Anonymous
Post 02/10/2013 17:30     Subject: What were your 6 picks?
SWS
Montessori
Tyler SI
Peabody (IB)
Brent
Maury
Anonymous
Post 02/10/2013 11:33     Subject: Re:What were your 6 picks?
Bancroft
Powell
Marie Reed Dual Language
Barnard
Cleveland Dual Language
West
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2013 12:16     Subject: Re:What were your 6 picks?
FYI, Tyler Traditional got rid of the awful PreS3 teacher recently, replacing her with an excellent one, so the issue in that particular program is moot. Parent complaints,and the willingness of middle-class parents to hit the road when the teacher didn't improve, made a big difference in getting rid of the bad teacher. When one teacher and/or aide, is horrendous and the others are fine, it's hardly "bullying" to politely request a teacher, and not to take no for an answer if you have alternatives. This is all the PP suggested.



Anonymous
Post 02/06/2013 11:41     Subject: Re:What were your 6 picks?
There is nothing wrong with requesting a teacher, just be sure its done nicely and that you are still fine with the school if your request is not honored.


It can be done, successfully, but you should go into it with a great deal of respect and kindness towards your principal and just HOPE for the best. principals put a LOT of thought and consideration into classroom makeups (race, gender, learning ability-at least for the upper grades on that one). you can't just bully your way into a different class. also, keep in mind, your kid is going to face all kinds of people throughout his/her life. it's probably not a great idea to micro-manage his/her schooling. life is full of disappointments and good teachers, bad teachers. and just b/c a teacher was terrible for someone else, doesn't mean that teacher will fail YOUR child. different kids have different needs. really, let go and see what happens. (you can always take serious problems to your principal. that's why they are there!)
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2013 10:10     Subject: Re:What were your 6 picks?
22:56 here. A parents relationship with the administration DOES matter and can impact your child. We were in a situation at our IB (and not very desirable school but all we got into). We did not request a teacher before the start of the year, although we did hear excellent things about one particular teacher, because we did not know first hand. The teacher we got was good, but the assistant was awful and ended up being with the kids more than the lead teacher. We fortunately were admitted into a better school right as I was about to have a big talk with the teacher, but I did tell her my concerns when we left.

Had we stayed, I would have likely ended up requesting a class change but if it wasn't a possibility we would have stayed put. If the situation is so bad that one teacher would keep you out of the school, you should certainly make a request but bullying (especially if you are a white middle class parent) will get you nowhere.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2013 09:35     Subject: Re:What were your 6 picks?
+1. All to easy for WotP types who aren't dealing with the reality of schools loaded with housing project kids to cast aspersions on the motives of Hill parents trying to find preschool solutions!

If you strike out in your IB PreS3 lottery, which happens on the Hill, and aren't planning to stick with a school past preschool, no reason not to assert yourself on teacher preference if the alternative is making life tough for your kid. This isn't obnoxious, it's self-preservation.






Anonymous
Post 02/05/2013 03:27     Subject: Re:What were your 6 picks?
Anonymous wrote:There is nothing wrong with requesting a teacher, just be sure its done nicely and that you are still fine with the school if your request is not honored.


All great in theory, but the conundrum presented by the pp you guys are calling names is all too real. How can a parent in fact "be fine" with a school they are likely to be admitted to (via walking distance proximity preference, as in this case) when one PreS3 teacher is great, and the other is known to be an unmitigated disaster? What should the obnoxious pp do in this case? Quietly pull out if assigned the teacher who drove the other middle-class parents out the year before? Not apply in the first place, knowing that s/he won't accept the bad teacher? If your teacher request is not honored and you're certain that your kid will suffer with the bad teacher, you accept the class assignment anyway to be...a good liberal and citizen? Then you pull out quietly, leaving the bad teacher to the poor kids? Big help to them, eh!




Anonymous
Post 02/04/2013 23:09     Subject: Re:What were your 6 picks?
Anonymous wrote:If you get a spot at Tyler traditional, how in the world will you know which teacher you'll have? At the same time, your child will not be on a waitlist for any of the picks below (#3-6).

Yes, NoMa, typo. Seaton is on Dad's commute.

Visit a school after enrolling and and ask a top administrator to put your kid in a good teacher's class. Bring a letter requesting this teacher, cc'd to every administrator likely to be involved in class assignments. They'll tell you that parents can't/don't pick teachers. You politely make it clear that if your child isn't assigned said good teacher, that's the end of your relationship with the school for preschool. Generally, a school seeking to boost middle-class enrollment, like Tyler Traditional, will play ball, without admitting as much. But you'd better have a back-up plan if they won't, perhaps at a charter, private preschool or au pair agency. You do what you must to make things work for your kid. Much better than pulling out in the course of the school year with no fallback position after a bad teacher hasn't worked out (hint: this happens at Tyler Traditional).

Anonymous wrote:
JO Wilson (a good many OOB spots and more middle-class friendly all the time)
Tyler Spanish Immersion (not very interested in the Spanish, already use two languages at home but good peer group)
Seaton (maybe be some middle-class NoVA families this year)

I sure hope you mean NoMa




NoMa and Seaton aren't exactly near each other.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2013 23:00     Subject: What were your 6 picks?
DCPS should not be trying to get rid of any family. It is a truly inept and desparate dysfunctional system.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2013 22:56     Subject: Re:What were your 6 picks?
There is nothing wrong with requesting a teacher, just be sure its done nicely and that you are still fine with the school if your request is not honored.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2013 22:44     Subject: Re:What were your 6 picks?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Visit a school after enrolling and and ask a top administrator to put your kid in a good teacher's class. Bring a letter requesting this teacher, cc'd to every administrator likely to be involved in class assignments. They'll tell you that parents can't/don't pick teachers. You politely make it clear that if your child isn't assigned said good teacher, that's the end of your relationship with the school for preschool. Generally, a school seeking to boost middle-class enrollment, like Tyler Traditional, will play ball, without admitting as much. But you'd better have a back-up plan if they won't, perhaps at a charter, private preschool or au pair agency. You do what you must to make things work for your kid. Much better than pulling out in the course of the school year with no fallback position after a bad teacher hasn't worked out (hint: this happens at Tyler Traditional).



If I were Tyler's principal, I'd be sure to give you the opposite class just to keep you out of my school. You walk in threatening to "end" a relationship that hasn't even started!? I'm not sure what your experience is with schools, but you are likely not suited for DCPS. Check back with us in a few years and let us know how far (to Bethesda? To an upper NW private?) your obnoxious and entitled attitude has taken you and your child.


Same here, because OP sounds like a thorn in the backside and who wants another headache for the school year?


I agree. I have a friend that works for DCPS and parents like this end up being a pain in the ass, so if there is an opportunity to get rid of them they will take it!
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2013 22:41     Subject: Re:What were your 6 picks?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
[b]


If I were Tyler's principal, I'd be sure to give you the opposite class just to keep you out of my school. You walk in threatening to "end" a relationship that hasn't even started!? I'm not sure what your experience is with schools, but you are likely not suited for DCPS. Check back with us in a few years and let us know how far (to Bethesda? To an upper NW private?) your obnoxious and entitled attitude has taken you and your child.


Same here, because OP sounds like a thorn in the backside and who wants another headache for the school year?


Disagree. It's not unusual for DCPS schools keep bad preschool teachers on their faculties, despite years of parents complaining about them. Upper-middle-class parents tend to be in a much better position to balk at letting their tiny tots be mistreated than low-income parents, so more power to them when they do. If schools hear this sort of request more often, they come under much needed pressure to raise teaching standards. It's no secret that middle-class families were so unhappy with one of the Tyler Traditional PreS3 teacher this year that they left, for good. The well-informed PP is smart to avoid walking into a trap set by weak administrators. Poor kids obviously benefit when the affluent shake things up, and stick around. Go, PP.



Anonymous
Post 02/04/2013 22:18     Subject: Re:What were your 6 picks?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Visit a school after enrolling and and ask a top administrator to put your kid in a good teacher's class. Bring a letter requesting this teacher, cc'd to every administrator likely to be involved in class assignments. They'll tell you that parents can't/don't pick teachers. You politely make it clear that if your child isn't assigned said good teacher, that's the end of your relationship with the school for preschool. Generally, a school seeking to boost middle-class enrollment, like Tyler Traditional, will play ball, without admitting as much. But you'd better have a back-up plan if they won't, perhaps at a charter, private preschool or au pair agency. You do what you must to make things work for your kid. Much better than pulling out in the course of the school year with no fallback position after a bad teacher hasn't worked out (hint: this happens at Tyler Traditional).



If I were Tyler's principal, I'd be sure to give you the opposite class just to keep you out of my school. You walk in threatening to "end" a relationship that hasn't even started!? I'm not sure what your experience is with schools, but you are likely not suited for DCPS. Check back with us in a few years and let us know how far (to Bethesda? To an upper NW private?) your obnoxious and entitled attitude has taken you and your child.


Same here, because OP sounds like a thorn in the backside and who wants another headache for the school year?
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2013 18:00     Subject: Re:What were your 6 picks?
Anonymous wrote:

Visit a school after enrolling and and ask a top administrator to put your kid in a good teacher's class. Bring a letter requesting this teacher, cc'd to every administrator likely to be involved in class assignments. They'll tell you that parents can't/don't pick teachers. You politely make it clear that if your child isn't assigned said good teacher, that's the end of your relationship with the school for preschool. Generally, a school seeking to boost middle-class enrollment, like Tyler Traditional, will play ball, without admitting as much. But you'd better have a back-up plan if they won't, perhaps at a charter, private preschool or au pair agency. You do what you must to make things work for your kid. Much better than pulling out in the course of the school year with no fallback position after a bad teacher hasn't worked out (hint: this happens at Tyler Traditional).



If I were Tyler's principal, I'd be sure to give you the opposite class just to keep you out of my school. You walk in threatening to "end" a relationship that hasn't even started!? I'm not sure what your experience is with schools, but you are likely not suited for DCPS. Check back with us in a few years and let us know how far (to Bethesda? To an upper NW private?) your obnoxious and entitled attitude has taken you and your child.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2013 17:06     Subject: Re:What were your 6 picks?
Yes, we are a year late to benefit from that one! Fortunately we are at a good school now and while we would potentially like to 'trade up' for the longer term, we will be ok for a while if need be.