Creative Minds K-3?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd like some insight into this as well- i feel like creative minds was like "ooh that cool school" for a while and now people just seem to not like it, ITS went through something similar, like ppl were all pumped about it and then it lost its, i don't know, cache, for lack of a better word. I have visited ITS and wasn't really impressed so I can see why that would happen but yeah.. a similar thing with mundo verde where people were dying to get in and now just an 'eh' school. Is this something to take into account when making lottery lists or is it just general DCUM treating schools like celebrities? they just got their IPC accreditation plus the middle school, does it just feel like the school is too stretched or is it the recently increased class sizes or is the school fine?

It's the product life cycle. The growth stage can be a challenge for any organization. Once it reaches maturity I bet there won't be many posts about it at all (see 2 Rivers and EL Haynes)

It's really much harder to do elementary school well than ECE. So as those enthusiastic first families hit the more 'serious' years, the bloom comes off the rose. After a couple (or few) years things stabilize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know a few 1st and 3rd grade families are leaving this year.

For us, we find the school to be good and we are giving it year by year. It's very heavy on drama, art and music and less so on math and science. Lots of upper middle class white parents with flexible jobs who can come to winter performances and exit points and dance parties. It's more about the events for the moms and less about caring about the curriculum.

Those who have left (or are leaving) do so because they move or the academics.

CMI parent here. I think it is unfair to generalize that parents do not care much about the curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good friends at CMI are heading out after 1st grade for this reason. Lovely community but not enough substance after early childhood education.

Where are they headed?

I would guess anyone leaving is heading to private or moving. I am sure they are not headed to any neighborhood schools like Barnard, Bruce Monroe or Powell.

[Anonymous]

Another CMI parent here with a kid in an upper grade. Congrats to you, OP. Your DC will love school! As far as academics are concerned, it has become more rigorous in recent years. Remember there is still Common Core, so all kids have to learn the same basic things. Fractions, multiplication, and division are taught in all schools...CMI is no different. My child is challenged and loves school. Your child will too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good friends at CMI are heading out after 1st grade for this reason. Lovely community but not enough substance after early childhood education.

Where are they headed?

I would guess anyone leaving is heading to private or moving. I am sure they are not headed to any neighborhood schools like Barnard, Bruce Monroe or Powell.

Three families are moving and we're going the fourth going to a special needs school. CMI is awesome and we wish our child could stay. The curriculum is great as are the teachers. Take the spot!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good friends at CMI are heading out after 1st grade for this reason. Lovely community but not enough substance after early childhood education.

Where are they headed?

I would guess anyone leaving is heading to private or moving. I am sure they are not headed to any neighborhood schools like Barnard, Bruce Monroe or Powell.

Three families are moving and we're going the fourth going to a special needs school. CMI is awesome and we wish our child could stay. The curriculum is great as are the teachers. Take the spot![/quote

Three are moving out of D.C.

[Anonymous]

I have a child in 1st at CMI who is academically ahead of grade level. My child is far from bored and loves going to school everyday. Every kid is different (as is every parent, and their expectations), but so far the school works (well) for us and we are staying. Other than a private school, I can't imagine sending my kid any where else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a few 1st and 3rd grade families are leaving this year.

For us, we find the school to be good and we are giving it year by year. It's very heavy on drama, art and music and less so on math and science. Lots of upper middle class white parents with flexible jobs who can come to winter performances and exit points and dance parties. It's more about the events for the moms and less about caring about the curriculum.

Those who have left (or are leaving) do so because they move or the academics.

CMI parent here. I think it is unfair to generalize that parents do not care much about the curriculum.

I worked on the middle school and curriculum committee. It's very unfair. God forbid you have to walk 5 feet from the parking lot parents will email all day. But actual academics? Crickets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a few 1st and 3rd grade families are leaving this year.

For us, we find the school to be good and we are giving it year by year. It's very heavy on drama, art and music and less so on math and science. Lots of upper middle class white parents with flexible jobs who can come to winter performances and exit points and dance parties. It's more about the events for the moms and less about caring about the curriculum.

Those who have left (or are leaving) do so because they move or the academics.

CMI parent here. I think it is unfair to generalize that parents do not care much about the curriculum.

I worked on the middle school and curriculum committee. It's very unfair. God forbid you have to walk 5 feet from the parking lot parents will email all day. But actual academics? Crickets.

I volunteered to be ok the academics committee. There was only one meeting and I couldn't make it. That was it. No follow up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OP here. It seems like the biggest difference between CMI and ITS is that ITS teachers have several years more experience and also have masters degrees.

More experience matters in that first (and to some degree second and third) year teachers have the least "value added" in terms of student learning but a master degree isn't correlated with any learning gains for students.

For whatever reason, we don't yet know what makes a good teacher a good teacher. Degrees don't seem to be meaningful yet (meaning, maybe if they taught the right things they would be).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
OP here. It seems like the biggest difference between CMI and ITS is that ITS teachers have several years more experience and also have masters degrees.

More experience matters in that first (and to some degree second and third) year teachers have the least "value added" in terms of student learning but a master degree isn't correlated with any learning gains for students.

For whatever reason, we don't yet know what makes a good teacher a good teacher. Degrees don't seem to be meaningful yet (meaning, maybe if they taught the right things they would be).

Agreed. I believe the average lead/master teacher at ITS has 12-15 years experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OP here. It seems like the biggest difference between CMI and ITS is that ITS teachers have several years more experience and also have masters degrees.

What!!! Who cares about grad degrees?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd like some insight into this as well- i feel like creative minds was like "ooh that cool school" for a while and now people just seem to not like it, ITS went through something similar, like ppl were all pumped about it and then it lost its, i don't know, cache, for lack of a better word. I have visited ITS and wasn't really impressed so I can see why that would happen but yeah.. a similar thing with mundo verde where people were dying to get in and now just an 'eh' school. Is this something to take into account when making lottery lists or is it just general DCUM treating schools like celebrities? they just got their IPC accreditation plus the middle school, does it just feel like the school is too stretched or is it the recently increased class sizes or is the school fine?

ITS seems to have recovered its rep after one bad year of negative DCUM posts. Not so MV. We'll see which trajectory CMI takes.

I do wonder why it is so hard for these charters to deliver a solid product with decent demographics and engaged parents. Maybe they should hire teaches with . . . teaching degrees.

Do you really think that a school's success and rep are determined based on DCUM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd like some insight into this as well- i feel like creative minds was like "ooh that cool school" for a while and now people just seem to not like it, ITS went through something similar, like ppl were all pumped about it and then it lost its, i don't know, cache, for lack of a better word. I have visited ITS and wasn't really impressed so I can see why that would happen but yeah.. a similar thing with mundo verde where people were dying to get in and now just an 'eh' school. Is this something to take into account when making lottery lists or is it just general DCUM treating schools like celebrities? they just got their IPC accreditation plus the middle school, does it just feel like the school is too stretched or is it the recently increased class sizes or is the school fine?

ITS seems to have recovered its rep after one bad year of negative DCUM posts. Not so MV. We'll see which trajectory CMI takes.

I do wonder why it is so hard for these charters to deliver a solid product with decent demographics and engaged parents. Maybe they should hire teaches with . . . teaching degrees.

Teaching degrees = the lowest possible standards and still graduate with a 4-year degree. Because the angry studies majors need someone to look down upon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
OP here. It seems like the biggest difference between CMI and ITS is that ITS teachers have several years more experience and also have masters degrees.

More experience matters in that first (and to some degree second and third) year teachers have the least "value added" in terms of student learning but a master degree isn't correlated with any learning gains for students.

For whatever reason, we don't yet know what makes a good teacher a good teacher. Degrees don't seem to be meaningful yet (meaning, maybe if they taught the right things they would be).

Agreed. I believe the average lead/master teacher at ITS has 12-15 years experience.

Student performance is a far greater measure of teacher effectiveness than the teacher's degree attainment. This is well-established. (Duh.)