Matched IB Ludlow Taylor :( What is the lowest WL position worth considering as an option?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nothing I have heard about the principle gives me pause at all. Her job is to serve her students and staff and it sounds like she is doing a great job. Will definitely be putting LT high on my lottery list when the time comes!

I would characterize this as irrational exuberance.

[Anonymous]

According to the DME, LT has only 22 percent IB participation rate for 276 IB students, even without taking into account possible address cheaters.

[Anonymous]

I have a black friend whose son is at LT. She said the principal is unfriendly and unresponsive to her, and she has had children at other schools (so has a good basis for comparison).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a black friend whose son is at LT. She said the principal is unfriendly and unresponsive to her, and she has had children at other schools (so has a good basis for comparison).

This strangely makes me feel better

[Anonymous]

No dog in this fight, as I don't live on the Hill, but a few observations:

First, I don't know how long this principal has been doing what she does, but if she's been in DCPS (and not in Ward 3) for at least 10-15 years, any warm and fuzzy she may have had got stamped out hard. Like, in her first year. Up until the point that Fenty/Reed started reform, being a principal in DC required a tough armor and a tough stance. It may be learned or it may be just how she is, but consider what the neighborhood was like before it started gentrifying, and consider that demeanor may have been necessary for survival. When I was a teacher at Walker Jones in the mid-90s, parents wanted and expected visible toughness--even meanness--from the principal to keep kids in line.

Next, it's tough to straddle needs on either side of the race/class divide when they're co-existing in one building every day. She's walking a line pulled tight by tension between old timers and newcomers, and I'll bet she's decided she's not going to change the way she's always been. Some of the parents she deals with may be former students and it wouldn't go over well for her to have a visibly different attitude toward parents who've only been in the neighborhood for the last few years. And some parents may need . . . firmness. . . so she may as well apply that to everyone.

Lastly, there is a cultural dynamic--or maybe it's more appropriately labeled a dichotomy--that's very much at play in this schools/neighborhoods/class melee, yet few people are aware of it. Someone like Malcolm Gladwell could probably explain it better than I will, but higher SES people tend to come from a place of entitlement. And I don't mean that in an insulting way, I mean that we're raised to seek, ask for (or demand) and at the very least expect that there's a way to get what we want (I'm a tax paying parent, the principal should be friendly to me). Lower income people are raised to believe that they should not expect nor feel entitled to anything at all, and the people who do are the ones who come off as rude. What may seem like a simple request or generally expected behavior may be taken as a pushy affront. Pushy people may get what they want in wealthier neighborhoods, but not. . . in the hood. Not at all.

I'm not applying that to any situation at L-T or its parents or principal--I don't know any of you people. But if the school is doing well, maybe the principal deserves the benefit of doubt. A lot of tension in the divide of this town is nothing more than misperception.

[Anonymous]

Happy LT parent here. Principal was, in my understanding, one of Rhee's first hires. I think she is wonderful at her job except in the PR line of things. I don't think she is racist since I have heard similar complaints from AA families. I just think she is lacking, as Jennifer Aniston said of Brad Pitt, the "sensitivity chip." Even when she tries to be really warm and fuzzy, she can't quite pull it off -- it's just not in her DNA -- but I have never found her rude at all, and she is excellent at managing the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:According to the DME, LT has only 22 percent IB participation rate for 276 IB students, even without taking into account possible address cheaters.

I don't really understand this statistic. This is saying that only 22% of people who attend the school come from the neighborhood?

I wish we could see this broken out by grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Happy LT parent here. Principal was, in my understanding, one of Rhee's first hires. I think she is wonderful at her job except in the PR line of things. I don't think she is racist since I have heard similar complaints from AA families. I just think she is lacking, as Jennifer Aniston said of Brad Pitt, the "sensitivity chip." Even when she tries to be really warm and fuzzy, she can't quite pull it off -- it's just not in her DNA -- but I have never found her rude at all, and she is excellent at managing the school.

Agreed. I think she does an excellent job hiring teachers and keeping things under control. As an example of a recent strategic hire, she didn't have the budget to both hire a new art teacher and a new foreign language instructor this year. So she hired an art instructor who is a native French teacher, and the kids do art in French. Also as another anecdote, one of the security guards who was working temporarily at the school for the past weeks said that the students at LT were the best behaved she's ever seen- respectful, no shouting or running in the hallways. I'm sure someone will find fault, but I think these things speak very well of her as a principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Happy LT parent here. Principal was, in my understanding, one of Rhee's first hires. I think she is wonderful at her job except in the PR line of things. I don't think she is racist since I have heard similar complaints from AA families. I just think she is lacking, as Jennifer Aniston said of Brad Pitt, the "sensitivity chip." Even when she tries to be really warm and fuzzy, she can't quite pull it off -- it's just not in her DNA -- but I have never found her rude at all, and she is excellent at managing the school.

Agreed. I think she does an excellent job hiring teachers and keeping things under control. As an example of a recent strategic hire, she didn't have the budget to both hire a new art teacher and a new foreign language instructor this year. So she hired an art instructor who is a native French teacher, and the kids do art in French. Also as another anecdote, one of the security guards who was working temporarily at the school for the past weeks said that the students at LT were the best behaved she's ever seen- respectful, no shouting or running in the hallways. I'm sure someone will find fault, but I think these things speak very well of her as a principal.

Finally some actual detail!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to the DME, LT has only 22 percent IB participation rate for 276 IB students, even without taking into account possible address cheaters.

I don't really understand this statistic. This is saying that only 22% of people who attend the school come from the neighborhood?

I wish we could see this broken out by grade.

Not quite. It means that 22% of the kids who are IB for the school go to the school, so according to the above numbers, around 60. Whatever percentage that number is of kids who go to LT will give you total percentage.

I think Brent and Peabody are the only Hill schools with a majority of IB families. Maybe Maury now fits the bill.

[Anonymous]

Current Ludlow Taylor parent here - PS3. Here's my completely honest answer;

Pros:
- PS3 classroom teachers have been brilliant! I am amazed over and over again by the quality of the PS3 classroom experience (very balanced play, art and learning). Our DD has progressed socially to a degree I would have have believed possible a year ago. I agree with PP that LT early childhood compares favorably to any other ECE program on the Hill. My whole family are career teachers and are equally impressed.

- Arts integration - real and impressive. Older child attended a different Hill PS3 and I never understood what arts integration meant there, just didn't see it At LT there's clear partnership between Artists in residence, French classes and reggio curriculum.

-Cohort of children and families in the ECE program are absolutely lovely. We went to a LT sponsored dine-out on H street a few weeks ago and for the first time I've lived on the Hill, I actually felt like part of the "village" other people talk about. Even our older DD (who doesn't attend LT) felt welcome and had a great time. The school community, through first grade at least, is diverse, inclusive and really a pleasure to be around. The ECE opera performance yesterday was packed with parents supporting their kids and their classmates.

Cons:
-Afterschool program. I'm just not OK with it. Didn't feel like there was enough supervision, to the point that it scared me and I pulled my child out. But 'm a super risk averse person, so I can see how the program works for other parents, and think that's an equally rational take on it. If you can pick up at 330 or have an afternoon sitter (our choice) LT is really an amazing experience.

-Older grades and disruptive behavior. The disruptive behavior is a real occurrence, teacher responses range from totally appropriate to appalling. We live within sight (and earshot) of the school. I've personally witnessed responses from teachers at different times -- from effective, 1:1 or small group problem resolution with an adult to ignoring bad behavior to male teachers yelling at full voice to a whole row of children lined up against the wall. On the plus side, i have never ever seen children in the younger grades on the playground at the same time as the older kids, so all of this is a non-issue as far as ECE goes.

-Principal. Just not a friendly person at all. We are both AA, but probably considered gentrifiers (dual professional couple, bought home in neighborhood relatively recently)

On balance, we have been thrilled with our decision to send DD to LT for PS3. I cannot imagine a better preschool experience for her. DD was sick today and just devastated not to be able to go to school

[Anonymous]

Thanks for this honest and thoughtful response. Can I ask how much an after school babysitter costs and for ideas on where to find one?

[Anonymous]

Cobbs just doesn't play the "let me be concerned about YOU" game very well. It's not that she doesn't say "how high?" when you tell her to jump, it's that she truly doesn't engage at all on the soical/emotional aspects of schooling that more involved parents (NOT just white) hope their schools will provide in the elementary years.

I heard a very experienced AA family detail their interaction with her and it was simply that she wasn't going "to get involved with that." Yes, she takes care of her teachers, but the lacking component at LT is really the "warm fuzzy," which is quite important to some parents when it comes to their little kids. I think parents have a right to expect a little bit of warmth being sent int heir direction or in their kids' direction. It sets a tone for a culture and her culture is one of "get over it." I think she'd make a much better middle school principal, in a different district. Perhaps she's used to bigger problems, and so it's hard for her to engage, but she's clearly missing the mark. She has neighborhood people who are hungry to do th work and they aren't sticking it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for this honest and thoughtful response. Can I ask how much an after school babysitter costs and for ideas on where to find one?

Where else? Moth. The tough part, however, will be finding someone who only needs those hours. You may have better luck finding someone with a nanny who is willing to do a share from 3 to __. Using nanny/babysitter costs as a guide, I'd guess around $20-25 per hour, but in a share maybe you get that down to $15.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Current Ludlow Taylor parent here - PS3. Here's my completely honest answer;

Pros:
- PS3 classroom teachers have been brilliant! I am amazed over and over again by the quality of the PS3 classroom experience (very balanced play, art and learning). Our DD has progressed socially to a degree I would have have believed possible a year ago. I agree with PP that LT early childhood compares favorably to any other ECE program on the Hill. My whole family are career teachers and are equally impressed.

- Arts integration - real and impressive. Older child attended a different Hill PS3 and I never understood what arts integration meant there, just didn't see it At LT there's clear partnership between Artists in residence, French classes and reggio curriculum.

-Cohort of children and families in the ECE program are absolutely lovely. We went to a LT sponsored dine-out on H street a few weeks ago and for the first time I've lived on the Hill, I actually felt like part of the "village" other people talk about. Even our older DD (who doesn't attend LT) felt welcome and had a great time. The school community, through first grade at least, is diverse, inclusive and really a pleasure to be around. The ECE opera performance yesterday was packed with parents supporting their kids and their classmates.

Cons:
-Afterschool program. I'm just not OK with it. Didn't feel like there was enough supervision, to the point that it scared me and I pulled my child out. But 'm a super risk averse person, so I can see how the program works for other parents, and think that's an equally rational take on it. If you can pick up at 330 or have an afternoon sitter (our choice) LT is really an amazing experience.

-Older grades and disruptive behavior. The disruptive behavior is a real occurrence, teacher responses range from totally appropriate to appalling. We live within sight (and earshot) of the school. I've personally witnessed responses from teachers at different times -- from effective, 1:1 or small group problem resolution with an adult to ignoring bad behavior to male teachers yelling at full voice to a whole row of children lined up against the wall. On the plus side, i have never ever seen children in the younger grades on the playground at the same time as the older kids, so all of this is a non-issue as far as ECE goes.

-Principal. Just not a friendly person at all. We are both AA, but probably considered gentrifiers (dual professional couple, bought home in neighborhood relatively recently)

On balance, we have been thrilled with our decision to send DD to LT for PS3. I cannot imagine a better preschool experience for her. DD was sick today and just devastated not to be able to go to school

If you wade through enough garbage on DCUM, eventually you do find gold nuggets like this.