Our school's response to their MySchool scores

[Turkish Delight]

As most know that my DS goes to the worst school ever. I've had so many troubles with it so far.
So, here is the next problem and need your help girls. The school needs a good kick up the behind and help me deliver it.

The school's MySchool rating was very poor. The school scores for grades 3 and 5 were all well below the average and got red ratings. So, in response to this (i think) DS was given a letter to bring home for me to sign etc.. It was for... an extra half hour class to be run after school 2 days per week (total 1 hour per week after school) for the fee of $15 per week for the remainder of the year (close to $500-$600 per year). He goes to an independent school so, we have to pay higher school fees than those going to a govt school (our choice, i know). The kids will be given extra tutoring on numeracy and literacy (what they scored poorly on).

I wrote an email yesterday to them as below :

Dear Receptionist - I am not expecting you to answer this, but I would appreciate a call back/meeting with the Principle based on the letter which was sent home earlier this week about each grade 4 student staying back for 30 mins twice a week at a fee of $15 per week for the remainder of the year.

1. Has this come about due to the poor results the school has received from the Myschool website?
2. Why the fee? This equals to $60 per month and over $600 per year. We pay enough school fees as it is. What extra resources will be provided at these classes for it to cost $15 per week?
3. I guess teachers weren’t pushed as hard as they should have been until the Myschool website was launched and now are being pressured by the Principle/School Board to “perfom” to standard, so the Myschool results are better. This should have been done years ago. So is this extra class really for the benefit of the students or the schools reputation??

I am really appalled at the Myschool scores which the school has received and xxxx College is always making out that it’s students has such high scores, which I have found hard to believe and the Myschool results just proved it.

My son will not be attending these extra classes as he does not require them.

I think the parents who don’t speak English and aren’t as tech savvy as some parents are, don’t know how poorly our students are doing. May be it should be a feature article in the weekly newsletter to better educate the parents about the school??

I would appreciate a response.

Thanks

I know teachers jobs are really hard, i couldn't do it. So, i am not having a go at the teachers at all, it is the SCHOOL which i am having a go at. P

What else could i tell them?? I am fuming!

[BrightSparkles]

I agree that you needed to send a letter to the school. Obviously, if they feel the need to run this extra class then they feel/know that those teachers aren't doing thier jobs properly.

I hope that you get a response and I'd love to hear how you go.

[Turkish Delight]

the kids are at school from 9-3.20, they are given a poop load of homework to do and i mean a poop load and now expect them to stay back too

[Just Me]

I think the idea of keeping the kids in class longer really sucks and making you pay extra for it is also a ridiculous idea.

However, I think that running these extra classes would be pretty typical for schools that perform better on these tests. This is the problem with the tests and publishing the results online as the kids' whole education becomes about performing well on the tests and everything else falls by the wayside. Many schools run extra classes to prepare for the testing including test preparation and practice. TBH though, I have mainly seen it in high schools, but I do know of a couple of primary schools that run extra classes for students to prepare them for testing.

I think it is important for you to talk to the principal and share your concerns. I think the testing puts lots of unnecessary pressure on little kids. Just because the test scores are low does not mean most of the kids in your school are having difficulty, it could just be a few who really don't get it - which would be explained if there were a lot of students with ESL.

I hope the principal takes the time to have a meeting with you.

[Turkish Delight]

They had gone through a rigorous testing period last year when he was in grade 3 during class time. I spoke to the teacher back then and said that she was preparing them for the Naplan tests and going over some of the bits the kids didn't understand.

I still think that it is for the benefit of the school otherwise they would have done these "extra" classes back then too.

When it comes to the fee, the only resource that i could think of that would cost us $15 each would be if they got in a casual teacher just for those classes, otherwise what would it be? It sounds like a money making scheme to me.

[Just Me]

Unless they pay extra tutors to come in and work with the students or pay teacher aide's extra hours, or they are increasing teachers' wages to cover the extra half an hour.

Don't know - certainly worth finding out especially if you don't believe that it is beneficial to your child.

[Cassius2]

In all honesty it smells of dodgy. those are already long enough hours for kids and expecting them to do extra on top of an already hefty homework load is, to me, not beneficial academically...which i can only suppose is the whole point?

I know that it sounds obvious, but are you able to weigh your options up and see if there is a school that is performing better and has slightly better ethos that your kids could go to? it's never too late to change! my mum had to do this with me when it became obvious that we split paths regarding the philosophy of educational styles...

and i think nothing less than a meeting with the principal is in order regardless.

[Turkish Delight]

there is a new school which is opening up in our estate in 2011, so he is definitely going there. It is a public school as the two schools which he has already been at were both islamic colleges and very far from where we live. Enough is enough.

I'm glad to see that i'm not the only one that can smell a rat in amongst this!

[Cassius2]

ah phew! well at least you guys can just hold your heads low for this year biding time for next year when he can go to the new public school. is he on the list?

[MantaRay]

TD, I think if the teachers are asked to stay back they have to be paid overtime, which is reasonable I guess, so that would be the reason for the cost. But I would still be upset at that approach and wanting to know why other schools can teach the curriculm in school hours and they can't.

All the best with it.

[~Hestia~]

I hope you get a response from the principal & some answers.

[Isadora]

I like your letter, I hope you get a response soon. You deserve a speedy response, if you are already paying top dollar in school fees you would expect a much higher score than what the school has got.

[BabyQ]

Ok maybe it would be worth asking

What exactly are they going to learn in "30 minutes, twice a week" that they couldn't learn in normal school hours- that would achieve better NAPLAN results?

This sounds like the school has been reprimanded for it's scores in the past and now they've got to implement an improvement plan and this is one of the strategies...which IMO is craptastic by the way...

[butterfly_warrior]

I have to say that as a teacher I find that really strange.

I teach in a private school, and the hours we are required to be at the school are longer than the hours that the children are expected to be there.

We also offer, free of charge, a couple of extra help sessions each week so that kids have access to teachers to get help outside of their normal class time. I find it strange that a school would ask parents to pay for extra help, but perhaps it's just me that doesn't see helping students outside of class time as a hindrance and an imposition. Then again, it does seem to be only our faculty that does it at the school, so who knows?

BW

[chody47]

As a teacher in a school that didn't come up with great results on the MySchool website I have a question for you to consider (although they may not be relevant to your school).

What is the size of your school? - I ask this as I teach at a very small school with only about 15ish kids taking the test at each year level. Therefore, only one or two kids doing not so great puts a great dip in our results. Added to that we have a couple of special classes at our school (with some parents wanting them to take the test - thus making our results look even lower).

That being said, the school offering to do after school classes AND suggesting you pay for them isn't right in my opinion, especially if it is a direct response the the MySchool website (i.e. to try to improve their results to make them look better). If they are offering it like a tutoring service and would have done it without the results then maybe......but the timing of it looks really suspicious!!

[Turkish Delight]

They have so many in Grade 3 last year that they had a straight Grade 3 year as well as a composite grade 2/3. I would say all up 35 kids. The school isn't very big at all. It is a P-12 school, but they have SO many teachers there it is unbelievable. They always strut around giving other schools "they are the best" factor, when they are clearly not. Just had a look at the website and there are 407 students in total.

I have had meetings with the school teachers and principal on numerous ocassions about their flaws and they have done nothing about it, when they promise to do so.

Yes, the timing is what got me thinking.

I still have not heard from them, suprisingly enough!

[tan32]

I just wanted to add to this, a little of track i know.
My children go to a private school R to 6 , in total i think we have 500 students.

Our school scored well in the My school particully the 5 yr levels the 3 yr level where a bit below.
The school as a whole this year is working on literacy, this seems to be the main downfall.
They are really concentrating and putting extra resources into literacy this year as a result.

I am not sure i would agree to extra classes, especially having to pay for them on top of already high fees.

[Zinnia]

''I guess teachers weren’t pushed as hard as they should have been''

I am sorry but this is saying that it is the teachers fault!!!! How do you know if they were or weren't ''pushed hard''? Do you have ANY idea what our worlkload is like??? Teaching is not a 9-5 job, it's a 24/7 job!!!!

You are right, as teachers we are under immense pressure and it is a diffucult job, but blaming teachers? That is just not right. More goes into teaching than just doing your job as a teacher, think about resources, the amount of ESL students in a school, everything.

Please don't just think the responsiblity of education lies with teachers, it lies with school management AND parents!!!!