RIP DC Schools

[Anonymous]

I was very happy with the quality of the education my dc's received in their elementary school. However, middle and high school has me thinking DCPS is doing a great disservice to all students with the lax standards for academic achievement and behavior. Most recent example is ds making honor roll first quarter at Wilson but earned a D+ in a class. How is that possible?!? Great he did well, ok in other classes but he is still honor roll eligible with a D+? Honor roll really isn't such a big achievement when DCPS thinks that should be celebrated. Disheartening for many reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Omg! The hand wringing on this thread is over the top. I am so thankful I didn’t have parents like you. You probably spent hours doing flash cards and worksheets with your toddlers. Now constantly ride your MS and HS kids to the brink of suicide obsessed with getting some imaginary leg up on your hypothetical competition. At the end of the day, if you’re making the typical DCUM income, your kid will do just fine in life because as study after study states, it’s better to be rich than smart. In the end, whether or not your Lake Wobegone gifted child is being challenged enough in DCPS, s/he will likely go to college, graduate, and do fine.

Now if your complaints were actually concerns for our DCPS community as a whole, I have respect for you.

Let me correct you. The kids will go to college unprepared to compete at a higher level against kids who are used to being challenged and pushed more with a higher performing peer group in a school district that has more rigor and higher expectations. That is what you don’t get.

Just being accepted to college does not cut it. Why don’t you goggle all the articles on kids who did well in poor performing urban schools who then struggled in college. Lots of those articles for you to peruse. Why don’t you ask the kid who graduated from McKinley tech with A’s in math who was placed in remedial math in college. True story. I don’t need to say more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg! The hand wringing on this thread is over the top. I am so thankful I didn’t have parents like you. You probably spent hours doing flash cards and worksheets with your toddlers. Now constantly ride your MS and HS kids to the brink of suicide obsessed with getting some imaginary leg up on your hypothetical competition. At the end of the day, if you’re making the typical DCUM income, your kid will do just fine in life because as study after study states, it’s better to be rich than smart. In the end, whether or not your Lake Wobegone gifted child is being challenged enough in DCPS, s/he will likely go to college, graduate, and do fine.

Now if your complaints were actually concerns for our DCPS community as a whole, I have respect for you.

Let me correct you. The kids will go to college unprepared to compete at a higher level against kids who are used to being challenged and pushed more with a higher performing peer group in a school district that has more rigor and higher expectations. That is what you don’t get.

Just being accepted to college does not cut it. Why don’t you goggle all the articles on kids who did well in poor performing urban schools who then struggled in college. Lots of those articles for you to peruse. Why don’t you ask the kid who graduated from McKinley tech with A’s in math who was placed in remedial math in college. True story. I don’t need to say more.

Again, rich kids can’t fail at life. Statistically impossible.

[Anonymous]

Rich students:

Have more grade inflation
https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2018-09-19/the-gpa-gap-rich-students-have-grades-inflated-more-often-than-poor-students

Kids from households make $155k+ a year get more financial aid.
https://hechingerreport.org/era-inequity-college-financial-aid-going-rich/

Are pushing low income kids out of lower cost state universities.
https://hechingerreport.org/wealthy-students-pushing-low-income-students-top-public-universities-new-research-shows/

With low scores in school are affluent by age 25.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2019/05/15/georgetown-study-felicity-huffman-lori-loughlin-report/1193938001/

Get higher SAT scores
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/03/rich-students-get-better-sat-scores-heres-why.html

Can be mediocre and still go to college.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/anonymousadmissions/college-admissions-scam-felicity-huffman-lori-loughlin-ivy

TL;DR: be rich, smart irrelevant
https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/schooled2lose/

[Anonymous]

And yet none of you are planning to run for council or mayor right? Bowser is untouchable and upper NW and rich cap hill folks lee voting for council members who are soft on crime and softer on school standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg! The hand wringing on this thread is over the top. I am so thankful I didn’t have parents like you. You probably spent hours doing flash cards and worksheets with your toddlers. Now constantly ride your MS and HS kids to the brink of suicide obsessed with getting some imaginary leg up on your hypothetical competition. At the end of the day, if you’re making the typical DCUM income, your kid will do just fine in life because as study after study states, it’s better to be rich than smart. In the end, whether or not your Lake Wobegone gifted child is being challenged enough in DCPS, s/he will likely go to college, graduate, and do fine.

Now if your complaints were actually concerns for our DCPS community as a whole, I have respect for you.

Let me correct you. The kids will go to college unprepared to compete at a higher level against kids who are used to being challenged and pushed more with a higher performing peer group in a school district that has more rigor and higher expectations. That is what you don’t get.

Just being accepted to college does not cut it. Why don’t you goggle all the articles on kids who did well in poor performing urban schools who then struggled in college. Lots of those articles for you to peruse. Why don’t you ask the kid who graduated from McKinley tech with A’s in math who was placed in remedial math in college. True story. I don’t need to say more.

Again, rich kids can’t fail at life. Statistically impossible.

We all know middle class and upper middle class peers who did not do fine. And some of us are the first generation to claw our way into the middle class, which means all our siblings are working retail or worse. What separates our kids from their cousins? Not much. I agree that the average child from an average middle class or upper middle class family is likly to do fine. But what about the ADHD kid? I'm not defending this thread, which is dumb and hperbolic. But I am dismissing the statement that our kids will do fine because of our SES. Lots of variables still at play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg! The hand wringing on this thread is over the top. I am so thankful I didn’t have parents like you. You probably spent hours doing flash cards and worksheets with your toddlers. Now constantly ride your MS and HS kids to the brink of suicide obsessed with getting some imaginary leg up on your hypothetical competition. At the end of the day, if you’re making the typical DCUM income, your kid will do just fine in life because as study after study states, it’s better to be rich than smart. In the end, whether or not your Lake Wobegone gifted child is being challenged enough in DCPS, s/he will likely go to college, graduate, and do fine.

Now if your complaints were actually concerns for our DCPS community as a whole, I have respect for you.

Let me correct you. The kids will go to college unprepared to compete at a higher level against kids who are used to being challenged and pushed more with a higher performing peer group in a school district that has more rigor and higher expectations. That is what you don’t get.

Just being accepted to college does not cut it. Why don’t you goggle all the articles on kids who did well in poor performing urban schools who then struggled in college. Lots of those articles for you to peruse. Why don’t you ask the kid who graduated from McKinley tech with A’s in math who was placed in remedial math in college. True story. I don’t need to say more.

Again, rich kids can’t fail at life. Statistically impossible.

We all know middle class and upper middle class peers who did not do fine. And some of us are the first generation to claw our way into the middle class, which means all our siblings are working retail or worse. What separates our kids from their cousins? Not much. I agree that the average child from an average middle class or upper middle class family is likly to do fine. But what about the ADHD kid? I'm not defending this thread, which is dumb and hperbolic. But I am dismissing the statement that our kids will do fine because of our SES. Lots of variables still at play.

Those kids are outliers and statistically insignificant. Wealth is the single most important predictor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Going to be interesting to see how basically banning school suspensions for unruly kids is going to work out.

We know. See the Woodley Park/Zoo melee.

[Anonymous]

Also not say poor kids can’t climb out but it’s rare. I also realize we are Americans and bought into the whole American Dream, pull yourself up by your bootstraps myth.

But the numbers don’t support your argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen some ignorant and lazy threads on DCUM, but this one takes the cake. What a ridiculous collection of misunderstood, made-up and taken out of context nonsense.

There's plenty to complain about in DCPS, but this generalized bitching based on no information is absurd.

Really? The negatives add up. A couple of years ago, I felt positive about staying with DCPS all the way through Wilson. But I’ve since grown to fear where things are heading. It is easy to see how standards are being watered down; it is hard to see what will improve for high-achieving students.

After progress under several mayors, Williams, Fenty and even Gray, DCPS and other aspects of DC services have definitely slipped back under Bowser. Bowser appoints the schools chancellor. We’ve gone backwards with Bowser. It’s past time for a change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And yet none of you are planning to run for council or mayor right? Bowser is untouchable and upper NW and rich cap hill folks lee voting for council members who are soft on crime and softer on school standards.

Upper NW now despises Bowser.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet none of you are planning to run for council or mayor right? Bowser is untouchable and upper NW and rich cap hill folks lee voting for council members who are soft on crime and softer on school standards.

Upper NW now despises Bowser.

How to get her out? Not impossible, look at Fenty. But who could take her on that would have a chance of winning and isn't another Gray?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen some ignorant and lazy threads on DCUM, but this one takes the cake. What a ridiculous collection of misunderstood, made-up and taken out of context nonsense.

There's plenty to complain about in DCPS, but this generalized bitching based on no information is absurd.

Really? The negatives add up. A couple of years ago, I felt positive about staying with DCPS all the way through Wilson. But I’ve since grown to fear where things are heading. It is easy to see how standards are being watered down; it is hard to see what will improve for high-achieving students.

After progress under several mayors, Williams, Fenty and even Gray, DCPS and other aspects of DC services have definitely slipped back under Bowser. Bowser appoints the schools chancellor. We’ve gone backwards with Bowser. It’s past time for a change.

OT a bit, but it definitely seems city services like public trash pickup from corner bins and playgrounds is not as frequent, rec center and playground repairs less frequent and timely. Do others get this sense, too? I’ve lived here 20 years and while I felt general city growth and competency for much of that, last year or two feels like the mayor is dialing it in in many aspects (in addition to status quo on schools and hiring the most obsequious, unimpressive candidate for chancellor ever)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg! The hand wringing on this thread is over the top. I am so thankful I didn’t have parents like you. You probably spent hours doing flash cards and worksheets with your toddlers. Now constantly ride your MS and HS kids to the brink of suicide obsessed with getting some imaginary leg up on your hypothetical competition. At the end of the day, if you’re making the typical DCUM income, your kid will do just fine in life because as study after study states, it’s better to be rich than smart. In the end, whether or not your Lake Wobegone gifted child is being challenged enough in DCPS, s/he will likely go to college, graduate, and do fine.

Now if your complaints were actually concerns for our DCPS community as a whole, I have respect for you.

Let me correct you. The kids will go to college unprepared to compete at a higher level against kids who are used to being challenged and pushed more with a higher performing peer group in a school district that has more rigor and higher expectations. That is what you don’t get.

Just being accepted to college does not cut it. Why don’t you goggle all the articles on kids who did well in poor performing urban schools who then struggled in college. Lots of those articles for you to peruse. Why don’t you ask the kid who graduated from McKinley tech with A’s in math who was placed in remedial math in college. True story. I don’t need to say more.

Again, rich kids can’t fail at life. Statistically impossible.

Who said anything about failing at life. The point of above is that kids from DCPS will not be well prepared for college which I see you did not dispute.

[Anonymous]

You sounds like a 30-something parent. When I went to public ES in the 70s, it was still standard practice for kids to have to re-write essays to correct mistakes. Multiple drafts led to a finished product. This was done in schools all over the country, and it was certainly done before student work was displayed. I hear older parents at our DCPS complaining about the dearth of instruction in this and that stressed in previous generations - e.g. spelling, grammar, comportment/manners, geography, US history, memorizing facts (e.g. state capitals) public speaking etc. Times change but some of us home school on the side because we're not on board with every aspect of several decades worth of dubious pedagogical changes. Kids who can write effectively will surely be less stressed come high school than those who can't. Not sure if DC public schools are too blame as much as changing times.