Anonymous
Post 07/31/2012 20:17     Subject: Achievement Gap
Anonymous wrote:A poor performer is a teacher who's not cutting the mustard. Even when your concerns are brought to the principal's attention, you receive the inevitable pity party. We get the pep talk of being patient and before u know it, the school year has ended.


and with the new IMPACT system, the teacher is gone, right? because if they are ineffective, they are fired and only one year's worth of students has to suffer.

Still - how fair is that?

Perhaps DCPS should offer special remedial courses to students who had a teacher who was rated ineffective -- and if the kids still don't improve, then fire the remedial teacher, until they get a teacher who can get the scores up.

(I'm kidding)
Anonymous
Post 07/31/2012 19:37     Subject: Achievement Gap
Anonymous wrote:A poor performer is a teacher who's not cutting the mustard. Even when your concerns are brought to the principal's attention, you receive the inevitable pity party. We get the pep talk of being patient and before u know it, the school year has ended.


not cutting the mustard? what does that mean?
Anonymous
Post 07/31/2012 19:29     Subject: Achievement Gap
A poor performer is a teacher who's not cutting the mustard. Even when your concerns are brought to the principal's attention, you receive the inevitable pity party. We get the pep talk of being patient and before u know it, the school year has ended.
Anonymous
Post 07/31/2012 19:15     Subject: Achievement Gap
Anonymous wrote:A prepared child is a prepared child and you can't deny it, when you are in the presence of one. I have seen the advance AA PK and all of sudden he/she is placed with the most inexperienced TFA and all is lost.

When a poor student is in the presence of a poor performer of a teacher, what's the saving grace factor?


There may be lots of options...

Being the squeaky wheel with the school administration, demanding accountability
Spending time to work with the child outside of class
Pulling the student out of that class and getting him into another one...
Anonymous
Post 07/31/2012 17:38     Subject: Achievement Gap
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:A prepared child is a prepared child and you can't deny it, when you are in the presence of one. I have seen the advance AA PK and all of sudden he/she is placed with the most inexperienced TFA and all is lost.

When a poor student is in the presence of a poor performer of a teacher, what's the saving grace factor?


The saving grace factor is the parent and determination. The parent can still read to the child and take the child places such as the multitude of free museums and educational programs that are here in DC. If the parent cannot read there are plenty of free programs to help children and adults to read.


define poor performer
Anonymous
Post 07/31/2012 17:19     Subject: Achievement Gap
Anonymous wrote:A prepared child is a prepared child and you can't deny it, when you are in the presence of one. I have seen the advance AA PK and all of sudden he/she is placed with the most inexperienced TFA and all is lost.

When a poor student is in the presence of a poor performer of a teacher, what's the saving grace factor?


The saving grace factor is the parent and determination. The parent can still read to the child and take the child places such as the multitude of free museums and educational programs that are here in DC. If the parent cannot read there are plenty of free programs to help children and adults to read.
Anonymous
Post 07/31/2012 14:43     Subject: Achievement Gap
I was lucky to have a high-vocabulary, well-read, talkative mother. I doubt she was actively trying to prepare her kids for school, but it sure worked out that way.
Anonymous
Post 07/31/2012 14:18     Subject: Achievement Gap
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OMG. You've got your toddler on the race to nowhere. Just chill out and let your child have a childhood.


Okay, this would be awesome advice if it weren't for the fact that black and latino children arrive at school knowing fewer words and unprepared for school. What does it matter that we are just as intelligent but start out behind?? You can have a childhood and still incorporate learning. My parents being lackadaiscal about my education and planting me in front of the tv for 5 years did not prepare me for school. Taing me to the zoo and pointing out the animals, talking to me constantly to increase my vocabulary, etc would not have taken away my childhood and would have prepared me better for school. Luckily, it all worked out for me but for too many children it does not. Go read The Ant and the Grasshopper - and you might understand.


The word gap study compared SES/education level of parents, not race/ethnicity.


I still think it holds true to a certain extent if the parents weren't well exposed either. And let's be honest, lower house hold income correlates many times to race.

We are both college educated and our HHI puts us in the upper middle class range but our parents are immigrants and didn't place a value on education because they didn't know how to . So there are obvious gaps in our knowledge although we managed to do well in school. If you are one generation removed from poverty, the way I am, I think it still makes a difference.

Anonymous
Post 07/31/2012 14:16     Subject: Achievement Gap
A prepared child is a prepared child and you can't deny it, when you are in the presence of one. I have seen the advance AA PK and all of sudden he/she is placed with the most inexperienced TFA and all is lost.

When a poor student is in the presence of a poor performer of a teacher, what's the saving grace factor?
Anonymous
Post 07/31/2012 14:13     Subject: Achievement Gap
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OMG. You've got your toddler on the race to nowhere. Just chill out and let your child have a childhood.


Okay, this would be awesome advice if it weren't for the fact that black and latino children arrive at school knowing fewer words and unprepared for school. What does it matter that we are just as intelligent but start out behind?? You can have a childhood and still incorporate learning. My parents being lackadaiscal about my education and planting me in front of the tv for 5 years did not prepare me for school. Taing me to the zoo and pointing out the animals, talking to me constantly to increase my vocabulary, etc would not have taken away my childhood and would have prepared me better for school. Luckily, it all worked out for me but for too many children it does not. Go read The Ant and the Grasshopper - and you might understand.


The word gap study compared SES/education level of parents, not race/ethnicity.
Anonymous
Post 07/31/2012 14:12     Subject: Re:Achievement Gap
http://www.learnmoremn.org/userFiles/File/solutions/mnmeeting_summary.pdf

"We know that by age three, children in low-income households have 1,000 fewer words in their
vocabulary than middle-income children.

Start Early and Go the Distance – Closing a one-year gap is easier than closing a 3- or 8-year gap. Trying to catch up a high school student who reads at a third-grade level is working against the odds.... effective early intervention reduces the need for later remediation..."

We start out BEHIND -this is the key. Teaching your kid shapes through use of toys helps them not be behind. Talking to them helps them not be behind. It starts early. It is not taking a kid's childhood to prepare your child. The PP is a moron and his./her attitude is sickening.

Anonymous
Post 07/31/2012 14:05     Subject: Achievement Gap
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OMG. You've got your toddler on the race to nowhere. Just chill out and let your child have a childhood.


Okay, this would be awesome advice if it weren't for the fact that black and latino children arrive at school knowing fewer words and unprepared for school. What does it matter that we are just as intelligent but start out behind?? You can have a childhood and still incorporate learning. My parents being lackadaiscal about my education and planting me in front of the tv for 5 years did not prepare me for school. Taing me to the zoo and pointing out the animals, talking to me constantly to increase my vocabulary, etc would not have taken away my childhood and would have prepared me better for school. Luckily, it all worked out for me but for too many children it does not. Go read The Ant and the Grasshopper - and you might understand.

Yes, yes, yes. Well played.
Anonymous
Post 07/31/2012 14:03     Subject: Achievement Gap
Anonymous wrote:OMG. You've got your toddler on the race to nowhere. Just chill out and let your child have a childhood.


Okay, this would be awesome advice if it weren't for the fact that black and latino children arrive at school knowing fewer words and unprepared for school. What does it matter that we are just as intelligent but start out behind?? You can have a childhood and still incorporate learning. My parents being lackadaiscal about my education and planting me in front of the tv for 5 years did not prepare me for school. Taing me to the zoo and pointing out the animals, talking to me constantly to increase my vocabulary, etc would not have taken away my childhood and would have prepared me better for school. Luckily, it all worked out for me but for too many children it does not. Go read The Ant and the Grasshopper - and you might understand.
Anonymous
Post 07/31/2012 13:48     Subject: Achievement Gap
OMG. You've got your toddler on the race to nowhere. Just chill out and let your child have a childhood.
Anonymous
Post 07/31/2012 12:58     Subject: Achievement Gap
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here. I too am tired of our (AA) kids UNDERperforming, and I have decided to try and do something about it. With school starting in 4 weeks, I still have some time to try and partner with my local elementary school and recreation center to offer intensive tutoring at the early level. Time to get my teaching materials out the boxes and put them to good use. It's one thing to talk about the issues and problems on this board, but that doesn't get results. We need ACTION!!


OP, I think your determination to do something is admirable. I suggest that you also look into ways to address the issue from the parenting/early childhood end. Studies find that low income children are arriving in Kindergarten literally years behind. If that issue could be at least partially addressed, it would make the formal schooling years significantly more fruitful. Good luck to you and keep us updated on what you decide to do.


Yes! This!!! I am actively trying to do the work upfront to prepare my child for kindergarten (he is 2.5) and my family looks at me like I am crazy. It is the theory behind the Baby College (Jeffrey Canada from Harlem's Children's zone). It has to start way earlier than kindergarten