Reply to Can anyone update me on Shaw Middle and parent involvement?

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Reply to "Can anyone update me on Shaw Middle and parent involvement?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]A "baby" here from Garrison (PK4 parent) who is committed and looking forward to working with other parents on our middle school.  Since there are people on this thread who say they have been in the fight for a while and gave up, I'd love to hear any lessons learned from past middle school reform efforts - other than that this is a hopeless cause.

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Unfortunately, after many years of trying to help in this effort, I would say the only lessons that I have learned is to never trust a single word that anyone at DCPS ever says and to get used to the fact that as soon as you see something that has the potential to work, they will kill it instantly.  Over and over this has happened just in the 7 or so years I've been paying attention at almost every school.  The issue is not a lack of involved prearents or a lack of cohesion amongst them, the issue is DCPS structure and the messed up DCPS politics.  There is no way that any of this will change before your kids are in middle school, but good for you for trying.  It does take persistent effort.  I have other child-positive projects I have been working on for the same period of time, which I know won't be realized before my children have outgrown them, but I also know they won't happen if I don't keep pressing on them.  It would be great if others would do the same with the schools.  But the problem is that you get your heart in it, you throw yourself in over and over again, and then they destroy it, breaking you down again and again and then your heart breaks as you read about the new people who are setting themselves up for the same disappointment.  This is a top down problem, and the top has not changed, so nothing you do will matter.

The only real reform that I have seen is in charters.  Start one or join one and then throw yourself in there as that is the only way to actually help the children of this city.  I now focus my time on my children's charter, and I see the benefits daily.  I see how things actually improve based on our work, and I see all the children, including a fairly high percentage of FARMS children who would otherwise be stuck at failing DCPS schools, benefit directly from our efforts.  Not so with any effort within DCPS.

Good luck with whatever you do.  I hope you prove me wrong.  But make sure you are strong if you are going to throw yourself in because they will raise you up and beat you down, again and again.  Be prepared.[/quote]

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