Lafayette Principal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lafayette has been airing out their dirty laundry on here for the past two years..

Airing it out, but saying nothing!

[Anonymous]

These Lafayette parents need to get a hobby rather than stalking the principal and new teachers.

[Anonymous]

We just want what is best for our children.

We wish our concerns weren't falling on deaf ears.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just want what is best for our children.

We wish our concerns weren't falling on deaf ears.

What are the concerns that have been raised?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just want what is best for our children.

We wish our concerns weren't falling on deaf ears.

What are the concerns that have been raised?

Yes, please answer this with specifics. And yes, we know (ad nauseam) about transparency, closed door one on one meetings, red faces and on and on and on. And if possible, please use bullet points rather than longwinded rambling sentences that don't really say anything.

[Anonymous]

It is difficult to give specifics without identifying the family/child and often sensitive and personal information.

Another reason why this is an inappropriate place for a discussion. DCUM is anonymous and very public.

[Anonymous]

I'll try to be specific, but vague enough to be anonymous.

Silent lunch has been an issue all year. Partly because we don't want our kids to have to sit in silence during lunch, but also because of the lack of transparency, shifting explanations, and sometimes outright lying about it has eroded trust, regardless of what you think of the actual policy.

There is also an emphasis on making sure all teachers in a grade teach the exact same thing. While I can see the advantages, it makes teachers really uunhappy, which is not good. It is also used as an excuse by some teachers to just teach to the middle, rather than attempt differentiation. I have one kid who is generally above grade level and one kid who is generally below grade level, and this has been a problem for both of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll try to be specific, but vague enough to be anonymous.

Silent lunch has been an issue all year. Partly because we don't want our kids to have to sit in silence during lunch, but also because of the lack of transparency, shifting explanations, and sometimes outright lying about it has eroded trust, regardless of what you think of the actual policy.

There is also an emphasis on making sure all teachers in a grade teach the exact same thing. While I can see the advantages, it makes teachers really uunhappy, which is not good. It is also used as an excuse by some teachers to just teach to the middle, rather than attempt differentiation. I have one kid who is generally above grade level and one kid who is generally below grade level, and this has been a problem for both of them.

Not a Lafayette parent but you do realize those complaints sound ridiculous, right? So kids have to be quiet for a bit and she is trying to make sure there is equitable teaching across the grade level. Makes sense to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll try to be specific, but vague enough to be anonymous.

Silent lunch has been an issue all year. Partly because we don't want our kids to have to sit in silence during lunch, but also because of the lack of transparency, shifting explanations, and sometimes outright lying about it has eroded trust, regardless of what you think of the actual policy.

There is also an emphasis on making sure all teachers in a grade teach the exact same thing. While I can see the advantages, it makes teachers really uunhappy, which is not good. It is also used as an excuse by some teachers to just teach to the middle, rather than attempt differentiation. I have one kid who is generally above grade level and one kid who is generally below grade level, and this has been a problem for both of them.

Not a Lafayette parent but you do realize those complaints sound ridiculous, right? So kids have to be quiet for a bit and she is trying to make sure there is equitable teaching across the grade level. Makes sense to me.

Many of the most vocal complainers (maybe all) are very myopic in their rationale. A common theme among them boils down to what is right for their children; I'm not sure they are capable of understanding that there are almost 800 kids in the building that need to be educated. Both examples PP used above are specific to his/her children. No matter that when kids hear at home silent lunch is ridiculous and they come to school with the attitude that they don't need to comply that they make the situation worse for the other 150 kids who are.

Or the fact that up until about 2 years ago waiting to hear about teacher assignment was stressful for many because there was little to no consistency among the teachers and there was always 1-2 teachers that no parent wanted their children to have that year. Consistency among the teachers in the grade level is for the common good. The problem seems to be more - I used to be able to run my classroom my way and now I must be team player so I will resist change and complain to parents. And right along with it are the self centered crew with their continued assault on the principal.

These things don't appear to matter to PP and those waving the same flag, they want and expect the school to deliver on what is solely in the best interest of their children. For those, I'm not even sure private school would be satisfying - many of them should consider homeschooling so the school can continue to move forward and put all the angst about 'silent lunch?!!" in the past. But alas, it will probably continue to come up and I sincerely hope that the principal will refuse to engage in conversations about it.

If DCUM is the last resort to continue to air out the dirty laundry that is probably a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Silent lunch is indeed ridiculous. My kids hate it at our school (not Lafayette).

"One size fits all" teaching is also ridiculous. Skilled teachers need to have the ability to teach to every child's needs, and not only have the ability, but do it. DCPS's myopic approach to organizational management extends everywhere, and it sucks. But Lafayette's reputation is good enough that whatever they are doing there ought to be good enough for most parents. Otherwise, leave.

[Anonymous]

Silent lunch with delayed recess penalty is illegal and indefensible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Silent lunch with delayed recess penalty is illegal and indefensible.

Most people probably understand this and agree that the policy sucks, including the poor staff that have to follow and implement the policy, and the majority of the parents. But when you get some elementary school bratty kid saying to the duty person: "silent lunch with delayed recess penalty is illegal and indefensible" - which probably happens in some variation, I can promise you that only makes it worse for that kid and everybody else who now has to pay for it through silent lunch and delayed recess. Other the others who act up because they just don't care and think the policy is dumb. So while there are a handful of parents who refuse to let this go, the reality is that the lunch policy (which was started at Lafayette last year) is not going to change at least in the foreseeable future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Silent lunch with delayed recess penalty is illegal and indefensible.

Most people probably understand this and agree that the policy sucks, including the poor staff that have to follow and implement the policy, and the majority of the parents. But when you get some elementary school bratty kid saying to the duty person: "silent lunch with delayed recess penalty is illegal and indefensible" - which probably happens in some variation, I can promise you that only makes it worse for that kid and everybody else who now has to pay for it through silent lunch and delayed recess. Other the others who act up because they just don't care and think the policy is dumb. So while there are a handful of parents who refuse to let this go, the reality is that the lunch policy (which was started at Lafayette last year) is not going to change at least in the foreseeable future.

This policy was not started last year and there has been a period of quiet during lunch at Lafayette for over a decade. People just didn't complain about it until this year. I guess they have a better way to get all those kids seated, fed, cleaned up and out the door in 30 minutes.

[Anonymous]

The fact that silent lunch exists or would even be considered as a "solution" is a testament to the fact that our elementary schools are overcrowded. The descriptions of the way lunch is, the way it has to be, the sheer numbers that have to be fed (AND walked thru the hallways AND seated AND cleaned up AND moved out) -- it all demonstrates one of the ways children don't benefit from massive schools. In this whole DMV area, we have such huge elementary schools and this is just one of the (many) ways it's far from ideal for children at the elementary level.

[Anonymous]

Exactly! We should not allow our schools to be so overcrowded.