Oyster middle school- english option?

[Anonymous]

Does that top Janney then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does that top Janney then?

Who cares?

[Anonymous]

discussions about math at Oyster-Adams continued at new thread: Math education at Oyster-Adams

This week are the parent - teacher conferences. It is a great moment to bring up any issues you may have about math at OA and also hear what the teachers have to say. Then, contact your LSAT parent representatives and send them your feedback, concerns and suggestions. Share this idea with other parents so it spreads throughout the school. I am on the LSAT and math education will be on the agenda of the next LSAT meeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Thanks for this insight. I am the mom of a K student at Oyster, so I really don't know what's going on in the middle school. If there are 3 middle school math teachers, I agree that one can be spared to teach advanced math for 6th through 8th graders. Oyster's PTA operates with a $600,000 budget, but parents should not be expected to pony up when resources/teachers are currently available. Goodness knows I'm tired already of the constant fundraising at Oyster.



That is almost $1000 per student. How is this accomplished - all parents, or money from outside sources?

The OCC budget less than $300K. Maybe PP thinks we are Janney.

I went to the OCC meeting last week. The OCC Chair (I can't remember her name), said that the budget was $600k--her words, not mine. Take it up with her.

What meeting last week? The last one was a month ago. You must have misunderstood. The budgeted spending is $200K, $300 per student. They sent a letter explaining it in the beginning of the year with welcome packet. Guess you didn't get it or read it.

[Anonymous]

Most NW schools are around $200k

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I agree that under the old principal there was a very weak commitment to differentiation (among other issues). I am convinced that is not the case with Principal Canizales. That said, the parents who were so upset with the “loss of a year of advanced math,” really need to be more creative. If my bilingual/biliterate child was so advanced in math, I would make sure that he/she took Algebra II or Geometry somewhere else. This may require a lot of work/some money on the parent’s part, but it would get done. Your child could take the class(es) over the summer at a private school or community college; have your child pulled out to take the class at Deal/Wilson; or take the class via JHU-CTY (or something similar) and have them tested to prove he/she can test out/should get credit. My child is still in the primary school at Oyster. However, please understand that my husband and I will make sure that Oyster meets our child’s needs. Whatever small gap the school leaves, we’ll certainly fill it. I would never choose Deal over Oyster’s middle school, and I’m happy it’s no longer an option for Oyster students (for those not grandfathered in).

you make it sound so simple, just go over to Wilson or deal, never mind the commuting time from Dupont area to Tenley, or thee additional classes missed. JHU_CTY is not free, either, unless that has changed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I agree that under the old principal there was a very weak commitment to differentiation (among other issues). I am convinced that is not the case with Principal Canizales. That said, the parents who were so upset with the “loss of a year of advanced math,” really need to be more creative. If my bilingual/biliterate child was so advanced in math, I would make sure that he/she took Algebra II or Geometry somewhere else. This may require a lot of work/some money on the parent’s part, but it would get done. Your child could take the class(es) over the summer at a private school or community college; have your child pulled out to take the class at Deal/Wilson; or take the class via JHU-CTY (or something similar) and have them tested to prove he/she can test out/should get credit. My child is still in the primary school at Oyster. However, please understand that my husband and I will make sure that Oyster meets our child’s needs. Whatever small gap the school leaves, we’ll certainly fill it. I would never choose Deal over Oyster’s middle school, and I’m happy it’s no longer an option for Oyster students (for those not grandfathered in).

you make it sound so simple, just go over to Wilson or deal, never mind the commuting time from Dupont area to Tenley, or thee additional classes missed. JHU_CTY is not free, either, unless that has changed?

I never said that it was going to be simple. However, if my child needs to take an advanced math class when he reaches Oyster’s middle school, rest assured that I will make it happen. If you’re looking for simplicity, or excuses, I’m fresh out of suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I agree that under the old principal there was a very weak commitment to differentiation (among other issues). I am convinced that is not the case with Principal Canizales. That said, the parents who were so upset with the “loss of a year of advanced math,” really need to be more creative. If my bilingual/biliterate child was so advanced in math, I would make sure that he/she took Algebra II or Geometry somewhere else. This may require a lot of work/some money on the parent’s part, but it would get done. Your child could take the class(es) over the summer at a private school or community college; have your child pulled out to take the class at Deal/Wilson; or take the class via JHU-CTY (or something similar) and have them tested to prove he/she can test out/should get credit. My child is still in the primary school at Oyster. However, please understand that my husband and I will make sure that Oyster meets our child’s needs. Whatever small gap the school leaves, we’ll certainly fill it. I would never choose Deal over Oyster’s middle school, and I’m happy it’s no longer an option for Oyster students (for those not grandfathered in).

you make it sound so simple, just go over to Wilson or deal, never mind the commuting time from Dupont area to Tenley, or thee additional classes missed. JHU_CTY is not free, either, unless that has changed?

I never said that it was going to be simple. However, if my child needs to take an advanced math class when he reaches Oyster’s middle school, rest assured that I will make it happen. If you’re looking for simplicity, or excuses, I’m fresh out of suggestions.

I suggest that Oyster-Adams do its job and offer appropriate math classes for advanced middle school students. This hasn't happened yet. Until parents of strong students can see appropriate courses offered, in-bound parents (those of us who need more than Spanish-language instruction alone) will bitterly resent Deal's loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I agree that under the old principal there was a very weak commitment to differentiation (among other issues). I am convinced that is not the case with Principal Canizales. That said, the parents who were so upset with the “loss of a year of advanced math,” really need to be more creative. If my bilingual/biliterate child was so advanced in math, I would make sure that he/she took Algebra II or Geometry somewhere else. This may require a lot of work/some money on the parent’s part, but it would get done. Your child could take the class(es) over the summer at a private school or community college; have your child pulled out to take the class at Deal/Wilson; or take the class via JHU-CTY (or something similar) and have them tested to prove he/she can test out/should get credit. My child is still in the primary school at Oyster. However, please understand that my husband and I will make sure that Oyster meets our child’s needs. Whatever small gap the school leaves, we’ll certainly fill it. I would never choose Deal over Oyster’s middle school, and I’m happy it’s no longer an option for Oyster students (for those not grandfathered in).

you make it sound so simple, just go over to Wilson or deal, never mind the commuting time from Dupont area to Tenley, or thee additional classes missed. JHU_CTY is not free, either, unless that has changed?

I never said that it was going to be simple. However, if my child needs to take an advanced math class when he reaches Oyster’s middle school, rest assured that I will make it happen. If you’re looking for simplicity, or excuses, I’m fresh out of suggestions.

I suggest that Oyster-Adams do its job and offer appropriate math classes for advanced middle school students. This hasn't happened yet. Until parents of strong students can see appropriate courses offered, in-bound parents (those of us who need more than Spanish-language instruction alone) will bitterly resent Deal's loss.

My IB child attends Oyster and he is excelling academically in ALL subjects. I also applaud the "loss" of Deal as an option, so please speak for yourself. If you want your child to attend Deal then you should move ASAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I agree that under the old principal there was a very weak commitment to differentiation (among other issues). I am convinced that is not the case with Principal Canizales. That said, the parents who were so upset with the “loss of a year of advanced math,” really need to be more creative. If my bilingual/biliterate child was so advanced in math, I would make sure that he/she took Algebra II or Geometry somewhere else. This may require a lot of work/some money on the parent’s part, but it would get done. Your child could take the class(es) over the summer at a private school or community college; have your child pulled out to take the class at Deal/Wilson; or take the class via JHU-CTY (or something similar) and have them tested to prove he/she can test out/should get credit. My child is still in the primary school at Oyster. However, please understand that my husband and I will make sure that Oyster meets our child’s needs. Whatever small gap the school leaves, we’ll certainly fill it. I would never choose Deal over Oyster’s middle school, and I’m happy it’s no longer an option for Oyster students (for those not grandfathered in).

you make it sound so simple, just go over to Wilson or deal, never mind the commuting time from Dupont area to Tenley, or thee additional classes missed. JHU_CTY is not free, either, unless that has changed?

I never said that it was going to be simple. However, if my child needs to take an advanced math class when he reaches Oyster’s middle school, rest assured that I will make it happen. If you’re looking for simplicity, or excuses, I’m fresh out of suggestions.

I suggest that Oyster-Adams do its job and offer appropriate math classes for advanced middle school students. This hasn't happened yet. Until parents of strong students can see appropriate courses offered, in-bound parents (those of us who need more than Spanish-language instruction alone) will bitterly resent Deal's loss.

My IB child attends Oyster and he is excelling academically in ALL subjects. I also applaud the "loss" of Deal as an option, so please speak for yourself. If you want your child to attend Deal then you should move ASAP.

So how old is your child and by what measure is he/she excelling? If this is based on teacher expectations or DC CAS scores, the bar has not been set very high.

Oyster-Adams needs to compare itself to other middle schools with strong in-bounds students (we only have Deal around here for that) rather than continuing in its self-affirming bubble. There's no question that by the time they're in 9th grade, O-A graduates are at least a year behind Deal's top students in math... and that's merely the easiest subject to compare. If they score well on standardized tests, it's simply because high SES kids bring strong personal qualities that have little to do with their schools. But it is a terrible shame to content yourself with lowered expectations overall (which was my teen's experience) when your children could push themselves farther in a more stimulating environment.

[Anonymous]

Oyster-Adams needs to compare itself to other middle schools with strong in-bounds students (we only have Deal around here for that) rather than continuing in its self-affirming bubble. There's no question that by the time they're in 9th grade, O-A graduates are at least a year behind Deal's top students in math... and that's merely the easiest subject to compare. If they score well on standardized tests, it's simply because high SES kids bring strong personal qualities that have little to do with their schools. But it is a terrible shame to content yourself with lowered expectations overall (which was my teen's experience) when your children could push themselves farther in a more stimulating environment.

I think having half of the classes in Spanish is academically very stimulating. Plus, they do Chinese, so I don't see a lowering of expectations here. Bilingual education has also been shown to enhance mental capacity. In our case, we prefer DC to be much further ahead in terms of foreign language acquisition and understanding of other cultures compared to the expected outcome in this respect at Deal.

DC is very good in math and is active in class since the teacher assigns more challenging work to the better students. Then, what is the potential downside of remaining at OA? Not completing Geometry? If we think it is important to have geometry before HS, then DC can do it on the side. I think it is much simpler to complete one math course on the side than doing three years of language immersion on the side. As PP said, let's not throw the baby with the bathwater. Of course things can be improved at OA. Perhaps one option could be to offer Geometry as a special in 8th grade. Then, the advanced students could do it instead of Chinese and in addition to the 8th grade Algebra course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Oyster-Adams needs to compare itself to other middle schools with strong in-bounds students (we only have Deal around here for that) rather than continuing in its self-affirming bubble. There's no question that by the time they're in 9th grade, O-A graduates are at least a year behind Deal's top students in math... and that's merely the easiest subject to compare. If they score well on standardized tests, it's simply because high SES kids bring strong personal qualities that have little to do with their schools. But it is a terrible shame to content yourself with lowered expectations overall (which was my teen's experience) when your children could push themselves farther in a more stimulating environment.

I think having half of the classes in Spanish is academically very stimulating. Plus, they do Chinese, so I don't see a lowering of expectations here. Bilingual education has also been shown to enhance mental capacity. In our case, we prefer DC to be much further ahead in terms of foreign language acquisition and understanding of other cultures compared to the expected outcome in this respect at Deal.

DC is very good in math and is active in class since the teacher assigns more challenging work to the better students. Then, what is the potential downside of remaining at OA? Not completing Geometry? If we think it is important to have geometry before HS, then DC can do it on the side. I think it is much simpler to complete one math course on the side than doing three years of language immersion on the side. As PP said, let's not throw the baby with the bathwater. Of course things can be improved at OA. Perhaps one option could be to offer Geometry as a special in 8th grade. Then, the advanced students could do it instead of Chinese and in addition to the 8th grade Algebra course.

+100!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I agree that under the old principal there was a very weak commitment to differentiation (among other issues). I am convinced that is not the case with Principal Canizales. That said, the parents who were so upset with the “loss of a year of advanced math,” really need to be more creative. If my bilingual/biliterate child was so advanced in math, I would make sure that he/she took Algebra II or Geometry somewhere else. This may require a lot of work/some money on the parent’s part, but it would get done. Your child could take the class(es) over the summer at a private school or community college; have your child pulled out to take the class at Deal/Wilson; or take the class via JHU-CTY (or something similar) and have them tested to prove he/she can test out/should get credit. My child is still in the primary school at Oyster. However, please understand that my husband and I will make sure that Oyster meets our child’s needs. Whatever small gap the school leaves, we’ll certainly fill it. I would never choose Deal over Oyster’s middle school, and I’m happy it’s no longer an option for Oyster students (for those not grandfathered in).

you make it sound so simple, just go over to Wilson or deal, never mind the commuting time from Dupont area to Tenley, or thee additional classes missed. JHU_CTY is not free, either, unless that has changed?

I never said that it was going to be simple. However, if my child needs to take an advanced math class when he reaches Oyster’s middle school, rest assured that I will make it happen. If you’re looking for simplicity, or excuses, I’m fresh out of suggestions.

I suggest that Oyster-Adams do its job and offer appropriate math classes for advanced middle school students. This hasn't happened yet. Until parents of strong students can see appropriate courses offered, in-bound parents (those of us who need more than Spanish-language instruction alone) will bitterly resent Deal's loss.

My IB child attends Oyster and he is excelling academically in ALL subjects. I also applaud the "loss" of Deal as an option, so please speak for yourself. If you want your child to attend Deal then you should move ASAP.

So how old is your child and by what measure is he/she excelling? If this is based on teacher expectations or DC CAS scores, the bar has not been set very high.

Oyster-Adams needs to compare itself to other middle schools with strong in-bounds students (we only have Deal around here for that) rather than continuing in its self-affirming bubble. There's no question that by the time they're in 9th grade, O-A graduates are at least a year behind Deal's top students in math... and that's merely the easiest subject to compare. If they score well on standardized tests, it's simply because high SES kids bring strong personal qualities that have little to do with their schools. But it is a terrible shame to content yourself with lowered expectations overall (which was my teen's experience) when your children could push themselves farther in a more stimulating environment.

I'm not the poster below this post, however, I'm the intended recipient of this post. To answer your questions, my child is at Adams (I won't provide the specific grade) and by excelling I mean: Straight As; testing 2 grade levels ahead in reading and 1 in math; qualified for JHU-CTY (math and verbal). That's in addition to his advanced DC-CAS scores. Bottom line, there are plenty of IB Oyster parents (with sky high expectations) who are happy with Adams. It's both the parents and the teachers responsibility to help students reach their full potential. My experience has been that my son's teachers have done their part, and so have we. If you don't think that your child is being appropriately served, and you're too lazy to do anything about it (besides complaining on DCUM), then please vote with your feet and leave! I'm sure that you'll be much happier at Deal.

[Anonymous]

The creation of an advanced math track shouldn't be hard if there are students ready for it as suggested, so why don't they?

[Anonymous]

The creation of an advanced math track shouldn't be hard if there are students ready for it as suggested, so why don't they?

Tracking has a lot of negative aspects, among them the stigmatization of those that are not placed in the advanced group. Also, some kids may be quick to learn some topics but be slower in others. It would also be a logistical nightmare in a small school like ours.

Differentiation is the answer to your concerns. Each student should be challenged by the material they work on in class. In math, the way to do this is by going deeper into the subject instead of moving faster ahead. Posing more interesting and open ended problems to the student, instead of just applying recipes to compute answers. Let students discover the beauty of mathematical reasoning, be creative, and develop mathematical insight. I have taught college math to STEM majors from high SES families (i.e., similar to our IB students) and most have difficulty going beyond a plug and play approach. So, rushing to Calculus AP in HS is not necessarily a good thing. It is how they do the journey that matters and I think the common core is a positive move in this direction.

There is still much we can do to promote STEM fields at OA through extracurriculars, additional courses as specials, clubs, competitions, etc. In the math sciences, advanced students could be learning in parallel topics that are independent of the 6-7-8 th grade math sequence that everyone does. For example, computer programming, algorithms, discrete math, game theory, proofs, geometry. So, instead of demanding tracking, I prefer to focus on how to improve the current system so that it better serves everyone.