Anonymous wrote:Is it possible it's worse now because of testing? My kids don't go to Janney but specials teachers proctor DC CAPE which leads to weird coverage arrangements and more TV than usual when teachers/subs are covering specials that they really aren't qualified to.

Nope, at least not for our DCPS. All year long my kid has been watching what prob amounts to 2-3 hours/day of YouTube etc. in classrooms/specials/aftercare. Most of what they watch seems to have little educational value. It's one though not the only reason we're trying to leave.

The rate of watching shows at janney is atrocious. It happens not just in specials but regular classrooms.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're not going to change this--it's been going on for year.
Like it or leave for private school.

Plenty of screens in private school.

The use of shows is absolutely not the same at privates. Specials that have kids staring at a screen and not engaging with the teacher is a public school thing, which worsened after 2021. It is atrocious that teachers would show television clips every single class. Again not for home room teachers but specials. Why bother having specials? Give the kids the option to go and read in the library instead of you are not going to teach them.

Is it possible it's worse now because of testing? My kids don't go to Janney but specials teachers proctor DC CAPE which leads to weird coverage arrangements and more TV than usual when teachers/subs are covering specials that they really aren't qualified to.

Anonymous wrote:You're not going to change this--it's been going on for year.
Like it or leave for private school.

Plenty of screens in private school.

Anonymous wrote:My kid watched a movie today in music at Janney. So much for hands on! Ugh get the screens out of schools.

Yes my child just told me the same thing. They were given the choice of movie or play on a synthesizer. What?

My kid watches way too much tv at her school. She’s learned a lot this year but they use screens way too often at DCPS elementary schools.

Private schools show movies too. It is just part of life.

Anonymous wrote:You're not going to change this--it's been going on for year.
Like it or leave for private school.

Must be hard going through life seeing things only as two extremes...

You're not going to change this--it's been going on for year.
Like it or leave for private school.

I’ve seen it happen at a few of the schools My kids attended over the years. As part of my job, when I visit schools, I see teachers on their phones while their students are working—not schools like Janney, but still. I feel very divided about the degree to which teacher self-care, which I think is needed, overlaps with practices that I think are bad for kids and a bad example for them as well. I wonder if administrators feel like they can’t hold a tough line with this or they’ll lose teachers….I don’t know, but it stinks.

My kid watched a movie today in music at Janney. So much for hands on! Ugh get the screens out of schools.

Which grade? Which specials? Worked there for a year and this happened never happened. Every single special was filled with hands-on activities. I learned a lot.

Anonymous wrote:We have two kids at janney and it seems every single day they come home and share they have watched shows during specials. Realizing this is a public school, how is it appropriate to ok watching shows daily? How is this providing educational value to students, given the frequency of the use. I understand occasional mixed media use, but this is happening on a daily basis. Do others have similar thoughts or agree it is appropriate?

I agree.

We have two kids at janney and it seems every single day they come home and share they have watched shows during specials. Realizing this is a public school, how is it appropriate to ok watching shows daily? How is this providing educational value to students, given the frequency of the use. I understand occasional mixed media use, but this is happening on a daily basis. Do others have similar thoughts or agree it is appropriate?