Documentary on DC METROPOLITAN Airing Tonight on PBS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Perspective is everything. Here we are stressing about the school lottery, and it could not be more obvious that if you were born in the U.S., in the 21st century, to two middle-class parents who are together and love you - you have already won the biggest lottery of all.



A very moving documentary. Even though, the cameras were turned off, it was good to hear the teachers express their frustrations with the system.

I thought the same thing.

Teachers have been screaming the same thing for years now. The problem is that no one is listening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was moved to tears when Raven Q was accepted at college. She seems to be so mature and good-natured. She has a beautiful spirit. If only college acceptance was as easy as showing up with a transcript and filling out an application. But KUDOS to Kwame Brown for pulling that college trip together.

The other Raven? She also seems so good-natured and has a smile that lit up my room. The middle class mother in me couldn't believe her mother wouldn't wait until she graduated before moving to Texas. After all, she'd gone from New Orleans to North Carolina to DC. Like really? What are you looking for? Let the child graduate then continue your search. Alas, they're operating from a different worldview.

Speaking of, the "parents" the truancy officers visited? Like really? "S/he just does what s/he wants...I dunno where s/he is...not my problem..." UGH! They angered me more than anybody in the entire 2 hour documentary.

The 18 year old who's been living on his own taking care of his siblings since his mother's death? The principal made a point I didn't think of: how the holidays are the worst part of the year for some students. Can you imagine being that 18 year old and his brothers with no parents to buy you gifts or prepare a holiday meal? Just one long day after another with nothing to do but play video games.

It pisses me off to see perfectly good kids who only needed to be born to a different set of people...That's all they needed in order to have a better chance at life.

The principal was awesome. The kids obviously loved her and vice versa. Blackboard Wars makes DC Met look like a high-performing school in the burbs.

Perspective is everything. Here we are stressing about the school lottery, and it could not be more obvious that if you were born in the U.S., in the 21st century, to two middle-class parents who are together and love you - you have already won the biggest lottery of all.

^^ I just wanted to say thank you for writing that. So many of us have no clue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was moved to tears when Raven Q was accepted at college. She seems to be so mature and good-natured. She has a beautiful spirit. If only college acceptance was as easy as showing up with a transcript and filling out an application. But KUDOS to Kwame Brown for pulling that college trip together.

The other Raven? She also seems so good-natured and has a smile that lit up my room. The middle class mother in me couldn't believe her mother wouldn't wait until she graduated before moving to Texas. After all, she'd gone from New Orleans to North Carolina to DC. Like really? What are you looking for? Let the child graduate then continue your search. Alas, they're operating from a different worldview.

Speaking of, the "parents" the truancy officers visited? Like really? "S/he just does what s/he wants...I dunno where s/he is...not my problem..." UGH! They angered me more than anybody in the entire 2 hour documentary.

The 18 year old who's been living on his own taking care of his siblings since his mother's death? The principal made a point I didn't think of: how the holidays are the worst part of the year for some students. Can you imagine being that 18 year old and his brothers with no parents to buy you gifts or prepare a holiday meal? Just one long day after another with nothing to do but play video games.

It pisses me off to see perfectly good kids who only needed to be born to a different set of people...That's all they needed in order to have a better chance at life.

The principal was awesome. The kids obviously loved her and vice versa. Blackboard Wars makes DC Met look like a high-performing school in the burbs.

Perspective is everything. Here we are stressing about the school lottery, and it could not be more obvious that if you were born in the U.S., in the 21st century, to two middle-class parents who are together and love you - you have already won the biggest lottery of all.

^^ I just wanted to say thank you for writing that. So many of us have no clue.

[b]Ditto, Ditto, Ditto !!!!!

[Anonymous]

This should be required viewing before complaining about lazy, inept DCPS teachers. I am sure the Rheeites will swoop in and defend IMPACT, CAS and all of the Bs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Speaking of, the "parents" the truancy officers visited? Like really? "S/he just does what s/he wants...I dunno where s/he is...not my problem..." UGH! They angered me more than anybody in the entire 2 hour documentary.

It pisses me off to see perfectly good kids who only needed to be born to a different set of people...That's all they needed in order to have a better chance at life.

I think that way about a lot of my students, that there's no telling what they could do if they had a more stable home life where their physical and emotional needs were met. My colleagues joke about adopting a select few but it's not feasible or realistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This should be required viewing before complaining about lazy, inept DCPS teachers. I am sure the Rheeites will swoop in and defend IMPACT, CAS and all of the Bs.

Agreed!

[Anonymous]

One kicker is DCPS's response which was something along the lines of "With all the unprecedented access the film makers had to the school I wish they'd shown more of the teaching inside the classroom."

Of course you do! Because you're too thick-skulled to realize that so much of how students perform in the classroom is based on what does outside the school. And we're not talking about kids dealing with "Ohmyghosh I'm getting fat" or "They're talking about me on Facebook". Educators have been telling you guys this for the longest. But they want to push this narrative about how teachers are miracle workers who should be able to bring a child up to grade level before October.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not this school?

I'm looking forward to watching this documentary.

FWIW, the description reads:

Part 1 of 2. Chronicling a year at Washington Metropolitan High School in Washington, D.C., an inner-city school where, on any school day, about half of the students don't show up. Second-year principal Tanishia Williams Minor features in the documentary.
Rating: TV-PG

Without a little more context, the logical inference is that this school is representative of DC high schools, when in fact it is an aberration.

Why not allow the inference and embarrass our city education leaders?

This is a charter school, not a DCPS.

[Anonymous]

It's very much a DCPS school, subjected to the DCPS budget, IMPACT, the Chancellor and Central Office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know there's 200.00 Northface jackets at the thrift store and knock-offs are very affordable in the black neighborhood (go into any AA barbershop)

+1

Wasting money on knockoffs of questionable quality that will no doubt start falling apart after a season, not to mention probably made out of some kind of toxic crap that the Chinese couldn't get rid of otherwise. <b>Lousy choice, f'ed up priorities in life. </b> And shame on those AA businesses for taking advantage of foolish and vulnerable people to be selling them that schlock.

Umm, that's the whole point, a lot of these kids do not have their priorities right. BUT I must say, most teenagers do want to fit it and wear what's in style or considered cool. Nothing new about that. My own teen wanted to spend his birthday money on a $150 pair of soccer cleats. Um hell no, I vetoed that choice. Most of these children came from crappy shitty backgrounds - it's not wonder they aren't making good choices for themselves, they may not have anyone to help guide them. Oh and, it's not always AA businesses taking advantage. How about every Chinese take-out or fried chicken spot on the corner offering crappy unhealthy food at a cheap price, or the liquor stores on every corner. Those are rarely AA owned.

Where's the "fit" when most of the kids can't afford the $200 jacket. And, is the liquor store owner kidnapping people off the street and forcing them to drink? Stop blaming, it's about choices. Just walk on by. Can probably buy 5 meals worth of food at Safeway to cook at home for the cost of the bucket of fried chicken or that takeout kung pow. The wisdom and advice on a million ways to save a buck and get ahead in life is out there, plentiful and free for the taking, but so many people seem to have their heads so far up their butts that common sense can't reach their ears.

[Anonymous]

09:02, you're drinking too early in the morning. Have you lost your internet/cable access. What made you think that DCMET was a charter school?

It was a documentary that was lacking documentation. I cringed at the school administrators and faculty, they came across as one step above inept.

I know that in life you are only playing with the cards that are dealt but enough already with the pity party.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:09:02, you're drinking too early in the morning. Have you lost your internet/cable access. What made you think that DCMET was a charter school?

It was a documentary that was lacking documentation. I cringed at the school administrators and faculty, they came across as one step above inept.

I know that in life you are only playing with the cards that are dealt but enough already with the pity party.

PP, I could not disagree more with this takeaway. I thought the school administration and faculty came across as serious, capable, caring and dedicated to their students. What is heartbreaking is how limited their impact is when the tide of poverty, poor family structure and instability is running against them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know there's 200.00 Northface jackets at the thrift store and knock-offs are very affordable in the black neighborhood (go into any AA barbershop)

+1

Wasting money on knockoffs of questionable quality that will no doubt start falling apart after a season, not to mention probably made out of some kind of toxic crap that the Chinese couldn't get rid of otherwise. <b>Lousy choice, f'ed up priorities in life. </b> And shame on those AA businesses for taking advantage of foolish and vulnerable people to be selling them that schlock.

Umm, that's the whole point, a lot of these kids do not have their priorities right. BUT I must say, most teenagers do want to fit it and wear what's in style or considered cool. Nothing new about that. My own teen wanted to spend his birthday money on a $150 pair of soccer cleats. Um hell no, I vetoed that choice. Most of these children came from crappy shitty backgrounds - it's not wonder they aren't making good choices for themselves, they may not have anyone to help guide them. Oh and, it's not always AA businesses taking advantage. How about every Chinese take-out or fried chicken spot on the corner offering crappy unhealthy food at a cheap price, or the liquor stores on every corner. Those are rarely AA owned.

Where's the "fit" when most of the kids can't afford the $200 jacket. And, is the liquor store owner kidnapping people off the street and forcing them to drink? Stop blaming, it's about choices. Just walk on by. Can probably buy 5 meals worth of food at Safeway to cook at home for the cost of the bucket of fried chicken or that takeout kung pow. The wisdom and advice on a million ways to save a buck and get ahead in life is out there, plentiful and free for the taking, but so many people seem to have their heads so far up their butts that common sense can't reach their ears.

It's less about common sense and more about worldview.

To some, having a fast, cheap, delicious meal makes more common sense than purchasing a week's worth of food that you may or may not have a responsible adult available to cook. And to most of us, eating out is a treat, right? So to a person in poverty, this may be one way of 'treating' themselves.

The kid with the updated video games brought home a point to me. Just as many of us pay to give our kids expensive music and dance lessons, pay for private tutors to give them better footing in life, parents in poverty are doing the same thing. According to their worldview however, simply making it to adulthood is the goal. So spending hundreds to keep your child inside and occupied instead of on the streets=keeping him safe and out of harm's way which=giving him a chance at a future. Literally.

As far as $200 jackets and shoes? I don't think those kids are shopping at thrift stores. However, the jacket and shoes are the same status symbol for them that expensive cars, the name of the college on your degree is to us. It's all about perspective which is determined by your world view.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:09:02, you're drinking too early in the morning. Have you lost your internet/cable access. What made you think that DCMET was a charter school?

It was a documentary that was lacking documentation. I cringed at the school administrators and faculty, they came across as one step above inept.

I know that in life you are only playing with the cards that are dealt but enough already with the pity party.

What made them seem nearly inept to you? I thought they came across as hardworking and sincere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know there's 200.00 Northface jackets at the thrift store and knock-offs are very affordable in the black neighborhood (go into any AA barbershop)

+1

Wasting money on knockoffs of questionable quality that will no doubt start falling apart after a season, not to mention probably made out of some kind of toxic crap that the Chinese couldn't get rid of otherwise. <b>Lousy choice, f'ed up priorities in life. </b> And shame on those AA businesses for taking advantage of foolish and vulnerable people to be selling them that schlock.

Umm, that's the whole point, a lot of these kids do not have their priorities right. BUT I must say, most teenagers do want to fit it and wear what's in style or considered cool. Nothing new about that. My own teen wanted to spend his birthday money on a $150 pair of soccer cleats. Um hell no, I vetoed that choice. Most of these children came from crappy shitty backgrounds - it's not wonder they aren't making good choices for themselves, they may not have anyone to help guide them. Oh and, it's not always AA businesses taking advantage. How about every Chinese take-out or fried chicken spot on the corner offering crappy unhealthy food at a cheap price, or the liquor stores on every corner. Those are rarely AA owned.

Where's the "fit" when most of the kids can't afford the $200 jacket. And, is the liquor store owner kidnapping people off the street and forcing them to drink? Stop blaming, it's about choices. Just walk on by. Can probably buy 5 meals worth of food at Safeway to cook at home for the cost of the bucket of fried chicken or that takeout kung pow. The wisdom and advice on a million ways to save a buck and get ahead in life is out there, plentiful and free for the taking, but so many people seem to have their heads so far up their butts that common sense can't reach their ears.

Do you even have any idea how much a bucket of fried chicken costs. I guess you must let your underpaid, overworked Latina nanny/housekeeper do the shopping so you can hang at Starbucks and pass judgement along with your vile, narrow-minded, racist suburban fiends.