Thoughts on DCI, Latin or BASIS

[Anonymous]

These are really disappointing comments to read about DCI. We are at a feeder and just a few years away from middle school. Would love to hear some more feedback from parents who actually have children at the school.

[Anonymous]

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/540078.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can DCI parents please elaborate on discipline concerns? What kind of disruptive behavior takes place and how do teacher's respond? Wondering if the behavior problems prevent kids from doing better, i.e test scores. TIA

It's a big problem in the classroom, in after school activities, in team sports. I feel bad for the teachers and coaches that they can't control their classrooms and get respect from the students. It affects the rest of the class, who is trying to learn when every 5 minutes, class needs to stop to address the behavior issues.

[Anonymous]

So are the kids just off the hook, the teachers inexperienced or some combination? A teacher can lose 'control' of a class in the first week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can DCI parents please elaborate on discipline concerns? What kind of disruptive behavior takes place and how do teacher's respond? Wondering if the behavior problems prevent kids from doing better, i.e test scores. TIA

It's a big problem in the classroom, in after school activities, in team sports. I feel bad for the teachers and coaches that they can't control their classrooms and get respect from the students. It affects the rest of the class, who is trying to learn when every 5 minutes, class needs to stop to address the behavior issues.

OMG. These are middle schoolers! From what I've seen (2nd yr) the kids are pretty typical. Yes, there are kids how choose to play video games & watch Netflix in class but I fault the school for setting up the temptation. They claim kids have a choice whether to watch movies or learn. I find it ironic the same school mandates no caffeine drinks. Why not let kids "choose" third beverage?

Its the whack a mole with games/movies/Instagram that teachers are tied up with. How can anyone teach in that environment is beyond me.

[Anonymous]

^^ So are you staying through high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ So are you staying through high school?

My kid is one who can focus. But we are looking at alternatives.

DCI has a lot to offer. They just, IMO, could pull back a bit on the tech. Last year several parents had a reasonable request to make lunches screen free, with the exception of a homework room. Have kid charge their laptops and get outside or to one of the many activities. But the principal balked saying video games are part of "Youth Culture." Its almost funny if it weren't so sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ So are you staying through high school?

My kid is one who can focus. But we are looking at alternatives.

DCI has a lot to offer. They just, IMO, could pull back a bit on the tech. Last year several parents had a reasonable request to make lunches screen free, with the exception of a homework room. Have kid charge their laptops and get outside or to one of the many activities. But the principal balked saying video games are part of "Youth Culture." Its almost funny if it weren't so sad.

Thanks - my kid is one who would have struggled with focus in that environment so gave up our space and now at BASIS. DCI gives the middle schoolers a lot of freedom.

But I wish DCI well and often wonder about the road not taken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It isn't likely to change. Look at the enrollment of each feeder and their FARMS rate.

What will change - hopefully - is their ability to meet all their kids needs to reduce behavioral challenges. The computer networking / job training alternative to a high school IB diploma is one way they plan to serve their non college-bound students.

I can't imagine that the FARMS rate won't fall somewhat - LAMB is 24 percent, MV is 33 percent and YY is now under 10 percent. I agree that they need to get behavior under control. I know a few families there who are pretty happy and plan to stay and send their feeder kids to DCI as well.

[Anonymous]

Seems a lot of parents have concerns that kids get distracted easily and have significant # of behavior problems. What is the school doing to address these problems? We are at a feeder but got accepted to BASIS and may get into WL. We really want to continue language and head to DCI but it is so new and sounds like it is still working on a few things.

[Anonymous]

This whole thread is making me sad. None of these middle schools impress me very much, and we have no chance of getting in any of them it seems. Depressing.

[Anonymous]

DCI has by far the lowest suspension and expulsion numbers of all the middle schools in DC. As a parent of a 2nd year student and a DCPS teacher, I can tell you there are FAR less disciplinary issues at DCI than anywhere else. The cramped building is not ideal, but year after next they'll be at Walter Reed. I don't know where the others are getting "20%" from, but behavior is MUCH better than at any other middle school in DC.

[Anonymous]

A low rate of suspensions and expulsions doesn't mean that there aren't behavior problems but could mean the school tries not to suspend kids. Just a thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCI has by far the lowest suspension and expulsion numbers of all the middle schools in DC. As a parent of a 2nd year student and a DCPS teacher, I can tell you there are FAR less disciplinary issues at DCI than anywhere else. The cramped building is not ideal, but year after next they'll be at Walter Reed. I don't know where the others are getting "20%" from, but behavior is MUCH better than at any other middle school in DC.

Unless your children simultaneously attend all of the PUBLIC middle schools in DC, you cannot judge which schools have better or worse behavioral problems. Trying to sweep DCI's behavioral issues under the rug doesn't do those students any favors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCI has by far the lowest suspension and expulsion numbers of all the middle schools in DC. As a parent of a 2nd year student and a DCPS teacher, I can tell you there are FAR less disciplinary issues at DCI than anywhere else. The cramped building is not ideal, but year after next they'll be at Walter Reed. I don't know where the others are getting "20%" from, but behavior is MUCH better than at any other middle school in DC.

Hello! How would you have this information? Which MS are you comparing this information? Cite please? My kid is attending WL. Unless I talk to some of the parents at DCI I've known since my kid's elementary school (feeder), I have no clue about DCI's purported issues, so I don't report on them.