Anonymous
04/05/2013 22:11
Subject: Re:What would you do? My good kid pays the price.
Regarding transfer kids, a different POV -
We were assigned a Title 1 school, (30 minutes away by bus) because that would "improve" the demographics of the Title 1 school. There were 11 ES closer to our home. Over the years, majority of our neighborhood kids transferred to other schools or private schools. Transfers were very hard to secure because MCPS wanted us to go to the Title 1 school.
Anyhow, when said school did not meet the MSAs for a number of years we were allowed a school choice. Every single child who transferred to the new school was from a demographic that the Title 1 school did not want to lose. Why did others parents not avail of this opportunity? MCPS did not provide busing to the transfers - which pretty much meant that only parents who could afford to drive their kids to school and pick them up chose the new school. The new school was the winner in this situation. It got an influx of high performing students, very involved parents and very few discipline problems. It also got additional funding to take care of the transfers. These students were also not in need of any other services like Free and Reduced meals or other intervention classes.
I understand the frustration of the OP regarding disruptive students. However - to blame it on transfer students is immature. You could have badly behaved kids from any neighborhood. In our case - the transfers have actually benefited the school.
We were assigned a Title 1 school, (30 minutes away by bus) because that would "improve" the demographics of the Title 1 school. There were 11 ES closer to our home. Over the years, majority of our neighborhood kids transferred to other schools or private schools. Transfers were very hard to secure because MCPS wanted us to go to the Title 1 school.
Anyhow, when said school did not meet the MSAs for a number of years we were allowed a school choice. Every single child who transferred to the new school was from a demographic that the Title 1 school did not want to lose. Why did others parents not avail of this opportunity? MCPS did not provide busing to the transfers - which pretty much meant that only parents who could afford to drive their kids to school and pick them up chose the new school. The new school was the winner in this situation. It got an influx of high performing students, very involved parents and very few discipline problems. It also got additional funding to take care of the transfers. These students were also not in need of any other services like Free and Reduced meals or other intervention classes.
I understand the frustration of the OP regarding disruptive students. However - to blame it on transfer students is immature. You could have badly behaved kids from any neighborhood. In our case - the transfers have actually benefited the school.
Anonymous
04/05/2013 10:42
Subject: What would you do? My good kid pays the price.
My son was "that guy" when he was in kindergarten. He is a fun and very active boy with some sensory processing qualities that make it very hard for him to sit still for more than about 18 seconds, especially when he is thinking. His 60 year old, hard working teacher drew on her decades of experience to do what she could to help him and to help the other kids not get too distraction. We got to talk to her a lot. She was limited by things beyond her control like outdoor recess getting cancelled almost half the time for the kindergartners because of snow, rain, chance of snow, chance of rain, wind or not having enough staff. Being inside for 6 hours did not make for a easy day.
In the end, we realized that 21st century Montgomery County schools were not the place for a boy like him and, in the end, we homeschool him.
Some kids (usually boys) just can't be managed by the system. Apologies to those other kids in the class.
In the end, we realized that 21st century Montgomery County schools were not the place for a boy like him and, in the end, we homeschool him.
Some kids (usually boys) just can't be managed by the system. Apologies to those other kids in the class.