Parent Essay critical of DCI

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In theory, you'd promptly push back, but in practice, tangling with a school constantly is exhausting and often pointless. '

I sympathize with the mom and think she makes valid points in her article. In fact, I thought that the article was brave, given that it's really easy to figure out that she's writing about experiences with a DCI education.

There's far too much whitewashing of glaring rigor issues in our public middle schools, other than at BASIS, with it hopeless facilities (no real gym, stage, outdoor space or even a school library).

DCI is printed right at the end of the article. I appreciated her willingness to publicly call out the school. Far too often parents are afraid of doing so.

She was a coward. She didn’t address the problem with her kids, just wrote an article wondering why dci didn’t do her part in raising her kids.

It is exhausting to motivate kids, especially after a hard day at work, but you have to do it.

So what you are saying is that teachers are useless and add almost most value to in classroom education? Parents just need to supplement, make the lesson plans, choose all the reading materials, quiz their kids etc. Teachers keep telling us how critical their job is but according to you, they are pointless. Its up to parents to do all the teaching. No degree needed.

That’s not what I’m saying at all.

I said address the problem by speaking to the teachers about your concern and the fact that your kids aren’t motivated. If they’re not responsive, go up the chain. And as a parent, both mom and dad should be motivating their kids on their end. No one in my family went to college and I have a PhD. The kids are ultimately responsible for their lives and if they don’t understand the consequences of not working hard, then they will be the only one to pay. Writing a poorly written article about how the school is racist doesn’t help anyone. Maybe mom should focus less on her headshot and more on prodding her kids. Dad seems totally checked out.

Did you even read the article? The parents, both of them, did speak to the teachers. They do check the assignments. She cites multiple problems: the work is not challenging, the material is not engaging, the teachers aren't holding kids accountable, and the teachers aren't bringing issues with the kids' performance to the attention of the parents in time to make corrections.

I am so grateful to the parent for this point of view--we are an upper elementary family at a DCI feeder and this article is giving me serious pause. I get that DCI needs to address the needs of kids who aren't on grade level, but there are scores of feeder kids coming up every year who ARE on grade level and are going to need more rigor and better accountability from DCI staff and administration.

Everything PP said in the above paragraphs, parents would already know without depending on the teacher if they are actively following their kids work. If a teacher has 25-40 kids in the classroom, how do you expect them to hold each and every kid accountable? It starts at home.

I hold her accountable for letting things slide with her kids and them being lazy doing the minimum which by the way she accepts. If you can’t handle the the reality of what it’s like in DC schools, then move or go private.

NP: She is complaining that her kids can watch YouTube videos and be generally uninterested during school, and it is just fine with the teachers and doesn’t impact their performance. That is on the school!

She and her husband pay attention and push the kids at home, but she can’t control the school’s requirements and expectations.

Meanwhile, her sons were engaged students until DCI. Her parenting practices didn’t change — the school did.

I think it is an insightful, well-written, and troubling essay.

Come on and you think kids at other schools are not watching YouTube, on the internet, etc.,??? You are not in reality if you don’t think so.

How do you know they were engaged students till DC? It seems to me you are making many assumptions. I would say likely not if they are watching YouTube and not paying attention. Their attitude towards school is terrible.

Also nope they are not pushing the kids at school. It is obvious that she is accepting the minimum from the article.

I would say you are making too many statements without facts. In fact, the article supports otherwise.

My kid would be paying attention in school. My kid would discuss with me and the teacher if she needed more challenging work. I could go on. They are doing poor parenting period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel bad for the kids that now have to go to this school knowing that their mom is a lazy complainer. I’d kill my mom had she made this all about her and wrote about my school and all the “dumb” kids I go to school with that hold me back. The lady needs to be a better parent..period. No way I could tell my mom these books are so basic. She would have forced me to read all of them and added four of her own....

The books are basic.

If you think so then as parent, add more challenging books. The kids attitude is crappy and no way would that fly in our house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"why are 8th graders being given a 5th grade reading list"? because for most 8th graders in DC, they are on a 5th grade level but have bee passed on year to year to be another teachers problem. What the writer needs to understand is that if DC actually challenged kids the achievement gap would only widen and that cannot happen. Until DC actually comes up with real rigor and not "honors for all" (what a joke at wilson), this isn't going tp change. To the teachers, the writers kids are just fine, they wil test well and sit quietly why they are trying to teach basic grammar and writing to kids who should have learned it 4 years earlier.

Sure but most feeder kids are on grade level in this case. It’s a shame they can’t track. My parents did zero supplementing and since I was in an advanced track I think it was fine. I don’t expect to supplement or even prod terribly much.

Are you kidding me. No way would DCPS do tracking or allow charters to do it which is funded by the city. They want to artificially narrow the achievement gap, not widen it. That’s why DCPS schools are such a disaster. At least in charters there are a higher cohort of at grade level and above level kids and they have more flexibility to try to create their own and more progressive curriculums.

You are correct, and it really is a crime. Tracking or challenging accomplished kids will "increase the gap" so it is off the table. The shameful goal is LCD for all. "Everyone is equally uneducated" - win!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In theory, you'd promptly push back, but in practice, tangling with a school constantly is exhausting and often pointless. '

I sympathize with the mom and think she makes valid points in her article. In fact, I thought that the article was brave, given that it's really easy to figure out that she's writing about experiences with a DCI education.

There's far too much whitewashing of glaring rigor issues in our public middle schools, other than at BASIS, with it hopeless facilities (no real gym, stage, outdoor space or even a school library).

DCI is printed right at the end of the article. I appreciated her willingness to publicly call out the school. Far too often parents are afraid of doing so.

She was a coward. She didn’t address the problem with her kids, just wrote an article wondering why dci didn’t do her part in raising her kids.

It is exhausting to motivate kids, especially after a hard day at work, but you have to do it.

So what you are saying is that teachers are useless and add almost most value to in classroom education? Parents just need to supplement, make the lesson plans, choose all the reading materials, quiz their kids etc. Teachers keep telling us how critical their job is but according to you, they are pointless. Its up to parents to do all the teaching. No degree needed.

That’s not what I’m saying at all.

I said address the problem by speaking to the teachers about your concern and the fact that your kids aren’t motivated. If they’re not responsive, go up the chain. And as a parent, both mom and dad should be motivating their kids on their end. No one in my family went to college and I have a PhD. The kids are ultimately responsible for their lives and if they don’t understand the consequences of not working hard, then they will be the only one to pay. Writing a poorly written article about how the school is racist doesn’t help anyone. Maybe mom should focus less on her headshot and more on prodding her kids. Dad seems totally checked out.

Did you even read the article? The parents, both of them, did speak to the teachers. They do check the assignments. She cites multiple problems: the work is not challenging, the material is not engaging, the teachers aren't holding kids accountable, and the teachers aren't bringing issues with the kids' performance to the attention of the parents in time to make corrections.

I am so grateful to the parent for this point of view--we are an upper elementary family at a DCI feeder and this article is giving me serious pause. I get that DCI needs to address the needs of kids who aren't on grade level, but there are scores of feeder kids coming up every year who ARE on grade level and are going to need more rigor and better accountability from DCI staff and administration.

Everything PP said in the above paragraphs, parents would already know without depending on the teacher if they are actively following their kids work. If a teacher has 25-40 kids in the classroom, how do you expect them to hold each and every kid accountable? It starts at home.

I hold her accountable for letting things slide with her kids and them being lazy doing the minimum which by the way she accepts. If you can’t handle the the reality of what it’s like in DC schools, then move or go private.

NP: She is complaining that her kids can watch YouTube videos and be generally uninterested during school, and it is just fine with the teachers and doesn’t impact their performance. That is on the school!

She and her husband pay attention and push the kids at home, but she can’t control the school’s requirements and expectations.

Meanwhile, her sons were engaged students until DCI. Her parenting practices didn’t change — the school did.

I think it is an insightful, well-written, and troubling essay.

Come on and you think kids at other schools are not watching YouTube, on the internet, etc.,??? You are not in reality if you don’t think so.

How do you know they were engaged students till DC? It seems to me you are making many assumptions. I would say likely not if they are watching YouTube and not paying attention. Their attitude towards school is terrible.

Also nope they are not pushing the kids at school. It is obvious that she is accepting the minimum from the article.

I would say you are making too many statements without facts. In fact, the article supports otherwise.

My kid would be paying attention in school. My kid would discuss with me and the teacher if she needed more challenging work. I could go on. They are doing poor parenting period.

DP. What is your perspective? How old are your kids, are they in DCPS?

I'm curious where we're all coming from, in our responses to the article.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t about the feeders. What feeder you came from is irrelevant once you get to DCI, save for your language track.

DCI does track math, and language by ability. Like every other charter there is no tracking for English and Science. That should be abundantly clear to anyone enrolling. If you don’t like it, then choose something else.

Cue ‘but we were promised,’ ‘it’s so hard EOTP.’

The ‘guarantee of DCI’ everyone mentions really only means you have a seat. You can’t assume it is going to work for your kid. People should choose their elementary schools and do ANOTHER deep and serious evaluation of all options starting when their kids are rising 4th graders.

Nothing new here about tracking. It is what it is in DC. Just like Deal and other schools only tracks math and not ELA or science. If you want more go private or move to the burbs.

Of course parents are going to re-evaluate at the end of elementary. That’s a given. But if you don’t want to go private or move to the burbs, DCI is the best middle school option EOTP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"why are 8th graders being given a 5th grade reading list"? because for most 8th graders in DC, they are on a 5th grade level but have bee passed on year to year to be another teachers problem. What the writer needs to understand is that if DC actually challenged kids the achievement gap would only widen and that cannot happen. Until DC actually comes up with real rigor and not "honors for all" (what a joke at wilson), this isn't going tp change. To the teachers, the writers kids are just fine, they wil test well and sit quietly why they are trying to teach basic grammar and writing to kids who should have learned it 4 years earlier.

Sure but most feeder kids are on grade level in this case. It’s a shame they can’t track. My parents did zero supplementing and since I was in an advanced track I think it was fine. I don’t expect to supplement or even prod terribly much.

Are you kidding me. No way would DCPS do tracking or allow charters to do it which is funded by the city. They want to artificially narrow the achievement gap, not widen it. That’s why DCPS schools are such a disaster. At least in charters there are a higher cohort of at grade level and above level kids and they have more flexibility to try to create their own and more progressive curriculums.

You are correct, and it really is a crime. Tracking or challenging accomplished kids will "increase the gap" so it is off the table. The shameful goal is LCD for all. "Everyone is equally uneducated" - win!

Yep, just look at honors for all at Wilson now. What a joke. Everyone is going to be put in an “honors” class.

Translation: the honors class will be dumbed down for the poor performing kids while the higher performing kids will be bored.

I can’t tell you how many parents WOTP supplement and add above and they are not happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t about the feeders. What feeder you came from is irrelevant once you get to DCI, save for your language track.

DCI does track math, and language by ability. Like every other charter there is no tracking for English and Science. That should be abundantly clear to anyone enrolling. If you don’t like it, then choose something else.

Cue ‘but we were promised,’ ‘it’s so hard EOTP.’

The ‘guarantee of DCI’ everyone mentions really only means you have a seat. You can’t assume it is going to work for your kid. People should choose their elementary schools and do ANOTHER deep and serious evaluation of all options starting when their kids are rising 4th graders.

Nothing new here about tracking. It is what it is in DC. Just like Deal and other schools only tracks math and not ELA or science. If you want more go private or move to the burbs.

Of course parents are going to re-evaluate at the end of elementary. That’s a given. But if you don’t want to go private or move to the burbs, DCI is the best middle school option EOTP.

Latin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In theory, you'd promptly push back, but in practice, tangling with a school constantly is exhausting and often pointless. '

I sympathize with the mom and think she makes valid points in her article. In fact, I thought that the article was brave, given that it's really easy to figure out that she's writing about experiences with a DCI education.

There's far too much whitewashing of glaring rigor issues in our public middle schools, other than at BASIS, with it hopeless facilities (no real gym, stage, outdoor space or even a school library).

DCI is printed right at the end of the article. I appreciated her willingness to publicly call out the school. Far too often parents are afraid of doing so.

She was a coward. She didn’t address the problem with her kids, just wrote an article wondering why dci didn’t do her part in raising her kids.

It is exhausting to motivate kids, especially after a hard day at work, but you have to do it.

So what you are saying is that teachers are useless and add almost most value to in classroom education? Parents just need to supplement, make the lesson plans, choose all the reading materials, quiz their kids etc. Teachers keep telling us how critical their job is but according to you, they are pointless. Its up to parents to do all the teaching. No degree needed.

That’s not what I’m saying at all.

I said address the problem by speaking to the teachers about your concern and the fact that your kids aren’t motivated. If they’re not responsive, go up the chain. And as a parent, both mom and dad should be motivating their kids on their end. No one in my family went to college and I have a PhD. The kids are ultimately responsible for their lives and if they don’t understand the consequences of not working hard, then they will be the only one to pay. Writing a poorly written article about how the school is racist doesn’t help anyone. Maybe mom should focus less on her headshot and more on prodding her kids. Dad seems totally checked out.

Did you even read the article? The parents, both of them, did speak to the teachers. They do check the assignments. She cites multiple problems: the work is not challenging, the material is not engaging, the teachers aren't holding kids accountable, and the teachers aren't bringing issues with the kids' performance to the attention of the parents in time to make corrections.

I am so grateful to the parent for this point of view--we are an upper elementary family at a DCI feeder and this article is giving me serious pause. I get that DCI needs to address the needs of kids who aren't on grade level, but there are scores of feeder kids coming up every year who ARE on grade level and are going to need more rigor and better accountability from DCI staff and administration.

Everything PP said in the above paragraphs, parents would already know without depending on the teacher if they are actively following their kids work. If a teacher has 25-40 kids in the classroom, how do you expect them to hold each and every kid accountable? It starts at home.

I hold her accountable for letting things slide with her kids and them being lazy doing the minimum which by the way she accepts. If you can’t handle the the reality of what it’s like in DC schools, then move or go private.

NP: She is complaining that her kids can watch YouTube videos and be generally uninterested during school, and it is just fine with the teachers and doesn’t impact their performance. That is on the school!

She and her husband pay attention and push the kids at home, but she can’t control the school’s requirements and expectations.

Meanwhile, her sons were engaged students until DCI. Her parenting practices didn’t change — the school did.

I think it is an insightful, well-written, and troubling essay.

Come on and you think kids at other schools are not watching YouTube, on the internet, etc.,??? You are not in reality if you don’t think so.

How do you know they were engaged students till DC? It seems to me you are making many assumptions. I would say likely not if they are watching YouTube and not paying attention. Their attitude towards school is terrible.

Also nope they are not pushing the kids at school. It is obvious that she is accepting the minimum from the article.

I would say you are making too many statements without facts. In fact, the article supports otherwise.

My kid would be paying attention in school. My kid would discuss with me and the teacher if she needed more challenging work. I could go on. They are doing poor parenting period.

DP. What is your perspective? How old are your kids, are they in DCPS?

I'm curious where we're all coming from, in our responses to the article.

I, too, wonder how old the kids are of some of these posters! I would not punish my kid for saying, these books are basic (they are), nor would I force him to read books too easy for him (what is the point of that?). By upper elementary and middle school, we should be encouraging independent thinking, accountability, and striving to do better, not punishing our kids for wanting more challenging options. We spend every summer doing summer reading, handwriting and math to keep the summer slide at bay. I would be PISSED if I flogged my kid to work hard on a summer essay assignment and it wasn't graded or even acknowledged. As the author points out, it sends a terrible message to the kids about the value of their work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t about the feeders. What feeder you came from is irrelevant once you get to DCI, save for your language track.

DCI does track math, and language by ability. Like every other charter there is no tracking for English and Science. That should be abundantly clear to anyone enrolling. If you don’t like it, then choose something else.

Cue ‘but we were promised,’ ‘it’s so hard EOTP.’

The ‘guarantee of DCI’ everyone mentions really only means you have a seat. You can’t assume it is going to work for your kid. People should choose their elementary schools and do ANOTHER deep and serious evaluation of all options starting when their kids are rising 4th graders.

Nothing new here about tracking. It is what it is in DC. Just like Deal and other schools only tracks math and not ELA or science. If you want more go private or move to the burbs.

Of course parents are going to re-evaluate at the end of elementary. That’s a given. But if you don’t want to go private or move to the burbs, DCI is the best middle school option EOTP.

Latin? BASIS? Hardy OOB?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In theory, you'd promptly push back, but in practice, tangling with a school constantly is exhausting and often pointless. '

I sympathize with the mom and think she makes valid points in her article. In fact, I thought that the article was brave, given that it's really easy to figure out that she's writing about experiences with a DCI education.

There's far too much whitewashing of glaring rigor issues in our public middle schools, other than at BASIS, with it hopeless facilities (no real gym, stage, outdoor space or even a school library).

DCI is printed right at the end of the article. I appreciated her willingness to publicly call out the school. Far too often parents are afraid of doing so.

She was a coward. She didn’t address the problem with her kids, just wrote an article wondering why dci didn’t do her part in raising her kids.

It is exhausting to motivate kids, especially after a hard day at work, but you have to do it.

So what you are saying is that teachers are useless and add almost most value to in classroom education? Parents just need to supplement, make the lesson plans, choose all the reading materials, quiz their kids etc. Teachers keep telling us how critical their job is but according to you, they are pointless. Its up to parents to do all the teaching. No degree needed.

That’s not what I’m saying at all.

I said address the problem by speaking to the teachers about your concern and the fact that your kids aren’t motivated. If they’re not responsive, go up the chain. And as a parent, both mom and dad should be motivating their kids on their end. No one in my family went to college and I have a PhD. The kids are ultimately responsible for their lives and if they don’t understand the consequences of not working hard, then they will be the only one to pay. Writing a poorly written article about how the school is racist doesn’t help anyone. Maybe mom should focus less on her headshot and more on prodding her kids. Dad seems totally checked out.

Did you even read the article? The parents, both of them, did speak to the teachers. They do check the assignments. She cites multiple problems: the work is not challenging, the material is not engaging, the teachers aren't holding kids accountable, and the teachers aren't bringing issues with the kids' performance to the attention of the parents in time to make corrections.

I am so grateful to the parent for this point of view--we are an upper elementary family at a DCI feeder and this article is giving me serious pause. I get that DCI needs to address the needs of kids who aren't on grade level, but there are scores of feeder kids coming up every year who ARE on grade level and are going to need more rigor and better accountability from DCI staff and administration.

Everything PP said in the above paragraphs, parents would already know without depending on the teacher if they are actively following their kids work. If a teacher has 25-40 kids in the classroom, how do you expect them to hold each and every kid accountable? It starts at home.

I hold her accountable for letting things slide with her kids and them being lazy doing the minimum which by the way she accepts. If you can’t handle the the reality of what it’s like in DC schools, then move or go private.

NP: She is complaining that her kids can watch YouTube videos and be generally uninterested during school, and it is just fine with the teachers and doesn’t impact their performance. That is on the school!

She and her husband pay attention and push the kids at home, but she can’t control the school’s requirements and expectations.

Meanwhile, her sons were engaged students until DCI. Her parenting practices didn’t change — the school did.

I think it is an insightful, well-written, and troubling essay.

Come on and you think kids at other schools are not watching YouTube, on the internet, etc.,??? You are not in reality if you don’t think so.

How do you know they were engaged students till DC? It seems to me you are making many assumptions. I would say likely not if they are watching YouTube and not paying attention. Their attitude towards school is terrible.

Also nope they are not pushing the kids at school. It is obvious that she is accepting the minimum from the article.

I would say you are making too many statements without facts. In fact, the article supports otherwise.

My kid would be paying attention in school. My kid would discuss with me and the teacher if she needed more challenging work. I could go on. They are doing poor parenting period.

DP. What is your perspective? How old are your kids, are they in DCPS?

I'm curious where we're all coming from, in our responses to the article.

I, too, wonder how old the kids are of some of these posters! I would not punish my kid for saying, these books are basic (they are), nor would I force him to read books too easy for him (what is the point of that?). By upper elementary and middle school, we should be encouraging independent thinking, accountability, and striving to do better, not punishing our kids for wanting more challenging options. We spend every summer doing summer reading, handwriting and math to keep the summer slide at bay. I would be PISSED if I flogged my kid to work hard on a summer essay assignment and it wasn't graded or even acknowledged. As the author points out, it sends a terrible message to the kids about the value of their work.

Sure I agree to encourage above. But do you really think her kids are accountable and striving to do better? I think not with their attitude in the article. Kid says books too basic and parent accepts it. Kid doesn’t say I’ would like to read harder books and neither does she do anything about it like do a list of harder books.

Accountability is a 2 way street. It’s not just teachers. It’s obvious to me kids are doing minimum and that’s it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In theory, you'd promptly push back, but in practice, tangling with a school constantly is exhausting and often pointless. '

I sympathize with the mom and think she makes valid points in her article. In fact, I thought that the article was brave, given that it's really easy to figure out that she's writing about experiences with a DCI education.

There's far too much whitewashing of glaring rigor issues in our public middle schools, other than at BASIS, with it hopeless facilities (no real gym, stage, outdoor space or even a school library).

DCI is printed right at the end of the article. I appreciated her willingness to publicly call out the school. Far too often parents are afraid of doing so.

She was a coward. She didn’t address the problem with her kids, just wrote an article wondering why dci didn’t do her part in raising her kids.

It is exhausting to motivate kids, especially after a hard day at work, but you have to do it.

So what you are saying is that teachers are useless and add almost most value to in classroom education? Parents just need to supplement, make the lesson plans, choose all the reading materials, quiz their kids etc. Teachers keep telling us how critical their job is but according to you, they are pointless. Its up to parents to do all the teaching. No degree needed.

That’s not what I’m saying at all.

I said address the problem by speaking to the teachers about your concern and the fact that your kids aren’t motivated. If they’re not responsive, go up the chain. And as a parent, both mom and dad should be motivating their kids on their end. No one in my family went to college and I have a PhD. The kids are ultimately responsible for their lives and if they don’t understand the consequences of not working hard, then they will be the only one to pay. Writing a poorly written article about how the school is racist doesn’t help anyone. Maybe mom should focus less on her headshot and more on prodding her kids. Dad seems totally checked out.

Did you even read the article? The parents, both of them, did speak to the teachers. They do check the assignments. She cites multiple problems: the work is not challenging, the material is not engaging, the teachers aren't holding kids accountable, and the teachers aren't bringing issues with the kids' performance to the attention of the parents in time to make corrections.

I am so grateful to the parent for this point of view--we are an upper elementary family at a DCI feeder and this article is giving me serious pause. I get that DCI needs to address the needs of kids who aren't on grade level, but there are scores of feeder kids coming up every year who ARE on grade level and are going to need more rigor and better accountability from DCI staff and administration.

Everything PP said in the above paragraphs, parents would already know without depending on the teacher if they are actively following their kids work. If a teacher has 25-40 kids in the classroom, how do you expect them to hold each and every kid accountable? It starts at home.

I hold her accountable for letting things slide with her kids and them being lazy doing the minimum which by the way she accepts. If you can’t handle the the reality of what it’s like in DC schools, then move or go private.

NP: She is complaining that her kids can watch YouTube videos and be generally uninterested during school, and it is just fine with the teachers and doesn’t impact their performance. That is on the school!

She and her husband pay attention and push the kids at home, but she can’t control the school’s requirements and expectations.

Meanwhile, her sons were engaged students until DCI. Her parenting practices didn’t change — the school did.

I think it is an insightful, well-written, and troubling essay.

+1. Some people don't want to hear the truth about the state of DCI (and other MS and HS) because they can't afford private and don't want to move to the suburbs. It's still better than their EOTP DCPS for most families so there's not a more appealing option available. We decided against DCI but we have other options that work well for us. Many people don't like the alternatives available to them, such as moving to far flung suburbs for better schools.

I don't like the idea that the only choices are to either accept the poorly performing schools or move/go private. These UMC parents like the author are exactly the type of people who need to pressure schools and government to do better. It will help the whole city. I applaud her efforts to advocate for more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In theory, you'd promptly push back, but in practice, tangling with a school constantly is exhausting and often pointless. '

I sympathize with the mom and think she makes valid points in her article. In fact, I thought that the article was brave, given that it's really easy to figure out that she's writing about experiences with a DCI education.

There's far too much whitewashing of glaring rigor issues in our public middle schools, other than at BASIS, with it hopeless facilities (no real gym, stage, outdoor space or even a school library).

DCI is printed right at the end of the article. I appreciated her willingness to publicly call out the school. Far too often parents are afraid of doing so.

She was a coward. She didn’t address the problem with her kids, just wrote an article wondering why dci didn’t do her part in raising her kids.

It is exhausting to motivate kids, especially after a hard day at work, but you have to do it.

So what you are saying is that teachers are useless and add almost most value to in classroom education? Parents just need to supplement, make the lesson plans, choose all the reading materials, quiz their kids etc. Teachers keep telling us how critical their job is but according to you, they are pointless. Its up to parents to do all the teaching. No degree needed.

That’s not what I’m saying at all.

I said address the problem by speaking to the teachers about your concern and the fact that your kids aren’t motivated. If they’re not responsive, go up the chain. And as a parent, both mom and dad should be motivating their kids on their end. No one in my family went to college and I have a PhD. The kids are ultimately responsible for their lives and if they don’t understand the consequences of not working hard, then they will be the only one to pay. Writing a poorly written article about how the school is racist doesn’t help anyone. Maybe mom should focus less on her headshot and more on prodding her kids. Dad seems totally checked out.

Did you even read the article? The parents, both of them, did speak to the teachers. They do check the assignments. She cites multiple problems: the work is not challenging, the material is not engaging, the teachers aren't holding kids accountable, and the teachers aren't bringing issues with the kids' performance to the attention of the parents in time to make corrections.

I am so grateful to the parent for this point of view--we are an upper elementary family at a DCI feeder and this article is giving me serious pause. I get that DCI needs to address the needs of kids who aren't on grade level, but there are scores of feeder kids coming up every year who ARE on grade level and are going to need more rigor and better accountability from DCI staff and administration.

Everything PP said in the above paragraphs, parents would already know without depending on the teacher if they are actively following their kids work. If a teacher has 25-40 kids in the classroom, how do you expect them to hold each and every kid accountable? It starts at home.

I hold her accountable for letting things slide with her kids and them being lazy doing the minimum which by the way she accepts. If you can’t handle the the reality of what it’s like in DC schools, then move or go private.

NP: She is complaining that her kids can watch YouTube videos and be generally uninterested during school, and it is just fine with the teachers and doesn’t impact their performance. That is on the school!

She and her husband pay attention and push the kids at home, but she can’t control the school’s requirements and expectations.

Meanwhile, her sons were engaged students until DCI. Her parenting practices didn’t change — the school did.

I think it is an insightful, well-written, and troubling essay.

Come on and you think kids at other schools are not watching YouTube, on the internet, etc.,??? You are not in reality if you don’t think so.

How do you know they were engaged students till DC? It seems to me you are making many assumptions. I would say likely not if they are watching YouTube and not paying attention. Their attitude towards school is terrible.

Also nope they are not pushing the kids at school. It is obvious that she is accepting the minimum from the article.

I would say you are making too many statements without facts. In fact, the article supports otherwise.

My kid would be paying attention in school. My kid would discuss with me and the teacher if she needed more challenging work. I could go on. They are doing poor parenting period.

DP. What is your perspective? How old are your kids, are they in DCPS?

I'm curious where we're all coming from, in our responses to the article.

I, too, wonder how old the kids are of some of these posters! I would not punish my kid for saying, these books are basic (they are), nor would I force him to read books too easy for him (what is the point of that?). By upper elementary and middle school, we should be encouraging independent thinking, accountability, and striving to do better, not punishing our kids for wanting more challenging options. We spend every summer doing summer reading, handwriting and math to keep the summer slide at bay. I would be PISSED if I flogged my kid to work hard on a summer essay assignment and it wasn't graded or even acknowledged. As the author points out, it sends a terrible message to the kids about the value of their work.

Sure I agree to encourage above. But do you really think her kids are accountable and striving to do better? I think not with their attitude in the article. Kid says books too basic and parent accepts it. Kid doesn’t say I’ would like to read harder books and neither does she do anything about it like do a list of harder books.

Accountability is a 2 way street. It’s not just teachers. It’s obvious to me kids are doing minimum and that’s it.

How do you know she didn't do anything about the books? The accompanying photo literally shows the kids in a bookstore and she comments on what they were allowed to choose! I agree that the kids are trying to get away with the minimum (hello, this is nearly every middle schooler I know) but the school should at least provide some reading options that challenge students who are on grade level and grade the damn homework. Surely we can agree that curriculum and grading is the responsibility of the school?????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t about the feeders. What feeder you came from is irrelevant once you get to DCI, save for your language track.

DCI does track math, and language by ability. Like every other charter there is no tracking for English and Science. That should be abundantly clear to anyone enrolling. If you don’t like it, then choose something else.

Cue ‘but we were promised,’ ‘it’s so hard EOTP.’

The ‘guarantee of DCI’ everyone mentions really only means you have a seat. You can’t assume it is going to work for your kid. People should choose their elementary schools and do ANOTHER deep and serious evaluation of all options starting when their kids are rising 4th graders.

Nothing new here about tracking. It is what it is in DC. Just like Deal and other schools only tracks math and not ELA or science. If you want more go private or move to the burbs.

Of course parents are going to re-evaluate at the end of elementary. That’s a given. But if you don’t want to go private or move to the burbs, DCI is the best middle school potion EOTP.

Latin

Oh my God no. Latin is a joke only ignorant DC parents don’t seem to get.

I’d take a IB Diploma any day over whatever nonsense Latin is selling.

You can say what you want about DCI, but if the kids get an ib diploma- that’s a real accomplishment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In theory, you'd promptly push back, but in practice, tangling with a school constantly is exhausting and often pointless. '

I sympathize with the mom and think she makes valid points in her article. In fact, I thought that the article was brave, given that it's really easy to figure out that she's writing about experiences with a DCI education.

There's far too much whitewashing of glaring rigor issues in our public middle schools, other than at BASIS, with it hopeless facilities (no real gym, stage, outdoor space or even a school library).

DCI is printed right at the end of the article. I appreciated her willingness to publicly call out the school. Far too often parents are afraid of doing so.

She was a coward. She didn’t address the problem with her kids, just wrote an article wondering why dci didn’t do her part in raising her kids.

It is exhausting to motivate kids, especially after a hard day at work, but you have to do it.

So what you are saying is that teachers are useless and add almost most value to in classroom education? Parents just need to supplement, make the lesson plans, choose all the reading materials, quiz their kids etc. Teachers keep telling us how critical their job is but according to you, they are pointless. Its up to parents to do all the teaching. No degree needed.

That’s not what I’m saying at all.

I said address the problem by speaking to the teachers about your concern and the fact that your kids aren’t motivated. If they’re not responsive, go up the chain. And as a parent, both mom and dad should be motivating their kids on their end. No one in my family went to college and I have a PhD. The kids are ultimately responsible for their lives and if they don’t understand the consequences of not working hard, then they will be the only one to pay. Writing a poorly written article about how the school is racist doesn’t help anyone. Maybe mom should focus less on her headshot and more on prodding her kids. Dad seems totally checked out.

Did you even read the article? The parents, both of them, did speak to the teachers. They do check the assignments. She cites multiple problems: the work is not challenging, the material is not engaging, the teachers aren't holding kids accountable, and the teachers aren't bringing issues with the kids' performance to the attention of the parents in time to make corrections.

I am so grateful to the parent for this point of view--we are an upper elementary family at a DCI feeder and this article is giving me serious pause. I get that DCI needs to address the needs of kids who aren't on grade level, but there are scores of feeder kids coming up every year who ARE on grade level and are going to need more rigor and better accountability from DCI staff and administration.

Everything PP said in the above paragraphs, parents would already know without depending on the teacher if they are actively following their kids work. If a teacher has 25-40 kids in the classroom, how do you expect them to hold each and every kid accountable? It starts at home.

I hold her accountable for letting things slide with her kids and them being lazy doing the minimum which by the way she accepts. If you can’t handle the the reality of what it’s like in DC schools, then move or go private.

NP: She is complaining that her kids can watch YouTube videos and be generally uninterested during school, and it is just fine with the teachers and doesn’t impact their performance. That is on the school!

She and her husband pay attention and push the kids at home, but she can’t control the school’s requirements and expectations.

Meanwhile, her sons were engaged students until DCI. Her parenting practices didn’t change — the school did.

I think it is an insightful, well-written, and troubling essay.

Come on and you think kids at other schools are not watching YouTube, on the internet, etc.,??? You are not in reality if you don’t think so.

How do you know they were engaged students till DC? It seems to me you are making many assumptions. I would say likely not if they are watching YouTube and not paying attention. Their attitude towards school is terrible.

Also nope they are not pushing the kids at school. It is obvious that she is accepting the minimum from the article.

I would say you are making too many statements without facts. In fact, the article supports otherwise.

My kid would be paying attention in school. My kid would discuss with me and the teacher if she needed more challenging work. I could go on. They are doing poor parenting period.

DP. What is your perspective? How old are your kids, are they in DCPS?

I'm curious where we're all coming from, in our responses to the article.

I, too, wonder how old the kids are of some of these posters! I would not punish my kid for saying, these books are basic (they are), nor would I force him to read books too easy for him (what is the point of that?). By upper elementary and middle school, we should be encouraging independent thinking, accountability, and striving to do better, not punishing our kids for wanting more challenging options. We spend every summer doing summer reading, handwriting and math to keep the summer slide at bay. I would be PISSED if I flogged my kid to work hard on a summer essay assignment and it wasn't graded or even acknowledged. As the author points out, it sends a terrible message to the kids about the value of their work.

Sure I agree to encourage above. But do you really think her kids are accountable and striving to do better? I think not with their attitude in the article. Kid says books too basic and parent accepts it. Kid doesn’t say I’ would like to read harder books and neither does she do anything about it like do a list of harder books.

Accountability is a 2 way street. It’s not just teachers. It’s obvious to me kids are doing minimum and that’s it.

How do you know she didn't do anything about the books? The accompanying photo literally shows the kids in a bookstore and she comments on what they were allowed to choose! I agree that the kids are trying to get away with the minimum (hello, this is nearly every middle schooler I know) but the school should at least provide some reading options that challenge students who are on grade level and grade the damn homework. Surely we can agree that curriculum and grading is the responsibility of the school?????

How do you know that the kids weren’t being challenged? It’s only the deluded mom who thinks the books are “too basic”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had the same question about the reading list. My rising 6th grader asked why DCI was listing a book for summer reading that she had read at her charter elementary in 4th grade. We can't afford private and she didn't get in anywhere else so I guess we will have to supplement.

I suspect they don’t want to make it too hard. Just read over the summer. They don’t know any of the incoming kids so will likely sort them out as the year progresses - below grade level, at grade level, above, etc... I would imagine.

She was referring to lists for rising 7th and 8th graders. The 'incoming kids' excuse doesn't apply. And since 95% comes from feeders, DCI asks for and gets information from the elementary schools about levels.

I've heard versions of this from 6 other families at DCI. Their kids are happy, socially, but not working that hard (rising 8th/9th and 10th grade). The students are still there because their inbound schools are worse and they can't afford private.

I think it will probably get better over time. But it doesn't help current students there now.

I am not so sure it's all that clear (which suggests being kinder with your tone wouldn't hurt). These are the most recent 5th grade ELA scores from the feeder schools. Percent 4 and above and percent 3 and above.

Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS 78.1% 93.8%
DC Bilingual PCS 50.0% 85.0%
Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS 43.8% 75.0%
Mundo Verde Bilingual PCS 54.2% 79.2%
Washington Yu Ying PCS 73.3% 93.3%


You also have to consider that these kids are coming from Mundo Verde, one of the weakest links, if not the weakest link.

It’s DCB that is the weakest link with the lowest ELA scores not only on PARCC but also math. Get your data straight.

Looking at above, it looks like Stokes is weakest in ELA followed by DCB. Nevertheless, numbers above are far, far higher than other DCPS middle schools EOTP which are terrible.

4’s is what we look at. That is grade level. You should be looking at 4 and 5. The only reason DCPS does 3 and 4 is to show them in a better light. Many schools no one is at 5 and very small percentage of students at 4.

Okay, if you look at 4s and are looking at 5th grade math:

Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS 46.9% 71.9%
DC Bilingual PCS 45.0% 82.5%
Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS 22.9% 64.6%
Mundo Verde Bilingual PCS 45.8% 72.9%
Washington Yu Ying PCS 66.7% 85.6%

Yu Ying is clearly strongest, then Mundo/DCB/LAMB, then Stokes. So, saying she came from Mundo doesn't really make sense. I just didn't understand the point of that argument.

It’s obvious the poster that keeps on saying Mundo has a chip on their shoulder. Maybe they did not get in and got into another language immersion school. Who knows but it is getting old.

No chip! We declined mundo for another feeder. Did not realize stokes was so weak too. Wow.

Mundo should be better. I think current parents would agree.

Mundo is on par with LAMB give or take 1% so if that’s your “take”, then you should include LAMB. Stokes is really the weak link when you look at 4’s. Yu Ying is the strongest but probably the weakest when it comes to students being truly proficient in another language.

Mundo is not on par with lamb remotely.

Sure the test scores recently have been close, but no. Lamb is head and shoulders better.

Stokes seems alarmingly week and DC bilingual, who is often slandered as the “weak link” really isn’t.