Reply to Jackson Reed Biomedical Academy

Forum Index » DC Public and Public Charter Schools

Reply to "Jackson Reed Biomedical Academy"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]In our experience, people considering the JR biomedical academy (aka Academy of Health Sciences) should think twice. Unfortunately, the teacher in charge of that academy has a history of questionable grading practices and playing favorites. Perfectly capable high-performing students who love the content continue to drop out as a result of her demoralizing behavior. Grading is largely mysterious and subjective, and most grades are not entered into Aspen until the very end of each term. There’s almost no feedback provided in Canvas, so students have no idea where they stand until it’s too late. Asking questions or challenging a grade is a risky proposition, usually entailing some form of retribution down the road. All of this is well-known among students and has much to do with their overall feeling about their time in this academy.

My student dropped JR’s biomed academy due to these circumstances, despite an ongoing interest in the content, and is far from the only one. There are plenty of other meaningful ways to demonstrate interest in this area, including AP Biology and internships, that don’t take an unnecessary mental health toll. This situation has been going on for years, parents have voiced concerns, and yet the problems persist.

If you choose the JR biomedical academy, please understand these risks. Unfortunately, in our experience, it’s not a matter of learning and enjoying the material.[/quote]

Yes, and in addition the teacher does not understand the material.  It’s really quite sad for the students, a missed opportunity.  [/quote]

It is sad. DC says the teacher assigns rigorous material, but students have to teach it to themselves. Because they love the subject and want to do well, they do. Then they get a low grade that they don't understand and don't find out about until the end of the term. If they question the grade, they don't get meaningful feedback and are penalized later on. Wish we would've known about all of this ahead of time. DC could've been spared a lot of needless stress and made other decisions about pursuing the subject.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics