ReEnrollment at Inspired Teaching

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:100 percent? Really? Which class? We are not returning, looking for something more established, traditional. The school has promise and in a few years I expect good things. However, we are just not comfortable with our kids being pioneers. A 28 year old principal, no matter how smart just needs more experience in our view. Some people love that everyone is learning together, but it has its obvious downsides. We have a strong in boundary DCPS that we will try.

Then why did you come to the school in the first place? That really was a low blow. The principal, in my opinion, is a great asset to the school. Her age could be what helps her have the patience and temperament to handle issues as they arise as well as demanding parents. I can say from talking to other parents, your opinion seems to be a very small minority. When you have a principal that stoops down to talk to children at eye level, that picks crying children up to console them, that takes ornery children for walks around the school, that responds to parent emails same day, in addition to running a brand new school, you have a rock star in my book. She handles things with grace and adds to the comfort level of the school. I don't care what her age is. You know your statement reminded me of a conversation I heard when one older mom of a preschooler (maybe 45) said that she thought women over 40 made better moms for various reasons. Obviously, not true. Good moms come in all ages, colors, socioeconomic statuses etc.

[Anonymous]

Different strokes for different folks--don't be so sensitive. All she said was she was looking for more experience and a more traditional style.

[Anonymous]

Amen pp. She did not give a scathing review, although we are happy at IT, I thought the post valid.

[Anonymous]

Some IT families have had a good experience and others have not. You can hardly blame parents for wanting something more established and with a seasoned principal. Next year will be like another startup year with the new location and teachers. It's not hard to understand.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone elaborate on the "teacher turnover? Why they left, how the replacements are doing etc...It appeared that the administration gave the teachers strong support and we were told that their salaries were pretty good. In fact, IT spends a good chunk of its budget on professional training and teacher salaries. Curious as to what made the teachers so unhappy as to leave mid-year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone elaborate on the "teacher turnover? Why they left, how the replacements are doing etc...It appeared that the administration gave the teachers strong support and we were told that their salaries were pretty good. In fact, IT spends a good chunk of its budget on professional training and teacher salaries. Curious as to what made the teachers so unhappy as to leave mid-year?

Not an IT parent, but I remember an earlier thread saying that only two had left midyear, one for health reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Amen pp. She did not give a scathing review, although we are happy at IT, I thought the post valid.

No, the original email was not scathing nor was the rebuttal. The rebuttal simply said it was a low blow to equate someone's age to being ill-equipped to be principal. Saying a 28 year old does not have the capability to run a school is the same thing as saying a 50 year old is capable, and we all know plenty of 50+ year old DCPS principals that have the age and experience on their resumes but we wouldn't dare send our kids to their schools.

[Anonymous]

We left our options open initially by applying to other schools (because that's what you do in DC) but in the end we decided to return because our kids are learning and are loving their experience at IT. Actually their unyielding excitement about the school was the clincher.

With regard to the teacher turnover; the first teacher left a couple of weeks into the school year. Health reasons were cited but most believe there were other factors at play. She was excellent and the teacher they hired to replace her was simply not on her level. The administration self corrected the mistake and hired an incredible teacher who has done a phenomenal job of pulling that class back together again. The 3rd teacher that left (just a few weeks ago) was sick and is continuing in her recovery. News of her illness touched us all because she was not only a great teacher but an incredible human being. If you're wondering whether there was some hidden drama behind the staff changes...there was none. Stuff happens, and it happens everywhere.

As for the young principal...she got it done. I don't think age was a factor here. I'm sure she stepped in some stuff that a more seasoned principal would have avoided--but then again i'm in my late 40s and I don't get everything right, every time. In the end the school did well particularly for a first year charter, and the vast majority of families are happy and are set to return.

No school is a perfect fit for every child so it stands to reason that some people aren't as satisfied with their experience as my family and many others were. Also, there are some parents who will hop from school to school on a quest for their idea of perfection. I know some of these families and I really hope they find what they're looking for.

I'm not new to parenting and we've lived in several different school districts. I've experienced great schools and ones that were a step above bad; wonderful teachers and one or two that I had to pray wouldn't negatively impact my kid in the future. I'm pragmatic and I have a fairly broad perspective when it comes to schools, so I can say with some confidence that IT is a good school with great teachers. I know some folk are waiting for IT to "prove" that the kids are really learning. I'm not sure how you measure that beyond test scores but what I can tell you is that my kids are learning and growing as "thinkers." I see proof of the school's learning model every time I look at my kids and think about how much they've grown academically and personally over the last 7 months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We left our options open initially by applying to other schools (because that's what you do in DC) but in the end we decided to return because our kids are learning and are loving their experience at IT. Actually their unyielding excitement about the school was the clincher.

With regard to the teacher turnover; the first teacher left a couple of weeks into the school year. Health reasons were cited but most believe there were other factors at play. She was excellent and the teacher they hired to replace her was simply not on her level. The administration self corrected the mistake and hired an incredible teacher who has done a phenomenal job of pulling that class back together again. The 3rd teacher that left (just a few weeks ago) was sick and is continuing in her recovery. News of her illness touched us all because she was not only a great teacher but an incredible human being. If you're wondering whether there was some hidden drama behind the staff changes...there was none. Stuff happens, and it happens everywhere.

As for the young principal...she got it done. I don't think age was a factor here. I'm sure she stepped in some stuff that a more seasoned principal would have avoided--but then again i'm in my late 40s and I don't get everything right, every time. In the end the school did well particularly for a first year charter, and the vast majority of families are happy and are set to return.

No school is a perfect fit for every child so it stands to reason that some people aren't as satisfied with their experience as my family and many others were. Also, there are some parents who will hop from school to school on a quest for their idea of perfection. I know some of these families and I really hope they find what they're looking for.

I'm not new to parenting and we've lived in several different school districts. I've experienced great schools and ones that were a step above bad; wonderful teachers and one or two that I had to pray wouldn't negatively impact my kid in the future. I'm pragmatic and I have a fairly broad perspective when it comes to schools, so I can say with some confidence that IT is a good school with great teachers. I know some folk are waiting for IT to "prove" that the kids are really learning. I'm not sure how you measure that beyond test scores but what I can tell you is that my kids are learning and growing as "thinkers." I see proof of the school's learning model every time I look at my kids and think about how much they've grown academically and personally over the last 7 months.

Wow. Thank you PP. Very nice post with helpful information. Cheers to you!

[Anonymous]

OP, this is not a good place to get opinions on which to form any kind of judgment or decision. Because everyone is anonymous and therefore not accountable, people often write with an agenda. Visit the school try and speak in person with current parents, this should be more helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, this is not a good place to get opinions on which to form any kind of judgment or decision. Because everyone is anonymous and therefore not accountable, people often write with an agenda. Visit the school try and speak in person with current parents, this should be more helpful.

I think OP is a current parent and just trying to get a feel from other parents. Anonymous forums could actually be a perfect place as people can talk more freely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, this is not a good place to get opinions on which to form any kind of judgment or decision. Because everyone is anonymous and therefore not accountable, people often write with an agenda. Visit the school try and speak in person with current parents, this should be more helpful.

I think OP is a current parent and just trying to get a feel from other parents. Anonymous forums could actually be a perfect place as people can talk more freely.

But you also need to filter out extreme opinions. I've seen posts regarding Inspired Teaching saying that it's the BEST SCHOOL EVER AND YOU'RE ABUSIVE IF YOU DON'T RE/ENROLL YOUR CHILD, and others saying that it's a house of cards. Both opinions seem slightly unhinged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, this is not a good place to get opinions on which to form any kind of judgment or decision. Because everyone is anonymous and therefore not accountable, people often write with an agenda. Visit the school try and speak in person with current parents, this should be more helpful.

I think OP is a current parent and just trying to get a feel from other parents. Anonymous forums could actually be a perfect place as people can talk more freely.

But you also need to filter out extreme opinions. I've seen posts regarding Inspired Teaching saying that it's the BEST SCHOOL EVER AND YOU'RE ABUSIVE IF YOU DON'T RE/ENROLL YOUR CHILD, and others saying that it's a house of cards. Both opinions seem slightly unhinged.

Yours is a great example of extreme exaggeration. I never read one post as you reference in caps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, this is not a good place to get opinions on which to form any kind of judgment or decision. Because everyone is anonymous and therefore not accountable, people often write with an agenda. Visit the school try and speak in person with current parents, this should be more helpful.

I think OP is a current parent and just trying to get a feel from other parents. Anonymous forums could actually be a perfect place as people can talk more freely.

But you also need to filter out extreme opinions. I've seen posts regarding Inspired Teaching saying that it's the BEST SCHOOL EVER AND YOU'RE ABUSIVE IF YOU DON'T RE/ENROLL YOUR CHILD, and others saying that it's a house of cards. Both opinions seem slightly unhinged.

Yours is a great example of extreme exaggeration. I never read one post as you reference in caps.

Seriously

We are re-enrolling. Even though (based on lottery results) we'll get into at least one other more established school. My kid loves it & is learning. Aside from some drama about unisex bathrooms early on (which was resolved) I haven't noticed many problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, this is not a good place to get opinions on which to form any kind of judgment or decision. Because everyone is anonymous and therefore not accountable, people often write with an agenda. Visit the school try and speak in person with current parents, this should be more helpful.

I think OP is a current parent and just trying to get a feel from other parents. Anonymous forums could actually be a perfect place as people can talk more freely.

But you also need to filter out extreme opinions. I've seen posts regarding Inspired Teaching saying that it's the BEST SCHOOL EVER AND YOU'RE ABUSIVE IF YOU DON'T RE/ENROLL YOUR CHILD, and others saying that it's a house of cards. Both opinions seem slightly unhinged.

You're kidding right? Provide me with a link on DCUM where someone said this.

IT is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a good school with exceptional teachers that the vast majority of students enjoy attending. Although many parents--like myself--kept their options open by applying to other schools, we're re-enrolling because my kids love it and they're learning. We also very much like the school's diversity and the community of highly involved parents. I have no interest in taking anything away from any other school in the city-- public, private or charter. IT is simply a good fit for my family. Hopefully, you have found a good fit for your family.

In the meantime, DBJ if IT parents have had mostly positive things to say on DCUM about the school and their child's experience. I personally don't have a hidden agenda. My kids really did ENJOY school this year. It's just a fact. And I'm not the only parent who will tell you this (including some who are not re-enrolling for various reasons). In the best of worlds, this forum is about sharing so that participants can hopefully benefit from hearing another's experience.

I have no reason to believe that the school won't build upon what they began this year and further improve. I still don't know what the school is doing that makes the kids love it so much but again, we're re-enrolling on the off chance that we really did stumble upon something better than good.