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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Is there a way to close this thread? I think the two of you are basically agreeing. The anonymity of this forum makes things impossible. There WERE people on this thread earlier that were making judgmental and negative comments about schools with certain test scores, and assuming the intentions of parents who sent their kids there. There were negative comments made about the behavior of parents who send their kids to IB schools, calling them preachy and acting for political reasons. Doesn't sound like that was you, given your recent posts. Parents have the right and opportunity to send their kids wherever is best for them. We need to stop cutting each other down and bickering, and assuming or judging people for their choices, full stop. [/quote]

I don't get why UMC CH parents bother with DCPS options after 5th grade. Yes, it's nice to send your kid to a walkable school with a few old friends, but beyond that, the appeal is lost on me, a CH resident since the 90s.

I made a point of visiting the 3 CH middle schools this school year, on weekdays days when students were in the buildings. [b]I've talked to a number of high SES IB parents who send their children to each and still don't see the appeal. [/b]

These programs don't offer designated test-in "honors" (grade level) classes, other than for math and ELA at SH. The hallways and playgrounds are rowdy (at least by my standards), the student bodies can be described as diverse, and pre-Covid scores were alarming overall in each case. Most worrying, senior admins seem to quit on a regular basis.

Granted, my comments are "negative," slam me for that, but I visited the schools looking for positives. [/quote]

What were the reasons these parents gave you for why they are sending their kids to the schools?[/quote]

*Admins gave impressive presentations at open houses/evidence of strong leadership. 
*Neighborhood school better than long commute to charter from CH (especially DCI, hour-long commute by public transportation).
*Effective differentiation in the classroom with "appropriate" challenge provided in core subjects.
*School buildings/campus nicely renovated recently = good facilities. 
*Multiple friends from DCPS elementary school going.
*School offered particularly good SpEd help for rising 6th grader with special needs.

Reasons unsaid by parents that I suspect (though probably not all these reasons in case of a particular family):

*Helping to desegregate overwhelmingly AA/Latino DCPS neighborhood school as white family a priority vis a vis parents' politics. Some IB parents I spoke to clearly anti-charter.
*Child didn't get into Latin or BASIS and possibly Inspired Teaching, Two Rivers, CHML via lottery; prospects of getting off WLs before Oct. Count Day poor. 
*Parents involved in ES PTA efforts to make the middle school feed work for one or more years prior to enrolling. Liked group spirit of PTA parents advocating for IB enrollment at the school. 
*Would have gone w/a private/parochial school if could have afforded for all children in family. 
*Parents not interested and/or able to homeschool for MS.[/quote]

What makes you discount all the actual reasons they gave you??  Those all sound like good, normal reasons to send your kid to a neighborhood school. [/quote]

For the last time the test scores and overall student body are frankly abysmal.  Look the only people sending their kids their are bleeding heart liberals with white guilt who have no idea what is actually best for their children.  Asian, black, and hispanic folks of means know better.[/quote]

My kid goes to one of these schools. I don’t profess to know the politics of every parent at the school, but those who I do know are, in general, no more liberal than your average DC resident. If I had to label my own politics, I’d call myself a moderate Democrat (think Joe Manchin).

I’m not sending my high-achieving kid to this school to make a political statement or anything like that. I’m sending him there because I think the program, the principal and and the teachers are great. If 2019 PARCC overall scores were the only thing that mattered, there would be no point in having these discussions, because we are all presumably capable of looking those up ourselves.

[/quote]

Here is your chance. Please explain what you find *great* about the middle school program.  Faculty at DCPS schools are very often fantastic people. Why do you feel drawn to the program?[/quote]

Please explain what is great about the teachers, and also why the test scores are so bad despite having great teachers.  Really, I would love for the teachers to be great, but surely you can be a little more specific.  Are there any projects or initiatives at the school that you find impressive?  Any particularly good programs?[/quote]

Excellent differentiation, personalized attention, etc.

Test scores are primarily a reflection of demographics, and, in general, upper-income kids at Ward 6 middle schools do just as well on the PARCC as upper-income one kids at Ward 3 middle schools.

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