Is Brent really bringing back a class per grade for live instruction today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What cynical arguments. Why not just learn from how Brent is pulling this off and try to replicate? There’s no shortage of Title 1 schools with better buildings than Brent’s, even just on CH, e.g. Payne, Monet JO Wilson.

Ok, but then:

(1) What is Brent doing that other schools should be doing? No one can explain it beyond the demographic issues and having an unusually good principal. How do you replicate that?

(2) What do all the schools that don't have better buildings than Brent do?

I'm with the poster above who said that putting this all on individual schools is going to create a massive political problem for DCPS. Richer schools with nicer facilities will figure it out, and poorer schools in ancient buildings will not, and the existing inequities are just going to get worse and worse.

Bring back bussing.

wtf do demographics have to do with it? seriously.

It is easier to reopen a school for students whose parents don't work out of the house, who don't have to take public transportation to work/school, who don't have as many behavioral issues related to poverty. It's easier to convince teachers to come to work with these students. It's easier to have a well-funded PTA if most of your parents are UMC, and it's easier for a well-funded PTA to pay for facility improvements, PPE, and other safety measures, which will, again, make it easier to convince teachers to come back. It's easier to communicate with parents if they are mostly from the same socio-economic class, live in the same neighborhood, and largely have similar lifestyles and values. It's easier to get those parents to agree to a plan of action.

Should I go on? Demographics are huge. Brent is a majority white, majority UMC, school in a city that is majority POC with endemic poverty issues. This is ALL about demographics.

I mean, there are a bunch of other schools with extremely similar demographics that haven’t done this. So I think you have some weird agenda. My guess is that Brent parents are just more confident with expertise, they have a great principal, and they probably do care about their small FARMS population. Anyway they are acting as role models for all other elementary schools, so even if they are operating with some privilege, it’s a good use of it.

My “weird agenda” is that my kid does not go to a school with these demographics. I know some people think DCUM only has rich white people on here, but that’s actually a small minority of DC parents (especially public school parents) and the rest of us also care about this issue.

I think the actual weird agenda is the one that sees what Brent is doing and says, “How can we replicate this at the handful of other majority-white, UMC schools in the city?” and then gets mad when people keep bringing up that actually this is the population least hurt by school closures and maybe that shouldn’t be our focus.

So what is your agenda? Keep schools closed forever until we solve all disparities in DCPS? How does that make sense? If you authentically cared about getting kids back to school, you'd be working like mad to replicate what Brent was doing instead of apparently arguing that only predominately white schools can be expected to do this (???) I guess I shouldn't be surprised, because this is the same argument WTU has been making all along about private/catholic schools being opened in this area: we can't possibly expect to provide the same level of education as all-white private schools! It's some really twisted logic there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What cynical arguments. Why not just learn from how Brent is pulling this off and try to replicate? There’s no shortage of Title 1 schools with better buildings than Brent’s, even just on CH, e.g. Payne, Monet JO Wilson.

Ok, but then:

(1) What is Brent doing that other schools should be doing? No one can explain it beyond the demographic issues and having an unusually good principal. How do you replicate that?

(2) What do all the schools that don't have better buildings than Brent do?

I'm with the poster above who said that putting this all on individual schools is going to create a massive political problem for DCPS. Richer schools with nicer facilities will figure it out, and poorer schools in ancient buildings will not, and the existing inequities are just going to get worse and worse.

Bring back bussing.

wtf do demographics have to do with it? seriously.

It is easier to reopen a school for students whose parents don't work out of the house, who don't have to take public transportation to work/school, who don't have as many behavioral issues related to poverty. It's easier to convince teachers to come to work with these students. It's easier to have a well-funded PTA if most of your parents are UMC, and it's easier for a well-funded PTA to pay for facility improvements, PPE, and other safety measures, which will, again, make it easier to convince teachers to come back. It's easier to communicate with parents if they are mostly from the same socio-economic class, live in the same neighborhood, and largely have similar lifestyles and values. It's easier to get those parents to agree to a plan of action.

Should I go on? Demographics are huge. Brent is a majority white, majority UMC, school in a city that is majority POC with endemic poverty issues. This is ALL about demographics.

I mean, there are a bunch of other schools with extremely similar demographics that haven’t done this. So I think you have some weird agenda. My guess is that Brent parents are just more confident with expertise, they have a great principal, and they probably do care about their small FARMS population. Anyway they are acting as role models for all other elementary schools, so even if they are operating with some privilege, it’s a good use of it.

My “weird agenda” is that my kid does not go to a school with these demographics. I know some people think DCUM only has rich white people on here, but that’s actually a small minority of DC parents (especially public school parents) and the rest of us also care about this issue.

I think the actual weird agenda is the one that sees what Brent is doing and says, “How can we replicate this at the handful of other majority-white, UMC schools in the city?” and then gets mad when people keep bringing up that actually this is the population least hurt by school closures and maybe that shouldn’t be our focus.

I'm really struggling to see how you think this framework is in any way progressive. "Only white schools can reopen - predominately minority schools should not try to replicate what the white schools are doing."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What cynical arguments. Why not just learn from how Brent is pulling this off and try to replicate? There’s no shortage of Title 1 schools with better buildings than Brent’s, even just on CH, e.g. Payne, Monet JO Wilson.

Ok, but then:

(1) What is Brent doing that other schools should be doing? No one can explain it beyond the demographic issues and having an unusually good principal. How do you replicate that?

(2) What do all the schools that don't have better buildings than Brent do?

I'm with the poster above who said that putting this all on individual schools is going to create a massive political problem for DCPS. Richer schools with nicer facilities will figure it out, and poorer schools in ancient buildings will not, and the existing inequities are just going to get worse and worse.

Bring back bussing.

wtf do demographics have to do with it? seriously.

It is easier to reopen a school for students whose parents don't work out of the house, who don't have to take public transportation to work/school, who don't have as many behavioral issues related to poverty. It's easier to convince teachers to come to work with these students. It's easier to have a well-funded PTA if most of your parents are UMC, and it's easier for a well-funded PTA to pay for facility improvements, PPE, and other safety measures, which will, again, make it easier to convince teachers to come back. It's easier to communicate with parents if they are mostly from the same socio-economic class, live in the same neighborhood, and largely have similar lifestyles and values. It's easier to get those parents to agree to a plan of action.

Should I go on? Demographics are huge. Brent is a majority white, majority UMC, school in a city that is majority POC with endemic poverty issues. This is ALL about demographics.

I mean, there are a bunch of other schools with extremely similar demographics that haven’t done this. So I think you have some weird agenda. My guess is that Brent parents are just more confident with expertise, they have a great principal, and they probably do care about their small FARMS population. Anyway they are acting as role models for all other elementary schools, so even if they are operating with some privilege, it’s a good use of it.

My “weird agenda” is that my kid does not go to a school with these demographics. I know some people think DCUM only has rich white people on here, but that’s actually a small minority of DC parents (especially public school parents) and the rest of us also care about this issue.

I think the actual weird agenda is the one that sees what Brent is doing and says, “How can we replicate this at the handful of other majority-white, UMC schools in the city?” and then gets mad when people keep bringing up that actually this is the population least hurt by school closures and maybe that shouldn’t be our focus.

What the hell are you talking about with “our focus”. It’s apparent that the WTU doesn’t care about the kids. Go talk to them.

So now it’s up to individual schools to try to get their own students back with the teachers they have who are volunteering. Unfortunately this is what it has come down to.

So I applaud Brent for leading the way.

[Anonymous]

amazing people look to Brent as an answer but the department of education itself isn’t open in person

[Anonymous]

Yes, applaud Brent. Looks to me like our highly diverse DCPS won't reopen this year, and that we'll be out the door to a private by Sept by Sept as a result. My older child has an IEP and has really lots ground academically since March. Somebody tell me how my kids' departure from DCPS will help poor kids of color. I was PTA president for two years when our school was still Title 1. PTA raised six figures for the first time last year. Just because every school can't reopen safely right now doesn't mean that the poor kids at Brent, kids with IEPs, ELLs should have to pay. No way.

[Anonymous]

Brent really is bringing back classes with a serious sounding plan to try to keep them rolling.

The critical stance many of you have taken on the practice is irrelevant.

Stuff it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, applaud Brent. Looks to me like our highly diverse DCPS won't reopen this year, and that we'll be out the door to a private by Sept by Sept as a result. My older child has an IEP and has really lots ground academically since March. Somebody tell me how my kids' departure from DCPS will help poor kids of color. I was PTA president for two years when our school was still Title 1. PTA raised six figures for the first time last year. Just because every school can't reopen safely right now doesn't mean that the poor kids at Brent, kids with IEPs, ELLs should have to pay. No way.

Congratulations on raising six figures. To be honest, DCPS doesn’t care if you leave. They never have and they never will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it also depends on what parents within the school want. I know that most of the UMC parents at our elementary do NOT want in person schooling.

And I only singled UMC out because they seem to be the group that typically most want in person. I spoke with a person on our schools' LSAT who told me that they had done surveys and no parents wanted in-person at our school. The only reason we have one CARES class because Bowser required it.

No parent? I seriously doubt that. The LSAT is tight with the union, so I'm sure they are only telling you that to normalize the "It will never be safe!!" position.

Here is the problem with all this arguing. The side that wants to stay closed can at least acknowledge that people want the schools open. The people who want the school open can not possibly imagine a scenario where people don’t agree with them.

I don't agree with this at all as this has not been the experience in discussions at my kid's charter school.

The side that wants to stay closed thinks virtual learning will suffer if schools give both options (in-person or virtual), so they advocate loudly for virtual for all. It's incredibly selfish.

The side that wants to open just wants people who feel comfortable going back to have that choice, acknowledges that some people will choose to remain virtual, and acknowledges people should have a choice.

This is also happening at our charter. It's sad.

[Anonymous]

Dcps may not care but it is a shame! I hope your child with the IEP will make up for lost time.

[Anonymous]

I'm a Brent Parent and other than the CARES classrooms (classes with 8-10 kids) they have not brought back full classrooms yet. At least in Pre-k or K

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Brent Parent and other than the CARES classrooms (classes with 8-10 kids) they have not brought back full classrooms yet. At least in Pre-k or K

CARES might be a misnomer since these classes are taught by regular Brent teachers in person.

[Anonymous]

I'm a Brent parent and my understanding is that classes are slowly coming back on a class by class basis. They are not reassigning classes and it's up to the teacher to volunteer to come back. There is a virtual option still open and if enough families decide to come back then they're going to split a/b days. Each class is working closely (principal, teachers, and parents) and deciding what is best for their classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, applaud Brent. Looks to me like our highly diverse DCPS won't reopen this year, and that we'll be out the door to a private by Sept by Sept as a result. My older child has an IEP and has really lots ground academically since March. Somebody tell me how my kids' departure from DCPS will help poor kids of color. I was PTA president for two years when our school was still Title 1. PTA raised six figures for the first time last year. Just because every school can't reopen safely right now doesn't mean that the poor kids at Brent, kids with IEPs, ELLs should have to pay. No way.

Congratulations on raising six figures. To be honest, DCPS doesn’t care if you leave. They never have and they never will.

Not PP but your are so naive.

The school and principal will really care when parents who have the means to raise money and contribute leave.

DCPS will care when their PARCC scores at the school decline because the higher performing kids leave and the money that was raised by the PTA to help pay for other things so more fund are available to help the lower performing kids isn’t there anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Brent Parent and other than the CARES classrooms (classes with 8-10 kids) they have not brought back full classrooms yet. At least in Pre-k or K

CARES might be a misnomer since these classes are taught by regular Brent teachers in person.

Right. There is definitely a PK4 in person class at Brent going with 9 (I believe) kids & a PK4 teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, applaud Brent. Looks to me like our highly diverse DCPS won't reopen this year, and that we'll be out the door to a private by Sept by Sept as a result. My older child has an IEP and has really lots ground academically since March. Somebody tell me how my kids' departure from DCPS will help poor kids of color. I was PTA president for two years when our school was still Title 1. PTA raised six figures for the first time last year. Just because every school can't reopen safely right now doesn't mean that the poor kids at Brent, kids with IEPs, ELLs should have to pay. No way.

Congratulations on raising six figures. To be honest, DCPS doesn’t care if you leave. They never have and they never will.

Not PP but your are so naive.

The school and principal will really care when parents who have the means to raise money and contribute leave.

DCPS will care when their PARCC scores at the school decline because the higher performing kids leave and the money that was raised by the PTA to help pay for other things so more fund are available to help the lower performing kids isn’t there anymore.

If this happens on a large enough scale, then it will set DCPS back decades. But DCPS really doesn't care.