Anonymous wrote:

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

This was my original post. Where in it does it say that I am sending my kid to baby college? I am just talking about talking to my kid, taking them to the zoo, reading to them etc. I only referenced The Harlem Children's Zone and their "Baby College" because many parents that are low income don't know how to do the basics like reading to the child which would make such a difference. The Baby College is for the parents- not the kid. Now I know why you are confused. Because you saw Baby college and didn't bother to read the next part. And your neurons probably don't fire rapidly enough for you to have a complete analytical thought and realize 1) wait that is in HARLEM 2) the poster is most likely in DC and 3) I am not sure what this Baby college is about so maybe I should look into it before I jump in and make a comment. I totally understand now. You saw the words baby college and you just proceeded to put your foot in your mouth. You thought I was saying I was sending my kid to a baby college when all I said is I want my child to be prepared for school, and it starts early. Carry on with your day now (You might want to watch old re-runs of Reading Rainbow. They discuss how reading is fundamental).

Anonymous wrote:crazy? moron? Gee, I just think you're a little uptight about all this stuff. you don't need kiddie college. Just be a good parent.

What are you looking for, some kind of special affirmation for doing the things that all good parents do?

Well, here you go:

"CHILL OUT!"

and

be a be a good parent.

You are not grounded in reality. Parents that are "good parents" might not do these things because they are not aware of the long term positive impact not because they don't care. Kiddie college? You mean the Baby college in the previous post? That is part of the Harlem's Children's zone. I see that reading is not where you excel in life.

crazy? moron? Gee, I just think you're a little uptight about all this stuff. you don't need kiddie college. Just be a good parent.

What are you looking for, some kind of special affirmation for doing the things that all good parents do?

Well, here you go:

"CHILL OUT!"

and

be a be a good parent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is reading to your child and taking him/her to museums not letting him or her have a childhood? My preschooler loves books and museums.

It isn't -- that's the point.

YES! This is exactly the point. I am the poster that said people are reacting to me trying to prepare my child for school and was told by this crazy poster to "chill out", and I was not giving my kid a childhood. Really? By being engaged and giving my child attention I am taking my kid's chuildhood away? Because it is the little things that add up and make it so a child is prepared vs. unprepared. So the little steps are not being taken at an early age by many of my peers. It is easier to close any small gaps in Kindergarten than it is in 3rd grade or high school. So the poster that told me to "OMG" go "chill out" is a moron as far as I am concerned especially if they are the same poster that now claims that they did all the things I am trying to do for my child.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The race isn't to nowhere, and if you spend too much time chilling out and letting your child having a childhood, pretty soon you end up with an adult who only knows how to chill out and be a child.

Not my experience. My former child is working and paying taxes.

Did you not read to your child before they entered school? Did you not take them to museums or on other outings that had an educational component to them?

Indeed I did. And then I pulled him out of DCPS and homeschooled him.

I am the poster that you told to chill out but yet you didn't chill. You went to the museums and did all the things I am trying to do to prepare my child for kindergarten but no, I am supposed to just let my kid do what? watch tv ALL day? play outside ALL day? And you didn't.

Anonymous wrote:How is reading to your child and taking him/her to museums not letting him or her have a childhood? My preschooler loves books and museums.

It isn't -- that's the point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The race isn't to nowhere, and if you spend too much time chilling out and letting your child having a childhood, pretty soon you end up with an adult who only knows how to chill out and be a child.

Not my experience. My former child is working and paying taxes.

Did you not read to your child before they entered school? Did you not take them to museums or on other outings that had an educational component to them?

Indeed I did. And then I pulled him out of DCPS and homeschooled him.

Good for you. Not every involved, concerned parent can do that.

How is reading to your child and taking him/her to museums not letting him or her have a childhood? My preschooler loves books and museums.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The race isn't to nowhere, and if you spend too much time chilling out and letting your child having a childhood, pretty soon you end up with an adult who only knows how to chill out and be a child.

Not my experience. My former child is working and paying taxes.

Did you not read to your child before they entered school? Did you not take them to museums or on other outings that had an educational component to them?

Indeed I did. And then I pulled him out of DCPS and homeschooled him.

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.

The race isn't to nowhere, and if you spend too much time chilling out and letting your child having a childhood, pretty soon you end up with an adult who only knows how to chill out and be a child.

Not my experience. My former child is working and paying taxes.

Did you not read to your child before they entered school? Did you not take them to museums or on other outings that had an educational component to them?

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.

The race isn't to nowhere, and if you spend too much time chilling out and letting your child having a childhood, pretty soon you end up with an adult who only knows how to chill out and be a child.

Not my experience. My former child is working and paying taxes.

Anonymous wrote:OMG. You've got your toddler on the race to nowhere. Just chill out and let your child have a childhood.

The race isn't to nowhere, and if you spend too much time chilling out and letting your child having a childhood, pretty soon you end up with an adult who only knows how to chill out and be a child.

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 the same poster, but I have seen teachers that struggled with depth of content knowledge, lack of classroom control, but my biggest issue with teachers has been an inability to connect critical elements of learning to an assignment. I see this most directly in extending kids writing skills. Too often teachers say write, without going back and edit and supplement details. Kids just don't learn to improve.

These are often not "poor performers" but rather just ok and for many kids that can be a disaster. I personally don't believe this is all the fault of teachers, I think the school system does the same thing in not helping new teachers build the critical skills needed for classroom control, and connecting learning elements. It is like when DC told teacher you must have the standard listed on the wall like that really imparts what the class needs, they need to make sure a teacher has either the skill or knowledge to do that standard, not worry about posting it on the wall.

Part of the explanation for the racial test score gaps that seem to exist despite similar SES status stems from

1) Even if AA families and white families have similar incomes, white families are more likely to have family wealth or to borrow from family to buy into a better school district. Studies that control for wealth, not income, find that AA students scores higher than whites. (See "Living in the Red in Blackand White" by Dalton Conley and "Black Wealth/White Wealth" by Melvin Oliver and Thomas Shapiro, 1995)

2) Stereotype threat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotype_threat

2)

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.

Pity party? In this day and age of social media, that can be the single worst mistake somebody could make, to patronize, attempt to bamboozle or blow someone off. If someone doesn't give satisfaction, there are plenty of ways to blast it publicly, loud and far. Maybe the prospect of public shame and humiliation and having their career go from 60 to 0 in 5 seconds will make them pay a little more attention.