Faking the Grade -- Columbia Heights Education Campus

[Anonymous]

SAT, ACT, and AP. If teachers (proctors) are manipulating the scores for students, then they're doing a lousy job. Why aren't there more national merit scholars coming from DCPS? Why aren't the AP scores higher for DCPS? I tell you why, y'all are a bunch flyover country transplants who think everyone is DC is corrupt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

NathanBacaABC7 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there not truancy laws? Why aren’t kids and their parents reported after the max number of absences?

There are truancy laws. DC Code states after around 15 unexcused absences -- I don't have the exact number in front of me -- kids and their families are supposed to be referred to child protective services and the Attorney General's Office for scrutiny. We have records that indicate that rarely happens, despite students racking up those numbers of unexcused absences.

What about the policy that if the student steps in the classroom when attendance is counted the students is marked present. What about the students who then leave the classroom and don't come back or repeatedly leave, there is no tracking system. In high school in particular students are very aware of that policy and to a lesser extent it also happens middle school for those students who are already exhibiting troubling behavior and in need of intervention. They don't get the appropriate help beaches on paper they look students who are failing to progress for "unknown" reasons, but regularly miss instruction because they are not in the class. Why are teachers force to mark attendance early, why not the last 10 mins of class to signify that students were present for the full-period and a half-credit if they left?

Yes, at risk students love to read DCPS policy. High school students love to read the very same DCPS policies that many of you ivey-educated, HHI, DCUM parents refuse to read, or come to this site for. SMH

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting comment from Reddit. Does anyone remember the post here about the teacher who left CHEC after two months this fall?

Columbia Heights Educational Campus is an absolutely disaster of a school and I have no idea how DCPS doesn’t do something about it. The principal is a horrible woman with a bad reputation who works her teachers with ridiculous demands and is constantly going against the contract. Their turnover is ridiculous. I know of 3 teachers who left this year before winter break alone. They also have huge gang problems, lots of issues between the ms13 kids and 18th street kids yet the administrators (all young and inexperienced) pretend that nothing is wrong. About half of the students speak no English yet are forced to take AP English language and AP English Lit and teachers cannot fail them. The students know this and take advantage. All of the ESL students have to pass their classes, teachers have been punished for failing more than 5% of their students, even though they don’t turn in work, don’t understand what’s going on, and miss 1-2 days a week. Tons of drugs too. A student was apparently caught using synthetic drugs and tried to throw herself in traffic right in front of the school a few months ago. I would love to see someone do an exposé on what really goes on at Columbia Heights.

PP - do you have the link to the Reddit thread you referenced?

[Anonymous]

Are any CHEC parents on dcum?
What about the middle school conversion to dual language program?
Is this a good place for middle school students that enjoy learning Spanish and growing academically?
Is this a good option for children who can't get into DCI or MacFarland??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are any CHEC parents on dcum?
What about the middle school conversion to dual language program?
Is this a good place for middle school students that enjoy learning Spanish and growing academically?
Is this a good option for children who can't get into DCI or MacFarland??

This is not a good option for any students who have a choice NOT to go there!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting comment from Reddit. Does anyone remember the post here about the teacher who left CHEC after two months this fall?

Columbia Heights Educational Campus is an absolutely disaster of a school and I have no idea how DCPS doesn’t do something about it. The principal is a horrible woman with a bad reputation who works her teachers with ridiculous demands and is constantly going against the contract. Their turnover is ridiculous. I know of 3 teachers who left this year before winter break alone. They also have huge gang problems, lots of issues between the ms13 kids and 18th street kids yet the administrators (all young and inexperienced) pretend that nothing is wrong. About half of the students speak no English yet are forced to take AP English language and AP English Lit and teachers cannot fail them. The students know this and take advantage. All of the ESL students have to pass their classes, teachers have been punished for failing more than 5% of their students, even though they don’t turn in work, don’t understand what’s going on, and miss 1-2 days a week. Tons of drugs too. A student was apparently caught using synthetic drugs and tried to throw herself in traffic right in front of the school a few months ago. I would love to see someone do an exposé on what really goes on at Columbia Heights.

PP - do you have the link to the Reddit thread you referenced?

Blog DC Urban Teacher
http://www.anurbanteacherseducation.com/2010/09/whats-wrong-with-chec-edited.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting comment from Reddit. Does anyone remember the post here about the teacher who left CHEC after two months this fall?

Columbia Heights Educational Campus is an absolutely disaster of a school and I have no idea how DCPS doesn’t do something about it. The principal is a horrible woman with a bad reputation who works her teachers with ridiculous demands and is constantly going against the contract. Their turnover is ridiculous. I know of 3 teachers who left this year before winter break alone. They also have huge gang problems, lots of issues between the ms13 kids and 18th street kids yet the administrators (all young and inexperienced) pretend that nothing is wrong. About half of the students speak no English yet are forced to take AP English language and AP English Lit and teachers cannot fail them. The students know this and take advantage. All of the ESL students have to pass their classes, teachers have been punished for failing more than 5% of their students, even though they don’t turn in work, don’t understand what’s going on, and miss 1-2 days a week. Tons of drugs too. A student was apparently caught using synthetic drugs and tried to throw herself in traffic right in front of the school a few months ago. I would love to see someone do an exposé on what really goes on at Columbia Heights.

PP - do you have the link to the Reddit thread you referenced?

Blog DC Urban Teacher
http://www.anurbanteacherseducation.com/2010/09/whats-wrong-with-chec-edited.html

And there is this ...
http://www.anurbanteacherseducation.com/2010/01/checking-out_10.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:why is it that many schools take computer based tests while other schools (HRCS) insist on paper based?

Why is it that some districts allow computer based voting and others insist on paper ballots?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there not truancy laws? Why aren’t kids and their parents reported after the max number of absences?

I live within a few blocks of CHEC. There are truancy laws, and I often see MPD's truancy/curfew enforcement vans around the campus.

Makes sense. Fish where the fish are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting comment from Reddit. Does anyone remember the post here about the teacher who left CHEC after two months this fall?

Columbia Heights Educational Campus is an absolutely disaster of a school and I have no idea how DCPS doesn’t do something about it. The principal is a horrible woman with a bad reputation who works her teachers with ridiculous demands and is constantly going against the contract. Their turnover is ridiculous. I know of 3 teachers who left this year before winter break alone. They also have huge gang problems, lots of issues between the ms13 kids and 18th street kids yet the administrators (all young and inexperienced) pretend that nothing is wrong. About half of the students speak no English yet are forced to take AP English language and AP English Lit and teachers cannot fail them. The students know this and take advantage. All of the ESL students have to pass their classes, teachers have been punished for failing more than 5% of their students, even though they don’t turn in work, don’t understand what’s going on, and miss 1-2 days a week. Tons of drugs too. A student was apparently caught using synthetic drugs and tried to throw herself in traffic right in front of the school a few months ago. I would love to see someone do an exposé on what really goes on at Columbia Heights.

PP - do you have the link to the Reddit thread you referenced?

Blog DC Urban Teacher
http://www.anurbanteacherseducation.com/2010/09/whats-wrong-with-chec-edited.html

Okay, yeah. The f*cktasticness of CHEC should have been the proverbial "canary in a coal mine" for the Ballou blowj*b.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure this latest DCPS scandal hurts DCPS families with students who work hard for their grades. I wonder what the local college admissions offices are saying......to be a fly on those walls.

So sad, that an urban system is all about politics and image than actually putting policies in place to support the teachers and administrators.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure this latest DCPS scandal hurts DCPS families with students who work hard for their grades. I wonder what the local college admissions offices are saying......to be a fly on those walls.

So sad, that an urban system is all about politics and image than actually putting policies in place to support the teachers and administrators.