Anonymous
Post 12/04/2014 12:32     Subject: Re:What's up with Garrison?
I totally agree--this sentiment about Garrison is way outdated. We're OOB and lotteried to get IN to Garrison because the early childhood program and teachers there are wonderful. We've met so many incredible families, the class is amazingly diverse and lovely, and while the building doesn't have curb appeal, it's totally fine (I mean, really--it is exactly what my elementary school looked like!) and yes, the modernization/new building is in the works. I won't pretend that we are committed to stay all the way, and frankly I think families who think they can commit that they're absolutely going to stay anywhere for the next 7-8 years when their kids are 3 are crazy, but we know Garrison is going to serve our kid well at least through K, and we're putting in some volunteer time to help things keep getting better while we're there. If you live in Logan/Shaw/U Street/Dupont and aren't IB for Ross, Garrison is a great spot for your kid that you won't regret. And I'm a convert--when I first started down the path of understanding how DCPS worked, I didn't think it was an option. Come and see--you'll probably change your mind too!!!
Anonymous
Post 12/02/2014 12:55     Subject: What's up with Garrison?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Most of the parents supporting the school don't actually send their kids there.




This! There are neighbors who genuinely want the school to succeed. Some are idealists, if foolish. Others are practical, it improves their property value. In any event, yes there is a group of neighbors who really support the school, with time and effort and even money. Just not with their own children. It's a small group, but the families with options send their children to HRCS's, OOB's, etc.



+1


Despite very secure and affordable child care through age 5yo, I entered my children in the lottery at the earliest possible time (PS-3) just to ensure that they would not end up at Garrison. I did go to visit and the prison-like, anti-child atmosphere was overwhelming. The test scores are outrageous to the point of disbelief. I'm a public school true believer, but my kids are not social experiments. The risk of pure ruin was too high.

The cadre of "new" (white, recently-arrived) parents I met at the introductory meeting seemed pretty intent on lifting the school and seemed determined to be involved in great change. That was a couple of years ago. I wonder how many of them are still there.

Shame about the principal. A 9% drop is unthinkable.



I think these posters do not have recent experience with Garrison. It is absolutely not true that the only supporters are the local neighbors. Garrison is our IB school and my child attends. From what I have witnessed, other neighborhood families that send their children to Garrison are actively involved in the school. I can understand why some families may not feel comfortable sending their children based on the test scores. And each family has to do what's right for their child. It's an individual decision. But in our case, I'm very glad we made the decision to go to Garrison. And we did have other options and declined.
Anonymous
Post 12/02/2014 10:40     Subject: Re:What's up with Garrison?
GarrisonPTA wrote:Hi there, it's me, Ann McLeod, Garrison PTA president.

I was really disappointed about the test scores. I haven't talked with the Principal about it yet so I don't know what his explanation might be. I can offer one that I am quite sure will not be adequate for DCUM but I can try.

Last year was the first year after many school closures. Our enrollment went up 20%. We received students from Prospect Learning Center which closed and so our special education percentage increased even more. So, our enrollment increase was not just because an additional PS/PK class was added, it was also from students in upper grades who came from other schools.

I've said it before and I will say it again...my son has been at Garrison since PK. He will be in 3rd grade this year. He has learned to read and do math at Garrison. I certainly did nothing to teach him this. Really, I let him watch way too much TV and have his own iPad on which he plays MineCraft way too often. His cousins who are the same age (one is the the same grade, the other is one grade above) go to school in Potomac Maryland. HE READS AND DOES MATH ON THE SAME LEVEL AS THEM. He learned it all at Garrison. Why are other students not on this same level? I don't know, they have had the same teachers. All I can really point to is that our school is 99% low income and probably 30% special education (this is a MUCH higher sp ed percentage than a lot of other Title I schools). My son is in neither of those categories and that's the difference. If my son, who has a stable home life and inherently knows school is important and that he has to listen and behave was not learning, then I would know there was a problem with the teachers or the administration or whatever other reason you want to give. But that is not the case.

As a person who has spent the majority of her free time working to support the school, it is extremely disheartening to read many of the comments about Garrison and many other similar schools. A school should not be judged on test scores alone. "Hype" about a school is not worth it if the test scores don't go up?? No school is ever going to improve unless we all support the students who are enrolled and each other and stop being so negative. If more involved families don't start attending, of course nothing will change.

So perhaps instead of asking "What's up with Garrison?" how about we ask "How can we help Garrison?" or "What is DCPS doing to help Garrison?" maybe the original poster did not mean the question in a negative way, and maybe I am reading into other posts, but it seems all of the discussion is so negative rather than trying to really figure out what is wrong and what to truly do to help the kids who need help getting to the level where they should be according to some data point.

I would give up reading DCUM but as the PTA president it is my responsibility to come here and read all of this and respond. And you can feel however you want to about what I have said, bash me, or whatever. All I know is I am trying to support the school and our students, who are such great kids, and I'm also really sad that they are not reading and doing math on grade level. I guess on a positive note, at least people are paying attention to Garrison.

Thanks,
ann



Keep in mind the N on those data tables (number of students tested) when focusing so much on test scores. What does a 5% drop or increase really mean in terms of number of students? Well, let's see, only 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students are tested. At our Title I school doomed to close at one point that added up to about 45 kids. 100%/45= 2.2%. So test results slam around by almost 5% for every 2 students who happen to cross a threshold (and it's not even an average, but fixed thresholds between quartiles!). Take in two new 'below basics' - god forbid special ed - students from another school and you're cooked. So please look at test scores with a grain of salt!

And there is more: our child attended an elementary school where the test scores hovered in the range of 20-30% proficiency (thankfully I wasn't proficient reading them back then...) and really did exceptionally well at that school. That child now a well rounded honors student in middle school excelling at most of what he touches above and beyond most kids who attended another feeder school with 60%+ proficiency. Go figure. But my explanation is simple and straightforward: In addition to what Ann outlines as "MY child does well there and isn't that what counts?", I'd say that kind of school will prove particularly adept at catering to a broad range of capabilities, including particularly advanced students. There is no doubt in my mind that our child benefited from some pretty nifty differentiation resources and techniques akin to those that are used in G&T programs to challenge advanced students. Not only that, that child of our ended up being part of every single unique opportunity. That same kid ours would have been lost in the masses at a homogeneously well off school.

So, yes, maybe our child was a social experiment, but for the better I'd say, and not just to the benefit of those around but for OUR benefit, too.
Anonymous
Post 12/02/2014 10:20     Subject: Re:What's up with Garrison?
Attrition in the upper grades are not just unique to Garrison or fill-in-the-blank DCPS with lower than desired test scoresm Ross' upper grades are just as empty. It's the feeder to the middle school that is driving families out.
Anonymous
Post 12/02/2014 09:52     Subject: What's up with Garrison?
Anonymous wrote:They want the school to succeed only because it will help their property values. It looks good on the real estate blog and local elementary within walking distance, that's the spin.


I think you're projecting too much of yourself on them. Can you think of another reason why someone would want the school to succeed? Maybe something along the lines of giving all kids a chance? Education as the solution to many problems?
Anonymous
Post 12/02/2014 09:48     Subject: Re:What's up with Garrison?
They want the school to succeed only because it will help their property values. It looks good on the real estate blog and local elementary within walking distance, that's the spin.


That's just mean-spirited on your part. I live within a couple of blocks of both Seaton and Garrison, and don't send my kids to either. I applaud Ann, and her dedication to the school is without any ulterior motive. I think what happens is that parents of PK3 kids go in really energized and ready to take on what they believe that parents like me never bothered to do, and what they learn is that their ability to change a school is very limited. This is where you get attrition in the older grades.

I would be overjoyed to see both Seaton and Garrison succeed, because it would be great for future families to have neighborhood options that would do great things to pull the community together in one school, rather than what we have now with all of the many kids traveling all over the city to their other public options.

Anonymous
Post 12/02/2014 09:43     Subject: What's up with Garrison?
They want the school to succeed only because it will help their property values. It looks good on the real estate blog and local elementary within walking distance, that's the spin.
Anonymous
Post 12/02/2014 09:35     Subject: What's up with Garrison?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:how does special ed affect test scores?




Because those kids take the same damn standardized tests. And even though they get accommodations, it's still not ideal for them, and they don't do as well as typical kids. It sucks for the kids, and it sucks for the teachers too. Testing sucks.


I think it's actually more complicated than that. Special ed cas scores are used in the formula, but not counted alongside the non special ed scores as you describe. Anyway it's all moot now that DC is switching to parcc.
Anonymous
Post 12/02/2014 09:34     Subject: What's up with Garrison?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Most of the parents supporting the school don't actually send their kids there.




This! There are neighbors who genuinely want the school to succeed. Some are idealists, if foolish. Others are practical, it improves their property value. In any event, yes there is a group of neighbors who really support the school, with time and effort and even money. Just not with their own children. It's a small group, but the families with options send their children to HRCS's, OOB's, etc.



+1


Despite very secure and affordable child care through age 5yo, I entered my children in the lottery at the earliest possible time (PS-3) just to ensure that they would not end up at Garrison. I did go to visit and the prison-like, anti-child atmosphere was overwhelming. The test scores are outrageous to the point of disbelief. I'm a public school true believer, but my kids are not social experiments. The risk of pure ruin was too high.

The cadre of "new" (white, recently-arrived) parents I met at the introductory meeting seemed pretty intent on lifting the school and seemed determined to be involved in great change. That was a couple of years ago. I wonder how many of them are still there.

Shame about the principal. A 9% drop is unthinkable.

Anonymous
Post 12/02/2014 09:18     Subject: What's up with Garrison?
Anonymous wrote:how does special ed affect test scores?




Because those kids take the same damn standardized tests. And even though they get accommodations, it's still not ideal for them, and they don't do as well as typical kids. It sucks for the kids, and it sucks for the teachers too. Testing sucks.