S. Arlington and Mean Kindergarteners

[Anonymous]

I think the APS board's recent statement that it's putting further redistricting on hold tells you the N. Arlington parents who call the shots have sent a strong message they'd rather send their kids to overcrowded schools than schools with poor kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yep. Poor kids should be segregated in schools with other poor kids, where they can hit and pinch each other and never learn anything. Good thing privileged people have no moral obligation to children other than their own and can feel good about removing their kids from these situations. Why try to create a better situation for all by creating a reasonable balance of diversity across all schools, if it might create the tiniest negative impact on your highly-privileged kid?

Spoken by someone who either sends her kid to private school or a public school in a "good"neighborhood.

No, I was being sarcastic. I am white and upper middle class and send my kids to their neighborhood school in South Arlington, which is 22% white and 55% FARMS.

I understand not segregating on purpose, but don't understand sending your kid to a lower quality school if you could better quality one. 55% FARMS kids whatever color they usually = low school readiness overall.

Not sure how many ways people can say this. South Arlington schools are Arlington schools. Going to a "lower quality" Arlington school is like going to the lowest-ranked Ivy, compared to public schools in most of the rest of the country. I'm not worried about the quality of my kids education and if I can help other kids at the school by being active and engaged, so much the better.

Peer education and learning is an immense part of learning. The studies bear it out. Sorry to burst your delusional bubble a 50% FARMS school does not have any relevant apology to an Ivy. This phenomenon of upper middle class kids attending high FARMS school is a new phenomenon in the region borne of gentrification and I think many of these parents are due for rude awakening down the line with respect to both their children's education and social development.

I'm not saying diversity is bad, but 50% poor is not diverse, it is a lopsided, deleterious learning environment for everyone. A don't play the race card, my melanin shade runs brown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the APS board's recent statement that it's putting further redistricting on hold tells you the N. Arlington parents who call the shots have sent a strong message they'd rather send their kids to overcrowded schools than schools with poor kids.

it's never about kids or education; it's about property values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Not sure how many ways people can say this. South Arlington schools are Arlington schools. Going to a "lower quality" Arlington school is like going to the lowest-ranked Ivy, compared to public schools in most of the rest of the country. I'm not worried about the quality of my kids education and if I can help other kids at the school by being active and engaged, so much the better.

Peer education and learning is an immense part of learning. The studies bear it out. Sorry to burst your delusional bubble a 50% FARMS school does not have any relevant apology to an Ivy. This phenomenon of upper middle class kids attending high FARMS school is a new phenomenon in the region borne of gentrification and I think many of these parents are due for rude awakening down the line with respect to both their children's education and social development.

I'm not saying diversity is bad, but 50% poor is not diverse, it is a lopsided, deleterious learning environment for everyone. A don't play the race card, my melanin shade runs brown.

There's a difference between a 50% FARMS school in a place like Ward 8 in DC, where the 50% who are not FARMS are likely to not be a lot wealthier or better educated than the FARMS kids--not to mention being part of a dysfunctional school system--and a 50% FARMS school in a county like Arlington, which is one of the wealthiest and most-educated places in the country, with a high-performing school system. I'm not saying kids in a 50% FARMS school will always be fine. I'm saying upper middle class kids in a 50% FARMS school in Arlington VA will be fine--and that is the point so many people keep debating. I don't disagree that putting a kid in a shitty school is not a bad idea. But I really, really, don't think there are any shitty schools in Arlington, and I'm tired of reading posts that say "I don't understand why someone with the means to live elsewhere would do this horrible thing to their kids." Because I'm doing it, and I can see with my own eyes that it is not horrible. I've had kids in S. Arlington schools for six years, so I do know what I'm talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Not sure how many ways people can say this. South Arlington schools are Arlington schools. Going to a "lower quality" Arlington school is like going to the lowest-ranked Ivy, compared to public schools in most of the rest of the country. I'm not worried about the quality of my kids education and if I can help other kids at the school by being active and engaged, so much the better.

Peer education and learning is an immense part of learning. The studies bear it out. Sorry to burst your delusional bubble a 50% FARMS school does not have any relevant apology to an Ivy. This phenomenon of upper middle class kids attending high FARMS school is a new phenomenon in the region borne of gentrification and I think many of these parents are due for rude awakening down the line with respect to both their children's education and social development.

I'm not saying diversity is bad, but 50% poor is not diverse, it is a lopsided, deleterious learning environment for everyone. A don't play the race card, my melanin shade runs brown.

There's a difference between a 50% FARMS school in a place like Ward 8 in DC, where the 50% who are not FARMS are likely to not be a lot wealthier or better educated than the FARMS kids--not to mention being part of a dysfunctional school system--and a 50% FARMS school in a county like Arlington, which is one of the wealthiest and most-educated places in the country, with a high-performing school system. I'm not saying kids in a 50% FARMS school will always be fine. I'm saying upper middle class kids in a 50% FARMS school in Arlington VA will be fine--and that is the point so many people keep debating. I don't disagree that putting a kid in a shitty school is not a bad idea. But I really, really, don't think there are any shitty schools in Arlington, and I'm tired of reading posts that say "I don't understand why someone with the means to live elsewhere would do this horrible thing to their kids." Because I'm doing it, and I can see with my own eyes that it is not horrible. I've had kids in S. Arlington schools for six years, so I do know what I'm talking about.

I don't disagree that putting a kid in a shitty school is a bad idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Not sure how many ways people can say this. South Arlington schools are Arlington schools. Going to a "lower quality" Arlington school is like going to the lowest-ranked Ivy, compared to public schools in most of the rest of the country. I'm not worried about the quality of my kids education and if I can help other kids at the school by being active and engaged, so much the better.

Peer education and learning is an immense part of learning. The studies bear it out. Sorry to burst your delusional bubble a 50% FARMS school does not have any relevant apology to an Ivy. This phenomenon of upper middle class kids attending high FARMS school is a new phenomenon in the region borne of gentrification and I think many of these parents are due for rude awakening down the line with respect to both their children's education and social development.

I'm not saying diversity is bad, but 50% poor is not diverse, it is a lopsided, deleterious learning environment for everyone. A don't play the race card, my melanin shade runs brown.

There's a difference between a 50% FARMS school in a place like Ward 8 in DC, where the 50% who are not FARMS are likely to not be a lot wealthier or better educated than the FARMS kids--not to mention being part of a dysfunctional school system--and a 50% FARMS school in a county like Arlington, which is one of the wealthiest and most-educated places in the country, with a high-performing school system. I'm not saying kids in a 50% FARMS school will always be fine. I'm saying upper middle class kids in a 50% FARMS school in Arlington VA will be fine--and that is the point so many people keep debating. I don't disagree that putting a kid in a shitty school is not a bad idea. But I really, really, don't think there are any shitty schools in Arlington, and I'm tired of reading posts that say "I don't understand why someone with the means to live elsewhere would do this horrible thing to their kids." Because I'm doing it, and I can see with my own eyes that it is not horrible. I've had kids in S. Arlington schools for six years, so I do know what I'm talking about.

Right DCPS is shitty South Arlington isn't. Please STFU

[Anonymous]

Call it a technicality but Claremont is 35% FARMS not 50% (at least as of November 2012). I know this doesn't take away from the issue at hand, I just wanted to point this out.
http://apsva.us//site/Default.aspx?PageID=1113

[Anonymous]

Our kids go to an Arlington elementary with a higher FARMS rate than Claremont and we have never heard of this kind of repetitive bad behavior in any grade. I would definitely bring it to the attention of the teacher and the principal ASAP and if they are not prepared to solve the problem I would pull my kid out of that school.

[Anonymous]

My kids go to a school with barely a 1 percent FARMs rate, and we have seen our share of behavioral problems. The school tells me there is not much they can do when 20% of the kids are diagnosed with some type of learning, attention, or behavior issues (money buys a lot of testing and treatment when the little snowflakes are acting up). I have sympathy, for example, to an autistic child who losses his mind when class lines are not straight, but do I have to accept my kid getting tackled a once a week?

[Anonymous]

In some cases, rich spoiled kids act much worse than any other kids.

[Anonymous]

My twins are in Primary Montessori at Drew. They both have great teachers but the classes are on the large size for a teacher and an assistant. My son is not having any problems in his class but my daughter is being relentlessly teased by two boys who are older. The teacher has been in contact with me about this since my daughter has been crying getting on the bus every morning. Her teacher and I are working on empowering my daughter to stand up to these two boys. The teacher also told me that these boys are mean and she is also working that side of the problem. From what I have seen so far at Drew, I am impressed with the administration and teachers and how they help the kids to tackle these problems 1st on their own and then to intervene before it gets out of hand. My daughter's teacher is very responsive to email and returns all phone calls at the end of the school day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My twins are in Primary Montessori at Drew. They both have great teachers but the classes are on the large size for a teacher and an assistant. My son is not having any problems in his class but my daughter is being relentlessly teased by two boys who are older. The teacher has been in contact with me about this since my daughter has been crying getting on the bus every morning. Her teacher and I are working on empowering my daughter to stand up to these two boys. The teacher also told me that these boys are mean and she is also working that side of the problem. From what I have seen so far at Drew, I am impressed with the administration and teachers and how they help the kids to tackle these problems 1st on their own and then to intervene before it gets out of hand. My daughter's teacher is very responsive to email and returns all phone calls at the end of the school day.

I attended a Back to School Night at my DD's preschool last night and was surprised to hear the lead teacher highlight that children in her class are being taught to stand up for their rights as a key social emotional skill. Unfortunately, mean kids are everywhere so having this skill makes so much sense. We are zoned to Claremont and I hope my DD gets in when the time comes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids go to a school with barely a 1 percent FARMs rate, and we have seen our share of behavioral problems. The school tells me there is not much they can do when 20% of the kids are diagnosed with some type of learning, attention, or behavior issues (money buys a lot of testing and treatment when the little snowflakes are acting up). I have sympathy, for example, to an autistic child who losses his mind when class lines are not straight, but do I have to accept my kid getting tackled a once a week?

.

Which school is this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My twins are in Primary Montessori at Drew. They both have great teachers but the classes are on the large size for a teacher and an assistant. My son is not having any problems in his class but my daughter is being relentlessly teased by two boys who are older. The teacher has been in contact with me about this since my daughter has been crying getting on the bus every morning. Her teacher and I are working on empowering my daughter to stand up to these two boys. The teacher also told me that these boys are mean and she is also working that side of the problem. From what I have seen so far at Drew, I am impressed with the administration and teachers and how they help the kids to tackle these problems 1st on their own and then to intervene before it gets out of hand. My daughter's teacher is very responsive to email and returns all phone calls at the end of the school day.

Thanks Poster, since I had asked specifically about Campbell and Drew, and have often wondered if I should have stuck with Montessori (I was thinking that since the teachers have a relationship with these kids for 3 years and the method places a high emphasis on grace and courtesy, that might explain why her old school was so much more civilized even among very young children). At least now I know the grass is not greener on the other side. I feel terrible for your daughter...that just isn't acceptable at all. However, at least they are two specific kids so hopefully the school can do something. But, seriously, what can the teacher or your daughter do to stand up to this, realistically? Are they implying she should, at 3, 4, or 5 years of age (primary), be prepared to beat the crap out of another kid to get them to stop? And that kid is a boy? And oh yeah, there are two of them? The school is helpless to do much other than talk to these kids' parents...but if the parents don't care, what can they do? It's hard to get a kid kicked out of public school.

I look at it this way...how would we handle it if this were happening in the adult world? If I went to work every day and during my commute or at the office two grown men teased and abused me every single day, would people tell me the answer is to stand up to them? We protect adults...we should be able to protect kids too. Anyway, I have a meeting with the teachers on Monday, and I started my daughter in martial arts...she is NOT a shrinking violet and definitely does stand up for herself, but that clearly isn't enough. I think the key is the other kids know she will never do anything that will get her in trouble at school, and they take advantage of that because they don't care about getting in trouble. I told her I have her back, if she ever feels she needs to deck one of these kids, go for it...but she was mortified at the idea of getting in trouble even if she knew it wouldn't translate into trouble at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Folks who have kids at Campbell or Drew especially, can you tell me whether your experience has been better than mine? We are a month into K at Claremont, and we like the school/program, but the other children are breathtaking in their aggressiveness.

For context, I have an outgoing, well socialized kid who did great at a private Montessori school, and these encounters are completely alien. I don't know if it's that Montessori really does deliver on the empathy/community front, or whether private schools simply can kick out the mean kids, or whether it's all about size (it certainly seems like kids are thrown to the wolves in a big public school classroom in a way they weren't in our old school, which went up through upper el btw and those kids were all great). Or is it just Claremont? Is something wrong here? Do I just teach my kid to forget all her nice behavior and put up her dukes with the other kids? Or should I have chosen one of the other schools (thus my question about Campbell/Drew)?

Here is the kind of sad statement I have had to hear barely a month into school, "I guess I just have to get used to being tripped and pinched and punched". This has not been isolated to one child or one classroom context (it happens in line, at recess, in the cafeteria, during specials, on the bus, etc). To be fair, when I complained about one child's inappropriate behavior, it was dealt with, and it does sound like the teachers will do something when a kid tells on another kid for hitting...but I am told that the other children actively watch for the teacher's attention to be diverted elsewhere before grabbing her arm and digging their nails into it (this is at least two different children on multiple occasions) or punching her in the chest or pulling her hair. In other words, I feel like I could seek a solution if it were one context or one child. But what is there to discuss with the teacher or even the principal if the problem is pervasive? I don't even know what I should be asking for.

So I just want to know...is this normal? I don't remember kindergarten being quite so mean when I was a kid, but maybe things have changed. Is it worth switching to one of the other schools next year or is this just what I should expect at APS? Thanks in advance.

Are these "diverse" schools? You know the virtuous ones people are always going on about?