Reply to What is going on at HES?

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[quote=Anonymous]HES parent here. PP's comments about the principal change are both right and wrong. The change in principals and different styles has had an impact, but it's mostly on the surface.

The substitutes and teachers being placed on administrative leave has been a huge issue (at least for classes where teachers are out). For background, this year PGCPS has placed a great deal of emphasis on reporting any possible instance of abuse or concerns, and anyone who does not report a concern faces sanctions. There's been confusion about what constitutes potential abuse or legitimate concerns, so people have had a tendency to over-report. This triggers a process that leads to teachers being pulled from the classroom and placed on administrative leave. At HES, each of the staff members who have been pulled have been returned to the classroom after being cleared by Child Protective Services and PGCPS. It's not that there is a massive wave of abuse, but that people are uncertain about what to report and are scared not to report things. According to what we heard at a meeting with PGCPS officials, seven years ago there were a total of 250 reports of abuse; in the first half of this school year there were 700 and they were on pace for more than 1200 reports. This has caused a huge backlog in investigations and clearing cases, and it has scared away some good substitutes who are worried they could be caught up in something without having the PGCEA to help back them. Right now, PGCPS is retraining principals to help them ID when a case can be handled within the school and when it has to go into this administrative process.

As to why the school system hasn't made great gains in test scores or on Good Schools, it's in part because test score and Good Schools aren't a good measure of the value of a school. The fact is that there is a large number of kids who come from impoverished backgrounds, who are still learning English, and who don't have support systems or early childhood educational advantages that will help them test well. You get a much better idea of the value of the school by getting inside the doors, seeing the classrooms, and talking with parents and teachers. PP notes that her/his child's first grade teacher has been excellent; all the teachers my kids have had at HES have been at least good, and several were extraordinary.

I'd urge anyone considering Hyattsville Elementary to attend the parents meet and greet next week (Thursday, Feb. 16, 8 to 9 a.m.) at Vigilante Coffee -- https://www.facebook.com/events/714401815393974/ -- it's a good opportunity to learn first-hand about the school.[/quote]

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