I’m pleased to direct you to a story that appears this week in our little bitty local freebie newspaper, The Takoma Voice. But the story is anything but little bitty.
Sue Katz Miller, one very involved Takoma Park parent and most excellent writer, devotes her School Scene column to a question and answer with Denise Jones, a former NAACP Parents Council Representative. Ms. Jones removed her daughter from MCPS, enrolled her in private school–and in this frank conversation talks gifted education in MCPS and why she ultimately decided to leave. Do read it. Trust me, it’s a must-read.
Hers is a rarely heard story. But we here in the Red Zone, Down County part of Montgomery County know it’s not unusual. Just last week I was getting on the Metro and ran into an African-American mom I know. She’s an environmental policy person; her husband is fluent in Russian and does foreign policy work. We got to know a each other a few years ago while waiting in line to vote, and as it turned out she was a friend of a friend. Our paths continued to cross, and whenever they did, talk inevitably turned to our kids, our elementary school and gifted education…or the lack thereof. I remember one very deep conversation at a Christmas party and how frustrated she was. Well, that morning on the Metro she told me that both of her kids are now attending a local private school.
Two more bright African-American students with well-educated, involved parents–gone.
The ones who leave and homeschool. The ones who go private. Nope. Not even on MCPS’s radar screen. MCPS has no way of hearing, and more importantly no interest in hearing, why these families choose to leave. If MCPS truly wishes to improve, to be a “learning community,” then it might start by listening to those who have said, “No, thanks.”
Thanks! We need to support local independent news outlets tackling these stories. Distressing to read the example of your friend, too. I know many others. Sigh.
–Sue
Onbeingboth.com
It always amazes me how an exit interview is standard procedure in the corporate world but unheard of in government-run education. I get emails and phone calls all the time from companies I used to do business with asking what they could do to win me back. Why aren’t those same questions being asked by school administrators?
Crimson, good point. We left middle to homeschool and they never once asked why. I was still on their email list so I got a notification that the principal was running a literature circle at lunchtime once a week. I knew the answer would be no but curiosity got the best of me so I thought I’d float this one out.
I emailed the principal, the one who actually told me in a meeting that my daughter was very intellectual and she always saw her with a book. Good going, you don’t get that kind of feedback in public school.
So I reminded her how much my daughter reads and how she would love to participate. I got a terse response back, no, she can’t, she isn’t a student here any longer.
She’s busy so two lines would have done the trick. Nice to hear from you, we miss you. How’s DD? After all, they appeared to like my daughter. Nothing. Just that curt procedural reply. Ties into your previous post, SwitchedOn.
Switched on, do you moderate everyone or is it just me?
. Just wondering, as my submitted comments are always preceded by this warning:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Do you have a screening committee? Like those 504 school meetings? Just kidding, having a little fun! Love your blog!
All comments are moderated, J., just to keep a handle on spam. No committee, just me. There may be a lag in approving because, hey I’m supposed to be working
. But I do try to check in several times a day.
Over the past two years I may have deleted maybe 1 or 2 comments that were truly objectionable. Even the critical/stupid ones, I’ll approve….because it just holds the writers up to “public” scrutiny.
I have to say, it’s been gratifying to have such a nice, constructive and smart bunch of commenters. Thanks everyone!
To add, let’s not kid ourselves. Surely the school system doesn’t want to lose a bright minority student. But my daughter was well liked, had monster test scores (for what it’s worth) and was well behaved.
Yet they appeared to care less that we left. The way I look at it, since this was considered the “best” school and therefore overcrowded, they got a deal when DD left. They still got our tax dollars but no longer had to educate her. Who wouldn’t want something for free?
Re comments…ahem…as I was saying.
SwitchedOn, your moderating style makes perfect sense. As long as I’m not the only one moderated
. Love this sentence: “Even the critical/stupid ones, I’ll approve….because it just holds the writers up to “public” scrutiny.” Indeed!
By the way, what is your line of work? Let me guess. Writing?