Wait, you seriously think the reason DCPS schools are failing is because you can't get the teacher on the phone?

I doubt that my parents called school once during my entire public school education.

Step out of the helicopter.

my daughter is in a DCPS high school. Admin answers emails. teachers call and email us when needed. communication is great. but that's just one high school in a city system.

If things are really bad at your particular school go to the next level and complain to the PTA and DCPS....cc Henderson etc.
but make sure you do this because there really is an issue. If you're just bugging them and they are trying to politely ignore you.... it could come back to haunt you.

<i>Please, don't say a returned phone call from the school would solidfy your participation. Get it!!! </i>

How about a phone call to set up a meeting? Or to enquire about the best time to visit, or to clarify the myriad of contradictory information that person or persons have provided about school policies and procedures ?

I share the poster's concern about poor communication. If I contact the DCPS hotline, the principal, and the primary DCPS point of contact for one school in question (a single question on enrollment procedure and not "chit chat"), I get both contradictory information and repeatedly unreturned calls and e-mails. This is coming from an engaged and not "fussy" parent.

I want good public schools (I have good IB ones btw), but I can see the appeals of some of the charter options beyond early elementary.

They don't call me back is such a small fish in a bigger pond of items that is school related.

We have parents who will exhaust all mechanisms to participate in the lottery system. Yet, when it is time to talk all they rely upon is the phone. What duh? Come on lazy is what lazy does at this point of the game. If you don't have the time to visit and talk about your child then conversating over the phone is window-dressing.

Chit-chatting over the phone doesn't help you see and memorialize the necessary data or work of your child. A visual of what a child does or does not do can help with all questions and answer periods.


As you describe yourself as a fussy parent. What would it take for you to be a visible and involved parent? Please, don't say a returned phone call from the school would solidfy your participation. Get it!!!

I am happy to hear that you are happy with the schools you deal with. That is indeed the ideal situation. But I don't think I am being unreasonable by saying this, when the teachers fail to respond to phone calls or e-mails after numerous requests, or a main office clerk who has absolutely no idea about the school event that day. You seem like the type to like labeling people based on a very immature observation. I am no way near a fussy parent by comparison to other parents I share information with at school. In fact, I am told that I am not vocal enough, or I am not expressing strongly enough for the school staff to take seriously. They tend to respond to vocal parents first. I would love to have a conversation with them, but if they don't call me back, then there's no way I can have that with them. I agree with you that it is a 2-way communication. But if they don't feed "back," I can't keep talking by myself.

I can't take someone seriously who starts a thread suggesting an entire school system is failing because her emails are not being answered and that some person who answered the phone in the office didn't know about a school event.

Geez, if you generalize from your experience at one school and use inflammatory language like that in the subject line, I'm inclined to think there might be something else going on. I'm guessing you are either difficult to deal with and/or you have an agenda. Sorry, but I can't take your post seriously. And btw, we have found the administrators at our (EoP) DCPS very responsive.

As a teacher, I can attest that one of the reasons is the many students with multiple Special Education and behavioral issues in the classroom and lack of supports in place to deal with them. It just takes "one"; but imagine having 13 out of 17 in one class and you are a mainstream teacher. Add into the mix, students who are on probation, frequently suspended, have poor attendance, substance abusers, etc. The list is endless in high school. Consider how the students who do not have issues feel. Do you think you would want to come to school on a regular basis or would you become truant? Additionally, teachers are overwhelmed with demands about IMPACT that fail to address that many students from low socioeconomic environments are so behind that they need years of remedial work to catch up. I don't know about middle or elementary, but many high school teachers are burnt out and burning the midnight oil on a regular basis trying to support these students any way they can. We are not just teachers; we are social workers, parents, counselors, and mentors to many of our students but none of that counts because the public, media, and DCPS (central office) do not acknowledge that poverty is an issue.

PP, it sounds like there's a problem in your school. Other schools (including Title 1 & other EoP schools) have good communication in place.

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It takes two to conversate. But if you are feeling that your are looked upon as a fussy parent, then BINGO. There's a parent who's getting responses to their needs and wants, just observe and follow the lead of those parents.

Yes, there are no I in the word team but there's a "m" and "e", so you have to remember it just might be "me" who's not the team player.

I don't think DCPS is failing, I just find the opposite that there are those who are failing to realize it is not always about them personally.[/quote]

I am happy to hear that you are happy with the schools you deal with. That is indeed the ideal situation. But I don't think I am being unreasonable by saying this, when the teachers fail to respond to phone calls or e-mails after numerous requests, or a main office clerk who has absolutely no idea about the school event that day. You seem like the type to like labeling people based on a very immature observation. I am no way near a fussy parent by comparison to other parents I share information with at school. In fact, I am told that I am not vocal enough, or I am not expressing strongly enough for the school staff to take seriously. They tend to respond to vocal parents first. I would love to have a conversation with them, but if they don't call me back, then there's no way I can have that with them. I agree with you that it is a 2-way communication. But if they don't feed "back," I can't keep talking by myself. [/quote]

Go to the school and talk with the teacher directly.[/quote] Don't you mean "conversate?"

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It takes two to conversate. But if you are feeling that your are looked upon as a fussy parent, then BINGO. There's a parent who's getting responses to their needs and wants, just observe and follow the lead of those parents.

Yes, there are no I in the word team but there's a "m" and "e", so you have to remember it just might be "me" who's not the team player.

I don't think DCPS is failing, I just find the opposite that there are those who are failing to realize it is not always about them personally.[/quote]

I am happy to hear that you are happy with the schools you deal with. That is indeed the ideal situation. But I don't think I am being unreasonable by saying this, when the teachers fail to respond to phone calls or e-mails after numerous requests, or a main office clerk who has absolutely no idea about the school event that day. You seem like the type to like labeling people based on a very immature observation. I am no way near a fussy parent by comparison to other parents I share information with at school. In fact, I am told that I am not vocal enough, or I am not expressing strongly enough for the school staff to take seriously. They tend to respond to vocal parents first. I would love to have a conversation with them, but if they don't call me back, then there's no way I can have that with them. I agree with you that it is a 2-way communication. But if they don't feed "back," I can't keep talking by myself. [/quote]

Go to the school and talk with the teacher directly.

Well, having grown up in the area, I think DCPS is actually doing pretty well these days. I mean compared to years when they couldn't even get schools opened on time for the school year, didn't have books, etc. There are actually some schools now that are good.

[quote=Anonymous]It takes two to conversate. But if you are feeling that your are looked upon as a fussy parent, then BINGO. There's a parent who's getting responses to their needs and wants, just observe and follow the lead of those parents.

Yes, there are no I in the word team but there's a "m" and "e", so you have to remember it just might be "me" who's not the team player.

I don't think DCPS is failing, I just find the opposite that there are those who are failing to realize it is not always about them personally.[/quote]

I am happy to hear that you are happy with the schools you deal with. That is indeed the ideal situation. But I don't think I am being unreasonable by saying this, when the teachers fail to respond to phone calls or e-mails after numerous requests, or a main office clerk who has absolutely no idea about the school event that day. You seem like the type to like labeling people based on a very immature observation. I am no way near a fussy parent by comparison to other parents I share information with at school. In fact, I am told that I am not vocal enough, or I am not expressing strongly enough for the school staff to take seriously. They tend to respond to vocal parents first. I would love to have a conversation with them, but if they don't call me back, then there's no way I can have that with them. I agree with you that it is a 2-way communication. But if they don't feed "back," I can't keep talking by myself.

It takes two to conversate. But if you are feeling that your are looked upon as a fussy parent, then BINGO. There's a parent who's getting responses to their needs and wants, just observe and follow the lead of those parents.

Yes, there are no I in the word team but there's a "m" and "e", so you have to remember it just might be "me" who's not the team player.

I don't think DCPS is failing, I just find the opposite that there are those who are failing to realize it is not always about them personally.

Dealing with the challenges of so many students that are living in poverty.

There are many reasons, but my top reason is the absolute lack of communication. It is so difficult to get a teacher or an administration to respond to my phone calls/e-mails. Often I have to call or e-mail several times before I can get an answer. So frustrating. Do you actually let them know that you are frustrated with them or how they are failing? I feel like they are looking at me as a fussy parent, if I express my opinion.