No one is doubting it, we're amused by it. Don't forget about the at-risk preferences in the lottery next year, which will then allow sibling preferences plus another batch of at-risk preferences for the following year and on and on. Let's be sure your assertiveness is a benefit to all the your kid's future classmates. |
| I don’t get the feeling that the poster who noted the assertiveness will be part of the incoming gentrifiers at Latin 2. You guys can’t help scouring the horizon for a new target to ridicule and slam. Knock it off already. |
Incoming gentrifiers? What are you even talking about? What is there to be gentrified? This has gone off the rails😆 |
| I think I can interpret. Without a doubt, Latin 2 is going to attract lots of “gentrifier” families from fast changing neighborhoods where IB middle schools attract few. |
| More educational options are more educational options. If we don't want this, get rid of charters, vouchers AND the lottery and send everyone to their neighborhood school. if we do want options, stop picking and choosing targets based on "who they attract". The opportunity to select a school obviously invokes self-selection based on what is being offered. |
This is a good reminder and I'm amazed at all the strivers in this town. I went to a very average suburban high school in flyover country, a big, state university, married similarly and see it reflected in my neighborhood and office. We're all doing MORE than fine. I make the same $ as the Ivy grads in my office. One kid is happy and thriving at Latin, our other kid graduated from a (better fit for them) DC high school and is doing well/happy at a big state school. Quit stressing folks! |
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So it's not worth bothering to aim high, even for low SES students who qualify for massive fi aid at the nation's best universities if they are admitted? I was a first-generation college student at MIT. My family would have paid several times what my alma mater charged us for me to attend a big state school.
I'm not bowled over by Latin's academics for a STEM oriented 11-year-old who reads around 2 years above grade level. Sounds like we'd have headaches there pushing for appropriate math and ELA instruction, causing offense for asking for more challenge. We hire enough enrichment tutors as it, since she's become quite bored at our neighborhood DCPS. But Latin does seem like a good option for families with kids who work at grade level, aren't very interested in STEM, and don't have much background in modern languages. |
It sounds like you'd be happier at BASIS, though I think they have the same language issues as they also teach Latin in MS. Of course, all of this is lottery dependent. It will be harder to crack Latin 1 next year, and BASIS no longer clears its waiting list. DCI would be a good choice for langugage and kids who are self starters. |
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I'd look at VA or MoCo GT or a good private if my 5th grader seemed to be MIT material and advanced modern language instruction in MS is important to you. BASIS' miserable facilities get kids down, Latin is for average students seeking challenge.
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You won’t cause offense asking for more challenge. The teachers in her science, math and English classes will likely be delighted to add some enrichment and higher-level challenge to her daily work. |
I'm not the poster you're responding to, but I doubt this. If asking for more challenge for an advanced middle school student wouldn't cause offense at Latin, what explains why the school places kids who work far behind grade level in the very same science, social studies and English classes as the most advanced students from 5th-8th grades? Why not just form classes of advanced middle school science and humanities students like they're willing to do for advanced math students? |
There are so many terrible people on this thread. I hope I don’t know any of you in real life. You sound so small. |
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What the heck? Why do DC public middle schools offer advanced math to middle school students?
Is it “small” to offer advanced math? |
| Conversations about advanced middle school course offerings should go forward in considering how Latin 2's demographics and curriculum will develop. Trying to shut these conversations down with name-calling ("small" posters) won't end them. Some of us don't understand why Stuart Hobson and Hardy offer "advanced" English classes to 6th-8th graders, while BASIS, Latin, DCI and Deal apparently do not, even though each of these DC public middle schools can be described as socioeconomically and racially diverse. |
I agree. There is something terribly off about a person conflating “taking offense” with the real-life pedagological, social and logistical complexities that go into forming advanced classes for 10 year olds in a small school. There are other ways of dealing with differentiation at this level, especially when there aren’t overwhelming numbers of students who are struggling. It’s all very manageable with small classes and all of the extra support staff at Latin. Counting down to some other strange person explaining how this is all an excuse or doubtful or made up or not good enough. 3…2…1… |