Reply to Parent Essay critical of DCI

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]In theory, you'd promptly push back, but in practice, tangling with a school constantly is exhausting and often pointless.  '

I sympathize with the mom and think she makes valid points in her article.  In fact, I thought that the article was brave, given that it's really easy to figure out that she's writing about experiences with a DCI education.

There's far too much whitewashing of glaring rigor issues in our public middle schools, other than at BASIS, with it hopeless facilities (no real gym, stage, outdoor space or even a school library).[/quote]

DCI is printed right at the end of the article.  I appreciated her willingness to publicly call out the school.  Far too often parents are afraid of doing so.[/quote]

She was a coward. She didn’t address the problem with her kids, just wrote an article wondering why dci didn’t do her part in raising her kids.

It is exhausting to motivate kids, especially after a hard day at work, but you have to do it.  [/quote]

So what you are saying is that teachers are useless and add almost most value to in classroom education? Parents just need to supplement, make the lesson plans, choose all the reading materials, quiz their kids etc.  Teachers keep telling us how critical their job is but according to you, they are pointless. Its up to parents to do all the teaching. No degree needed.[/quote]

That’s not what I’m saying at all.

I said address the problem by speaking to the teachers about your concern and the fact that your kids aren’t motivated. If they’re not responsive, go up the chain. And as a parent, both mom and dad should be motivating their kids on their end. No one in my family went to college and I have a PhD. The kids are ultimately responsible for their lives and if they don’t understand the consequences of not working hard, then they will be the only one to pay. Writing a poorly written article about how the school is racist doesn’t help anyone. Maybe mom should focus less on her headshot and more on prodding her kids. Dad seems totally checked out. [/quote]
Did you even read the article? The parents, both of them, did speak to the teachers. They do check the assignments. She cites multiple problems: the work is not challenging, the material is not engaging, the teachers aren't holding kids accountable, and the teachers aren't bringing issues with the kids' performance to the attention of the parents in time to make corrections.

I am so grateful to the parent for this point of view--we are an upper elementary family at a DCI feeder and this article is giving me serious pause. I get that DCI needs to address the needs of kids who aren't on grade level, but there are scores of feeder kids coming up every year who ARE on grade level and are going to need more rigor and better accountability from DCI staff and administration.[/quote]

Everything PP said in the above paragraphs, parents would already know without depending on the teacher if they are actively following their kids work.  If a teacher has 25-40 kids in the classroom, how do you expect them to hold each and every kid accountable? It starts at home.

I hold her accountable for letting things slide with her kids and them being lazy doing the minimum which by the way she accepts.  If you can’t handle the the reality of what it’s like in DC schools, then move or go private.[/quote]

NP:  She is complaining that her kids can watch YouTube videos and be generally uninterested during school, and it is just fine with the teachers and doesn’t impact their performance.  That is on the school!

She and her husband pay attention and push the kids at home, but she can’t control the school’s requirements and expectations.

Meanwhile, her sons were engaged students until DCI.  Her parenting practices didn’t change — the school did.

I think it is an insightful, well-written, and troubling essay.[/quote]

Come on and you think kids at other schools are not watching YouTube, on the internet, etc.,???  You are not in reality if you don’t think so.

How do you know they were engaged students till DC?  It seems to me you are making many assumptions.  I would say likely not if they are watching YouTube and not paying attention.  Their attitude towards school is terrible.

Also nope they are not pushing the kids at school.  It is obvious that she is accepting the minimum from the article.

I would say you are making too many statements without facts.  In fact, the article supports otherwise.

My kid would be paying attention in school.  My kid would discuss with me and the teacher if she needed more challenging work.  I could go on.  They are doing poor parenting period.[/quote]

DP.  What is your perspective? How old are your kids, are they in DCPS?

I'm curious where we're all coming from, in our responses to the article.[/quote]

I, too, wonder how old the kids are of some of these posters! I would not punish my kid for saying, these books are basic (they are), nor would I force him to read books too easy for him (what is the point of that?). By upper elementary and middle school, we should be encouraging independent thinking, accountability, and striving to do better, not punishing our kids for wanting more challenging options. We spend every summer doing summer reading, handwriting and math to keep the summer slide at bay. I would be PISSED if I flogged my kid to work hard on a summer essay assignment and it wasn't graded or even acknowledged. As the author points out, it sends a terrible message to the kids about the value of their work.

Sure I agree to encourage above.  But do you really think her kids are accountable and striving to do better?  I think not with their attitude in the article.  Kid says books too basic and parent accepts it.  Kid doesn’t say I’ would like to read harder books and neither does she do anything about it like do a list of harder books.

Accountability is a 2 way street.  It’s not just teachers.  It’s obvious to me kids are doing minimum and that’s it.

[/quote][/quote]
How do you know she didn't do anything about the books? The accompanying photo literally shows the kids in a bookstore and she comments on what they were allowed to choose! I agree that the kids are trying to get away with the minimum (hello, this is nearly every middle schooler I know) but the school should at least provide some reading options that challenge students who are on grade level and grade the damn homework. Surely we can agree that curriculum and grading is the responsibility of the school?????

[/quote]

How do you know that the kids weren’t being challenged?  It’s only the deluded mom who thinks the books are “too basic”. [/quote]

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