Reply to JKLM residents are killing elementaries in lower NW

Forum Index » DC Public and Public Charter Schools

Reply to "JKLM residents are killing elementaries in lower NW"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]Op, I am confused. Are you asserting that the unprepared K kids result from IB students who don't get into ECE at their neighborhood schools? If they applied- they would beat out the OB kids, right? So the problem is that folks IB for your school don't want ECE. Your beef is not with OOB folks- but with your IB population. [/quote]

This is exactly right.  The OOB kids don't get in unless there are available slots after all the IB kids are placed.  What OP really is arguing for is that her school's PS and PK classes remain under-enrolled rather that be filled with kids who are IB at JKLM.  Which is, of course, ridiculous.  She's also claiming that the presence is these children results in underprepared IB kindergarteners.  Equally ridiculous. 
[/quote]

Okay, I think you have completely misunderstood what some folks have been arguing.  I'm not sure I buy their argument, but I don't think you should misrepresent it (I assume unintentionally).  I think what they are arguing is that Upper NW families apply in droves to Lower NW school PK slots because they don't have PK3 and cannot get in to their own schools for PK4.  These schools have slots because they do not have enough IB families to take all of the PK slots so they have OOB slots available.  Because so many families apply, many of Upper NW families take the OOB slots at Lower NW schools for PK, but then leave the school at K when they have rights to there own school.  The Lower NW schools then take new OOB children from other parts of the city at K.  Some posters have suggested that these new OOB families are less well prepared -- why hasn't been said, but let's be charitable and say it is because the programs in their previous schools weren't as rigorous, were not as well funded or well run, or that the move from one school to another was disruptive to them.  Also implied is that this churn is disruptive to the school.  Friendships are broken, classroom dynamics shaken up, etc..  Finally, unsaid here, but definitely on other threads, is that the Upper NW families are not as invested in the school -- don't volunteer or give, because they know they are leaving.  So I am skeptical of these arguments, but I wouldn't call them ridiculous.  Why the OOB children coming in at K should be underprepared is not clear, but if they are coming from schools with substantially lower test scores, which is likely, it is at least plausible.  Is shifting a bunch of children in and out of the school disruptive?  Probably a little.  Would the Upper NW families probably invest less because they are short-timers?  Probably true too, though they might be able/willing to give more than other families with less means.[/quote]

There are some things about this post that I agree with and other things I disagree with.

Firstly, it has not been my experience that the upper NW families at our lower NW Title 1 school are not invested in the school. What I have observed is that even the families who are not active participants in school activities (don't regularly attend PTA meetings, don't volunteer in the classroom, don't come to midday school events) contribute financially, which is frankly very helpful in a school where 50%+ kids are "at risk." We had people donating $100, $250 to the PTA at the beginning of the year who I have never seen again. I value those contributions, even if I know that I cannot count on them again next year. That $100 sponsors a kindergarten field trip. That $250 helps pay for pizza for evening school events, which we then do not charge for.

As for the disruption that occurs when families leave the school, I can't disagree with that, but frankly, this is a very transient city. People move around for a lot of reasons, so there will always be someone coming to school one year and not the next. I think the issue is not WOTP OOBers "taking seats from" (quotes because the WOTP OOBers have as much right to and chance of being offered those seats as any other OOB kid in the city) neighborhood kids that is the problem. It's those kids "taking seats from" kids in adjacent neighborhoods who are more likely to stay. That said, those kids also have an IB school that they might prefer. Unless you are entering the OOB lottery because you really and truly are not willing to attend your IB school, there's always the possibility that a 3/4yo student will not return for kindergarten.

I do not approve the resentment and feuds between families about school. It doesn't do right by any of our kids, regardless of whether you live in a housing project or a million dollar mansion. I personally believe that it is important to contribute as much as you are willing/able, for as long as you are around. If that's one school year, I really appreciate the families who show up for events and write checks for that year. If it's for more than one year, I am just as grateful every time. The contributions to our school made in PK3 and PK4 of the family who leaves to go to their IB WOTP school for kindergarten are not negated by their departure. Stop sniping at each other about this. There are better battles to fight.[/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