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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Although I hate the low academic standards, my real issue is with the violence in and near the school. [/quote]

Do you think your child specifically would be pulled into this?[/quote]

NP.  It's unpleasant to witness and can be really traumatic. It disrupts the learning environment and wastes instructional time.  And nearby people do sometimes get hurt in a scuffle just by being in range   It's not because anyone thinks their child is going to be invited to partake in a carjacking.[/quote]

My child was not happy in his elementary school where there were frequent behavioral disruptions, including thrown chairs, even though he was never directly involved.[/quote]

All sounds alarming and unfortunate. Didn't know there was this kind of violence at the schools mentioned except for Latin. Why doesn't Latin face the same thing? Is it because the school is smaller?[/quote]

Charter school means the families have to be motivated enough to transport their kids & fill out paperwork.[/quote]

That’s not it. Functionally half of DC Public School students attend charters. Even more go to Out of Boundary DCPS schools. So a MAJORITY of DC parents are willing to fill out applications and arrange transporation.[/quote]

Yes, half of parents are willing to do this.  And the kids of families where parents are not able to be involved in this way, family is in crisis, family has criminal justice system involvement, family is experiencing housing insecurity, etc. are concentrated in the by right schools that fully half of DC parents are jumping through hoops to avoid.  The resulting cohort at those schools has all kinds of behavior and social issues at a much higher rate than they would if so many parents didn’t go to charters or OOB options.  Get it?[/quote]

Have DCPS provide some G and T in elementary and tracking in MS and HS and you won’t have parents with options choosing charters.  Until then families will do what is best for their kid.

So talk to DCPS because they are not meeting the needs of ALL kids, just the bottom.  That’s all they care about so why should families care about their poorly performing IB schools?[/quote]

Not to take this thread off topic, but NO.  We do not need G&T tracking in elementary.  these are little kids still--they don't need to be divided and segregated.  If you are really worried about your kid's needs being met, you might argue for lower rations or more aids in classrooms, but not tracking.  As kids get older and schools get larger, there is room for kids to go into classes that meet their level more (e.g., are you ready for Algebra in 7th or 8th or whatever), but that is really not necessary in elementary.  We are a family with means, and would prefer to keep segregation out of our nice EOTP Title 1 school.  [/quote]

I agree with you that tracking isn't needed in elementary - especially not in early elementary. However, your Title I school might not be as track-less as you think. I've seen schools that don't have formal tracking still group lower performing or special ed students with certain teachers. Sometimes it's because those teachers are better at supporting kids but sometimes it's because those teachers are less senior/favored. Also, sometimes there aren't enough special ed inclusion co-teachers to support classrooms, so students get grouped to concentrate teachers in a particular classroom. My point is - tracking can start early whether you are aware of it or not.[/quote]

PP here and I agree with you.  I wonder if we are all talking past each other and conflating G&T tracking with in-class ability grouping.  To be clear, in-class ability grouping is (in my view) fine, and helps make sure kids receive appropriate, tailored instruction. My issue is with separate G&T programs or classes that pull kids apart.  You could argue that a kid who is not in G&T could be added to that program in a later year, and of course this does happen.  But more frequently, the gap widens.  Sure, some of this is because some of the kids with natural aptitude were pulled out.  But also now you've got a bright kid with some learning differences in a class with a higher proportion of kids who are dealing with trauma and may be acting out, and they don't get to learn from (and compete with) the kids in the G&T program.  And frequently, you'll have kids who are advanced in some ways and behind in others, so in-class differentiation, when done properly, is better able to address student needs.  Test-in programs are notorious for baking the prejudices of the testmaker and the teachers into selection.  As I said in my first post, there is a case to be made for differentiation, but the evidence I've seen doesn't suggest there is a net benefit to offering "honors" before middle school.

And to the other posters, I speak only for myself.  Other parents can have different opinions.  But that illustrates my point.  By having us all at the same school, and in the same class, we get to hear each other's perspectives and learn from each other.  No one is better than anyone else, no one is made to feel less than anyone else.  To me, having kids in a diverse (racially, economically, academically, etc.) class is about that, not about "atmospherics."[/quote]

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