Ludlow-Taylor getting a new a new Principal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Booster! Booster! Booster!

I call 'em like I see 'em. I'd have no problem posting gripes here if I really had any.

Really, you have no gripes whatsoever? Every teacher is excellent? Nothing else that could be improved? Your rose colored bubble must be refreshing.

[Anonymous]

Did the community meeting about picking a new principal go ahead last night? At L-T? Anybody go? How was it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did the community meeting about picking a new principal go ahead last night? At L-T? Anybody go? How was it?

It is tonight at 6 PM at the school.

[Anonymous]

Oh, thanks, I hope that lots of neighbors go.

[Anonymous]

I though that the meeting, which ran for an hour and a half, was productive. There must have been 80 parents and other community members there, a real mix. A DCPS official explained the selection process/steps in clear terms, talking about the five candidates they've chosen. Nobody yelled and many good questions were asked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I though that the meeting, which ran for an hour and a half, was productive. There must have been 80 parents and other community members there, a real mix. A DCPS official explained the selection process/steps in clear terms, talking about the five candidates they've chosen. Nobody yelled and many good questions were asked.

Will parents and/or community members have a say in the hiring process then??

[Anonymous]

Yes, but I couldn't stay long enough to hear specifics. I hope somebody else spells it out here.

This inclusive and constructive meeting, on top of the renovation, Cobbs' imminent departure, and a good group of IB families planning to stay for K and 1st, left me with optimism that L-T will finally gather momentum to become a true neighborhood school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Booster! Booster! Booster!

I call 'em like I see 'em. I'd have no problem posting gripes here if I really had any.

Really, you have no gripes whatsoever? Every teacher is excellent? Nothing else that could be improved? Your rose colored bubble must be refreshing.

You're funny, if also a bit sad. Yes, I have NO PROBLEM with any of the teachers in PS3, PS4 and K grades. I cannot speak to the teachers of older kids as I have little to no first hand interaction with them at this time. Do you have a kid at LT? What age? Do you have any specific gripes with the teachers, or are you just an anonymous troll that like to gossip about schools and principals with whom they have little familiarity.

I also never said NOTHING could be improved. On the top of that list: the kids could use a better playground and the school could be more proactive about posting current information on the website. Beyond that, I'm pretty happy with the environment and the fact that LT has the second best test scores on the Hill, despite its s1 designation.

[Anonymous]

New poster here. DC not school age yet. Can someone explain what makes a principal "neighborhood friendly?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. DC not school age yet. Can someone explain what makes a principal "neighborhood friendly?"

Someone who is "neighborhood friendly" (in this context) is someone who welcomes people who live in proximity to the school. In the past, some principals (like the LT one) held extremely strong preferences for helping under-served students. A principal's strengths in building up a school focused on helping children from low-socioeconomic families (poverty, homelesses, behavior problems, broken homes, etc.) is very different than building up a school focused on advancement for children from higher-socioeconomic families. In addition, to the "I'm the principal and my primary job is to 'get it done, regardless of what you think" mentality that has worked to turn many low-performing schools around. Anyone remember Joe Clark from the movie "Lean on Me?"

A principal with this goal who encounters higher-income parents who are frustrated over 1) not having organic crayons 2) serving fried chicken and other "unhealthy" foods at fundraisers or 3) dismissing their questions probably becomes annoyed and it showed (and showed). I don't condone this, it's just a fact.

The hope is a new principal will think of the needs of everyone in the community - the higher-income and lower-income - which they will have to acknowledge may have different needs and/or requests. This principal will need to be very, very savvy.

[Anonymous]

Oops...

In addition, to the "I'm the principal and my primary job is to 'get it done, regardless of what you think" mentality that has worked to turn many low-performing schools around, these principals are often driven by their personal morals/beliefs and ignore all else. Their #1 goal is to change lives.

[Anonymous]

It is a very hard job to try to serve both types of families. That's for sure.

[Anonymous]

For those interested there is a new families play date at the LT playground today 3.30- 5.30.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oops...

In addition, to the "I'm the principal and my primary job is to 'get it done, regardless of what you think" mentality that has worked to turn many low-performing schools around, these principals are often driven by their personal morals/beliefs and ignore all else. Their #1 goal is to change lives.

I doubt you can name one school in DC that was "turned around" by a principal's determination alone. It takes parents, kids, teachers and a lot of support from central office too.

Let's hope central office will start to support schools like L-T that have strong neighborhood interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those interested there is a new families play date at the LT playground today 3.30- 5.30.

Are the families of the students in grades 1-5 who are lower ses invited. Or is this only for "neighborhood" families?