OT - Our school force-moved us to D-Track!

[Matt'nMeg'sMom]

I'm so disappointed. I got a letter yesterday from our elementary school. My kids have been involuntarily moved from B Track (where we've been for four years) to D Track. Consequently, my kids will spend all summer in school.

Get this: they did it "because there are too many boys on B track and they needed to even out the genders".

What a load of hogwash! My daughter was in a class with 18 boys and 4 girls - and they pulled her OUT of her class. Doesn't gender balance matter in her grade???

I've already called the school and written letters. I asked if this was in Matthew's best interest, academically speaking. They ho humed and nodded politedly and told me that there was nothing they could do.

I'm so ticked off I could spit nails.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I don't know what a B track and D track are.

 

[Matt'nMeg'sMom]

Our school district is "year round". There are four possible tracks, or calendars. They rotate which tracks go to school and which tracks are off.

So if there are 1000 kids, they assign 250 kids to each track, A, B, C, D.

A, B, C will go to school at the same time.
Then A will go on vacation and B, C, D will go to school.
Then B will go on vacation and A, C, D will go to school.
etc.

That way they only have three quarters of the kids in the building at any one time. It's strictly population control.

The problem is that we were on B Track -- we were on the B track programs with B track teachers. We had B track vacations with B track extra-curriculars, and B track DAY CARE ( a big issue.)

The school just forced us to D track, which has a much more difficult calendar to work with. My son was one of only TWO BOYS moved.

It's as if someone walked into your kids classroom, took two boys and said they had to go to a different school.

ARGH!!!!

 

[disneypharm]

I am sorry that this has happened to you. This is very common in Douglas county. Too many kids I guess! They moved my girls from C track to A track after 2 years. We were very upset, but it turned out to be the best thing that happened to us.! The girls in A track are much nicer and the teachers are so much better. The girls love their new friends and they still see their old friends from C track on recess or after school.
Now, they are changing the school to modified traditional since a new elementary school was opened last year and they are mixing up all the tracks! So my girls might be in classes with kids from other tracks again.

 

[juliana_sd]

Oh that sucks that they moved you! I would be extremely frustrated. I wonder how they choose who to move?

That is kind of cool how they have it set up though. In our school district the year-round schools just have one schedule, but they get 3 weeks a few times during the year and a shorter summer break. Not sure what the advantage is We have about half year-round and half traditional schools.

 

[Thats_for_Shore]

Oh that sucks that they moved you! I would be extremely frustrated. I wonder how they choose who to move?

That is kind of cool how they have it set up though. In our school district the year-round schools just have one schedule, but they get 3 weeks a few times during the year and a shorter summer break. Not sure what the advantage is We have about half year-round and half traditional schools.

Supposedly with year round schools, the advantage is that the kids aren't likely to forget things in the span of that 3 week break. Whereas, after a long summer vacation, kids have forgotten all types of things that the class needs to go over and review.

It also supposedly works out for family vacations. If the family wanted to ski, the kids wouldn't have to miss time, they could just do it on their winter break.

I personally don't know, but our district was talking about it (for about a minute), and I was paying close attention to what they were saying.

 

[_queenie_]

What a confusing concept. I would hate it if our town ran on that schedule, they could never make it work in this area, they don't even air conditon the schools! We're in NH, but it does get very hot, not as much June as August and September (traditonally school started after Labor Day here, but a few years ago they pushed it into the third week of August ).

Sorry, I'm no help.

 

[pooh4evr]

we go yr round also - they used to have 5 cycles but now there is enough room in the schools for just 1 cycle - Our district divides up the kids by areas (subdivisions) nothing to do with gender or numbers that way-- when I was in school we had 10 classes per grade level in our elem school (there were maybe 4 elem schools at the time) now my DD has I think 7 classes of 1st graders at her school with 22 in her class---

 

[disneypharm]

What a confusing concept. I would hate it if our town ran on that schedule, they could never make it work in this area, they don't even air conditon the schools! We're in NH, but it does get very hot, not as much June as August and September (traditonally school started after Labor Day here, but a few years ago they pushed it into the third week of August ).

Sorry, I'm no help.

Actually, we love the year-round school system. My kids are never tired of school since every couple of months they get 3 weeks off. They also never forget much during summer! They get 5 weeks off from Memorial day weekend until after July 4th. In addition, they get 3 weeks in September off. We loved having Sept trips to WDW! It is also great for working parents. They can take vacations anytime they like instead of during summer which is very crowded and expensive to travel.

 

[holly7347]

Our school district is "year round". There are four possible tracks, or calendars. They rotate which tracks go to school and which tracks are off.

So if there are 1000 kids, they assign 250 kids to each track, A, B, C, D.

A, B, C will go to school at the same time.
Then A will go on vacation and B, C, D will go to school.
Then B will go on vacation and A, C, D will go to school.
etc.

That way they only have three quarters of the kids in the building at any one time. It's strictly population control.

The problem is that we were on B Track -- we were on the B track programs with B track teachers. We had B track vacations with B track extra-curriculars, and B track DAY CARE ( a big issue.)

The school just forced us to D track, which has a much more difficult calendar to work with. My son was one of only TWO BOYS moved.

It's as if someone walked into your kids classroom, took two boys and said they had to go to a different school.

ARGH!!!!

What a mess. I got confused just reading that. Do they ever split up siblings that could really be a disaster if siblings weren't on break at the same time?

Is there any sort of apeal process? I would call every day and speak with everyone possible. I had all kinds of trouble getting DD into the public preschool due to delays. They tested her and said there was nothing "wrong" with her. I said she has been seeing a private Occupational Therapist who disagrees. I got her OT to give me copies of all her reports and write a letter to the school stating what benefit she thought DD would get from the program. I still didn't hear anything. So I started calling. I called the teacher that tested Paige, the school psych which is on the admittance committee, the principal. If they weren't in and didn't return my phone call I called again the next day. I think eventually they let Paige in so they wouldn't have to deal with my relentless phone calls anymore.

I would point out to them that you have everything planned out around the A schedule from daycare, to extra curriculars. I would also point out to them that their gender evening can't possibly be the reason if they only moved 2 boys?

Good luck. Keep at them hopefully it will work out.

 

[Matt'nMeg'sMom]

I am sorry that this has happened to you. This is very common in Douglas county. Too many kids I guess! They moved my girls from C track to A track after 2 years. We were very upset, but it turned out to be the best thing that happened to us.! The girls in A track are much nicer and the teachers are so much better. The girls love their new friends and they still see their old friends from C track on recess or after school.
Now, they are changing the school to modified traditional since a new elementary school was opened last year and they are mixing up all the tracks! So my girls might be in classes with kids from other tracks again.

Are you going to Clear Sky?

 

[pigletto]

Wow.. I am really sorry to hear that. To be honest I didn't even know that existed. Where we are everyone goes to school the same time of year and that's that. I can not even imagine the logistical nightmare of families that have to try and plan daycare for all of those breaks.
(I do daycare for a living).
I can totally understand your frustration that they would just up and change them after they are used to their friends and classroom and scheduele

 

[Matt'nMeg'sMom]

Actually, we love the year-round school system. My kids are never tired of school since every couple of months they get 3 weeks off. They also never forget much during summer! They get 5 weeks off from Memorial day weekend until after July 4th. In addition, they get 3 weeks in September off. We loved having Sept trips to WDW! It is also great for working parents. They can take vacations anytime they like instead of during summer which is very crowded and expensive to travel.

As a working parent, I can say that it definitely isn't great. I'm constantly scrambling, trying to find someone who'll watch my kids for two weeks here... three weeks there. There is no consistency. (and for my family, being a working-mom isn't a "choice.")

When I grew up, we were in school from Labor Day to Memorial Day. We got Christmas, Spring Break, and at least 12 weeks for summer. From 8 years old through senior year, I spent every summer at a legacy sleepaway camp (nine weeks minimum.) A legacy camp is the kind of camp where your grandmother, your mother, your aunt, and your cousins all went.

Sadly, my daughter will never be able to go to my camp.

Here's our very screwed up schedule:

off track: 2 weeks (June 23-July 6) Summer Break 2008. a whopping two weeks.
In school: 5.5 weeks
off track: 3.5 weeks (Aug 14-Sep 8)
In school: 8.5 weeks
off track: 3.5 weeks (Nov 6-Nov 30)
In school: 3 weeks
off track: 2 weeks (Dec 20-Jan 4) Christmas 2008
In school: 6 weeks
off track: 3.5 weeks (Feb 13-March 10)
In school: 8.5 weeks
off track: 3 weeks (May 8-May 31)
In school: 3 weeks
off track: 2 weeks (June 24-July 5) Summer Break 2009. Not even two weeks.

oh, and another perk -- every time the kids go "off track", they lose their classroom. They spend 1-2 days before each break to pack up the whole classroom into storage units, and when they come back - they get to unpack into a new classroom.

You'd think our school was outdated or obsolete - but no, the school is only 4 years old.

 

[Matt'nMeg'sMom]

oh... and another vent. (Man, I'm really at it today.)

I want to know how any long-term retention can be done when you're only in school three weeks at a time? There are only two 8 week sessions (two months!!) in the whole school year!

Three weeks of multiplication tables... three week break... Three weeks of reading, 3 week break, then come back and take your state-standardized testing. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

 

[Hannahsmom]

oh... and another vent. (Man, I'm really at it today.)

I want to know how any long-term retention can be done when you're only in school three weeks at a time? There are only two 8 week sessions (two months!!) in the whole school year!

Three weeks of multiplication tables... three week break... Three weeks of reading, 3 week break, then come back and take your state-standardized testing. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Wow! That really sucks. You know a lot of people really love the year-round school thing, but I really don't like it. We live in MI, where we get about 3 wks of nice weather, and I can't imagine spending it inside in class. We love our summers. Our schools go to June 17 this year and if we didn't have that waste-of-a-vacation they call Winter Break where kids were off for a week in Feb. we could be out a week earlier.

 

[flynnmnstr]

With this new school schedule at least you are going to get some great non peak times to visit Disney when your kids are off of school.

I'm sorry but I am a parent of two special needs boys and I have recently adopted the motto of Meet the Robinson's -- Keep Moving Forward! It was inspired by my DS6 whom is in the autistic spectrum on a long weekend in Philadelphia when things were not going exactly how he envisioned it. It the middle of a meltdown he just stopped looked at me and said, "You know what mom I am going to keep moving forward and not let this ruin my day". After excusing myself to go to the other room to both laugh and cry, I adopted this as my new creed.

That being said, I totally agree that schedule seems crazy and it seems more like a space issue than a academic retention issue. I definitely agree you should try to appeal this decision and go to the school administrators.

 

[daisyduck123]

subscribing....

 

[Matt'nMeg'sMom]

With this new school schedule at least you are going to get some great non peak times to visit Disney when your kids are off of school.

The track we're on doesn't affect our family vacations, fortunately. We just take 'em whenever we can (based on Daddy's schedule), whether the kids are in school or not.

I guess that's a bright side --because of the crazy track system our school district has no problem with anyone taking vacation whenever they want. (Remember - the 7-12th graders are on a different calendar than the k-6 graders. If your family has kids in both halves, you'll never get a matching vacation. Someone's gonna be missing school. )

That being said, I totally agree that schedule seems crazy and it seems more like a space issue than a academic retention issue.

You're so right! The school district superintendent has even acknowledged this fact. At the last open house, he said to the entire auditorium, "About 15 years ago, we use to try to sell the track system on academic retention. Unfortunately, the statistics have demonstrated that there is no improvement over traditional calendars, so now we're forced to admit that it's really just population control."

 

[KevGuy]

Wow, that track stuff in CO is crazy I never heard of anything like that! I feel so sorry for you having to go through stuff like that.

I'd suggest moving if I were you, back to America.

 

[Matt'nMeg'sMom]

Wow, that track stuff in CO is crazy I never heard of anything like that! I feel so sorry for you having to go through stuff like that.

I'd suggest moving if I were you, back to America.

Sorry ... Me = Confused! Colorado is America. At least... last time I checked. We do get a lot of Californians here.