FYI - the numbers at Brooks weren't much better pre-pandemic.

According to ACPS' numbers there were 340 kids enrolled at Books last school year. 28.4% are classified as economically disadvantaged so about 98 kids. 62 kids of those kids aren't proficient in reading and 65 aren't proficient in math. I don't think that is acceptable to fail that many kids at just one school.

Please don't make excuses for ACPS. It allows them to fail the most vulnerable kids with no questions asked.

The number of students categorized as economically disadvantaged at Brooks may be smaller than at other schools. A handful of students who do not pass will more significantly affect the pass rate than at a school with a larger denominator. That said, many schools are still suffering from the pandemic. Cora Kelly, a school which is also small in terms of total student population managed 43 percent on the mathematics pass rate for students who are economically disadvantaged.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I could be wrong but I think the uniforms at Brooks (former Maury) and LCTA were instituted by the principals there. That may be the variable.

More concerning is why LCTA is allowed to be the only elem school that uses the Core Knowledge while others don’t. Is an issue of equity that no one I’ve ever broached the subject with is interested in discussing.

Maury is a shadowed of what it was under Jackson's leadership. That guy Powell undid every success she created.

Way to get in your digs at every opportunity. My kid is thriving at Brooks (Maury), and so are the many other Brooks students that we know. Yes, we loved Mrs. Jackson when our older kid was there, but our younger child has had a great experience so far. We were fine with uniforms, but kiddo much prefers to choose her own outfits.

That's great that your kid is thriving and so are the ones you know. But that isn't what other kids are experiencing at the school so please be respectful of that. Some people aren't just satisfied if their kid is doing great and would like to see all kids thrive.

Last school year, only 37% of economically disadvantaged kids were proficient in reading. 33% were proficient in math. 29% in science.

Public school uniforms are associated with schools for poors.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I could be wrong but I think the uniforms at Brooks (former Maury) and LCTA were instituted by the principals there. That may be the variable.

More concerning is why LCTA is allowed to be the only elem school that uses the Core Knowledge while others don’t. Is an issue of equity that no one I’ve ever broached the subject with is interested in discussing.

Maury is a shadowed of what it was under Jackson's leadership. That guy Powell undid every success she created.

Way to get in your digs at every opportunity. My kid is thriving at Brooks (Maury), and so are the many other Brooks students that we know. Yes, we loved Mrs. Jackson when our older kid was there, but our younger child has had a great experience so far. We were fine with uniforms, but kiddo much prefers to choose her own outfits.

Anonymous wrote:We are at one such school in Alexandria and the principal is pushing uniforms heavily this year. It’s causing a lot of anxiety for my autistic sensory sensitive kiddo. I wish they’d just drop it if it isn’t required or enforceable. I don’t even understand how it’s equitable since poor families have to buy them, maintain/replace them, and wash them. Where is it stated that it’s optional?

At our ACPS elementary school where uniforms are basically mandatory, there is a free uniform locker for gently used (and sometimes new) uniform items. Another uniform school has a uniform exchange before school begins. Our family is lower income than most and finds the uniforms less expensive than buying an entire wardrobe.

We are at one such school in Alexandria and the principal is pushing uniforms heavily this year. It’s causing a lot of anxiety for my autistic sensory sensitive kiddo. I wish they’d just drop it if it isn’t required or enforceable. I don’t even understand how it’s equitable since poor families have to buy them, maintain/replace them, and wash them. Where is it stated that it’s optional?

ACPS has a voluntary uniform policy. Even the schools that adopt them can’t require them, they are still optional.

Anonymous wrote:I could be wrong but I think the uniforms at Brooks (former Maury) and LCTA were instituted by the principals there. That may be the variable.

More concerning is why LCTA is allowed to be the only elem school that uses the Core Knowledge while others don’t. Is an issue of equity that no one I’ve ever broached the subject with is interested in discussing.

Maury is a shadowed of what it was under Jackson's leadership. That guy Powell undid every success she created.

My child attended two different ACPS elementary schools that purportedly required uniforms but many students did not wear them.

It's on a school by school basis. We voted on it when my child attend Charles Barrett years and years ago. The vote was overwhelmingly not in favor of uniforms.

If you feel strongly about it, start talking to other parents in your school and approach the principal.

Anonymous wrote:I could be wrong but I think the uniforms at Brooks (former Maury) and LCTA were instituted by the principals there. That may be the variable.

More concerning is why LCTA is allowed to be the only elem school that uses the Core Knowledge while others don’t. Is an issue of equity that no one I’ve ever broached the subject with is interested in discussing.

Equity is more of a theory at ACPS than an actual practice.

If ACPS had any real interest in equity, Core Knowledge would be implemented all the ES but especially at low performing schools like George Mason, Mount Vernon and Brooks. Proficiency scores for economically disadvantaged students at those schools continue to be some of the worst in the city.

I could be wrong but I think the uniforms at Brooks (former Maury) and LCTA were instituted by the principals there. That may be the variable.

More concerning is why LCTA is allowed to be the only elem school that uses the Core Knowledge while others don’t. Is an issue of equity that no one I’ve ever broached the subject with is interested in discussing.

There was a period back in the 1990s when leading educators thought that uniforms would help with increasing academic performance at lower performing schools. This is why a lot of the East of the Park DCPS schools have uniforms, but the ones in Upper NW don’t. ACPS also adopted that philosophy for some of its schools and it’s one “traditional” academy. APS experimented with optional uniforms at one very high ESL school but the uniforms were unpopular with the students; so that didn’t last long at all.

Anyone know why only certain elementary schools in Alexandria require uniforms? Seems like it should be an all-in situation.