Anonymous wrote:My sense, as a parent, is that it takes an extremely well qualified teacher with the right conditions and lots of support in order to pull off the kind of differentiated instruction required in most DCPS settings.

And in general, academic-wise, I think stronger students benefit from pull-outs/tracking while struggling students benefit from non-tracked classes.

Anonymous wrote:Just b/c pullout groups are popular w/parents doesn't mean they're the best teaching practice. I'd prefer a principal rely on his/her own expertise versus do whatever keeps the squeaky wheels happy.

IME, I've seen ability grouping work with math (not saying it's necessary, but I'm open to it), but I don't know that it makes much sense with reading. As 7:05 mentioned, it's not too difficult to have kids reading at different levels, assigned different spelling lists, etc. within the same classroom. For that matter, there's nothing stopping advanced readers from tackling more challenging reading at home outside school hours!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I think we should listen to the teacher and ignore the slander and ignorant ranting plaguing this blog. Just because someone had a child that went to LT for a couple years does not necessarily mean he or she understands how the school is run. A teacher clearly has much more insight on that.

Also, until you have spoken to someone you cannot call them "white friendly" or "AA friendly" ( I am a terribly horrified that these terms are even in use), and Principal Cobbs is welcoming and dedicated to ALL children so stop putting words in her mouth.

OK, so let's assume that you boosters are right. Principal Cobbs is indeed welcoming to all children. So where are the pullout groups for advanced learners in upper grades Brent offers? She won't even discuss the option with prospective parents.

Anonymous wrote:Hamilton was consolidated into LT which gave them SN children and self contained classrooms. The teachers and parents of LT signed petitions NOT to have the merger go through. Just a bit of history.

Anonymous wrote:
I think we should listen to the teacher and ignore the slander and ignorant ranting plaguing this blog. Just because someone had a child that went to LT for a couple years does not necessarily mean he or she understands how the school is run. A teacher clearly has much more insight on that.

Also, until you have spoken to someone you cannot call them "white friendly" or "AA friendly" ( I am a terribly horrified that these terms are even in use), and Principal Cobbs is welcoming and dedicated to ALL children so stop putting words in her mouth.

Anonymous wrote:I am stunned by the comments on this thread. I am a teacher at Ludlow. We are welcoming to ALL students. That is what this is about - the kids. Most parents at the school are impressed by the gains made by their students while at LT. If parents have difficulty with low-SES, OOB, or AA students in the classrooms learning alongside their children, perhaps another school would suit their needs better. Research has shown that integrating lower SES students into higher SES environments increases the achievement of the lower SES students while having no effect on higher SES students. It is our responsibility to ensure achievement for all students, regardless of gender, race, income level, religion, or disability. LT is welcoming to ALL children - and this is ultimately what we are discussing; CHILDREN. All of them have talents, abilities, potentials, and beauty. ALL OF THEM.

I find it troubling that people are posting these divisive and hurtful comments. I am incredibly proud of our school, our teachers, our tireless efforts, our parents that give everything they can to ensure the growth of their kids, and our principal who insists that our first priority is teaching every child. Not just IB students, not just higher SES students, and not only non-AA students. ALL children. I love LT and how it has enhanced my life - personally and professionally.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Try this for answers: stand by the front door between 8:00 and 8:30 AM on any school day. Watch dozens of MD plate cars pull up to drop kids off. Watch little yellow school buses roll in, bringing scores of OOB special needs kids. Watch a couple dozen tiny little white kids trickle in, and a handful of older ones. No fighting, little disruptive behavior, standard DCPS curriculum (which is challenging for the great majority of kids in lower grades, and around half the high-SES kids in upper grades) yet LT is far from a high-SES friendly neighborhood school in a mostly high-SES neighborhood. It's a Ward 7, 8 and PG County school in the Stanton Park neighborhood.

I understand why "PG cheaters" are a drain on the school system as a whole, and in particular take spots at the PS-PK level away from legit DC residents.

What I don't understand is how PG County kids in the classroom affect the quality of a specific school. When I look at the kids and parents in my daughter's DCPS classroom, the PG kids are smart and well-behaved (they aren't all perfect little geniuses, but they don't stand out as challenging kids), and their parents participate in school events and are committed to their children's education.

So while I get the problem at the macro level, I just don't get how PG kids' presence can be something "wrong" with a school -- unless the issue is simply that they're black?

Similarly, it's one thing to look at a low-performing school and argue that a prevalence of low-SES families is a problem. (I believe every school ought to be able to educate every kid, but by definition high-SES families possess more resources to contribute to their child's school/education.)

It's another thing to acknowledge a school is doing just fine -- "No fighting, little disruptive behavior, standard DCPS curriculum," in your words -- but still argue that low SES or PG County kids are a problem. It's hard for me to see that as anything other than racism.

It bugs me that Maury is more highly regarded by Hill parents than Ludlow-Taylor. Ludlow-Taylor has stronger scores, by rights it should be the preferred school -- but it also has fewer white kids, which I guess is the rub.

"Not wanting to be an only" makes sense in theory, but in practice it seems more like "wanting to be the majority" -- the Hill schools that get talked up are the ones that are 40-60% white. (Ludlow is 10% white.)

Look, your rascist theories are bunk. DCPS is a terrible school system. Period. It is dysfunctional, unorganized, corrupt and for decades has failed to adequately educate the children of this city. Individual schools where involved, educated and financially stable ( able to contribute big bucks to the PTA and school budget ) families end up tend to do better on scores and other measures of school success. Those parents have and enforce higher expectations in the classrooms and for extra curricular activities. And therefore attract more families who have similar expectations and the school gets better despite the DCPS dysfunction. ON CAPITOL HILL those families tend to be white. Not all, but many. Add to that the fact that middle class, living in DC AA families are even more likely to shun a sub-standard DCPS. You don't have white families avoiding black children. You have white families avoiding bad schools. None of the above is fair or just. It sucks that children in largely poor schools get the worst that DCPS has to offer, because they lack the buffer of an active and engaged and financially and politically potent school community. It shouldn't be that way. But it isn't racism either. It is dysfunctional government and social forces that sadly in the end end up turning us all against one another.