Jefferson Middle School Academy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Want to understand the hostility? OK then, belatedly solicit input from the silent majority of in-boundary parents in the JA feeders who think that the current "neighborhood middle school" development plan stinks. Hold truly inclusive meetings, conduct surveys etc.

Without the programming to serve students who work at and above grade in place at JA, many of us don't want 30 million renovation dollars frittered away on that building...

Have you even bothered to look and ask about the "programming"? I for one have and now know that there are advanced options at JA. That is more important to our family by the way than a fancy building, or we would have decided in favor of DCI.

Yes, went to open houses, heard the presentations, talked to admins. There aren't honors/advanced classes at JA because DCPS won't pony up for the teachers' salaries without a big cohort of advanced students having already turned up. Admins and teachers differentiate for advanced learners as best they can, using pullouts etc. But the reality is that most of the kids work below grade level, often far below.

[Anonymous]

We get a lot of happy talk about a big renovation from Brent and Jefferson, but the political organizing needed to lobby for advanced classes doesn't seem to be happening. Why not? No hope without a new mayor or what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We get a lot of happy talk about a big renovation from Brent and Jefferson, but the political organizing needed to lobby for advanced classes doesn't seem to be happening. Why not? No hope without a new mayor or what?

Because only 25% of students are even proficient in ELA and Math.

The 75% who are not are the priority both because its the District's long-term interest to get as many of those students as possible to being career or higher education ready.

It won't matter who is the mayor - the resources, energy are going to those with the most need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We get a lot of happy talk about a big renovation from Brent and Jefferson, but the political organizing needed to lobby for advanced classes doesn't seem to be happening. Why not? No hope without a new mayor or what?

You need to know where to look and how to see it happening without making a big fuss about it. No, you will absolutely not see a mayor or chancellor in DC have a press conference and say, "now, we are going to track students accordingly to their ELA and Math proficiency". You won't see that in other cities and states either. Although possibly more likely, I would not expect any highly visible test-in options emerge either, not at the middle school level. There is way too much educational history and baggage connected to that, again, not just in DC. But you will - in fact you DO see, when knowing where and how to look - see school leadership at the elementary and middle school level work to provide advanced offerings. Yes, they run into resource constraints in doing so, and yes they have to be very creative to make it all work. Most importantly, they too will not stand there proclaiming as much in front of a bunch of mics. But they make it happen.

Here is the interesting part: Offering advanced challenges - however creatively that is being put together and sold - can emerge more easily in places where there is a lot of differentiating needed to begin with. Otherwise homogeneous schools have a much harder time with that. At best, they'll agree to let someone skip a grade, in a particular subject maybe, which isn't the best solution for the learner as we all know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Want to understand the hostility? OK then, belatedly solicit input from the silent majority of in-boundary parents in the JA feeders who think that the current "neighborhood middle school" development plan stinks. Hold truly inclusive meetings, conduct surveys etc.

Without the programming to serve students who work at and above grade in place at JA, many of us don't want 30 million renovation dollars frittered away on that building with our tax dollars. How about pushing for the city to spend all that dough on getting BASIS a decent building instead, two middle school buildings actually, and Latin a track, and a second building, preferably in Ward 6. Thank you.

The only Hill parents even remotely close to "silent" on public ed MS landscape are the singles, DINKS and retirees, and even THEY squawk over the schools impact on housing market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Want to understand the hostility? OK then, belatedly solicit input from the silent majority of in-boundary parents in the JA feeders who think that the current "neighborhood middle school" development plan stinks. Hold truly inclusive meetings, conduct surveys etc.

Without the programming to serve students who work at and above grade in place at JA, many of us don't want 30 million renovation dollars frittered away on that building with our tax dollars. How about pushing for the city to spend all that dough on getting BASIS a decent building instead, two middle school buildings actually, and Latin a track, and a second building, preferably in Ward 6. Thank you.

The only Hill parents even remotely close to "silent" on public ed MS landscape are the singles, DINKS and retirees, and even THEY squawk over the schools impact on housing market.

sorry - meant "Hill resident" "not parents"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We get a lot of happy talk about a big renovation from Brent and Jefferson, but the political organizing needed to lobby for advanced classes doesn't seem to be happening. Why not? No hope without a new mayor or what?

Because only 25% of students are even proficient in ELA and Math.

The 75% who are not are the priority both because its the District's long-term interest to get as many of those students as possible to being career or higher education ready.

It won't matter who is the mayor - the resources, energy are going to those with the most need.

Those most in need don't gain when high SES families bail from DCPS. High SES families in the public system can be included in the categories enumerated above, resources and energy. Squandering vast resources and energy in the service of helping those most in need is dumb. The Mayor Daleys in Chicago figured that one out in the 90s, making keeping high SES families in city schools top priority. But then they were visionaries. We're short on them in the DC political sphere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Want to understand the hostility? OK then, belatedly solicit input from the silent majority of in-boundary parents in the JA feeders who think that the current "neighborhood middle school" development plan stinks. Hold truly inclusive meetings, conduct surveys etc.

Without the programming to serve students who work at and above grade in place at JA, many of us don't want 30 million renovation dollars frittered away on that building with our tax dollars. How about pushing for the city to spend all that dough on getting BASIS a decent building instead, two middle school buildings actually, and Latin a track, and a second building, preferably in Ward 6. Thank you.

The only Hill parents even remotely close to "silent" on public ed MS landscape are the singles, DINKS and retirees, and even THEY squawk over the schools impact on housing market.

Disagree, at least when JA and SH boosters are in the room. They don't just dominate our PTA discussion on middle schools, they own them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We get a lot of happy talk about a big renovation from Brent and Jefferson, but the political organizing needed to lobby for advanced classes doesn't seem to be happening. Why not? No hope without a new mayor or what?

You need to know where to look and how to see it happening without making a big fuss about it. No, you will absolutely not see a mayor or chancellor in DC have a press conference and say, "now, we are going to track students accordingly to their ELA and Math proficiency". You won't see that in other cities and states either. Although possibly more likely, I would not expect any highly visible test-in options emerge either, not at the middle school level. There is way too much educational history and baggage connected to that, again, not just in DC. But you will - in fact you DO see, when knowing where and how to look - see school leadership at the elementary and middle school level work to provide advanced offerings. Yes, they run into resource constraints in doing so, and yes they have to be very creative to make it all work. Most importantly, they too will not stand there proclaiming as much in front of a bunch of mics. But they make it happen.

Here is the interesting part: Offering advanced challenges - however creatively that is being put together and sold - can emerge more easily in places where there is a lot of differentiating needed to begin with. Otherwise homogeneous schools have a much harder time with that. At best, they'll agree to let someone skip a grade, in a particular subject maybe, which isn't the best solution for the learner as we all know.

Ah, so how did the East Coast wind up with four different classes of tracked 5th grade math at BASIS DC, the test-in MS programs the width and breadth of Fairfax County, the test-in humanities program at Eastern MS in Silver Spring, the test-in math program at Takoma Park MS MoCo, Hunter College MS in NYC, Boston Latin for 7th grade+ (none admitting more than 10% of applicants) etc. etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We get a lot of happy talk about a big renovation from Brent and Jefferson, but the political organizing needed to lobby for advanced classes doesn't seem to be happening. Why not? No hope without a new mayor or what?

You need to know where to look and how to see it happening without making a big fuss about it. No, you will absolutely not see a mayor or chancellor in DC have a press conference and say, "now, we are going to track students accordingly to their ELA and Math proficiency". You won't see that in other cities and states either. Although possibly more likely, I would not expect any highly visible test-in options emerge either, not at the middle school level. There is way too much educational history and baggage connected to that, again, not just in DC. But you will - in fact you DO see, when knowing where and how to look - see school leadership at the elementary and middle school level work to provide advanced offerings. Yes, they run into resource constraints in doing so, and yes they have to be very creative to make it all work. Most importantly, they too will not stand there proclaiming as much in front of a bunch of mics. But they make it happen.

Here is the interesting part: Offering advanced challenges - however creatively that is being put together and sold - can emerge more easily in places where there is a lot of differentiating needed to begin with. Otherwise homogeneous schools have a much harder time with that. At best, they'll agree to let someone skip a grade, in a particular subject maybe, which isn't the best solution for the learner as we all know.

It can be done in Massachusetts, but not in DC. We're too stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Want to understand the hostility? OK then, belatedly solicit input from the silent majority of in-boundary parents in the JA feeders who think that the current "neighborhood middle school" development plan stinks. Hold truly inclusive meetings, conduct surveys etc.

Without the programming to serve students who work at and above grade in place at JA, many of us don't want 30 million renovation dollars frittered away on that building with our tax dollars. How about pushing for the city to spend all that dough on getting BASIS a decent building instead, two middle school buildings actually, and Latin a track, and a second building, preferably in Ward 6. Thank you.

The only Hill parents even remotely close to "silent" on public ed MS landscape are the singles, DINKS and retirees, and even THEY squawk over the schools impact on housing market.

you need to get out more
Disagree, at least when JA and SH boosters are in the room. They don't just dominate our PTA discussion on middle schools, they own them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Want to understand the hostility? OK then, belatedly solicit input from the silent majority of in-boundary parents in the JA feeders who think that the current "neighborhood middle school" development plan stinks. Hold truly inclusive meetings, conduct surveys etc.

Without the programming to serve students who work at and above grade in place at JA, many of us don't want 30 million renovation dollars frittered away on that building with our tax dollars. How about pushing for the city to spend all that dough on getting BASIS a decent building instead, two middle school buildings actually, and Latin a track, and a second building, preferably in Ward 6. Thank you.

The only Hill parents even remotely close to "silent" on public ed MS landscape are the singles, DINKS and retirees, and even THEY squawk over the schools impact on housing market.

Disagree, at least when JA and SH boosters are in the room. They don't just dominate our PTA discussion on middle schools, they own them.

you need to get out more

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We get a lot of happy talk about a big renovation from Brent and Jefferson, but the political organizing needed to lobby for advanced classes doesn't seem to be happening. Why not? No hope without a new mayor or what?

You need to know where to look and how to see it happening without making a big fuss about it. No, you will absolutely not see a mayor or chancellor in DC have a press conference and say, "now, we are going to track students accordingly to their ELA and Math proficiency". You won't see that in other cities and states either. Although possibly more likely, I would not expect any highly visible test-in options emerge either, not at the middle school level. There is way too much educational history and baggage connected to that, again, not just in DC. But you will - in fact you DO see, when knowing where and how to look - see school leadership at the elementary and middle school level work to provide advanced offerings. Yes, they run into resource constraints in doing so, and yes they have to be very creative to make it all work. Most importantly, they too will not stand there proclaiming as much in front of a bunch of mics. But they make it happen.

Here is the interesting part: Offering advanced challenges - however creatively that is being put together and sold - can emerge more easily in places where there is a lot of differentiating needed to begin with. Otherwise homogeneous schools have a much harder time with that. At best, they'll agree to let someone skip a grade, in a particular subject maybe, which isn't the best solution for the learner as we all know.

All the creativity an educator can muster isn't going to do a lot for your middle schooler in math classes of 20+ students where most of his or her classmates didn't get to grips with basic arithmetic in elementary school, commonly the case in DCPS.

I know a BASIS 7th grader who will be taking calculus in 8th grade. His parents tell me that his jaw-dropping math skills are mainly the result of tracked math classes taught my humans, versus computers (as at Stuart Hobson) from 5th grade on up. Making do in a MS program where most students do not work at grade-level, let alone above, can work OK if you're in a position to supplement extensively at home, and your student cooperates with the part-time home school program. Otherwise, sorry, buyer beware if your kid is bright and motivated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Want to understand the hostility? OK then, belatedly solicit input from the silent majority of in-boundary parents in the JA feeders who think that the current "neighborhood middle school" development plan stinks. Hold truly inclusive meetings, conduct surveys etc.

Without the programming to serve students who work at and above grade in place at JA, many of us don't want 30 million renovation dollars frittered away on that building with our tax dollars. How about pushing for the city to spend all that dough on getting BASIS a decent building instead, two middle school buildings actually, and Latin a track, and a second building, preferably in Ward 6. Thank you.

The only Hill parents even remotely close to "silent" on public ed MS landscape are the singles, DINKS and retirees, and even THEY squawk over the schools impact on housing market.

Disagree, at least when JA and SH boosters are in the room. They don't just dominate our PTA discussion on middle schools, they own them.

you need to get out more

I get out enough to hear Capitol Hill Public School Parent Organization leaders, and Maury and Brent PTA parents, peddle the Kool-aid of advanced Hill MS kids thriving at JA, EH and SH despite the fact that most of their classmates require extensive remediation. At this stage, staying inside more sounds ideal.

[Anonymous]

I don't see why DCPS can't use the PARCC scores to prove the existence of academically proficient students before they enter 6th grade. Once those parents make a commitment to middle school in 5th grade, DCPS could use those numbers to justify hiring teachers to instruct them. AND, if DCPS told 5th grade parents ahead of time that once a sufficient number of students (who meet a certain threshold PARCC score) commit to 6th grade, that teachers will be hired to instruct them, there would be a lot of interest. I guarantee you a bunch of kids would commit to JA under those circumstances.

The "chicken or egg" problem argued by DCPS just doesn't pass logic.