Inspired Teaching or Lee Montessori or Breakthrough Montessori?
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Anonymous
| Hi All! Would love some advice. We have been accepted for PreK at Breakthrough Montessori. I love Takoma Park (dc side) and I am actively making offers on a house there. However, we have a very high waitlist number at Inspired Teaching and Lee Montessori. I called both schools and both schools said that, given our spot in the top 5 on the waitlist for each, they cannot guarantee a spot will open up but it’s likely my child will receive an offer there this summer. What I love about Breakthrough and Lee Montessori is that both schools have Prek3/Prek4 and Kindergarten combined. My child has a severe speech delay but they can read and do very basic math. So my child will be repeating Prek4 this year at whatever school they end up attending. But I love the idea of being in a mixed class so that they can learn reading with the kindergartner part of the class and also socialize with the younger kids in the class bc my child’s speech is at the level of a child who is newly 3 years old (both receptive and expressive). Being in a mixed Prek3/prek4/kindergarten is really ideal. On the other hand, Inspired Teaching is one of the best charter schools in dc (the only downside is that the classes aren’t mixed grades) so my child will be put in a Prek4-only classroom at Inspired Teaching. Couple other points: My little one gets both speech and occupational therapy at their current school as part of their IEP and that will continue for the next several years at least. I’ve heard mixed things about the special ed services at Breakthrough. I’ve heard excellent things about special ed services at Lee. On the other hand, as a single parent, I’d really love to have an au pair and have the au pair be able to walk to school for drop off/pick up (so I don’t have to worry about getting them a car, car insurance, drivers license etc.) It’s also very difficult to find an au pair with city driving experience. So if we go to Breakthrough Montessori, I can avoid that all together and we will be a close walk (assuming I close on a house in Takoma this summer). The houses on the market that are near Inspired Teaching and Lee are in pretty bad disrepair, not walking distance to any stores, not walking distance to the metro. Moving to Brookland would significantly add to my work commute. So the walkability factor is a huge plus with Breakthrough. Has anyone who’s child has an IEP had a really amazing experience at Inspired Teaching or Breakthrough? I know Lee has a great special ed program. Lastly, my child will be in a general education classroom at any school as their speech delay is not severe enough to be moved to a self-contained classroom. |
Anonymous
| I would look into having your au pair take the bus with your child. I live within walking distance of ITDS and I love the neighborhood. You can walk from Bloomingdale or take the bus there from Brookland. |
Anonymous
| Parents love Inspired; I know a lot of parents who have left or are looking to leave Lee. |
Anonymous
People from Lee come over because they want more real academics or a bigger cohort than they would get at Lee for 5th and 6th. And of all the area middle schools, the vibe of ITDS is most appealing to the types of people who like Montessori. Especially if they didn't get into Latin. |
Anonymous
| Thank you also so much for these replies! It confirms everything I have heard, which is that if we get into inspired teaching, we should go to inspired teaching! I love pretty close to Bloomingdale now so that’s actually a really good point about taking the bus from Bloomingdale. My big question is for anyone whose child has an IEP and receives speech or occupational therapy at inspired teaching? I would love to hear what they think. That’s also really interesting about people leaving Lee Montessori… No wonder they said we would get off the waitlist ha ha. I have two friends whose kids have IEPs and they love Lee Montessori. So that’s why I was strongly considering Lee. but it sounds like if we don’t get into inspired teaching, and the choice is between Lee Montessori or Breakthrough Montessori, we should stick with breakthrough. |
Anonymous
It really depends on what you want. Personally I do not think Lee and Breakthrough are that different aside from location. And I would rather live in Takoma than where I live now which is near ITDS and Lee. I think some people just don't want Montessori for upper elementary, or they prioritize getting on track for middle and high school. Only you can decide your own wants and priorities. I think the sped services at ITDS are fine, but I don't have firsthand knowledge. |
Anonymous
It would be the D32 along Rhode Island to 3rd, then walk a few blocks. So takes a little while, but totally fine for an au pair to do. |
Anonymous
| I have no knowledge of ITDS or Breakthrough, but the SPED director at the Lee Brookland campus is excellent as is their OT. |
Anonymous
| My kid had a speech-only IEP at ITDS and got really great services. We did supplement as they got older and were making good gains, to try to minimize the need to pull them from class for speech therapy, but we were very pleased with the services we received. They no longer require the IEP or any speech therapy (theirs was focused on expressive language as well as actual enunciation/clarity of speech) |
Anonymous
| My child receives speech with an IEP at ITDS and we've been pleased with the services. That said, being able to walk to school is really amazing. |
Anonymous
| If you can't live in bounds for a "good" school pyramid, choose the house and neighborhood you want and then commute to schools. Maybe consider a house in a neighborhood with a good enough elementary school, which is most of dc now even as you enroll in Breakthrough or ITS. Honestly, so much of a school depends on class dynamics, the teaches you happen to get, the principal. All this can change. Don't make long term life decisions based on a school. You will be playing the lottery eventually. |
Anonymous
| We have friends who are at ITDS with an IEP for OT (but not speech) and they are very happy. |
Anonymous
| Do you know anyone at Breakthrough you can check in with? They unionized there last year, and from what I've heard it's been a very tough year with a lot of teachers leaving. |
Anonymous
| Thanks everyone! This has been super helpful. Especially the info about Inspired Teaching having good IEP services, and also thank you to the person who provide the bus line bc I wanted to ask which bus line but felt bad takin up more of their time |
Anonymous
Take up as much time as you like! We are all just procrastinating here. |