S/O - Avoid Focus School

[Anonymous]

Regarding focus schools and field trips, a friend has a K student at one of the ESes in Silver Spring, and they are having a field trip to the zoo, but the school is not providing the transportation due to the cost, so parents have to take their kids. At our non-focus school, transportation has always been included in field trips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How receptive are administrators at these Focus schools to ideas/contributions from parents? Also, are parents allowed to donate money directly to the school or a specific class for supplies? What if a classroom needed a makeover, could the PTA "sponsor" (don't know if that's the right word) that class and raise money to give it a fresh paint, new desks, etc.?

Money for things like facilities is pretty equally distributed across the district, so you have "poor" schools that were recently renovated and "rich" schools that desperately need to be built out or renovated.

To be honest, I suspect MCPS regulations would preclude the PTA paying for building repairs. Similarly, they don't allow PTA funds to pay staff salaries.

The policy on targeted donations is going to depend on the school. Our Focus School has a policy at the principal's level that you cannot donate something big to a single class. At the very least, it would need to benefit all of the kids in that grade. So, you need the grade level teachers to band together and work on a project.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How receptive are administrators at these Focus schools to ideas/contributions from parents? Also, are parents allowed to donate money directly to the school or a specific class for supplies? What if a classroom needed a makeover, could the PTA "sponsor" (don't know if that's the right word) that class and raise money to give it a fresh paint, new desks, etc.?

I thought the county has certain rules that prohibit some of this stuff? Correct me if I'm wrong (I'd be interested in knowing!).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Regarding focus schools and field trips, a friend has a K student at one of the ESes in Silver Spring, and they are having a field trip to the zoo, but the school is not providing the transportation due to the cost, so parents have to take their kids. At our non-focus school, transportation has always been included in field trips.

Huh. That's weird. Our Focus School definitely provided transportation for the kindergarten zoo trip. I suspect this was an admin-level decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How receptive are administrators at these Focus schools to ideas/contributions from parents? Also, are parents allowed to donate money directly to the school or a specific class for supplies? What if a classroom needed a makeover, could the PTA "sponsor" (don't know if that's the right word) that class and raise money to give it a fresh paint, new desks, etc.?

I thought the county has certain rules that prohibit some of this stuff? Correct me if I'm wrong (I'd be interested in knowing!).

You are allowed to donate supplies. I send in classroom supplies every other month or so. Different rule than teacher gifts.

[Anonymous]

The other thing to remember is that some of this stuff is school-dependent and some of it is completely out of the hands of any administrator.

An example is transportation. If the school uses buses for a field trip, there are all sorts of MCPS-level rules about union drivers, timing (due to buses being needed elsewhere), etc.

So, for the Focus School not using school buses for the zoo trip, it might be a funding issue. Or it might be that recent kindergarten zoo trips (including my own childs') have returned the kids later than expected due to hold-ups at the zoo itself.

If the zoo has 50 groups of kids from around the region coming in, the bus parking lot is a nightmare and can take up to 2 hours to load all of the kids waiting to get back to school by 3:30.

So, I can see the school deciding it's not worth it to rely on school buses given the back-ups at the zoo and just having parents drive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you really having serious second thoughts because of a random comment by a friend without looking at the school itself?

My kids are in a Focus school. There are pluses and minuses. On the plus side - smaller classes and more support staff. I think my children have benefited from the diversity of the school. They have friends of all different backgrounds. My above grade level kid has been accelerated. My at the bubble of at and below grade level kid has been supported, for the most part - the support falls off when the below reaches at, which causes a cycle of stagnating for a while. Communication with teachers has for the most part been fine. Some use Dojo, some don't, but for the most part every responds via email pretty quickly and the administration is responsive when they need to be. The minuses I've seen are more on the social side. It was hard to get RSVPs to Birthday parties in the invite the whole class years. Playdates and other outside of school socializing hasn't been that high. It took a few years for my kids to find their social groups. There aren't as many after school clubs and while we have a strong PTA, it is a small group of us that keep it going. Overall, I like where we live and have been satisfied with the school.

Our experience has been very different but its school/teacher specific. We are at a very closed school. Our classroom does not allow for parent volunteers. Smaller class sizes are great. Most of the kids are very nice, good kids. I don't notice huge disparities in the kids as most aren't dressed in fancy clothing (exception is mainly jackets). Agree with outside socialization. School has lots of after school things through the PTA but we never do them so cannot speak to the quality. Teachers good about responding to email but do not always answer the question. They do not communicate with parents about what is going (i.e. weekly newsletter) and the only feedback is the report card and it doesn't seem like most of the kids can get past a "p" no matter how hard they work. There is no acceleration and if anything kids are held back in "groups" below what they are capable of doing. Strong PTA but its a closed PTA. They say they want new members but when you go to meetings, they aren't exactly welcoming and no matter how many times I try to get involved when they say they need a volunteer, I never hear back from them. School is fine but I wouldn't rave about it like others do.

Are your kids at Fairland? I have a friend who had the same complaints and that's where her children go to school.

[Anonymous]

This thread is very helpful. Would people also mind naming their Focus school? It will really help parents who are considering enrolling their kids.
Looking for feedback on East Silver Spring ES at the K-2 level and wonder, too, if it was one of the schools already discussed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is very helpful. Would people also mind naming their Focus school? It will really help parents who are considering enrolling their kids.
Looking for feedback on East Silver Spring ES at the K-2 level and wonder, too, if it was one of the schools already discussed.

My kids are at East Silver Spring and I'm the PP who said we have 4 field trips a year, not to have a private tasting with the chef at the Kennedy Center, but still interesting and educational. We've had a positive experience at the school. There were several retirements at the kindgergarten level last year, and then one teacher moved out of state to follow her partner's job. This meant a near-total turnover in kindergarten staff, even though one teacher moved down from 1st grade. I'm assuming next year will be more settled, though, and the timing of the turnover was just bad luck.

Still, it's a good school with caring, dedicated teachers and a really good group of kids. Ironically, given the way other posters on threads about Focus/Title I schools talk about behavior, we've only ever had behavior/bullying issues with other middle class white or Asian kids, never the working class Ethiopian/Eritrean kids who make up the bulk of the study body.

It's not utopia. At times the administration can feel reluctant to have parents get involved in the classrooms (although that has changed in the last 3 years). The PTA draws from the same core group of middle class parents ever year, but again that has been changing over the past couple of years. The challenges regarding class directories and getting in touch with other parents that some folks mention on this thread are definitely an issue. The aftercare provider is mediocre (but there is a bus to other programs). Overall, though, it has been a really positive experience and I've had no concerns about my high-performing kids being challenged. Their test scores show they are working well above grade level, and we've had good luck with the HGC/magnet process with the one old enough to attend. We never had a class larger than 16 in the lower grades, and the teachers genuinely work to engage kids who came in well-prepared and well-coached from preschool.

I've seen the school change a lot in our time there. The demographics are shifting slightly, the administration is softening to parent involvement, and the PTA and staff have done a really great job setting up afterschool activities like Lego Robotics or Girls on the Run. There is some nostalgia among parents who have been there for 5 years or more about the school losing Title I status when the FARMS rate dropped a touch a few years ago. Title I status really gave a ton of extra resources, but the Focus status makes up some of those resources.

So, yeah, it's not perfect but it's good, and we would make the same choices again if given the opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is very helpful. Would people also mind naming their Focus school? It will really help parents who are considering enrolling their kids.
Looking for feedback on East Silver Spring ES at the K-2 level and wonder, too, if it was one of the schools already discussed.

My kids are at East Silver Spring and I'm the PP who said we have 4 field trips a year, not to have a private tasting with the chef at the Kennedy Center, but still interesting and educational. We've had a positive experience at the school. There were several retirements at the kindgergarten level last year, and then one teacher moved out of state to follow her partner's job. This meant a near-total turnover in kindergarten staff, even though one teacher moved down from 1st grade. I'm assuming next year will be more settled, though, and the timing of the turnover was just bad luck.

Still, it's a good school with caring, dedicated teachers and a really good group of kids. Ironically, given the way other posters on threads about Focus/Title I schools talk about behavior, we've only ever had behavior/bullying issues with other middle class white or Asian kids, never the working class Ethiopian/Eritrean kids who make up the bulk of the study body.

It's not utopia. At times the administration can feel reluctant to have parents get involved in the classrooms (although that has changed in the last 3 years). The PTA draws from the same core group of middle class parents ever year, but again that has been changing over the past couple of years. The challenges regarding class directories and getting in touch with other parents that some folks mention on this thread are definitely an issue. The aftercare provider is mediocre (but there is a bus to other programs). Overall, though, it has been a really positive experience and I've had no concerns about my high-performing kids being challenged. Their test scores show they are working well above grade level, and we've had good luck with the HGC/magnet process with the one old enough to attend. We never had a class larger than 16 in the lower grades, and the teachers genuinely work to engage kids who came in well-prepared and well-coached from preschool.

I've seen the school change a lot in our time there. The demographics are shifting slightly, the administration is softening to parent involvement, and the PTA and staff have done a really great job setting up afterschool activities like Lego Robotics or Girls on the Run. There is some nostalgia among parents who have been there for 5 years or more about the school losing Title I status when the FARMS rate dropped a touch a few years ago. Title I status really gave a ton of extra resources, but the Focus status makes up some of those resources.

So, yeah, it's not perfect but it's good, and we would make the same choices again if given the opportunity.

Thanks, PP. I was the one who asked about East Silver Spring. How often do kids get music and art from dedicated teachers who specifically teach those classes? PE? How much recess? Science and technology? And in technology, are the kids exposed to keyboarding and junior coding basics? Are there smartboards in the technology room or in the classrooms? Is the library well outfitted and do the kids get to choose books there weekly?

How responsive is administration to parent concerns? Have been trying for weeks to get a tour, to no avail. Might improve though when the principal returns from her externship from the middle school?

How's the socioeconomic diversity among the active PTA membership?

TIA

[Anonymous]

We're at a Focus school and love it. It's different than title 1 in that the poverty level isn't as high. It's socioeconomically and racially diverse and very friendly. Plenty of upper middle class families and plenty who are not. We've enjoyed having smaller class sizes. But that's just our experience with our local focus school. What school is it you aren't sure whether to send your kid to?

This has been my experience at Rock Creek Valley. Plus, is say we have a fantastic sense of community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

We're at a Focus school and love it. It's different than title 1 in that the poverty level isn't as high. It's socioeconomically and racially diverse and very friendly. Plenty of upper middle class families and plenty who are not. We've enjoyed having smaller class sizes. But that's just our experience with our local focus school. What school is it you aren't sure whether to send your kid to?

This has been my experience at Rock Creek Valley. Plus, is say we have a fantastic sense of community.

I did not realize that Rock Creek Valley is a Focus School. We looked at houses in that area and heard great things about the neighborhood and school. It's much smaller than nearby Barnsley and seems like a better option! Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Thanks, PP. I was the one who asked about East Silver Spring. How often do kids get music and art from dedicated teachers who specifically teach those classes? PE? How much recess? Science and technology? And in technology, are the kids exposed to keyboarding and junior coding basics? Are there smartboards in the technology room or in the classrooms? Is the library well outfitted and do the kids get to choose books there weekly?

How responsive is administration to parent concerns? Have been trying for weeks to get a tour, to no avail. Might improve though when the principal returns from her externship from the middle school?

How's the socioeconomic diversity among the active PTA membership?

TIA

All of the elementary school students in MCPS get the same frequency of specials (art, music, PE), taught by specials teachers. Recess is standard, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Thanks, PP. I was the one who asked about East Silver Spring. How often do kids get music and art from dedicated teachers who specifically teach those classes? PE? How much recess? Science and technology? And in technology, are the kids exposed to keyboarding and junior coding basics? Are there smartboards in the technology room or in the classrooms? Is the library well outfitted and do the kids get to choose books there weekly?

How responsive is administration to parent concerns? Have been trying for weeks to get a tour, to no avail. Might improve though when the principal returns from her externship from the middle school?

How's the socioeconomic diversity among the active PTA membership?

TIA

We're not at East Silver Spring, but I can answer about our Focus School. A lot of it is standard in MCPS.

PE/Music/Art are only once a week. Recess every day, for 20 minutes, but we are in a HUGE school so there is a lot of time spend lining up. Also our school is overcrowded so indoor recess means two classes get packed into one classroom. And, lots of portables at our school so a good deal of the playground is being used for the portables.

Smartboards in every classroom, but they are more trouble than they are worth. Often they don't work. They can be tough to see.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, PP. I was the one who asked about East Silver Spring. How often do kids get music and art from dedicated teachers who specifically teach those classes? PE? How much recess? Science and technology? And in technology, are the kids exposed to keyboarding and junior coding basics? Are there smartboards in the technology room or in the classrooms? Is the library well outfitted and do the kids get to choose books there weekly?

How responsive is administration to parent concerns? Have been trying for weeks to get a tour, to no avail. Might improve though when the principal returns from her externship from the middle school?

How's the socioeconomic diversity among the active PTA membership?

TIA

As another PP said, Music, PE, Media, and Art are MCPS standard, so once a week for each with dedicated teachers who only teach those subjects. 30 minutes a day of recess either before or after lunch depending on the grade. One nice thing about a smaller school is that none of the kids have lunch at a super unreasonable time. Smartboards in every classroom, as is MCPS standard. They don't have the extra technology push-in that TPES has, but I think TPES may be one of the only schools with an extra half position dedicated to STEM. Keyboarding in the earlier grades, coding later. The library is well outfitted as far as I can tell, in that my kids have always found age-appropriate and challenging books there. I think in kindergarten the kids can only check out books to take to the classroom, and then starting in 1st they can check out books weekly to take home.

I'd say the administration is semi-responsive to parent concerns. I've had good responses on the issues that I've raised, but other parents have said they felt blown off by the administration. With that said, the principal used to be at Rolling Terrace, which has a reputation for allowing the concerns of upper middle class white parents to run roughshod over needs of the majority Latino working class population. So honestly I think some of her defensiveness is about seeing what happens when you let the vocal minority run the place. It's a balancing act, but I've not had issues and our family has been there for years with multiple kids with different needs and strengths.

You are probably right that you'll have better luck with a tour when the principal gets back and the principal intern goes back to her role as assistant principal. The principal intern is great, but I think she's just learning the ropes and focusing on the basics during her interim period.

The PTA does skew middle class and whiter than the school population but not completely middle class and not entirely white. Many of the white parents on the PTA are also raising kids of color, so are sensitive to the ways in which some schools can be dismissive to those kids. The PTA leadership (board) appears to be fairly racially and socio-economically diverse, but again probably whiter and more middle class than the entire student population. They don't bring in interpreters or anything, though, so that might be something parents raise as possibilities in the future.

Certainly activities like reading night or international night are very representative of the student body. Hundreds of families turn out for those events, so PTA isn't the only way that families get involved in the school.