The Middle School Problem

[Anonymous]

The lack of “decent” Middle Schools in this city drives me crazy. Not just for my own kids, but for all the kids in this city. Elementary schools seem to be doing a good job and there are at least more High School options that are sufficient. I am just so frustrated and don’t know what I can do about the situation. I try to attend community meetings when I can, I email city council and Ed board members when I can, etc. What more can we do? I don’t just want to throw in the towel- but I also work a full time job and have a family. I don’t have time to be a crusader.

[Anonymous]

What is your IB or feeder middle?

[Anonymous]

what makes a school decent to you? high test scores, differentiated classes, sports, music, modern buildings, attendance, discipline, kids making progress?

Part of the issue is that I *don't* think elementary schools are "doing a good job" on a lot of these metrics. If a school has a kid from PK-5 and they get a 1 on the 6th grade PARCC, that's more a function of an elementary school's failure than a MS problem.

Also a lot of the test score issues in MS come from changes in the student body from ES to MS--parents in older grades are willing to send their kids further from home and may also pull out of public for private schools if they have the means and/or motivation.

[Anonymous]

The whole city should be outraged. It wouldn't occur to a lot of other places/cities that they need to fight and constantly lobby for safe, 50-90 % at grade level or higher. But in DC this is the case it is sad. But then we keep voting in that don't seem to do much about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole city should be outraged. It wouldn't occur to a lot of other places/cities that they need to fight and constantly lobby for safe, 50-90 % at grade level or higher. But in DC this is the case it is sad. But then we keep voting in that don't seem to do much about it.

In which city -- an urban area -- in America are 50-90% of public school student at grade level or high? I'll wait for you to name them.

You cannot fix student achievement with votes or even with funding education alone. You need to virtually eliminate poverty, unemployment, trauma, and crime. If DC's leaders were doing this AND our schools were filled with low-achieving students then you'd be on point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole city should be outraged. It wouldn't occur to a lot of other places/cities that they need to fight and constantly lobby for safe, 50-90 % at grade level or higher. But in DC this is the case it is sad. But then we keep voting in that don't seem to do much about it.

The middle class middle students are concentrated at one middle school in the city. This leaves a very small amount of kids sprinkled at Hardy, SH, and charters. The remaining students are in deep poverty and don’t have adequate support and facing things at home that you can’t even imagine. If middle schools are 90% at risk are you really blaming the school or city that only 1/3 of those students are at level? You should be advocating for social justice, affordable housing, and jobs before even you can see the impact in the schools.

[Anonymous]

If DCPS did serious tracking/honors programs then the problem would quickly be solved. It’s a political problem.

[Anonymous]

And I’ll add if you have a student that is driven and smart, they can succeed at a number of schools. I went to gang infested middle school where some peers were pregnant in 8th grade. Probably 25% performing. There was no school choice. It was either that school or private which was not an option. Not only did I succeed, I excelled and got into one of the top magnets in the state. The school (teachers and admin) weren’t bad, they did what they could with the student population that had. They knew who the serious students were and they made sure we got what we want scholastically and socially. Try to check out your IB, see if they have advocates within the building. You may be surprised.

[Anonymous]

I am with you, OP. It's pathetic. I don't have $40K/year for private and moving right now would be very difficult for various reasons. My DH said our child will be ok anywhere but I am not so sure. These are citical years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And I’ll add if you have a student that is driven and smart, they can succeed at a number of schools. I went to gang infested middle school where some peers were pregnant in 8th grade. Probably 25% performing. There was no school choice. It was either that school or private which was not an option. Not only did I succeed, I excelled and got into one of the top magnets in the state. The school (teachers and admin) weren’t bad, they did what they could with the student population that had. They knew who the serious students were and they made sure we got what we want scholastically and socially. Try to check out your IB, see if they have advocates within the building. You may be surprised.

Did your school have honors courses?

I attended a similar school with similar problems. Yet it still offered differentiated instruction/honors classes so I had the opportunity to excel and not get lost in the shuffle. The MS my child will be attending doesn't offer that. I have no idea how she will do. I am hopeful but nervous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole city should be outraged. It wouldn't occur to a lot of other places/cities that they need to fight and constantly lobby for safe, 50-90 % at grade level or higher. But in DC this is the case it is sad. But then we keep voting in that don't seem to do much about it.

In which city -- an urban area -- in America are 50-90% of public school student at grade level or high? I'll wait for you to name them.

You cannot fix student achievement with votes or even with funding education alone. You need to virtually eliminate poverty, unemployment, trauma, and crime. If DC's leaders were doing this AND our schools were filled with low-achieving students then you'd be on point.

This

The only resolution is magnet/honors programs, but that won't go over too well in MS.

[Anonymous]

A few approaches:

1 - do not let Deal / Hardy take any kids who do not have current rights to them. Audit HARD enrollment. If policy is if you move OOB during elementary school you no longer have rights to the feeder pattern - enforce it.

You need to get a critical mass of kids at the other middle schools. The only way you do it is cut off path to Deal / Hardy.

2- start building an interest in the other schools - and make everyone aware of successes. Have events in the fall of 4th grade across feeder schools to start building community. it needs to be a community thing - not just the "problem" of the Principal at the Middle School.

Families need to know that their child is going to be safe, learn, have friends, have opportunities to try new things.

If DCPS committed resources to creating a real path - not flavor of the month. You can make traction. But when Principals never know what budget / staff they might or might not have next year. And put on them mandates to react to without - they are left fighting fires all the time.

[Anonymous]

I feel ya, OP. It really is the weak link in the chain and the school system cannot function well without improvements.

Here is what I would recommend. You'll be more effective if you focus your efforts on places where you are a stakeholder, either because you attend a feeder or live in the boundary. So if you're at a neighborhood elementary, be the PTA point person on middle school issues. Set up some transition events for the 4th and 5th graders, take the little kids to cheer for a middle school basketball game, have a PTA mixer with parents from all feeders, etc. Build out the relationship with an open mind.

Another thing you can do is focus on quality at your school for 3rd-5th. A lot of PTAs make the mistake of focusing on the little kids because that's where their own kids are so that's what they know the most about. But everything you do to help the upper elementary grades will result in better-prepared kids entering 6th, whereever they end up enrolling. If your PTA can afford it, sponsor some aide time for those teachers so that they spend more time teaching and less time on boring admin stuff like making copies. One hour of minimum wage aide time buys you an hour of teacher time-- great deal, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole city should be outraged. It wouldn't occur to a lot of other places/cities that they need to fight and constantly lobby for safe, 50-90 % at grade level or higher. But in DC this is the case it is sad. But then we keep voting in that don't seem to do much about it.

The middle class middle students are concentrated at one middle school in the city. This leaves a very small amount of kids sprinkled at Hardy, SH, and charters. The remaining students are in deep poverty and don’t have adequate support and facing things at home that you can’t even imagine. If middle schools are 90% at risk are you really blaming the school or city that only 1/3 of those students are at level? You should be advocating for social justice, affordable housing, and jobs before even you can see the impact in the schools.

What does that even mean? How does "social justice" magically turn an uneducated single parent with too many children to support, few basic skills, and (perhaps) a substance abuse problem into a responsible citizen and effective parent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A few approaches:

1 - do not let Deal / Hardy take any kids who do not have current rights to them. Audit HARD enrollment. If policy is if you move OOB during elementary school you no longer have rights to the feeder pattern - enforce it.

You need to get a critical mass of kids at the other middle schools. The only way you do it is cut off path to Deal / Hardy.

You first.

(I hear you, but my primary responsibility is to my children, not to society's children. And when those interests are in conflict, I'll choose my own kids 100% of the time.)