would you move from AU to Woodley for Oyster?

[Anonymous]

Oyster is a safe school for Rhee's kids. It was easy to pick because she could say she was looking for a bilingual program--if she had just picked from the strong Upper NW schools specifically for academics it would have looked like she was snubbing a lot of other schools/demographics/social classes. Oyster was a very savvy choice. That being said, I'm not sure she thinks it is the greatest school. She came in guns blazing about the Spanish component, fired leadership, and her new leadership has been systematically dismantling and reforming it--albeit wanly. Her kids will be fine--a bright kid can do fine at Oyster/especially in the lower grades. Has anyone here said there are not still good teachers with heart? However, it is not the school it was, or could be. And I seriously doubt Rhee or her ex- plan to matriculate their kids from Oyster's 8th Grade as it stands now. Let me imagine that she is no longer Chancellor one day, but makes a strong case to her husband to keep both kids in Oyster through 8th b/cause she loves it so? Don't see that happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:new poster here - - why would you leave AU for Woodley?

Because AU Park is soul-crushingly dull.

What's harder to figure out is why you'd move to AU Park if not for the schools.

[Anonymous]

can someone describe the OOB process for the middle school? Assuming that the child has been going to a spanish immersion elementary school. Of course I know to put her into the lottery, but what else?

And if you live within Adams' boundaries do they have to take you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would not do Oyster. Former parent and it is nothing like Murch., Hyde, etc. Just overcrowded and disorganized. There are big differences in how the "have nots" are treated by the parents/student who "have". The "have's" I believe are only there because their children couldn't get into Sidwell, Maret, etc. It was a solid back-up (or alteast I thought it was) when we didn't get accepted the first time into private. Thankfully, at third grade DC was accpeted into private.

I totally disagree with this characterization. It looks like you've projected your own failure to get into your first choice on to everybody else. Some of us really want a language immersion opportunity, without having to move to Fairfax County!

This does not describe us or anyone we know. You seem to be projecting.

[Anonymous]

Aguirre has a reputation for pretending to listen then going and doing what she wants.

[Anonymous]

"Aguirre has a reputation for pretending to listen then going and doing what she wants."

Interesting. Can you tell us some examples?

[Anonymous]

So much of what Rhee and her accolytes do is built on the presumption that no ONE has ever tried before and they will just whisk in with their handy-dandy data crunched power-points and fix it. Aguirre came across that way when I met her. I wish they would assess what good is in place, what efforts have been made, what initiatives are underway and build on them. And then weed out what really needs to go. Sort of pruning rather than yanking out the bush.

[Anonymous]

I am writing in only to support the poster who suggests Aguirre pretends to listen, then doing whatever. It's just true. Considering she and Rhee go back 15 years and are all cozy with Fenty, why WOULD she encourage a parent-influenced platform? It's Rhee's own personal home-school experiment, with her homies. As to the constant mention of if Rhee would jeopardize her kids -- come on, it's not JAIL! It's one of the better DC public schools and all of our kids will be fine. The issues are the fact it should be performing like a great school, considering the families enrolled. Instead, it's massive confusion and lots of lower-income families feeling unwelcome. If Aguirre would actually put out a satisfaction survery, the results would tell it all. That's why she hasn't.

[Anonymous]

Look I don't want to keep bringing up Marta but she had the idea of doing separate English and Spanish classrooms early on and the teachers weren't on board. So it's a little ironic that Aguirre ends up doing just that. For anyone to take credit for this idea as something original or innovative is really off base. One of the biggest problems with the K - 8 model is kids start itching for new experiences by Grades 5 or 6 and with schools like Deal, that offer so much more, and long-term families leaving, the upper grades at Oyster may never be what it should or could be.

[Anonymous]

Why did Oyster add the 6-8 grades? Who thought that would be a good idea?? People seem to be happy (enough) with the elementary level, but really not happy with the upper grades. What was the program supposed to be when it got approved?

[Anonymous]

It was the only way to get the Adams building.

[Anonymous]

P.S. Oyster added 7 and 8. It had gone through Grade 6 for years.

[Anonymous]

Adams building is not that impressive - although the location is great. Why change a school just to get a building? I just joined Oyster this year and I am pleased with how things are going for my child, but it seems like the school is not doing well as a whole because how distracted the principal is with the Adams building and trying to make the upper grades work smoother.

[Anonymous]

The most obvious and foremost reason for adding grades 7-8 was that there were no dual-language options beyond grade 6 in any DCPS. Kids were spending years in dual language education reaching a good level of bilingual fluency and then had no place (other than WIS) to build up on that after 6th grade. Spanish language classes in other middle and high school are designed for kids who are at a much lower Spanish level than kids who go through Oyster. I hope that if we stay in D.C. until my child reaches 7th grade, we can stick with Oyster for those last two years and I wish that there were a dual language program in high school too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Adams building is not that impressive - although the location is great. Why change a school just to get a building? I just joined Oyster this year and I am pleased with how things are going for my child, but it seems like the school is not doing well as a whole because how distracted the principal is with the Adams building and trying to make the upper grades work smoother.

They just hired a new vice principal for the middle school campus. Hopefully this will take some of the load from Aguirre and Villegas