Help keep quality arts education alive at Fillmore

[Anonymous]

Fillmore supporter here, my kids are now in private MS and HS but became exposed and confident through the incredible Mr. Lee (sp?), who is the musical theatre teacher; the other became serious about ceramics and and other work through Peter Romero's class (yes, he's stern and serious and a true artist but kids who get that get a lot out of it). You're not going to get a kiln in a little school house. Some of the other art teaches have been lovely and patient, and we still have framed and hanging some inspired work prodded by her. Michael Bowie gave each child a still-active appreciation and love of different musical instruments, they play today at their private. Bowie also runs the Blues Alley Youth Orchestra, has partnered with the Smithsonian and had former Fillmore students playing at the Crafts Fair at the National Building Museum two years ago, these types of experiences are utterly unique and a gift born out of dedicated talented teachers who choose to share their love of art with kids who --likely more than half of that 3500 -- would never get the same exposure. There were classroom management issues but even Ford's Theatre's ed. dept. can't survive a "partnership" project with DCPS kids unless their teachers and/or parents are intimately involved. Usually the same kids acted out in the course of any day unless they were sitting in circle in the rote DCPS morning routines. Seems perhaps Fillmore could be an elective for antsy younger students (pre-k didn't used to go to Fillmore, Fillmore came to them or something), but there's important lessons to be learned when a child can't handle getting in a line to take a short bus ride or behave well as on a field trip. When kids are locked up in one building with little recess it's far better to get out and be creative in the gorgeous scenery that is Fillmore. Finally, it was near-impossible for our LSRT to get rid of the deadening chore of the FT "in-house" art teacher that had been there until Fillmore came into play at a great savings to the school. You could ditch Fillmore and then parents will squabble about the single PT or FT art or music teacher that I guarantee not everyone will love --the specialists in this arena in DCPS are few and far between and a creative art student as suggested on this thread will also have classroom management issues. At Fillmore there are teachers you and your child will love and others they just won't. The parents/kids who aren't into the arts there should be able to opt out in very low grades for the sake of the well behaved kids and appreciative adults, as well as the Fillmore teachers who deserve support and attentive pupils who's home teaches should be instilling in them the gift of the program they are receiving.

[Anonymous]

PP here "...whose home teachers'" I mean to say. In my memory a lot of the complaints people have about Fillmore could be ironed out if the school's classroom teaches worked cooperatively and kept in regular communication with the Filllmore teachers who take their charges. I never saw much love between the classroom teachers and the Fillmore staff, then again I rarely saw DCPS teachers having much interest in the students' Fillmore works, and that message is trasmitted back to the kids to disrespect Fillmore. Hopefully that has improved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fillmore supporter here, my kids are now in private MS and HS but became exposed and confident through the incredible Mr. Lee (sp?), who is the musical theatre teacher; the other became serious about ceramics and and other work through Peter Romero's class (yes, he's stern and serious and a true artist but kids who get that get a lot out of it). You're not going to get a kiln in a little school house. Some of the other art teaches have been lovely and patient, and we still have framed and hanging some inspired work prodded by her. Michael Bowie gave each child a still-active appreciation and love of different musical instruments, they play today at their private. Bowie also runs the Blues Alley Youth Orchestra, has partnered with the Smithsonian and had former Fillmore students playing at the Crafts Fair at the National Building Museum two years ago, these types of experiences are utterly unique and a gift born out of dedicated talented teachers who choose to share their love of art with kids who --likely more than half of that 3500 -- would never get the same exposure. There were classroom management issues but even Ford's Theatre's ed. dept. can't survive a "partnership" project with DCPS kids unless their teachers and/or parents are intimately involved. Usually the same kids acted out in the course of any day unless they were sitting in circle in the rote DCPS morning routines. Seems perhaps Fillmore could be an elective for antsy younger students (pre-k didn't used to go to Fillmore, Fillmore came to them or something), but there's important lessons to be learned when a child can't handle getting in a line to take a short bus ride or behave well as on a field trip. When kids are locked up in one building with little recess it's far better to get out and be creative in the gorgeous scenery that is Fillmore. Finally, it was near-impossible for our LSRT to get rid of the deadening chore of the FT "in-house" art teacher that had been there until Fillmore came into play at a great savings to the school. You could ditch Fillmore and then parents will squabble about the single PT or FT art or music teacher that I guarantee not everyone will love --the specialists in this arena in DCPS are few and far between and a creative art student as suggested on this thread will also have classroom management issues. At Fillmore there are teachers you and your child will love and others they just won't. The parents/kids who aren't into the arts there should be able to opt out in very low grades for the sake of the well behaved kids and appreciative adults, as well as the Fillmore teachers who deserve support and attentive pupils who's home teaches should be instilling in them the gift of the program they are receiving.

Michael Bowie is the exception. He is an outstanding teacher. Our experience was not consistent. Many Fillmore teachers are artists first, and teachers second. Their classroom management skills are poor and they resort to yelling. My kids suffered through several years of mediocre classes at Fillmore. Just because it's Fillmore, doesn't mean it's good. If Fillmore's teachers can't reach all or most kids as far as keeping them engaged, then they are doing something wrong. No one is receiving a gift. By the time my oldest was in fourth grade, he asked if he could stop going to Fillmore because the class selections were so repetitive and did not seem to progress year after year. Schools have pulled out and are capable of bringing a solid program to their school. Did you know Horace Mann once participated in Fillmore? They have an outstanding program now any never looked backed after leaving. I wish my kids' ES had the courage to leave.

[Anonymous]

Horace Mann can do whatever it wants and always could --it's a little private DCPS in a secluded and picky community where money is no object, and parents cover the cream that keeps it on par with any fine private (and out of boundary slots are non-existent). Fillmore serves schools that are convenient for many OOB students who may very well "look back" when the program is cut. "courage" to leave? how about courage to make the most of the financial advantage Fillmore small schools enjoy, and if it means re-evaluating the core Fillmore teaches, go and get it done already.

[Anonymous]

Good luck changing/improving anything with Fillmore. It hasn't changed much in 20 years. Some have tried with no success.

[Anonymous]

So in typical DCPS admin leadership style, a style all its own, it just will slowly begin to bleed the whole concept dry by bludgeoning the budget rather than get inside and improve what needs improving. If everyone were cheering about the teaches the way some of us feel about some named on this thread it could return to being one of the bright jewels within the DCPS arts and music perview. The "new" DCPS is no better than the old, and in some ways, worse. At least in the days pre-Rhee parents and community leaders who were willing could get their hands dirty and actually make things happen, and improve many aspects of education. Case in point, Mann's LSRT doing away with Fillmore to pursue their own programming. These days great ideas just disappear in to the ether. Walls core parent and community leaders have absolutely no voice in that latest debacle (merging with Francis), and pre-Rhee they would have been heard.