Creative Minds Middle School?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem all of these (K-8) plans run into is that parents with kids in 1st, 2nd, and maybe 3rd grade really, really want their elementary school to continue. They're very happy with the school and advocate with the administration to make it last. Then, by about 3rd or 4th grade, their child is different, their needs are different, and the family makes very different reflections about school. Often, they start looking for something bigger, something with more options, more extra-curriculars, with with more emphasis on selection, honors, rigor. It's hard for administrations to push back and also economically attractive not to because it's comparatively cheaper to run a middle school than an elementary school. So there are some economies of scale to be gained. But inevitably, the middle school will serve quite a different set of students, no worse, no better necessarily, but different. For the rest of the lot, it puts another "option" on the map and thereby adds another way by which we can shuffle our kids around into seemingly acceptable but - in sum - altogether suboptimal solutions. So, yes, good luck with that.

Yes, this is very well stated. We are a Lee family who has no interest in a middle school option at Lee. I think the need in DC is for good middle-to-high school options, not elementary-to-middle. (We will try for Latin when the time comes but are planning on private for middle and high school if we are still in the area.)

Amen. Very well put PP. We feel the same at ITS. Even though I am impressed with what they have done in few short years building a small middle school (and we LOVE the school), I think my DC's needs have changed in 3rd grade.

Not everyone feels this way. I do NOT want a big middle school for my kids (I went to one - it was lord of the flies). So there just has to be enough families liek me who want a small middle school experience, and, with the lack of ms options in dc, it looks like some creative minds, it, lee families who don't feel like me may end up having to staying put (and perhaps loving it). The pk-8 model is very popular in progressive dc private schools, so I don't know why it wouldn't work in progressive charters.

Because private schools can pick their students and charters can't. You will have to open the gates to the hoi polloi, and believe me that if they'll commute all the way to Deal, they will certainly commute to CM. Then you'll have a school that's too small to offer differentiated classes (i.e., different math options) and has to navigate integrating everyone into the same room. Capital Hill Day School has a method to keep your "undesirables" out, CM does not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem all of these (K-8) plans run into is that parents with kids in 1st, 2nd, and maybe 3rd grade really, really want their elementary school to continue. They're very happy with the school and advocate with the administration to make it last. Then, by about 3rd or 4th grade, their child is different, their needs are different, and the family makes very different reflections about school. Often, they start looking for something bigger, something with more options, more extra-curriculars, with with more emphasis on selection, honors, rigor. It's hard for administrations to push back and also economically attractive not to because it's comparatively cheaper to run a middle school than an elementary school. So there are some economies of scale to be gained. But inevitably, the middle school will serve quite a different set of students, no worse, no better necessarily, but different. For the rest of the lot, it puts another "option" on the map and thereby adds another way by which we can shuffle our kids around into seemingly acceptable but - in sum - altogether suboptimal solutions. So, yes, good luck with that.

Yes, this is very well stated. We are a Lee family who has no interest in a middle school option at Lee. I think the need in DC is for good middle-to-high school options, not elementary-to-middle. (We will try for Latin when the time comes but are planning on private for middle and high school if we are still in the area.)

Amen. Very well put PP. We feel the same at ITS. Even though I am impressed with what they have done in few short years building a small middle school (and we LOVE the school), I think my DC's needs have changed in 3rd grade.

Not everyone feels this way. I do NOT want a big middle school for my kids (I went to one - it was lord of the flies). So there just has to be enough families liek me who want a small middle school experience, and, with the lack of ms options in dc, it looks like some creative minds, it, lee families who don't feel like me may end up having to staying put (and perhaps loving it). The pk-8 model is very popular in progressive dc private schools, so I don't know why it wouldn't work in progressive charters.

But the progressive charters have an individualized instruction model, way beyond differentiation. The small scale and individuated instruction (rather than all desk face the teacher model) means they, like charters themselves, are a different ballgame than dcps educational campuses. And they are self selecting. You aren't going to get all high ses, but you'll get quite a few and the low ses will not tend to be at risk (those parents tend to go IB) or kids with discipline problems (those parents make different choices - if my kid was a discipline problem I'd want more not less structure). This all spells success. Not a lot of extra curriculars, that is true, but I can get my kid those and I didn't do any of those in middle school (lived too far from school, both parents worked, went home on bus and watched sitcom reruns for three years).



Because private schools can pick their students and charters can't. You will have to open the gates to the hoi polloi, and believe me that if they'll commute all the way to Deal, they will certainly commute to CM. Then you'll have a school that's too small to offer differentiated classes (i.e., different math options) and has to navigate integrating everyone into the same room. Capital Hill Day School has a method to keep your "undesirables" out, CM does not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem all of these (K-8) plans run into is that parents with kids in 1st, 2nd, and maybe 3rd grade really, really want their elementary school to continue. They're very happy with the school and advocate with the administration to make it last. Then, by about 3rd or 4th grade, their child is different, their needs are different, and the family makes very different reflections about school. Often, they start looking for something bigger, something with more options, more extra-curriculars, with with more emphasis on selection, honors, rigor. It's hard for administrations to push back and also economically attractive not to because it's comparatively cheaper to run a middle school than an elementary school. So there are some economies of scale to be gained. But inevitably, the middle school will serve quite a different set of students, no worse, no better necessarily, but different. For the rest of the lot, it puts another "option" on the map and thereby adds another way by which we can shuffle our kids around into seemingly acceptable but - in sum - altogether suboptimal solutions. So, yes, good luck with that.

Yes, this is very well stated. We are a Lee family who has no interest in a middle school option at Lee. I think the need in DC is for good middle-to-high school options, not elementary-to-middle. (We will try for Latin when the time comes but are planning on private for middle and high school if we are still in the area.)

Amen. Very well put PP. We feel the same at ITS. Even though I am impressed with what they have done in few short years building a small middle school (and we LOVE the school), I think my DC's needs have changed in 3rd grade.

Not everyone feels this way. I do NOT want a big middle school for my kids (I went to one - it was lord of the flies). So there just has to be enough families liek me who want a small middle school experience, and, with the lack of ms options in dc, it looks like some creative minds, it, lee families who don't feel like me may end up having to staying put (and perhaps loving it). The pk-8 model is very popular in progressive dc private schools, so I don't know why it wouldn't work in progressive charters.

But the progressive charters have an individualized instruction model, way beyond differentiation. The small scale and individuated instruction (rather than all desk face the teacher model) means they, like charters themselves, are a different ballgame than dcps educational campuses. And they are self selecting. You aren't going to get all high ses, but you'll get quite a few and the low ses will not tend to be at risk (those parents tend to go IB) or kids with discipline problems (those parents make different choices - if my kid was a discipline problem I'd want more not less structure). This all spells success. Not a lot of extra curriculars, that is true, but I can get my kid those and I didn't do any of those in middle school (lived too far from school, both parents worked, went home on bus and watched sitcom reruns for three years).



Because private schools can pick their students and charters can't. You will have to open the gates to the hoi polloi, and believe me that if they'll commute all the way to Deal, they will certainly commute to CM. Then you'll have a school that's too small to offer differentiated classes (i.e., different math options) and has to navigate integrating everyone into the same room. Capital Hill Day School has a method to keep your "undesirables" out, CM does not.

But the progressive charters have an individualized instruction model, way beyond differentiation. The small scale and individuated instruction (rather than all desk face the teacher model) means they, like charters themselves, are a different ballgame than dcps educational campuses. And they are self selecting. You aren't going to get ALL high ses, but you'll get quite a few/way more than educational campuses and the low ses will not tend to be at risk (those parents tend to go IB) or kids with discipline problems (those parents make different choices - if my kid was a discipline problem I'd want more not less structure). This all spells success. Not a lot of extra curriculars, that is true, but I can get my kid those and I didn't do any of those in middle school (lived too far from school, both parents worked, went home on bus and watched sitcom reruns for three years). (reposted to fix quoting)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem all of these (K-8) plans run into is that parents with kids in 1st, 2nd, and maybe 3rd grade really, really want their elementary school to continue. They're very happy with the school and advocate with the administration to make it last. Then, by about 3rd or 4th grade, their child is different, their needs are different, and the family makes very different reflections about school. Often, they start looking for something bigger, something with more options, more extra-curriculars, with with more emphasis on selection, honors, rigor. It's hard for administrations to push back and also economically attractive not to because it's comparatively cheaper to run a middle school than an elementary school. So there are some economies of scale to be gained. But inevitably, the middle school will serve quite a different set of students, no worse, no better necessarily, but different. For the rest of the lot, it puts another "option" on the map and thereby adds another way by which we can shuffle our kids around into seemingly acceptable but - in sum - altogether suboptimal solutions. So, yes, good luck with that.

Yes, this is very well stated. We are a Lee family who has no interest in a middle school option at Lee. I think the need in DC is for good middle-to-high school options, not elementary-to-middle. (We will try for Latin when the time comes but are planning on private for middle and high school if we are still in the area.)

Amen. Very well put PP. We feel the same at ITS. Even though I am impressed with what they have done in few short years building a small middle school (and we LOVE the school), I think my DC's needs have changed in 3rd grade.

Not everyone feels this way. I do NOT want a big middle school for my kids (I went to one - it was lord of the flies). So there just has to be enough families liek me who want a small middle school experience, and, with the lack of ms options in dc, it looks like some creative minds, it, lee families who don't feel like me may end up having to staying put (and perhaps loving it). The pk-8 model is very popular in progressive dc private schools, so I don't know why it wouldn't work in progressive charters.

But the progressive charters have an individualized instruction model, way beyond differentiation. The small scale and individuated instruction (rather than all desk face the teacher model) means they, like charters themselves, are a different ballgame than dcps educational campuses. And they are self selecting. You aren't going to get all high ses, but you'll get quite a few and the low ses will not tend to be at risk (those parents tend to go IB) or kids with discipline problems (those parents make different choices - if my kid was a discipline problem I'd want more not less structure). This all spells success. Not a lot of extra curriculars, that is true, but I can get my kid those and I didn't do any of those in middle school (lived too far from school, both parents worked, went home on bus and watched sitcom reruns for three years).



Because private schools can pick their students and charters can't. You will have to open the gates to the hoi polloi, and believe me that if they'll commute all the way to Deal, they will certainly commute to CM. Then you'll have a school that's too small to offer differentiated classes (i.e., different math options) and has to navigate integrating everyone into the same room. Capital Hill Day School has a method to keep your "undesirables" out, CM does not.

But the progressive charters have an individualized instruction model, way beyond differentiation. The small scale and individuated instruction (rather than all desk face the teacher model) means they, like charters themselves, are a different ballgame than dcps educational campuses. And they are self selecting. You aren't going to get ALL high ses, but you'll get quite a few/way more than educational campuses and the low ses will not tend to be at risk (those parents tend to go IB) or kids with discipline problems (those parents make different choices - if my kid was a discipline problem I'd want more not less structure). This all spells success. Not a lot of extra curriculars, that is true, but I can get my kid those and I didn't do any of those in middle school (lived too far from school, both parents worked, went home on bus and watched sitcom reruns for three years). (reposted to fix quoting)

What grade is your child in? 3rd? How many privates have you toured? What you see at Maret in 3rd is very different from in 7th. And having said that, Maret gets to sort. CM will not. Just ask Basis - the model will be "take them all and let them sort themselves (fail themselves/withdraw themselves) out or be counseled out.

DCI may pull off the conglomeration because they've got enough feeder schools. They can get big enough to offer differentiation of skills at grade level. And, they'll get big enough they don't have to accept all comers. They can sort them out in the younger grades at the feeder schools because they don't meet the language requirements.

What you're describing for your utopia CM is something that can work at a private school, but your problem is that you want to sort students out of public school. Again - look at Basis. They too thought they could get families to just "self select" - it doesn't work. Not in DC - not with too few high quality choices. You will have to take all comers, and then you'll be mixing discipline cases in with the snowflakes.

[Anonymous]

Several people have mentioned that they liked a charter for early grades, then decided they needed something different thereafter. Can anyone elaborate on that? TIA.

--clueless toddler mom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Several people have mentioned that they liked a charter for early grades, then decided they needed something different thereafter. Can anyone elaborate on that? TIA.

--clueless toddler mom

There's a lot that people will tolerate in lower grades, especially when it's PS/PK/K. We want to see our children enjoying school, learning the alphabet, making friends, learning the rudiments of math, etc. And, the kids who tend to act out are only 3/4/5 years-old. No-one's worried yet.

When your 1st or 2nd grader comes home having learned new vocabulary on the playground, of which you don't approve, that can give you cause for pause. Similarly, reports of bullying behavior arising in 3rd may be more than you expected, and it can take the glow off the rose. What will really let you down, is when you're pushing for advanced instruction in, say math, by 5th, because you know your child can handle the work and the school is indifferent. They've got standardized tests to worry about in the higher grades. Your proficient/advanced child is NOT going to be a priority - because they are desperately trying to haul the below basic and basic kids up over the line. That line, after all, is what they will be judged on and compensated for within the DCPS system. And all of your good will in the world won't make up for it.

So, sure they want you around - they want to court you and help you find friends and build the school's reputation. That's what gets the higher SES and more motivated families to stay in the system. And, life being what it is (unfair) it's those kids who will help them get the scores they need to move on to the next stage of their promotion ladder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Several people have mentioned that they liked a charter for early grades, then decided they needed something different thereafter. Can anyone elaborate on that? TIA.

--clueless toddler mom

Kid may end up being very sports-oreinted -- or not. They may have an aptitude for science or math and be ready to handle advanced material very early. They may be very shy and need a small, nurturing environment -- or conversely be an extrovert and want the stimulation of a 200+ person middle school with clubs, dances and so forth. They may have a learning disability that doesn't emerge until 2nd or 3rd grade which changes the game completely. They may have their heart set on an Ivy (yes that happens in middle school unfortunately) and want to go to a more academically challenging school. Parents may have financial challenges making a planned private middle school impossible or requiring a move to less expensive home.

It's just impossible to know what will work best for middle school until your child is in 3rd or 4th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Several people have mentioned that they liked a charter for early grades, then decided they needed something different thereafter. Can anyone elaborate on that? TIA.

--clueless toddler mom

as your gets older they will start to show specific interests, strengths in personality and academics that arent evident at age 3. So maybe you enroll your kid in a dual language and thats fine but really your kid doesn't have much interest or natural aptitude for it but absolutely loves and excels in math classes. So maybe Basis is a better fit in 5th grade instead of continuing into DCI. People don't like to admit that kids, like adults have natural aptitudes for somethings instead others and there is not a lot getting around it. Or maybe your kid loves sports and can't imagine a middle or high school experience without team sports. So a big school like Deal or Wilson offer a lot more than Creative Minds or latin. Maybe your once outgoing toddler is actually fairly introverted and would be much happier in a smaller middle school where they know every single kid in the grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Several people have mentioned that they liked a charter for early grades, then decided they needed something different thereafter. Can anyone elaborate on that? TIA.

--clueless toddler mom

There's a lot that people will tolerate in lower grades, especially when it's PS/PK/K. We want to see our children enjoying school, learning the alphabet, making friends, learning the rudiments of math, etc. And, the kids who tend to act out are only 3/4/5 years-old. No-one's worried yet.

When your 1st or 2nd grader comes home having learned new vocabulary on the playground, of which you don't approve, that can give you cause for pause. Similarly, reports of bullying behavior arising in 3rd may be more than you expected, and it can take the glow off the rose. What will really let you down, is when you're pushing for advanced instruction in, say math, by 5th, because you know your child can handle the work and the school is indifferent. They've got standardized tests to worry about in the higher grades. Your proficient/advanced child is NOT going to be a priority - because they are desperately trying to haul the below basic and basic kids up over the line. That line, after all, is what they will be judged on and compensated for within the DCPS system. And all of your good will in the world won't make up for it.

So, sure they want you around - they want to court you and help you find friends and build the school's reputation. That's what gets the higher SES and more motivated families to stay in the system. And, life being what it is (unfair) it's those kids who will help them get the scores they need to move on to the next stage of their promotion ladder.

PP from above: this applies in general across elementary schools, and as specifically to many DCPS as to many charters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem all of these (K-8) plans run into is that parents with kids in 1st, 2nd, and maybe 3rd grade really, really want their elementary school to continue. They're very happy with the school and advocate with the administration to make it last. Then, by about 3rd or 4th grade, their child is different, their needs are different, and the family makes very different reflections about school. Often, they start looking for something bigger, something with more options, more extra-curriculars, with with more emphasis on selection, honors, rigor. It's hard for administrations to push back and also economically attractive not to because it's comparatively cheaper to run a middle school than an elementary school. So there are some economies of scale to be gained. But inevitably, the middle school will serve quite a different set of students, no worse, no better necessarily, but different. For the rest of the lot, it puts another "option" on the map and thereby adds another way by which we can shuffle our kids around into seemingly acceptable but - in sum - altogether suboptimal solutions. So, yes, good luck with that.

Yes, this is very well stated. We are a Lee family who has no interest in a middle school option at Lee. I think the need in DC is for good middle-to-high school options, not elementary-to-middle. (We will try for Latin when the time comes but are planning on private for middle and high school if we are still in the area.)

Amen. Very well put PP. We feel the same at ITS. Even though I am impressed with what they have done in few short years building a small middle school (and we LOVE the school), I think my DC's needs have changed in 3rd grade.

Not everyone feels this way. I do NOT want a big middle school for my kids (I went to one - it was lord of the flies). So there just has to be enough families liek me who want a small middle school experience, and, with the lack of ms options in dc, it looks like some creative minds, it, lee families who don't feel like me may end up having to staying put (and perhaps loving it). The pk-8 model is very popular in progressive dc private schools, so I don't know why it wouldn't work in progressive charters.

But the progressive charters have an individualized instruction model, way beyond differentiation. The small scale and individuated instruction (rather than all desk face the teacher model) means they, like charters themselves, are a different ballgame than dcps educational campuses. And they are self selecting. You aren't going to get all high ses, but you'll get quite a few and the low ses will not tend to be at risk (those parents tend to go IB) or kids with discipline problems (those parents make different choices - if my kid was a discipline problem I'd want more not less structure). This all spells success. Not a lot of extra curriculars, that is true, but I can get my kid those and I didn't do any of those in middle school (lived too far from school, both parents worked, went home on bus and watched sitcom reruns for three years).



Because private schools can pick their students and charters can't. You will have to open the gates to the hoi polloi, and believe me that if they'll commute all the way to Deal, they will certainly commute to CM. Then you'll have a school that's too small to offer differentiated classes (i.e., different math options) and has to navigate integrating everyone into the same room. Capital Hill Day School has a method to keep your "undesirables" out, CM does not.

But the progressive charters have an individualized instruction model, way beyond differentiation. The small scale and individuated instruction (rather than all desk face the teacher model) means they, like charters themselves, are a different ballgame than dcps educational campuses. And they are self selecting. You aren't going to get ALL high ses, but you'll get quite a few/way more than educational campuses and the low ses will not tend to be at risk (those parents tend to go IB) or kids with discipline problems (those parents make different choices - if my kid was a discipline problem I'd want more not less structure). This all spells success. Not a lot of extra curriculars, that is true, but I can get my kid those and I didn't do any of those in middle school (lived too far from school, both parents worked, went home on bus and watched sitcom reruns for three years). (reposted to fix quoting)

Right - but just given families changing needs, kids interests and so forth it is to be expected than 1/3 to 1/2 of the CMI kids will go elsewhere for middle school. Meaning you have openigns that will be filled by new students. This introduces a lot of unknowns into the school - kids who may be great or challenging, but none of whom will be steeped in the schools culture. I think you shouldn't assume that at-risk kids won't travel for a charter - they do now to Cap City (also progressive) and Basis.

[Anonymous]

Yes, exactly. You will be surprised and a little bit hurt to find out that a few of your kids' friends are trying to peel off for private school in fourth, and then a big chunk will leave for Latin and Basis, if they can, in fifth. Maybe a few more lottery out or move for sixth, and all of a sudden your original cohort is much smaller and a bunch of new students are coming in. It's not always a bad thing, of course, but you need to be realistic that the people with the most options are nearly always going to be trying to position themselves well for the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem all of these (K-8) plans run into is that parents with kids in 1st, 2nd, and maybe 3rd grade really, really want their elementary school to continue. They're very happy with the school and advocate with the administration to make it last. Then, by about 3rd or 4th grade, their child is different, their needs are different, and the family makes very different reflections about school. Often, they start looking for something bigger, something with more options, more extra-curriculars, with with more emphasis on selection, honors, rigor. It's hard for administrations to push back and also economically attractive not to because it's comparatively cheaper to run a middle school than an elementary school. So there are some economies of scale to be gained. But inevitably, the middle school will serve quite a different set of students, no worse, no better necessarily, but different. For the rest of the lot, it puts another "option" on the map and thereby adds another way by which we can shuffle our kids around into seemingly acceptable but - in sum - altogether suboptimal solutions. So, yes, good luck with that.

I nominate this for DCUM post of the month!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Several people have mentioned that they liked a charter for early grades, then decided they needed something different thereafter. Can anyone elaborate on that? TIA.

--clueless toddler mom

There's a lot that people will tolerate in lower grades, especially when it's PS/PK/K. We want to see our children enjoying school, learning the alphabet, making friends, learning the rudiments of math, etc. And, the kids who tend to act out are only 3/4/5 years-old. No-one's worried yet.

When your 1st or 2nd grader comes home having learned new vocabulary on the playground, of which you don't approve, that can give you cause for pause. Similarly, reports of bullying behavior arising in 3rd may be more than you expected, and it can take the glow off the rose. What will really let you down, is when you're pushing for advanced instruction in, say math, by 5th, because you know your child can handle the work and the school is indifferent. They've got standardized tests to worry about in the higher grades. Your proficient/advanced child is NOT going to be a priority - because they are desperately trying to haul the below basic and basic kids up over the line. That line, after all, is what they will be judged on and compensated for within the DCPS system. And all of your good will in the world won't make up for it.

So, sure they want you around - they want to court you and help you find friends and build the school's reputation. That's what gets the higher SES and more motivated families to stay in the system. And, life being what it is (unfair) it's those kids who will help them get the scores they need to move on to the next stage of their promotion ladder.

PP from above: this applies in general across elementary schools, and as specifically to many DCPS as to many charters.

Agree. Also PP I dont understand why you mention vocabulary on the playground. You can and will face that anywhere (yes, including high SES public and privates).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, exactly. You will be surprised and a little bit hurt to find out that a few of your kids' friends are trying to peel off for private school in fourth, and then a big chunk will leave for Latin and Basis, if they can, in fifth. Maybe a few more lottery out or move for sixth, and all of a sudden your original cohort is much smaller and a bunch of new students are coming in. It's not always a bad thing, of course, but you need to be realistic that the people with the most options are nearly always going to be trying to position themselves well for the future.

More and more families are staying. I'm not sure why the pressures that created a CM wouldn't, in a couple years, fill a CM middle school. Sure, it might not be the same students as the elementary (some who wight want a bigger school withs prots) but that will leave plenty of middle class parents whose kids won't thrive in a big middle school and don't want sports. If CM comes up with an attractive middle school educational plan, families will come. Yes, they have to take all. Just like they now have to take all (and are doing fine).

[Anonymous]

My kid is in a lower grade at CMI. I just toured a private school k-12 program and focused specifically on their middle school to get an idea of what would be available to me at this private that I like vs the planned CMI middle. I was pleasantly surprised to find that CMI has EVERYTHING this private had and more, with the Chinese language instruction and sensory stuff. All CMI needs to add for middle school is a science lab but nothing fancy as it is only middle school and an arts room to do ceramics and clay modeling. They have the space so this will be easy. As for the competition sports this is lacking but. Can be developed. I went to a k-8 school and it was fine. I also appreciated the diversity At CMI that you can't get at any area private. The fact is that CMI model has never been done in DC in a K-8 public model so really there is nothing upon which to base predictions. There are no schools that are public,for instance, which small class sizes like CMI so people are comparing apples to oranges.