Reply to Boundary study question

Forum Index » DC Public and Public Charter Schools

Reply to "Boundary study question"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP again. New question for you guys, who all seem very helpful and apparently live near me: Could we (the Ward 2 parent community) agitate for Shaw/Euclid MS to have an IB program?

I love Thomson's! The reason we have the option to go to Jefferson is apparently so we can continue it, but it never materialized there, or did and then went away.

At Thomson, all kids get IB prep. I'm not sure if it's the same way at the middle school level or not...I think it is, at least in some subjects?

A lot of Thomson kids end up at Banneker which also has IB, but right now the only middle school option in the city (I think) is at Deal, which would be an insane commute if we somehow lotteried in. I love the deeper thinking and rigor of IB and would love for my kid to continue it after ES.

Would be way more enthused about Shaw/Euclid Middle if it was offered there. I bet the Garrison/Seaton parents would like it too.

Sorry I realize I'm now getting off my own topic and that the new middle won't open for a long time.

Thanks again for your responses DCUM! Super helpful and reassuring! [/quote]

Eliot Hine middle school and Eastern High school both have IB/IB middle years. That is interesting. Your elementary school has IB early years, so far I don't think any of Eastern's feeder schools have that. I am the PP who is on the boundary committee, and this is one of the things we are talking about, how to balance program options across the city. I think it makes sense to have a middle school and high school to have IB programs in multiple parts of the city, so parents don't have to travel far if they choose that option.[/quote]

OP here. I didn't know Eliot-Hine had IB! That's good to hear, though it is a bit far for Thomson families, even for us in the Walker-Jones district. (We live very close to W-J, wish it was a better school). I'm not sure how hard it E-S to lottery into, seems to be getting more popular. Would you ever consider a preference for kids coming from IB elementaries to go to middles with IB?

I personally think the IB for all approach works at Thomson, that's how it's designed at the elementary level. By high school, I understand every kid may not be a fit for it. I confess I don't know much how it works at middle schools, whether it's for everyone, some kids, or a hybrid. But either way, I'd love to see it at Shaw/Euclid if that's where Thomson is redistricted to. In fact, I'd love to see it at SWW@FS, which we are already districted for. Pretty sure they use pre-AP which I don't think is as strong, even though regular AP is great.

Again, thanks for engaging with us! Would love your help in ensuring Thomson thrives despite lower enrollment during this period of uncertainty for the downtown area. Thanks again for letting me know it's unlikely to close! Please come back to this thread and update if that somehow changes. [/quote]

The problem is, OP, "IB for all" but without holding kids to the workload and performance and participation standards, means that it's not really IB anymore. At the elementary level, which is more teacher-driven, it's manageable if the teacher is good at in-class differentiation. But at the middle school level, with some kids several years above grade and some kids several years behind, it's much harder for a teacher to do. It's only really possible with two teachers in the classroom at the same time, one focused on special needs.  DCPS likes to say things like "IB for all" but they're not willing to back it up with funding and staffing. Middle school-age parents know this, and that's why DCPS middle schools are so unpopular. Until DCPS is willing to spend the money and do the quality control, and stop blowing smoke at parents with happy talk and buzz words, nothing changes.[/quote]

OP here. Gotcha - yeah, I don't know much about how IB works in middle schools. And I've heard other parents express similar frustration, even some of my friends in the burbs. I've also read articles about how GT classes end up being all white little islands in diverse schools. It seems like a super complicated issue and I honestly don't know where I stand and haven't been forced to figure it out because my kid is in elementary still.

Just to be clear though, IB (as in the national non-profit org running the program) is IB for all at the elementary level everywhere, not just in DC. That's how it is designed. I only know because my kid is at Thomson, otherwise I wouldn't have realized that! I thought at first my kid would have to test in! It's a great framework for learning and requires certain things (like foreign language and a particular teaching style) at the school. It does call for lots of differentiation, like you said. Really seems to work at Thomson which has a very diverse student body, both racially and economically. I think teaching this way is probably harder so the school has to be really committed to it.

Would love to see more an IB option at the middle school level for Thomson kids, boundary study folks! [/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