Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, and let’s not forget, since dcps made the great decision to eliminate the admissions test at walks, every single point matters for your middle school grades. All of a sudden an A-minus is a big deal. So principals and teachers should not be surprised when both students and parents advocate.

Sorry, how does this apply to JR?

Transplant_1 wrote:To the poster that wrote: "Ok so you did the same thing except by demanding an in-person meeting, and that makes you superior? Also of course failure to provide feedback hurts a child’s ability to succeed. I’m not at all sure what you are trying to say."

You are weird and not constructive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have visited DCPS and MCPS schools, and the difference in the public discussion of academics in open houses is striking. MCPS principals will up-front address acceleration. I even heard one say “It is our obligation to give students the challenge they need.” Long discussions of math tracking and selection of classes.

In DCPS, academics seem to be practically a dirty word at open houses. Parents who ask about it get stared at questioningly, as if they just ripped a big fart.

I was just chatting with a friend in Moco schools and was blown away at the support for academic rigor, there are multiple magnet middle schools, her kid is in 5th grade and they tested kids to determine if any were eligible, he was automatically offered a seat at a STEM middle magnet (but they are turning it down), lots of accelerated classes in his elem school to for math and reading.
Why is DC so afraid of this? Perfomative equity. meaning all kids get a mediocre education and honors/AP "for all"

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have visited DCPS and MCPS schools, and the difference in the public discussion of academics in open houses is striking. MCPS principals will up-front address acceleration. I even heard one say “It is our obligation to give students the challenge they need.” Long discussions of math tracking and selection of classes.

In DCPS, academics seem to be practically a dirty word at open houses. Parents who ask about it get stared at questioningly, as if they just ripped a big fart.

I was just chatting with a friend in Moco schools and was blown away at the support for academic rigor, there are multiple magnet middle schools, her kid is in 5th grade and they tested kids to determine if any were eligible, he was automatically offered a seat at a STEM middle magnet (but they are turning it down), lots of accelerated classes in his elem school to for math and reading.
Why is DC so afraid of this? Perfomative equity. meaning all kids get a mediocre education and honors/AP "for all"

Sad but unfortunately true. They don’t want to challenge the higher achievers and make it difficult as hell to get information, access, and classes.

The goal is to lower the top so they can say the are closing the achievement gap.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have visited DCPS and MCPS schools, and the difference in the public discussion of academics in open houses is striking. MCPS principals will up-front address acceleration. I even heard one say “It is our obligation to give students the challenge they need.” Long discussions of math tracking and selection of classes.

In DCPS, academics seem to be practically a dirty word at open houses. Parents who ask about it get stared at questioningly, as if they just ripped a big fart.

I was just chatting with a friend in Moco schools and was blown away at the support for academic rigor, there are multiple magnet middle schools, her kid is in 5th grade and they tested kids to determine if any were eligible, he was automatically offered a seat at a STEM middle magnet (but they are turning it down), lots of accelerated classes in his elem school to for math and reading.
Why is DC so afraid of this? Perfomative equity. meaning all kids get a mediocre education and honors/AP "for all"

Sad but unfortunately true. They don’t want to challenge the higher achievers and make it difficult as hell to get information, access, and classes.

The goal is to lower the top so they can say the are closing the achievement gap.

Anonymous wrote:Yep. Honestly you probably should. Your attitude has doomed your experience. As someone who has been a parent there for 9 years, I’ve met lots of families who have gone through the school under 4 Principals and more chancellors than I can name. Nothing the school can offer you will make you happy or make you feel like your DC has what they deserve. Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere from the get go.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep. Honestly you probably should. Your attitude has doomed your experience. As someone who has been a parent there for 9 years, I’ve met lots of families who have gone through the school under 4 Principals and more chancellors than I can name. Nothing the school can offer you will make you happy or make you feel like your DC has what they deserve. Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere from the get go.

+1. These parents will never be happy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep. Honestly you probably should. Your attitude has doomed your experience. As someone who has been a parent there for 9 years, I’ve met lots of families who have gone through the school under 4 Principals and more chancellors than I can name. Nothing the school can offer you will make you happy or make you feel like your DC has what they deserve. Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere from the get go.

+1. These parents will never be happy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Transplant_1 wrote:I find that it's not just with school staff that consider you "over the top" when you ask about academics with an eye towards what's needed for selective colleges. I find many parents are like that as well. Or, they're willing to talk to you one on one, but not with others in group. It's as if as soon as you want to be open about shooting for highly selective colleges, you must be an elistist, or racist, or not "cool and liberal" or an overbearing parent.

yes, I have found this as well (but still just at MS level). the party line is supposed to be “my child will be FINE wherever they go to school!” Meanwhile there are many MC black parents in DC who are keenly interested in academics.

(and FWIW I don’t even aspire to an elite college for my particular kid - I just want him to be challenged and learn. Apparently I am supposed to only have the type of kid who doesn’t need actual teaching and structure to learn.)

There is teaching and structure at JR. There just isn’t much (any) parent hand-holding.

How is it parent hand-holding to provide clear information about AP classes? What it really suggests is that it’s not supposed to be part of JR’s mission to facilitate advanced classes. It’s not about some notion of kids being independent. It’s a clear message that while JR knows it has to continue offering AP classes in some capacity, it is not going to do an iota of work to support them beyond the minimum.

Look, I have kids at the school. They take advanced classes. They are supported. Their teachers are good.

Your perception is that because the administration isn’t focusing on advanced classes in mass meetings that means they don’t care about advanced classes. I can say, as a parent with students there, that that’s categorically not true.

I understand that it’s frustrating not to get exactly the information you want exactly when you want it. I’d recommend sending Principal Brown an email with your questions; I’ve found him to be quite responsive.

If advanced students feel like they are secondary citizens in an academic institution, then it's not being done right. We can know that is how DCPS works and still think it is a regrettable failure of the leadership.

Who said they feel like “secondary citizens”? Not me. Quite the contrary—I said kids in advanced classes are supported and have good teachers. In fact, AP classes have the best teachers, and schedules are arranged to accommodate AP classes, especially in 11th and 12 grades.

You have a narrative, and you want it to be true. It isn’t. I don’t know what else to tell you.

I speak from the experience of my two DCs in DCPS. Their teachers have been fine -- some excellent -- but they have never received the attention of admin, even when it was needed and sought.

I’m wondering if the PSAT debacle at JR from last year would ever happen in MCPS. How did it go this year?

Transplant_1 wrote:To the poster that wrote: "Ok so you did the same thing except by demanding an in-person meeting, and that makes you superior? Also of course failure to provide feedback hurts a child’s ability to succeed. I’m not at all sure what you are trying to say."

You are weird and not constructive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep. Honestly you probably should. Your attitude has doomed your experience. As someone who has been a parent there for 9 years, I’ve met lots of families who have gone through the school under 4 Principals and more chancellors than I can name. Nothing the school can offer you will make you happy or make you feel like your DC has what they deserve. Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere from the get go.

+1. These parents will never be happy.

I am the unenthused parent. And disagree. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for the kids to finish a book in English and discuss it. I also expect teachers for DC’s classes, not months where they sit in the cafeteria instead of learning because there’s no teacher or sub to fill in. They haven’t learned anything new about how to write since 5th grade. People lament about how 9th grade at JR is a “lost year”. That’s the main source of my concern. We are trying to get excited about the academy of choice and ARE happy with all the extracurricular choices. If 9th grade was rewarding at JR for your DC, please share. That would be helpful. Thank you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep. Honestly you probably should. Your attitude has doomed your experience. As someone who has been a parent there for 9 years, I’ve met lots of families who have gone through the school under 4 Principals and more chancellors than I can name. Nothing the school can offer you will make you happy or make you feel like your DC has what they deserve. Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere from the get go.

+1. These parents will never be happy.

I am the unenthused parent. And disagree. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for the kids to finish a book in English and discuss it. I also expect teachers for DC’s classes, not months where they sit in the cafeteria instead of learning because there’s no teacher or sub to fill in. They haven’t learned anything new about how to write since 5th grade. People lament about how 9th grade at JR is a “lost year”. That’s the main source of my concern. We are trying to get excited about the academy of choice and ARE happy with all the extracurricular choices. If 9th grade was rewarding at JR for your DC, please share. That would be helpful. Thank you.