Anonymous
Post 02/27/2017 17:54     Subject: Will this finally get DCPS to create magnet schools?
From following many similar discussions over the years it seems evident that the DCPS establishment for one thing suffers from some off-base thinking along the following lines:

1.) Magical thinking around in-class differentiation to support the high achievers and the struggling kids along with the rest - they like to think they can do in-class differentiation but the reality of it is that very few teachers can actually do a good job at in-class differentiation. The reality of it is that most teachers just teach to the middle and the students at the top and bottom are ignored.

2.) "A rising tide to lift all boats" where rather than magnets or other things to support high achievers they want to keep them there to serve as exemplars and tutors for the other students - but it's not the high achiever's job to fix the problems that the other kids are having, not to mention that the high achievers are probably already working their tails off to get their good grades and now the teacher wants to "reward" them by bogging them down with helping other students.

3.) "Magnets and G&T programs are racist" yet as pointed out above, the PARCC 5 scorers are quite a diverse bunch. Are there instances of magnets or G&T programs being disproportionately dominated by one ethnic group? Yes. And ironically it's typically asians, not whites. But that's a function of external factors, like demand exceeding supply resulting in wealthier people moving to the geographies eligible to apply, along with how they set the system up and how it can be gamed. But that said, it's not an insurmountable challenge and should not be a show stopper.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2017 17:42     Subject: Will this finally get DCPS to create magnet schools?
SEM is all fine and good in providing enrichment for kids but it still seems so many kids are failing to the point where even SEM doesn't matter - given how many kids are arriving at middle school barely able to read or do basic arithmetic. I think a lot of these kids could benefit from added labs/tutors on the basics as well. How's a kid going to process a SEM module on being an ecologist or an inventor when they lack even the most basic literacy to be able to do much with it?
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2017 16:38     Subject: Will this finally get DCPS to create magnet schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:PPs are trying to solve 2 different problem.

If you want to address the DCPS diversity issue -- you can chip away at it by creating magnets for middle or elementary school with some sort of SWW/Banneker type admission criteria (multiple criteria considered). It would be a high performing school but not necessarily a FCPS AAP or MCPS HGC environment.

Other PPs simply want a program for gifted or very high achieving students. If that's the goal, then it should be created without worrying about the ethnicity of the student body.


But you can't have a fair gifted program unless it takes SES factors into account, so you do have to worry about ethnicity.


That is a hot load of nonsense.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2017 16:13     Subject: Will this finally get DCPS to create magnet schools?


The idea that only 276 third graders in all of DCPS scored a 5 troubling.



No, it isn't. That is how the test is deigned. The PARCC is designed so that kids on track to attend college score a 4. A 5 is advanced for grade and should be outliers only. A 5 is supposed to be rare. If it isn't rare, then the test needs to be (and would be) adjusted to make a 5 rare again. In Massachusetts (often touted as the best), only 12% of 3rd graders scores a 5 in math the same year. For DC it was 10.5%.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2017 15:40     Subject: Re:Will this finally get DCPS to create magnet schools?
+1000. Consistently shortchanging our best, brightest and hardest working in public school gets us nowhere in particular, as a city, as a country, and as a planet. A prospering District can afford to up its game to better serve a diverse group of high-achieving students.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2017 15:01     Subject: Will this finally get DCPS to create magnet schools?
"I think DC needs to direct its resources to serve the majority of its students, not the outliers. Expand SEM to all schools, but don't create magnets."

This is EXACTLY what is WRONG with DCPS. The attitude that it should do nothing to serve the best and brightest students, who are the ones most likely to do great things that will benefit our society, is ridiculous.

And note that, statistically, that is a heck of a lot of brown skin kids who are receiving this disserve. It's not just white kids.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2017 14:59     Subject: Will this finally get DCPS to create magnet schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Magnet schools will not attract white families to send their children to majority black schools. It makes them feel uncomfortable and we all know that if the school is majority black it must not be a safe environment. What will make them send their children there would be enough white students attending the school so that the families would not feel like a minority. Wilson is a good example of this.


This is demonstrably untrue. Plenty of white ( and middle class black families ) would-and have- happily sent their children to majority black schools when they have confidence in the program, administration and teachers.


It isn't demonstrably untrue. If you were right, Banneker, a school to have confidence in relative to other DC public high schools (other than Walls and Wilson) would be loaded with white families by now.


Hmmm, I wonder what factor could keep white parents from enrolling their children at Banneker.


Banneker is the high school equivalent of an historically black college. Mostly tradition.


So white parents are scared of their child competing with a majority of highly qualified black kids?


White parents are respectful of tradition. Or at least, some of them are.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2017 14:44     Subject: Will this finally get DCPS to create magnet schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Magnet schools will not attract white families to send their children to majority black schools. It makes them feel uncomfortable and we all know that if the school is majority black it must not be a safe environment. What will make them send their children there would be enough white students attending the school so that the families would not feel like a minority. Wilson is a good example of this.


This is demonstrably untrue. Plenty of white ( and middle class black families ) would-and have- happily sent their children to majority black schools when they have confidence in the program, administration and teachers.


It isn't demonstrably untrue. If you were right, Banneker, a school to have confidence in relative to other DC public high schools (other than Walls and Wilson) would be loaded with white families by now.


Hmmm, I wonder what factor could keep white parents from enrolling their children at Banneker.


Banneker is the high school equivalent of an historically black college. Mostly tradition.


So white parents are scared of their child competing with a majority of highly qualified black kids?
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2017 14:36     Subject: Will this finally get DCPS to create magnet schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Magnet schools will not attract white families to send their children to majority black schools. It makes them feel uncomfortable and we all know that if the school is majority black it must not be a safe environment. What will make them send their children there would be enough white students attending the school so that the families would not feel like a minority. Wilson is a good example of this.


This is demonstrably untrue. Plenty of white ( and middle class black families ) would-and have- happily sent their children to majority black schools when they have confidence in the program, administration and teachers.


It isn't demonstrably untrue. If you were right, Banneker, a school to have confidence in relative to other DC public high schools (other than Walls and Wilson) would be loaded with white families by now.


Hmmm, I wonder what factor could keep white parents from enrolling their children at Banneker.


Banneker is the high school equivalent of an historically black college. Mostly tradition.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2017 13:26     Subject: Will this finally get DCPS to create magnet schools?
Anonymous wrote:98% of 3rd graders scored below a 5 on PARCC.

I think DC needs to direct its resources to serve the majority of its students, not the outliers. Expand SEM to all schools, but don't create magnets.


THIS!! And my kid is one that scored a 5.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2017 13:15     Subject: Will this finally get DCPS to create magnet schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Magnet schools will not attract white families to send their children to majority black schools. It makes them feel uncomfortable and we all know that if the school is majority black it must not be a safe environment. What will make them send their children there would be enough white students attending the school so that the families would not feel like a minority. Wilson is a good example of this.


This is demonstrably untrue. Plenty of white ( and middle class black families ) would-and have- happily sent their children to majority black schools when they have confidence in the program, administration and teachers.


It isn't demonstrably untrue. If you were right, Banneker, a school to have confidence in relative to other DC public high schools (other than Walls and Wilson) would be loaded with white families by now.


Hmmm, I wonder what factor could keep white parents from enrolling their children at Banneker.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2017 13:08     Subject: Will this finally get DCPS to create magnet schools?
Who knows what is going on with Banneker? But it's only one school. Easy to name 10-15 DCPS and charter schools with less than 40% white students
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2017 13:02     Subject: Will this finally get DCPS to create magnet schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Magnet schools will not attract white families to send their children to majority black schools. It makes them feel uncomfortable and we all know that if the school is majority black it must not be a safe environment. What will make them send their children there would be enough white students attending the school so that the families would not feel like a minority. Wilson is a good example of this.


This is demonstrably untrue. Plenty of white ( and middle class black families ) would-and have- happily sent their children to majority black schools when they have confidence in the program, administration and teachers.


It isn't demonstrably untrue. If you were right, Banneker, a school to have confidence in relative to other DC public high schools (other than Walls and Wilson) would be loaded with white families by now.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2017 13:01     Subject: Re:Will this finally get DCPS to create magnet schools?
DCPS and DCPC
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2017 13:00     Subject: Will this finally get DCPS to create magnet schools?
Anonymous wrote:Magnet schools will not attract white families to send their children to majority black schools. It makes them feel uncomfortable and we all know that if the school is majority black it must not be a safe environment. What will make them send their children there would be enough white students attending the school so that the families would not feel like a minority. Wilson is a good example of this.


This is demonstrably untrue. Plenty of white ( and middle class black families ) would-and have- happily sent their children to majority black schools when they have confidence in the program, administration and teachers.