Adequate Yearly Progress

Once again the issue of Adequate Yearly Progress and the Federal mandate to have all kids passing all state achievement tests by 2014 has popped up. Several years ago I wrote about how we looked past the tests at the school that my kids attend. As my kids roll up and out of one of the best schools around, I look back on what I wrote. Along with over half of the schools in our district, we once again failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress. We made it last year so the ramifications are less than they would be had we not made it last year, but something has to give. The idea of Federal waivers that will drive states towards holding teachers accountable for test scores (and towards Race to the Top which our state withdrew from), well, that's unacceptable. We can't hold teachers hostage and at the same time accountable for test results. SO much of my kids' day is already driven by SOL tests (that's what they are called in VA). Can't imagine what life will be like if there are waivers in place that tied the teacher's hands even further and they aren't allowed to actually teach? Sigh...

But for now I'll look back on what I wrote back in 2007, after only one year at our school. Four years later I would write exactly the same thing. And I feel much more passion for this school that does such a good job of bridging the divides that we see at other schools, that reaches those kids who are left behind at other schools, and looks at the whole child as a way to educate them.

October 05, 2007

Adequate Yearly Progress

I recently had a discussion with a mother whose child was in preschool and she was wondering where to send her kiddo for Kindergarden. She was concerned about the low scores and also the large number of kids on free or reduced lunch at the local elementary school, yet she'd heard so many good things about the school. There was a diconnect. While some folks in the area understand all of the dynamics of the Fairfax County schools, not everyone "gets it." I know that we didn't when we first arrived here, yet I find myself regularly explaining to family and friends why the test scores don't accurately reflect the education that my son is getting at this school. Here is a blog entry I wrote a few weeks ago in response to the report that Fairfax County failed to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress across the board, and also as an answer to the question of why we send our son to this school.

"The Fairfax County school system for the first time failed to meet academic goals under the No Child Left Behind Act, largely because many students with limited English skills struggled on reading tests that were given in response to a federal order, according to school officials and scores released yesterday." -Excerpt from the Washington Post; By Maria Glod and Michael Alison Chandler; Washington Post Staff Writers; Friday, August 24, 2007; Page A01

My child attends a school that did not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) according to government standards.

My child attends a school that has not made AYP in the past as well.

My child attends a school where 45% of the students are not proficient in English.

My child attends a school where 54% of the students are on free or reduced lunch.

My child attends a school where he is a minority in many ways.

My child attends a school where 42% of the population participates in the English for Speakers of Other Languages Program.

But my child also attend a school where there are children from 40 countries that speak 20 different languages.

My child attends a school where there is true racial diversity - 14% Asian/Pacific Islander, 6% Black, 48% Hispanic, 26% While, and 5% Other.

My child attends a school where there were no serious incidents or firearm violations, and only two fights last year.

My child attend a school that has had more winners of the Fairfax County Teacher of the Year than any other elementary school.

My child attends a school with an outdoor habitat learning lab, a black box theater, a museum in progress, a state of the art communication lab where students produce their own TV shows and videos, a staffed math lab and a staffed science lab.

My child attends a magnet school for the arts and sciences.

My child attends a school that has a foreign language partial immersion program in Spanish.

My child attends a school that offers about 30 before and after school classes ranging from athletics to science to band to arts and crafts. These classes cover things like photography, healthy eating, drama, basketball, sewing, soccer, science experiments, and many more. These classes are open to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.

My child attend a school where kids are given a chance to learn, regardless of where they came from or what language they speak.

My child attend a school where he learns.

My child attends a school he loves.

My child attends a school that really doesn't leave any child behind, regardless of the adequate yearly progress that we do or do not make.

This was posted at Confessions of a Not So Well Behaved Woman on August 26, 2007

Man it's HOT!

Seems like I've complained about the heat in previous years past right about now as well, and this week was just as hot (if not hotter). We hit 99 degrees on Wednesday, and that's just sizzling - fry eggs on the sidewalk, burn the bottom of your feet sizzling - no matter where you live. We do have a little bit of the humidity added in there as well, but I almost had to give up my Texas citizenship. You know, if you complain too much about he hot weather they disavow any knowledge of you ever being born there. Texans have their pride after all.

June 10, 2008

Man it's HOT!

One of the things that we've really enjoyed about Northern Virginia since we moved from Texas two years ago is the beautiful weather. While some of the locals complained that it was too hot, too cold, or that the weather was unseasonable at many different times of the year, we found that it was much more temperate than the weather in Texas. We have marveled in the beautiful springs and pleasant falls, we have loved the light to moderate snow in the winter, and we have honestly enjoyed the mild summers. We are truly fans of the weather here in Virginia - until now. I'm calling shenanigans on Mother Nature here, and I'm putting my foot down demanding my old Virginia weather back.

We've recently had four soccer games rained out, tornados, earthquakes, flash flooding, and now almost record heat. Yes, almost record because we are a few degrees shy of the "records." But who is saying that it isn't dang hot here?

Not me. And the funny part of this? Well, we're from Texas where it gets REALLY hot, but after being here in the glorious Virginia weather for two years, we're ruined. The kids and I can't handle the heat - and Tom just sits there and laughs at us. After two years of mild springs and summers that are cool enough to play outside basically all summer, we're stuck inside. For the past few days the kids grab a popsicle, run outside, then come zooming back in to escape the heat. Then, after a few minutes of beating on each other / playing soccer / watching TV / I send them back out again into the heat. Normally they would gladly stay outside all afternoon and all weekend, but I can't imagine them playing out in the heat that we've had (105-110 heat index) from more than a few minutes at a time. They have huge shade trees, water bottles, water gun fights, popsicles, hats, sunscreen, and still need breaks from the heat every 15 minutes or so. It's just plain hot here, and my kids' behavior reflects that. I guess being trapped inside in the late spring / early summer will do that to you.

So, apologies to anyone who runs into me and the kiddos over the next few days. Until this cold front comes through that they are predicting (which will bring the temps down to normal temps for this time of the year), my children will be behaving like wild trapped wild animals. Let's all hope that this heat wave subsides...quickly.

Original DC Metro Moms post.

When not hiding under an umbrella, Suzie blogs over at Confessions of a Not So Well Behaved Woman.

I LOVE a good parade!

Once again I dragged my family to a parade, and once again they complained about it. But then again they still go. The kids have no choice really, but Tom, well, he must love me to indulge my parade fixation. But the Falls Church Memorial Day parade is always a big hit. This year, like last, it was wicked hot out. But we got there about five minutes before the parade started, found a shady spot with no one else around towards the end of the parade route, and plopped down. It was glorious. We saw our absolute favorites - the Bolivian dancers. There were several troupes there this year - one of them new - but all fantastic. From the wee ones to the old ladies in full garb those dancers move and groove and bring a big old smile to my face.

This year there was a stilt - walker, and a bunch of clowns. Lucy wasn't quite sure what to make of all the clowns, then again she wasn't sure why we were there in the first place. Guess to a two year old the whole world looks like one big parade.


Ian was all over that red wagon. We grabbed it to drag our stuff in, and once the chairs were out he hopped in, relaxed, and watched the parade. Can I just say - best. wagon. ever. I don't know how it handles kids, honestly, as we didn't let anyone sit in it, but it can hold all of our chairs PLUS our little cooler, and my purse in the back!
We brought freezy pops with us to keep the kids cool and happy. ;) And they did indeed do the trick. Twelve freezy pops later they were all coming off their sugar high, and Lucy sunk into the chair, and eventually rested her head on her daddy.

As the parade went on...and on...and on...Lucy totally ran out of steam. She liked the music and the colorfulness of the parade, but clearly wasn't plugged in to the absolute coolness of the whole thing. Me, on the other hand, well, I dig parades and this is one of my favorites.

Why can't the summer come sooner?

Tom looked at my today like I was a crazy woman. "I think I want to pull the kids out of school and just be done for the year." We still have two weeks of school left, and I'm good to go for the year. I told him that there are a ton of cool things to do around here, and I was done with the whole schedule thing. Apparently I do this every year (see my post below). Last year, same time, and here I was complaining that that the summer couldn't come fast enough. And it didn't help that today it was a whopping 99 degrees outside. It hovered above 90 degrees for a good chunk of the day, and all I could think about was the pool. Yes, the pool is open, but mostly on the weekends. It opens at 3pm until school lets out, and by then it's almost too hot to get out of the house. But tomorrow, providing everyone is healthy (we had one kiddo home sick today) we are hitting the pool. Hot is just hot, no matter how you cut it, and I believe that anyone will agree, even my loving husband, that 99 degrees counts as hot.

June 10, 2010

Why can't the summer come sooner?

I have four kids, three of whom are in school. What I really mean to say is that three of them are in school still. It seems that our summer doesn't start until halfway INTO the summer - at least it feels that way some days. It now is staying light until well past 8pm, our typical bedtime, so the kids are still wide awake well past then. The sun rises at the crack of dawn as well, so naps (for me and the little one) are definitely on tap as my kids get up way to early for my taste. But crazy hectic school, sports, and extra-curricular schedules generally prevent any late afternoon naps from happening. And all of those cool summer activities that I remember from childhood? Well, they've already started and we still have two full weeks of school left.

This means that we don't get to participate in some of those cool activities, like swim team. Granted, the little boys aren't quite ready, but my oldest might have been had there been a day (or four) for him to practice with the team. But ongoing school and extracurricular activities still occupy those precious after school slots, so there's no room for swim team. There are other things that I'd like to be doing as well with my days, but it seems that we are not quite done with our required 990 hours/180 days of school yet. (Yes, the really do count that way depending on the year and weather, and this year wasparticularly bad).

I guess the worst part about this time of year is that it feels like it should be summer break. This means that my kids are acting like it's summer break - giving up on any semblance of good behavior left in their little bodies. They did well behaving all year - followed directions, did what they were supposed to do, but their little wills to behave have finally broken. They are turning in those ugly, nasty little summer cretins - like caged animals trapped in school kid bodies. This is easily fixed with some running around, boredom, pool time, bicycles, you name it. But we can't do any of those things because we're still in school. And you know that the teachers know this too.

I'm sure it's one thing to wrap school up in May, like loads of other places do, and then deal with those end of school wigglies. But not here in Fairfax County, and we have the good Kings Dominion law to thank for that. We can't start school here until AFTER Labor Day. This means that this year, and next year, (and many other years for that matter) we start the second week of September, and run through the end of June. This law has been around since 1986 and thanks to the lovely folks at King's Dominion, some state legislators, and a bunch of people who don't have MY best interests at heart, we go to school until all 180 of those days pass. And that's late June once again this year.

So here I sit on a beautiful, albeit slightly rainy afternoon, wondering when the summer will come, or when we will all be on a year round school schedule with much more reasonable breaks.

This is an original DC Metro Moms post. When Suzie isn't mourning the loss of her favorite season, she's blogging over at Confessions of a Not So Well Behaved Woman.

Thanks for plugging in the Easter Egg Roll!

It's Easter Egg Roll time again in the DC area, and this year, while we aren't going, 250 students and teachers from our school will be there. Fairfax County Public Schools chose Bailey's Elementary School to give the tickets to, and the second grade was chosen to attend. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for a good chunk of these kids, and they are beyond excited.

We went to the roll last year and had a fantastic time. We rode the Metro. We hung out in the grass and had a snack. We waited in line to get in and went through security. ;). Then, we saw Justin Bieber, DJ Lance, Clifford, the White House up close (!), and the Easter bunny, of course! We rolled eggs, hunted for eggs, and dyed eggs. We tossed footballs, ran an agility course, and did some people watching (who was that Justin kid anyway?) We planted some seeds, did more people watching, got a cool looking wooden egg, a banana (yes, they were handing those out), and a neat poster, then rode the Metro back home.

I am sure that the second graders that go this year will have as wonderful of a time as we did. And maybe, just maybe, the President himself will be there when they go. How cool would that be?

March 27, 2009

Thanks for plugging in the Easter Egg Roll!

Dear Mr. President and the rest of you White House Folks,

Thank you for the opportunity to get tickets to your annual Easter Egg Roll. I know this is the first year that you will be in attendance of this tradition, but we have not yet had the opportunity to even participate in the whole process of getting tickets up until you decided to put it all online. In past years folks had to come down to the Mall to get tickets about a week before the event. And wait in line...and wait...and wait. And if you lived out of town? Well, you were stuck either coming into town a week early and waiting in line, or you were just out of luck. Locals? Well, we had the option of hanging out with our closest "friends" for hours and hours and hoping that we were far up enough to get one of the 18,000 or so tickets that were handed out. But you changed that all this year.

I want to personally thank you for giving my family a chance at coming to the White House Easter Egg Roll. Up until now we weren't really even given the opportunity to get tickets - I have four kids and there's no way I could have spent a full day out on the Mall for those tickets. For tickets to see Garth Brooks when he finally came to our city in Texas when I was in high school? No problem there - we were camping in front of the local grocery store and we knew most everyone going in and out of there. For football tickets when I was in college? No problem - there was beer involved there and it was just me and my roommates - no kids. But waiting for hours in line on the Mall? Not so much for me these days with four kids in tow or missing several soccer games to make them all stand in line. So you see, I was glad to hear that you changed it to an online system. If it had not been online then my family would have had NO chance of attending the White House Easter Egg Roll. We have lived in the DC area for three years now and the kids are all finally old enough to make it a memorable experience (well the older kids are old enough - the baby's a bit young but I'm sure she wouldn't mind being toted along) so I figured that this was our year.

I understand that there were lot of folks out there who were unhappy about the outcomes. One man posted online earlier today that he has attended for the past three years and he was getting screwed out of his tickets - as if he has some sort of right to attend. Listen bub, there are only 18,000 or so given out each year - don't you think it's someone else's turn to attend? Another person complained that the system kept timing out. Haven't you ever tried to get those hot, HOT concert tickets online, and read later that they sold out in 2 minutes, 14 minutes, 30 minutes. Well, this isn't my first time hitting the refresh button either. And really - computer crashes happen - even the best laid plans. We all know the drill with modern technology.

In the end we did not get our six tickets. But for the first time since we've lived in this area there was the chance for us to be included in the magic of the White House Easter Egg Roll. The kids won't be disappointed because they'll never know I tried. The hubby is sympathetic because he knows how much I enjoy these types of things. And me, well, I'm appreciative that I had the opportunity to try to get those tickets, and hope that next year I have the same chance. And to all of you out there complaining that you had to hang near the computer all day, or that the site kept crashing - remember that you could have spent today in the rain, in the cold, on the Mall, by yourself waiting for hours to get those tickets...or to be told that they were all gone.

So thanks, Mr. President, for "plugging in" the Easter Egg Roll! This familyappreciates it and hopes that you keep that tradition alive in the future. And who knows - maybe we'll see you next year!

Sincerely,

Suzie

This is an original DC Metro Moms Post.

Suzie can be found lamenting her missed egg rolling opportunities as well as other things over at Confessions of A Not So Well Behaved Woman.

Date Night!

Around here date night is a big deal. It's a big deal because it costs an arm and a leg to get out the door for us (four kids will do that!) and we want to make the most of it. Recently we've rediscovered the theater. It started with a performance of South Pacific, and it's only going up from there. We were able to dress up, hit the town, and of course, it started snowing while we were at the performance, so my poor hubby had to get out in dress shoes and a suit and shovel the driveway when we got home! It's not often that we get out, but we're getting better at it (snowstorm aside - it happens occasionally around here). While we used to go on dates pre-kids to places like restaurants, movies, and the like, since then it's been a pretty sad run of dates. First it was movies and dinners, then it morphed into a trip to Target or Walmart (with out the kids it's a different experience), and now it's back to actual grown up dates for us. Very, very cool (as evidenced by the big giant smiles and Kennedy peering over our shoulders).

If you are desperate for a date, head on over to my review bog and enter to win tickets to see Blue Man group this week! Contest is open until Sunday, so pop on over there!

Brrr...

First there were the star lights over the fireplace:

Then there was the tree:

Then we got a dusting of snow:

And then it all headed south and today we froze our butts off:

Feels like 6 degrees? Really???!!!!

So tomorrow is a new day, and it can't get colder - can it?

Day	Night
Partly Cloudy / Wind High 31°F Precip 20% Wind: From WNW at 22 mph Humidity: 38% UV Index: 2 Low Sunrise: 7:19 AM ET Avg. High: 49°F Record High: 66°F (2001)	Mostly Clear / Wind Overnight Low 18°F Precip 10% Wind: From W at 19 mph Humidity: 46% Sunset: 4:47 PM ET Avg. Low: 28°F Record Low: 8°F (1962)

Oh, wait...it can.

My little band groupie!

Lucy loves Rocknoceros - even more when she can sneak right up to the stage and watch! Yes, those are her pigtails in the middle of the picture snugged right up to the stage! All the rest of the blurs are kiddos dancing and spinning and hopping around. Loads of fun and great music to boot!

Go DC United????

I'm a big fan of personalized plates, and clever plates really make me smile. But every once in a while I see a plate that perplexes me. It took me a few minutes to get this one - and that's after I picked my jaw up off the floor after seeing this plate and NOT getting the whole DC United part:

You know what I was reading on that plate, and that's why my jaw hit the ground. Wonder how that one got past the DMV censors???!!!

See...it's not just me saying it. Drivers here are terrible.

Washington drivers: The worst in the nation

You think the guy in the rear view mirror is about to rear end you? You think the lady in the next is about to wack you from the side? You think that clown is going to run the stop sign and t-bone you?
If you drive in Washington, there's a better than average chance that you're right.
In fact, the chance is 95.5 percent better than average, according to a report from the Allstate Insurance Company, which collects crash data from across the nation. Washington ranks dead last, behind 192 other cities..
The good news is that Washington was at the bottom of the list last year, and it's been near the worst for many years, so those who have escaped being in a collision probably are the best drivers in the country. The bad news is that Washington drivers get into crashes an average of every 5.1 years, so your number may be up. By contrast, the best drivers in the land are in Fort Collins, Co., where they get into collisions 31.2 percent less frequently that the national average and go an average of 14.5 years between them.
If fear of collision causes you to flee the streets of the District, don't bother going to Baltimore. It ranks just above Washington at the bottom of the list.

From Washington Post.com
By Ashley Halsey | September 3, 2010; 1:54 PM ET

Snow in August?

From weather.com yesterday:

Cloudy

Temperature:

72°F

Feels Like: 72°

Details:

Cooler than yesterday at this time.

Past 24-hr:

Precip: 0.01 in (est.)
Snow: 0 in

SNOW???!! Really? Come on now, it's AUGUST. It's been over 100 degrees recently. And yes, the temps have dropped, but it's still AUGUST.

Our return to an old favorite

Recently we went back to one of our favorite places in DC - Wolf Traps' Theater in the Woods. The weather was perfect, the fields were green and lush (and the kids did run around after the shows) and the shows were fantastic. You can read my review over here: Suzie Reviews, but definitely, if you get the chance, go catch a show there!

DC Traffic Woes

In case you ever wonder how bad traffic really is in DC, or if we are just a bunch of complainers (well, about traffic at least), here's the picture from Tom's trip home a few weeks back. It wasn't just a little congested, but a LOT congested. Funny thing is, it looks like this on any given weekday evening: All I can say is thank goodness that Tom doesn't drive through that (he sneaks to work via a different, less congested route), and REALLY thank goodness that I'm not in it at all. I think I'd go postal if I had to sit in that kind of traffic. Give me long stretches of open road any day over a traffic jam!

White House Easter Egg Roll 2010

bout a billion years ago I became interested in politics. Then about four years ago we moved just about as close as we could stomach to the Nation's Capital. Not bad if you ask me. But I've never actually been to the White House. Never. Not once. Guess I'm not as much of a wonk as I thought.

The White House Easter Egg Roll never really crossed my radar because we would have had to wait in line a la FSU Football tickets when we were students, and that's just not something I was interested in doing. Some friends did wait in line in years past, but it wasn't for me. Last year I even blogged thanking the President for the opportunity to get tickets - one which we really didn't have up until then. I think that someone must have read that note - this year we got tickets. But instead of jumping up and down with joy and telling the kids, I thought I'd torture them a bit. Well, it turned out that it was more torture for me than it was for them (who knew that keeping this secret would be so hard???!!!). But they figured out that we were doing something special on April 5, that it was after school, we were taking the Metro into town, and then it took them 20 Questions plus a bunch of folks walking past with bags clearly labelled White House Easter Egg Roll before they figured it out. That's when I started to get excited. First, we had snacks on the lawn:

Then we waited in line, in almost 90 degree weather. It felt like it was forever, and it felt like the worst heat ever. Our blood has really thickened some since we moved here and we were sweating.

But the line eventually started moving, we were scanned, greeted, banded, given cold drinks, and shuffled back into a second line. And when that line started moving I found myself on the grounds of the White House's South lawn - a truly magical place. There were bunnies, people with water, eggs, more people with water, some Sesame Street folks on stage, even more people with water, and of course, people. Loads of people squeezed into what was seemingly a tight space, then spread out and while we waited in a short line here or there, they were all short. We were busy dying eggs, hunting for eggs, playing soccer, and planting seeds that we missed DJ Lance from Yo Gabba Gabba. Lucy still caught a glimpse and I was happy - he's one of her favorites.

We did also get to hear (and see) Justin Beiber, but no one in my family cared. The boys eventually ran off to play football and Lucy and I wandered through the forest of costumes characters. Duck from Word World, Dora the Explorer, Clifford the Big Red Dog, June from Little Einsteins, and then this big dog. Now, Lucy saw Dora and June, recognized them both, but tried to LEAP out of her stroller to hug the big dog. It turned out that it was Spot. (Guess he's almost as old as I am now!). Then we moved on to the actual Egg Roll.

Problem was, it was close to closing time, the volunteers were tired, and they were trying to get everyone through before they closed. One volunteer snapped at us for taking pictures and holding up the line (for a split second - how often do you get THAT close to the White House anyway?).

A second volunteer left Ian standing by himself while his brothers rolled their eggs. He didn't seem to mind but my perfect photo op was gone. And then there's the whole issue of the Egg Roll. I guess after seeing it on TV and fantasizing about what it would be, well, it wasn't quite what I imagined. Those little girls in their little Easter dresses must be SOOO much smaller and more delicate than my boys. Ian launched his egg prematurely and had to run after it once they got going. Max nearly nailed a volunteer in the eye with his egg, and Sam, well, Sam had fun too.

But for me, the best part of the day was when we were walking out, four hours after we started our grand adventure that led us literally to the back door of the White House, and Max asked "Mom, can we come back next year?"

Enjoy the rest of the pics:

Make your own free digital photo album

Sam and Lucy

Today's post is brought to you by the letter "S." S is for snow, and S is for shoveling and S is for school being cancelled. And S is for sigh...

Sam

Lucy

Guess it IS Snowmaggeddon after all

A few weeks back, during what was one of the bigger storms that the Washington DC area has ever seen, I said in a blog post over at DC Metro Moms that I guess it wasn't Snowmageddon after all. Well, today President Obama called this storm Snowmageddon.

Guess it really IS Snowmageddon:

We are at about 18" and counting, and it's still snowing. Our little baseball bat is almost completely buried due to drifts.

Take THAT Arlington!

Patience

Cherry Blossom Festival

Here's what we saw during our trip to the Cherry Blossom Festival this past weekend:

Lots and lots of porta-pots:

Cool, cool kids:

And of course Cherry Blossoms:

Here's what we did:

We sat (for hand massages too!):

We posed:

We visited:

And we piled:

All in all a successful outing!

Let's Blow Someone Up

If you live in the Washington DC area you know how bad traffic can get. One of the ways that officials here have decide to ease those painful commutes is to create High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. Over the next bazillion years they will be tearing up and moving/replacing/reconfiguring roads, bridges and overpasses, and ramps. They are also removing tress, shrubs, and other vegetation, but that's another story.


We were driving home from the bus stop - across one of these bridges that is now under construction (our bus stop is outside the beltway and we live inside the beltway). Ian, one of my 6 year olds, asked why they were doing construction. I explained about the new roads to ease traffic, the idea of the toll lanes, and explained how many folks you had to have in your car to not have to pay on those lanes. He piped up and said "What if you blow someone up in the car?" At first I thought he meant that he would blow folks up - you know - make them explode, and this concerned me greatly. So hoping that he meant something else completely I asked him - did you mean blow them up like a balloon? "Yes, if you had a blow up person then you could ride in the lanes for free." Ahhh..yeah. We immediately went on to discuss the ramifications of breaking the law and what not, but I really thought it was funny that at six years old he is already trying to find ways to break the rules...sigh...