When (if ever) will DC neighborhood schools be the default option for high achieving students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When DCPS starts tracking, test in classes, starts gifted programming in 3rd grade like every jurisdiction around us, most parents are not going to choose their local school.

Completely agree

It's never happening, and I'm not sure how big a deal that is. Parents at the highest-performing DCPS schools already enjoy advantages helping "gifted kids" that the suburbs lack. This is because DC PTAs raise far for money per capital that counterparts in the burbs, and spend it far more freely. Suburban PTA are not permitted to hire staff. DC PTA are permitted, and often do so.

My child's 3rd grade class has 22 students and two full-time instructions, one paid for by the PTA (which raised more than 400K this year). Compare that to ES classes of up to 30 students with one instructor in some of the MD and VA burbs. While those jurisdictions technically provided gifted services, my child effectively receives them by virtue of the fact that two excellent instructors are in her classroom. She gets pulled out for math and ELA on the PTA dime because she works 1-2 years ahead of grade level. I'm not complaining, formal GT services or no GT services.

And how many kids in your rich WoTP class at three grade levels behind in reading? Not many I guess. It’s in the gentrifying schools we need separate classes because the achievement gaps are enourmous and can’t be managed in one classroom. Even with a full time aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When DCPS adequately funds its middle schools and finds a way of educating children who have experienced trauma, then things will improve. Not before.

That being said, I do think Eastern may be next to gentrify, Stuart-Hobson being well underway.

Middle schools have plenty of money.

You are right about educating children who have experienced or live in trauma. I'm not sure anyone, anywhere has figured that out though.

It is not enough money for enough staff to help with the trauma and the remediation. Kids are entering 6th grade several years below grade level, and they need a well-staffed school and a quality afterschool and summer program to catch up. That is what there is no funding for.

The key is really 0-5 and close the achievement gap before kids even enter school

Once in school social promotion should end. If kids can't read they will not be successful in higher grades

And parents will love having kids several years older in their child's classroom! FFS.

And the research is clear that holding kids back makes outcomes worse, but that doesn't stop DCUM parents from suggesting it as the magic bullet to fix EOTP schools that they have never set foot in and know nothing about.

Solving complex problems is easy when you're stupid.

[Anonymous]

Wait, so the rich private school boy should be held back so he can tower over the smarter girls and practice his leadership skills by being 14 months older than everyone but the underprivileged underachieving boy shouldn't be kept in a grade that matches his academic needs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Needy" or low SES does not always mean low performing.

High SES bias keeps the patterns of segregation going strong... they think mostly white means better...

Here's a question. Who would you rather have as a classmate? This isn't an argument couched as a question, but a true question. A learning disabled child (adhd, dyslexia, dysgraphia) currently a year below grade level from a high SES family. Or a child on or above grade level from low SES home whose witnessed a medium amount of trauma (things like screaming fights between mom and others). Both have some behavioral issues either from the adhd or the lack of a stable home-life.

Go.

Neither.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not in our lifetime.

At least not within the next 15 years, which would cover any current PK3 student and above.

[Anonymous]

Does the Wilson PTO have hiring authority for aides as well? For us, middle school is the issue. it’s simply too crowded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does the Wilson PTO have hiring authority for aides as well? For us, middle school is the issue. it’s simply too crowded.

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait, so the rich private school boy should be held back so he can tower over the smarter girls and practice his leadership skills by being 14 months older than everyone but the underprivileged underachieving boy shouldn't be kept in a grade that matches his academic needs?

Holding back by starting school later (not I’m K by 5) is not the same as redoing a grade you did before.

And PP is right. It doesn’t work academically and the child is more prone to behavioral problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Needy" or low SES does not always mean low performing.

High SES bias keeps the patterns of segregation going strong... they think mostly white means better...

Here's a question. Who would you rather have as a classmate? This isn't an argument couched as a question, but a true question. A learning disabled child (adhd, dyslexia, dysgraphia) currently a year below grade level from a high SES family. Or a child on or above grade level from low SES home whose witnessed a medium amount of trauma (things like screaming fights between mom and others). Both have some behavioral issues either from the adhd or the lack of a stable home-life.

Go.

Not PP. Either one of those classmates would be fine. It’s the 13 kids that are 2-3 grade levels behind from a family that does not (or cannot due to life circumstances) prioritize education that make a learning environment somewhere that I’m not going to stick my kid.

Np, here.

And therein lies the rub. The unwillingness of parents to opt-in.

AA Borderline low SES parent here (due to sudden life changing events) of a high performing child.

Did not opt in for the neighborhood school.

Some reasons for opting out are valid and specific to the historic dysfunction of certain DCPS schools. Some reasons for opting out mask deeply held stereotypes rooted in bigotry.

I opted out of our neighborhood school early on; I was a teacher at a nearby struggling school and knew some of the unique problems at our IB school . At the time our IB school was very unstable, with a revolving door of administrators and inconsistent school culture. The ECE program was not strong, and felt prison like when we walked through the doors to visit. Front office staff generally cold and unfriendly.

Regarding the question about children with emotional or learning disabilities, socio-economic status has little to do with whether or not the child is a disruptor to the class to the point of holding other students back. From my teaching experience, lower SES parents are generally more willing to go along with prescribed interventions. Some high SES parents can afford to be in denial. They can afford to challenge teachers and administrators. At times, high SES parents threaten to gaslight public school staff professionally, causing school staff to swallow the abusive child behaviors.

[Anonymous]

I love that every time some nitwit posts some oversimplified troll post the rest of DCUM chimes in with their "solutions" and "answers". Because the problems of public education in a diverse city with a huge income gap are super easy to solve. Two, maybe three sentences and everything is solved. It's just that every major city in the US isn't as smart/well informed as the anonymous DCUM posters.

To be clear, it isn't the exchange of ideas that annoys me as much as the absolutely certainty of the posters that the solution is just that simple,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the Wilson PTO have hiring authority for aides as well? For us, middle school is the issue. it’s simply too crowded.

No.

it is happening school by school. Look at the in boundary wait lists for PK at schools like Marie Reed, Garrison and Walls at Francis Stevens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the Wilson PTO have hiring authority for aides as well? For us, middle school is the issue. it’s simply too crowded.

No.

it is happening school by school. Look at the in boundary wait lists for PK at schools like Marie Reed, Garrison and Walls at Francis Stevens.

These schools are gentrifying fast. Especially Francis-Stevens which has little to no affordable housing in boundary. DCPS needs a plan to maintain diversity in schools across the city. The neighborhood school system is grossly inequitable. See discussion above re fund raising capacity of PTAs WotP v. other areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the Wilson PTO have hiring authority for aides as well? For us, middle school is the issue. it’s simply too crowded.

No.

it is happening school by school. Look at the in boundary wait lists for PK at schools like Marie Reed, Garrison and Walls at Francis Stevens.

These schools are gentrifying fast. Especially Francis-Stevens which has little to no affordable housing in boundary. DCPS needs a plan to maintain diversity in schools across the city. The neighborhood school system is grossly inequitable. See discussion above re fund raising capacity of PTAs WotP v. other areas.

So as the city gentrifies, DCPS needs to bring back bussing in order for schools to be diverse? How about creating strong and good schools in ALL neighborhoods?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the Wilson PTO have hiring authority for aides as well? For us, middle school is the issue. it’s simply too crowded.

No.

it is happening school by school. Look at the in boundary wait lists for PK at schools like Marie Reed, Garrison and Walls at Francis Stevens.

These schools are gentrifying fast. Especially Francis-Stevens which has little to no affordable housing in boundary. DCPS needs a plan to maintain diversity in schools across the city. The neighborhood school system is grossly inequitable. See discussion above re fund raising capacity of PTAs WotP v. other areas.

So as the city gentrifies, DCPS needs to bring back bussing in order for schools to be diverse? How about creating strong and good schools in ALL neighborhoods?

Tax and redistribute a portion of PTA donations. Enforce a minimum at risk %

[Anonymous]

As an aside, hop over to the MD public schools board.

The Board of Education has commissioned a boundary review study with a mandate to address overcrowding and diversity.

Western County people are freaking out and it is ugly https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/racial-equity-concerns-surface-at-boundary-meeting/