups being oppressed. Like every single book.

The kids at Deal are the ones that need to read these types of books. They’ll have plenty of time in high school and college to read the classics (that will have no major impact on the way they live the lives).

What do you mean by your first sentence? Why do you think the kids at Deal need to read these books? Who doesn’t need to read these books?

What’s your point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid just started at a Big3 for 9th and the summer reading was the Autobiography of Malcolm X.

A classic.

Exactly. But PPs insist that only white authors can write classics.

Currently at Deal,
6th graders are reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
7th graders are reading Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
8th graders are reading Raisin in the Sun

They're not reading entire books, just excerpts.

You're kidding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid just started at a Big3 for 9th and the summer reading was the Autobiography of Malcolm X.

A classic.

Exactly. But PPs insist that only white authors can write classics.

Currently at Deal,
6th graders are reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
7th graders are reading Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
8th graders are reading Raisin in the Sun

They're not reading entire books, just excerpts.

You're kidding.

Sadly, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look, there are only so many hours in the school day. Critical race theory instruction cannot be rushed. If that means other skills and topics receive less attention, that’s just something you need to come to terms with. Not to worry though, your kid will be in the honors program at Wilson.

This is funny, but sad it’s about kids’ education.

[Anonymous]

Wow, I am glad I moved my 6th grader to private this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, there are only so many hours in the school day. Critical race theory instruction cannot be rushed. If that means other skills and topics receive less attention, that’s just something you need to come to terms with. Not to worry though, your kid will be in the honors program at Wilson.

This is funny, but sad it’s about kids’ education.

+1