Trying to stay positive and be patient with DCPS - but I'm worried
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Anonymous
| My child started her 9th grade bridge at Wilson this week. A huge flop. Disorganized, boring and all together soul sucking. Then today, I joined the Parent U session on supporting my DCPS student via remote learning. Another stinker. Nothing substantive offered. No detailed. Nothing genuinely explained. Everything is just conference speak. "Great question" with a nothing answer. This year is going to be disaster. For high school they say schedules will go out the week of August 24 (the week before school) but they don't say that they're coming via email. Are they seriously going to spend $10K on mailing envelopes, many of which won't get to the recipients in time? Just SAY that you are EMAILING them. I'm just so demoralized at this point and trying to stay positive for my child. But here's the deal...she was super excited about this Bridge program. It is her introduction to high school. She's been looking forward to it. And then this program starts and it's just awful. Couldn't DCPS have done something to give it a pep rally kind of feel? |
Anonymous
| They thought it was going to be in person until july 22/July 31. |
Anonymous
| Their schedules can be put up on aspen once they are finalized as well. I would think this should be part of the plan. |
Anonymous
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My child is going to be a ninth grader at Wilson. We didn’t sign up for Brudge, bc we thought it would be in person.
My DC is looking forward to the coming year because it’s high school, which means “real teenager.” This is the first time our student is starting — will ever start — high school, so we’re trying to keep it positive. Inside, I am feeling a sense of dread, because high school represents an organizational challenge. But it should also be a chance for students to be independent. But because of distance learning and unfamiliar systems, I am afraid we are going to have to helicopter wrt tracking course attendance, assignments, due dates, different platforms. At least at the beginning. I hope parents are looped in. Or else, it could be a nightmare. With grades on college applications... I really hope that DCPS takes the time it needs to get itself together. If they don’t open on August 30, as planned, that’s okay by me. Better late, and better. Thanks for letting us know target for schedules being published is 8/24. If you learn anything else, would very much appreciate your sharing. By the way, I just got the alert about Senator Harris. Something else to think about. 
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Anonymous
This is OP. Exactly how I feel. Yes, I wish they had just canceled the Bridge rather than host the poorly conceived and executed program that I've seen the last two days. I'm trying to stay positive because you only start high school once. But inside I"m just so sad and sick to my stomach for my child. And absolutely, DCPS should start school later if they need the time to ensure they'll have a really kick ass start. Please, take the time if you need it. DCPS has money. Why couldn't they hire a crisis PR firm to help them think through this? HS bridge programs could have done cool things like invite guest celebrity speakers. You can't tell me that they could't work with a speakers bureau to book a few psuedo celebrities to give these Bridges a pep rally feel. A member of the Nats or Wizards maybe? Anyway, I jsut feel sad. |
Anonymous
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FWIW, the Bridge program is something DCPS introduced prematurely, changed the delivery system and then insisted on follow though. All of Central’s energy is going toward the upcoming year, not even a thought about Bridge which has fallen to individual schools. And the purpose isn’t academic because attendance is not mandatory. So what’s left? In my case, a marathon 3-hour quasi babysitting/clown show on Teams for 3rd graders that is borderline ridiculous.
It should have been cancelled. |
Anonymous
| I agree that Bridge became an afterthought. I wouldn't draw any conclusions about what DL will look like based on it. |
Anonymous
I feel your pain--I also have a rising 9th grader at a different school. This stinks. |
Anonymous
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Why is it important to specify that information is going to be emailed? Apart from understandable frustration with the nature of online education in general, I'm not grasping your particular source of frustration here. Please also understand that ALL public school systems are struggling. Not just in the USA. ALL OF THEM. They need to reinvent themselves for actual learning, so the bells and whistles of parent communication is not a priority, nor should it be. |
Anonymous
| Op, I have a 9th grader starting at a $45k "top" private and it's not looking great either. The school isn't making anything exciting or inspiring. It's just a sucky time to be a kid, especially in transition years that used to mean something. |
Anonymous
NP here but kids need to know what courses they are taking and when they are....How is that too much to ask. |
Anonymous
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Wilson parent here - I think things will get worse before they get better but I am optimistic things will look better by the end of September. Putting Bridge aside (which sounds like a disaster), the beginning of the year at Wilson is always super chaotic as they sort out schedules. There always seems to be crazy schedules that need to be fixed because they were issued incorrectly by central office, along with a lot of late enrollments. No idea why this problem repeats itself every year. This year is going to be worse I think. Because DCPS is apparently switching to a semester system where you only take 4 classes at a time.
But things do settle down and last Spring distance learning actually went pretty well at Wilson. I believe in the teachers and the students generally respond pretty well to finally be given more trust and freedom. There are supports in place, but most generally breath a huge sigh of relief after the constraints of middle school. Many of us have learned to grin a bear it through the beginning of the school year each year. As a general rule, the pain points usually involve DCPS central office. Which probably contributed to the miserable Bridge program. Wilson itself does pretty well. BTW, schedules will be available in Aspen. You don’t need to wait for the U.S. mail |
Anonymous
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Thank you, voice of experience!
I am glad to hear it went well last spring. I think it was good that teachers and students had established relationships and students learned the ropes before distance learning took effect, |
Anonymous
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(Continued). Ironically, I think summer bridge was meant to fulfill that function.
I think by high school, most parents are very happy to “let go” and give more freedom, and I was glad to hear in parent orientation in June that Wilson takes a very intentional approach to ninth grade. Obviously DL poses special challenges, not least of all in terms of high school student organization and engagement in a new environment.. Not an impossible task for school, students, and families, but one that requires careful thought. (For example, DCPS: if you’re listening, not everyone has Aspen yet.) I’m glad your experience at Wilson has been positive! |
Anonymous
Yes. I’m teaching ES bridge & couldn’t agree more. CO dropped it like a hot potato. I signed up to teach it because I want to support my school & principal- but it’s an absolute clown show |