The Middle School Problem

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

There are characters in DC achieving better grades, college /trade/skilled services entrance students in DC. DCPS has refused to duplicate this or give the dcps schools that want to the resources to provide the level of wrap around and academics.
Please don't suggest that poor kids need high SES peers to succeed. True a mix of incomes and diversity works on many levels. But there are other options to implement. But dcps won't spend the time or money on this. Longer school days or free additional hours of learning hours, free/sliding scale before & aftercare for All students, teachers with most of their hours targeted theses extra hours and programs so current teacher don't get burned out. Small magnet programs within each middle and high school for AP, skilled jobs, academic targets etc. The list goes on. But DC won't invest and will keeping blaming income, at risk etc. Instead of actually just take the list of 101 things that work at other school and just doing them. Hell, PG County has shown better out comes with at risk kids.

I would note to that a lot of schools don't have the best test scores etc even in SES areas. I know lost don't want to admit it but even higher SES kids aren't blowing achievements out of the water compared with Howard County, or Fairfax.

Let me guess, you grew up solidly middle class. I didn't - I qualified for free meals at school (which my parents refused to accept) until high school. I feel like having high SES peers in school, particularly middle school, made all the difference in my education and prospects in life. For example, each visit to a classmate's home for a birthday party was a great education for me. I learned that families took vacations to Disneyland, that parents bought life insurance, that people had backyard pools. I learned that a good student could do this and that to become an...engineer, doctor, lawyer, stock broker etc. The parents of my UMC high school friends kindly became my mentors, encouraging me to apply to top colleges and helping me with applications. I graduated from MIT with honors and earned a law degree. I work as a federal attorney.

You don't seem to have a clue what high SES peers can do for poor kids. But then how would you know?

All that mentorship and striving and that's it. Disappointing.

I anticipate this person is a federal attorney due to their passion for the mission where they are. That is not disappointing to me.

[Anonymous]

+100. PP who's slamming the Federal attorney who grew up poor. You're a real jerk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+100. PP who's slamming the Federal attorney who grew up poor. You're a real jerk.

+ another 100.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

There are characters in DC achieving better grades, college /trade/skilled services entrance students in DC. DCPS has refused to duplicate this or give the dcps schools that want to the resources to provide the level of wrap around and academics.
Please don't suggest that poor kids need high SES peers to succeed. True a mix of incomes and diversity works on many levels. But there are other options to implement. But dcps won't spend the time or money on this. Longer school days or free additional hours of learning hours, free/sliding scale before & aftercare for All students, teachers with most of their hours targeted theses extra hours and programs so current teacher don't get burned out. Small magnet programs within each middle and high school for AP, skilled jobs, academic targets etc. The list goes on. But DC won't invest and will keeping blaming income, at risk etc. Instead of actually just take the list of 101 things that work at other school and just doing them. Hell, PG County has shown better out comes with at risk kids.

I would note to that a lot of schools don't have the best test scores etc even in SES areas. I know lost don't want to admit it but even higher SES kids aren't blowing achievements out of the water compared with Howard County, or Fairfax.

Let me guess, you grew up solidly middle class. I didn't - I qualified for free meals at school (which my parents refused to accept) until high school. I feel like having high SES peers in school, particularly middle school, made all the difference in my education and prospects in life. For example, each visit to a classmate's home for a birthday party was a great education for me. I learned that families took vacations to Disneyland, that parents bought life insurance, that people had backyard pools. I learned that a good student could do this and that to become an...engineer, doctor, lawyer, stock broker etc. The parents of my UMC high school friends kindly became my mentors, encouraging me to apply to top colleges and helping me with applications. I graduated from MIT with honors and earned a law degree. I work as a federal attorney.

You don't seem to have a clue what high SES peers can do for poor kids. But then how would you know?

All that mentorship and striving and that's it. Disappointing.

MIR with honors and a law degree for a FARMS kid is exceptional. You, on the other hand, sound like you were born with tons of advantages and still are a clueless jerk. Sad.

[Anonymous]

MIT, obviously