Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have visited DCPS and MCPS schools, and the difference in the public discussion of academics in open houses is striking. MCPS principals will up-front address acceleration. I even heard one say “It is our obligation to give students the challenge they need.” Long discussions of math tracking and selection of classes.

In DCPS, academics seem to be practically a dirty word at open houses. Parents who ask about it get stared at questioningly, as if they just ripped a big fart.

I was just chatting with a friend in Moco schools and was blown away at the support for academic rigor, there are multiple magnet middle schools, her kid is in 5th grade and they tested kids to determine if any were eligible, he was automatically offered a seat at a STEM middle magnet (but they are turning it down), lots of accelerated classes in his elem school to for math and reading.
Why is DC so afraid of this? Perfomative equity. meaning all kids get a mediocre education and honors/AP "for all"

Sad but unfortunately true. They don’t want to challenge the higher achievers and make it difficult as hell to get information, access, and classes.

The goal is to lower the top so they can say the are closing the achievement gap.

This. I am so unenthused about JR and worried about the lack of enrichment in 9th at JR. When asked at this virtual open house this week, they said freshman can pursue an extracurricular to get enrichment, join an academy (through current freshman and sophomores get first dibs so rising freshman are probably on a waitlist), and find a trusted adult to get more suggestions. (And yes DC tried for private and walls and is waitlisted everywhere and no we are not moving). My DC has been so bored at Deal - their class hasn’t finished a single book in English! - I worry about another year of the same.

I hear this about not reading any books all the time. Are they actually not assigned any full books in Deal?

DC’s class was assigned Raisin in the Sun, Chains, and To Kill a Mockingbird. The assigned reading is so slow that they haven’t finished a single one. It’s April. Meanwhile my 5th grader at a Deal feeder read Chains in ELA enrichment. And don’t even get me started on the fact that they haven’t had a single writing assignment in English.

In what grade was there no writing assignment???

8th grade.

The best part is that they only substantial writing assignment was in....yes, math class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have visited DCPS and MCPS schools, and the difference in the public discussion of academics in open houses is striking. MCPS principals will up-front address acceleration. I even heard one say “It is our obligation to give students the challenge they need.” Long discussions of math tracking and selection of classes.

In DCPS, academics seem to be practically a dirty word at open houses. Parents who ask about it get stared at questioningly, as if they just ripped a big fart.

I was just chatting with a friend in Moco schools and was blown away at the support for academic rigor, there are multiple magnet middle schools, her kid is in 5th grade and they tested kids to determine if any were eligible, he was automatically offered a seat at a STEM middle magnet (but they are turning it down), lots of accelerated classes in his elem school to for math and reading.
Why is DC so afraid of this? Perfomative equity. meaning all kids get a mediocre education and honors/AP "for all"

Sad but unfortunately true. They don’t want to challenge the higher achievers and make it difficult as hell to get information, access, and classes.

The goal is to lower the top so they can say the are closing the achievement gap.

This. I am so unenthused about JR and worried about the lack of enrichment in 9th at JR. When asked at this virtual open house this week, they said freshman can pursue an extracurricular to get enrichment, join an academy (through current freshman and sophomores get first dibs so rising freshman are probably on a waitlist), and find a trusted adult to get more suggestions. (And yes DC tried for private and walls and is waitlisted everywhere and no we are not moving). My DC has been so bored at Deal - their class hasn’t finished a single book in English! - I worry about another year of the same.

I hear this about not reading any books all the time. Are they actually not assigned any full books in Deal?

DC’s class was assigned Raisin in the Sun, Chains, and To Kill a Mockingbird. The assigned reading is so slow that they haven’t finished a single one. It’s April. Meanwhile my 5th grader at a Deal feeder read Chains in ELA enrichment. And don’t even get me started on the fact that they haven’t had a single writing assignment in English.

In what grade was there no writing assignment???

8th grade.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have visited DCPS and MCPS schools, and the difference in the public discussion of academics in open houses is striking. MCPS principals will up-front address acceleration. I even heard one say “It is our obligation to give students the challenge they need.” Long discussions of math tracking and selection of classes.

In DCPS, academics seem to be practically a dirty word at open houses. Parents who ask about it get stared at questioningly, as if they just ripped a big fart.

I was just chatting with a friend in Moco schools and was blown away at the support for academic rigor, there are multiple magnet middle schools, her kid is in 5th grade and they tested kids to determine if any were eligible, he was automatically offered a seat at a STEM middle magnet (but they are turning it down), lots of accelerated classes in his elem school to for math and reading.
Why is DC so afraid of this? Perfomative equity. meaning all kids get a mediocre education and honors/AP "for all"

Sad but unfortunately true. They don’t want to challenge the higher achievers and make it difficult as hell to get information, access, and classes.

The goal is to lower the top so they can say the are closing the achievement gap.

This. I am so unenthused about JR and worried about the lack of enrichment in 9th at JR. When asked at this virtual open house this week, they said freshman can pursue an extracurricular to get enrichment, join an academy (through current freshman and sophomores get first dibs so rising freshman are probably on a waitlist), and find a trusted adult to get more suggestions. (And yes DC tried for private and walls and is waitlisted everywhere and no we are not moving). My DC has been so bored at Deal - their class hasn’t finished a single book in English! - I worry about another year of the same.

I hear this about not reading any books all the time. Are they actually not assigned any full books in Deal?

DC’s class was assigned Raisin in the Sun, Chains, and To Kill a Mockingbird. The assigned reading is so slow that they haven’t finished a single one. It’s April. Meanwhile my 5th grader at a Deal feeder read Chains in ELA enrichment. And don’t even get me started on the fact that they haven’t had a single writing assignment in English.

In what grade was there no writing assignment???

8th grade.

The best part is that the only substantial writing assignment was in....yes, math class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have visited DCPS and MCPS schools, and the difference in the public discussion of academics in open houses is striking. MCPS principals will up-front address acceleration. I even heard one say “It is our obligation to give students the challenge they need.” Long discussions of math tracking and selection of classes.

In DCPS, academics seem to be practically a dirty word at open houses. Parents who ask about it get stared at questioningly, as if they just ripped a big fart.

I was just chatting with a friend in Moco schools and was blown away at the support for academic rigor, there are multiple magnet middle schools, her kid is in 5th grade and they tested kids to determine if any were eligible, he was automatically offered a seat at a STEM middle magnet (but they are turning it down), lots of accelerated classes in his elem school to for math and reading.
Why is DC so afraid of this? Perfomative equity. meaning all kids get a mediocre education and honors/AP "for all"

Sad but unfortunately true. They don’t want to challenge the higher achievers and make it difficult as hell to get information, access, and classes.

The goal is to lower the top so they can say the are closing the achievement gap.

This. I am so unenthused about JR and worried about the lack of enrichment in 9th at JR. When asked at this virtual open house this week, they said freshman can pursue an extracurricular to get enrichment, join an academy (through current freshman and sophomores get first dibs so rising freshman are probably on a waitlist), and find a trusted adult to get more suggestions. (And yes DC tried for private and walls and is waitlisted everywhere and no we are not moving). My DC has been so bored at Deal - their class hasn’t finished a single book in English! - I worry about another year of the same.

I hear this about not reading any books all the time. Are they actually not assigned any full books in Deal?

DC’s class was assigned Raisin in the Sun, Chains, and To Kill a Mockingbird. The assigned reading is so slow that they haven’t finished a single one. It’s April. Meanwhile my 5th grader at a Deal feeder read Chains in ELA enrichment. And don’t even get me started on the fact that they haven’t had a single writing assignment in English.

In what grade was there no writing assignment???

8th grade.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have visited DCPS and MCPS schools, and the difference in the public discussion of academics in open houses is striking. MCPS principals will up-front address acceleration. I even heard one say “It is our obligation to give students the challenge they need.” Long discussions of math tracking and selection of classes.

In DCPS, academics seem to be practically a dirty word at open houses. Parents who ask about it get stared at questioningly, as if they just ripped a big fart.

I was just chatting with a friend in Moco schools and was blown away at the support for academic rigor, there are multiple magnet middle schools, her kid is in 5th grade and they tested kids to determine if any were eligible, he was automatically offered a seat at a STEM middle magnet (but they are turning it down), lots of accelerated classes in his elem school to for math and reading.
Why is DC so afraid of this? Perfomative equity. meaning all kids get a mediocre education and honors/AP "for all"

Sad but unfortunately true. They don’t want to challenge the higher achievers and make it difficult as hell to get information, access, and classes.

The goal is to lower the top so they can say the are closing the achievement gap.

This. I am so unenthused about JR and worried about the lack of enrichment in 9th at JR. When asked at this virtual open house this week, they said freshman can pursue an extracurricular to get enrichment, join an academy (through current freshman and sophomores get first dibs so rising freshman are probably on a waitlist), and find a trusted adult to get more suggestions. (And yes DC tried for private and walls and is waitlisted everywhere and no we are not moving). My DC has been so bored at Deal - their class hasn’t finished a single book in English! - I worry about another year of the same.

I hear this about not reading any books all the time. Are they actually not assigned any full books in Deal?

DC’s class was assigned Raisin in the Sun, Chains, and To Kill a Mockingbird. The assigned reading is so slow that they haven’t finished a single one. It’s April. Meanwhile my 5th grader at a Deal feeder read Chains in ELA enrichment. And don’t even get me started on the fact that they haven’t had a single writing assignment in English.

In what grade was there no writing assignment???

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have visited DCPS and MCPS schools, and the difference in the public discussion of academics in open houses is striking. MCPS principals will up-front address acceleration. I even heard one say “It is our obligation to give students the challenge they need.” Long discussions of math tracking and selection of classes.

In DCPS, academics seem to be practically a dirty word at open houses. Parents who ask about it get stared at questioningly, as if they just ripped a big fart.

I was just chatting with a friend in Moco schools and was blown away at the support for academic rigor, there are multiple magnet middle schools, her kid is in 5th grade and they tested kids to determine if any were eligible, he was automatically offered a seat at a STEM middle magnet (but they are turning it down), lots of accelerated classes in his elem school to for math and reading.
Why is DC so afraid of this? Perfomative equity. meaning all kids get a mediocre education and honors/AP "for all"

Sad but unfortunately true. They don’t want to challenge the higher achievers and make it difficult as hell to get information, access, and classes.

The goal is to lower the top so they can say the are closing the achievement gap.

This. I am so unenthused about JR and worried about the lack of enrichment in 9th at JR. When asked at this virtual open house this week, they said freshman can pursue an extracurricular to get enrichment, join an academy (through current freshman and sophomores get first dibs so rising freshman are probably on a waitlist), and find a trusted adult to get more suggestions. (And yes DC tried for private and walls and is waitlisted everywhere and no we are not moving). My DC has been so bored at Deal - their class hasn’t finished a single book in English! - I worry about another year of the same.

I hear this about not reading any books all the time. Are they actually not assigned any full books in Deal?

DC’s class was assigned Raisin in the Sun, Chains, and To Kill a Mockingbird. The assigned reading is so slow that they haven’t finished a single one. It’s April. Meanwhile my 5th grader at a Deal feeder read Chains in ELA enrichment. And don’t even get me started on the fact that they haven’t had a single writing assignment in English.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have visited DCPS and MCPS schools, and the difference in the public discussion of academics in open houses is striking. MCPS principals will up-front address acceleration. I even heard one say “It is our obligation to give students the challenge they need.” Long discussions of math tracking and selection of classes.

In DCPS, academics seem to be practically a dirty word at open houses. Parents who ask about it get stared at questioningly, as if they just ripped a big fart.

I was just chatting with a friend in Moco schools and was blown away at the support for academic rigor, there are multiple magnet middle schools, her kid is in 5th grade and they tested kids to determine if any were eligible, he was automatically offered a seat at a STEM middle magnet (but they are turning it down), lots of accelerated classes in his elem school to for math and reading.
Why is DC so afraid of this? Perfomative equity. meaning all kids get a mediocre education and honors/AP "for all"

Sad but unfortunately true. They don’t want to challenge the higher achievers and make it difficult as hell to get information, access, and classes.

The goal is to lower the top so they can say the are closing the achievement gap.

This. I am so unenthused about JR and worried about the lack of enrichment in 9th at JR. When asked at this virtual open house this week, they said freshman can pursue an extracurricular to get enrichment, join an academy (through current freshman and sophomores get first dibs so rising freshman are probably on a waitlist), and find a trusted adult to get more suggestions. (And yes DC tried for private and walls and is waitlisted everywhere and no we are not moving). My DC has been so bored at Deal - their class hasn’t finished a single book in English! - I worry about another year of the same.

I hear this about not reading any books all the time. Are they actually not assigned any full books in Deal?

DC’s class was assigned Raisin in the Sun, Chains, and To Kill a Mockingbird. The assigned reading is so slow that they haven’t finished a single one. It’s April. Meanwhile my 5th grader at a Deal feeder read Chains in ELA enrichment. And don’t even get me started on the fact that they haven’t had a single writing assignment in English.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have visited DCPS and MCPS schools, and the difference in the public discussion of academics in open houses is striking. MCPS principals will up-front address acceleration. I even heard one say “It is our obligation to give students the challenge they need.” Long discussions of math tracking and selection of classes.

In DCPS, academics seem to be practically a dirty word at open houses. Parents who ask about it get stared at questioningly, as if they just ripped a big fart.

I was just chatting with a friend in Moco schools and was blown away at the support for academic rigor, there are multiple magnet middle schools, her kid is in 5th grade and they tested kids to determine if any were eligible, he was automatically offered a seat at a STEM middle magnet (but they are turning it down), lots of accelerated classes in his elem school to for math and reading.
Why is DC so afraid of this? Perfomative equity. meaning all kids get a mediocre education and honors/AP "for all"

Sad but unfortunately true. They don’t want to challenge the higher achievers and make it difficult as hell to get information, access, and classes.

The goal is to lower the top so they can say the are closing the achievement gap.

This. I am so unenthused about JR and worried about the lack of enrichment in 9th at JR. When asked at this virtual open house this week, they said freshman can pursue an extracurricular to get enrichment, join an academy (through current freshman and sophomores get first dibs so rising freshman are probably on a waitlist), and find a trusted adult to get more suggestions. (And yes DC tried for private and walls and is waitlisted everywhere and no we are not moving). My DC has been so bored at Deal - their class hasn’t finished a single book in English! - I worry about another year of the same.

I hear this about not reading any books all the time. Are they actually not assigned any full books in Deal?

Anonymous wrote:I’m pp and have posted on these boards that my smart, but lazy DC bombed several AP tests because they just didn’t care. This same kid bombed the yearly paarc tests. I bonded with another poster on here with similar kid. My kid is at top-25 school b/c did excellent on the SAT, which counts. So, I don’t read much into that data. My mom is a retired MS teacher in another states and she overheard kids telling each other to bomb the equivalent of paarc test there to hurt teachers they didn’t like.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have visited DCPS and MCPS schools, and the difference in the public discussion of academics in open houses is striking. MCPS principals will up-front address acceleration. I even heard one say “It is our obligation to give students the challenge they need.” Long discussions of math tracking and selection of classes.

In DCPS, academics seem to be practically a dirty word at open houses. Parents who ask about it get stared at questioningly, as if they just ripped a big fart.

I was just chatting with a friend in Moco schools and was blown away at the support for academic rigor, there are multiple magnet middle schools, her kid is in 5th grade and they tested kids to determine if any were eligible, he was automatically offered a seat at a STEM middle magnet (but they are turning it down), lots of accelerated classes in his elem school to for math and reading.
Why is DC so afraid of this? Perfomative equity. meaning all kids get a mediocre education and honors/AP "for all"

Sad but unfortunately true. They don’t want to challenge the higher achievers and make it difficult as hell to get information, access, and classes.

The goal is to lower the top so they can say the are closing the achievement gap.

This. I am so unenthused about JR and worried about the lack of enrichment in 9th at JR. When asked at this virtual open house this week, they said freshman can pursue an extracurricular to get enrichment, join an academy (through current freshman and sophomores get first dibs so rising freshman are probably on a waitlist), and find a trusted adult to get more suggestions. (And yes DC tried for private and walls and is waitlisted everywhere and no we are not moving). My DC has been so bored at Deal - their class hasn’t finished a single book in English! - I worry about another year of the same.

Transplant_1 wrote:My child is at Deal, and one thing I notice, is that non-consistency, confusion, lack of communication / clarity, is often explained away with "students need to learn to self-advocated and organize." I don't deny they need to learn this, and would have to in any public school. But it seems just too much. It seems there just aren't enough rescources to create clarity, consistency, etc. Just look at the difference between the website of JR and a high school in MoCo, Fairfax, Arlington. Also, I find, that as a parent, if you are trying to support your child -- either with organization, trying to help them develop montivation for challenge, etc -- the lack of communication/clarity puts you as the parent in a difficult position with nothing to "hold onto" to "grab onto." And this is not about being an overbearing parent, or about letting the kids figure it out or self-advocate. This is about, parents guiding children about the importance of school, until they are at the point of really understanding it themselves. For example, if I let my children "guide themselves" - they would eat sugary junk all day. Same thing with school - if I let my child guide themselves, they would try to do as little as possble. This is where I find the biggest difficult with DCPS's under resource, under communciation, under organization. That as a parent -- no matter what color - if you want to support your child until they can do it on their own, it is very very hard.