Last night’s open house at ITS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From a parent perspective, the teacher training program is amazing. There are two teachers in nearly every classroom - in most cases, that includes an experienced master teacher and a learning resident teacher - and it's so valuable for kids to have both and to be able to see their teachers learn from each other and complement each other and work as a team. (PK3 and PK4 have a paraprofessional in each classroom in addition to the two teacher.)

I think the teaching and commitment to teacher excellence is what sets ITS apart - as a prospective parent, it wasn't something that was so much on my radar. But as someone who's been at the school for a number of years, it is the thing that I most value.

(And YES, an at-risk preference would be great and if that becomes an option in the lottery, I hope the school opts in.)

It's just annoying, as a Langley parent. We have a high poverty population and many live in Edgewood and would have had the right to attend school in the Inspired Teaching building if it were still Shaed. All his social justice stuff is BS if you donot actually serve the kids. Go om raising your hundreds of thousands of dollars for an already affluent school and dom't mind that your neighbors' school has all these challenges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree. My kids go there and that is why we attend. One thing to note is that is a social activist school. Last week or the week before was BLM week and there were BLM oriented activities during and after the school day.

Great, now maybe consider an at-risk preference! Or is that a bridge too far?

Look, it's a perfectly fine school. Parents should note that it has a social activism bent. I was surprised about the BLM events using public tax dollars. I suppose it's not against the law, but who knows. Personally, I care more that my kids are getting a good basic education (reading, writing , math, etc.) than the social activist aspects of what they get at ITS. My kids are really to young to appreciate the meaning behind any of it. Last night my 3-year old announced at dinner in response to my eldest daughter saying pink was her favorite color that "Black is beautiful." When I asked her what she meant she said the color black is beautiful, (i.e. clearly she meant the color and not the race). It does puzzle me why ITS spends time giving these messages to 3 year-old that cannot appreciate the meaning behind it.

From what I've seen in the past five years, that is the bent of every single school EOTP. I'd be interested in learning how the German schools deal with their history of anti-semitism, because there might be a way to educate positively without making children feel bad about themselves, or creating/exacerbating a difference/separation/difference in treatment between groups. Until we find the right balance, I can deal with it, remembering it's better than being at a creationist, racist, homophobic school in a flyover state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From a parent perspective, the teacher training program is amazing. There are two teachers in nearly every classroom - in most cases, that includes an experienced master teacher and a learning resident teacher - and it's so valuable for kids to have both and to be able to see their teachers learn from each other and complement each other and work as a team. (PK3 and PK4 have a paraprofessional in each classroom in addition to the two teacher.)

I think the teaching and commitment to teacher excellence is what sets ITS apart - as a prospective parent, it wasn't something that was so much on my radar. But as someone who's been at the school for a number of years, it is the thing that I most value.

(And YES, an at-risk preference would be great and if that becomes an option in the lottery, I hope the school opts in.)

It's just annoying, as a Langley parent. We have a high poverty population and many live in Edgewood and would have had the right to attend school in the Inspired Teaching building if it were still Shaed. All his social justice stuff is BS if you donot actually serve the kids. Go om raising your hundreds of thousands of dollars for an already affluent school and dom't mind that your neighbors' school has all these challenges.

I hear you. I agree. The school landscape in DC is really complicated and there are many things that happened years ago - before any of our kids were born - that have implications for where we are now. We are all trying to make the best decisions we can in a system that is changing around us. One thing that ITS is doing is training teachers who then bring the Center for Inspired Teaching's practices and pedagogy to schools - public and charter - across DC. I think this is valuable. From everything I know, the school would like to serve a more economically diverse group of students. There is a lot about the lottery that makes this hard. I hope an at-risk preference is implemented.

[Anonymous]

We are a former IT family that left to attend an immersion program. HIGHLY regard the school, and in particular the PS3 and PK4 teachers we had there.

One of the big differences we felt in transitioning from daycare to a school setting was that the warmth I felt enveloped in as a parent, was suddenly focused almost entirely on the children instead. The amazing teacher we had used up all of her energy on her charges during they day and might not have seemed as friendly to the parents. But it was just a style difference.

The communication from the teachers and administration at the school were far superior than what we've experienced since leaving. (We are happy where we are, and immersion was the right choice for us as a family.) The selling points on the school for me was the willingness to be flexible, to instill creative and criical thinking skills in all children, and to meet the community (family, faculty, neighbors) where they are.

The teacher in training we had we later hired as a tutor due to their language skills. We learned a lot about their transition to the DCPS upon completing their degree, and how the classroom management skills learned at IT were extended and seeded new places.

At IT the whole school seemed supportive of differences- families of all make-up, races, socio economic backgrounds co existing.

The Open Houses there- or other places- were never able to sway me one way or another. Felt like it was just a snapshot, and I could learn more through observation and interactions built over time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From a parent perspective, the teacher training program is amazing. There are two teachers in nearly every classroom - in most cases, that includes an experienced master teacher and a learning resident teacher - and it's so valuable for kids to have both and to be able to see their teachers learn from each other and complement each other and work as a team. (PK3 and PK4 have a paraprofessional in each classroom in addition to the two teacher.)

I think the teaching and commitment to teacher excellence is what sets ITS apart - as a prospective parent, it wasn't something that was so much on my radar. But as someone who's been at the school for a number of years, it is the thing that I most value.

(And YES, an at-risk preference would be great and if that becomes an option in the lottery, I hope the school opts in.)

It's just annoying, as a Langley parent. We have a high poverty population and many live in Edgewood and would have had the right to attend school in the Inspired Teaching building if it were still Shaed. All his social justice stuff is BS if you donot actually serve the kids. Go om raising your hundreds of thousands of dollars for an already affluent school and dom't mind that your neighbors' school has all these challenges.

I hear you. I agree. The school landscape in DC is really complicated and there are many things that happened years ago - before any of our kids were born - that have implications for where we are now. We are all trying to make the best decisions we can in a system that is changing around us. One thing that ITS is doing is training teachers who then bring the Center for Inspired Teaching's practices and pedagogy to schools - public and charter - across DC. I think this is valuable. From everything I know, the school would like to serve a more economically diverse group of students. There is a lot about the lottery that makes this hard. I hope an at-risk preference is implemented.

If your PTA would like to cut our PTA a check that would be great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From a parent perspective, the teacher training program is amazing. There are two teachers in nearly every classroom - in most cases, that includes an experienced master teacher and a learning resident teacher - and it's so valuable for kids to have both and to be able to see their teachers learn from each other and complement each other and work as a team. (PK3 and PK4 have a paraprofessional in each classroom in addition to the two teacher.)

I think the teaching and commitment to teacher excellence is what sets ITS apart - as a prospective parent, it wasn't something that was so much on my radar. But as someone who's been at the school for a number of years, it is the thing that I most value.

(And YES, an at-risk preference would be great and if that becomes an option in the lottery, I hope the school opts in.)

It's just annoying, as a Langley parent. We have a high poverty population and many live in Edgewood and would have had the right to attend school in the Inspired Teaching building if it were still Shaed. All his social justice stuff is BS if you donot actually serve the kids. Go om raising your hundreds of thousands of dollars for an already affluent school and dom't mind that your neighbors' school has all these challenges.

I hear you. I agree. The school landscape in DC is really complicated and there are many things that happened years ago - before any of our kids were born - that have implications for where we are now. We are all trying to make the best decisions we can in a system that is changing around us. One thing that ITS is doing is training teachers who then bring the Center for Inspired Teaching's practices and pedagogy to schools - public and charter - across DC. I think this is valuable. From everything I know, the school would like to serve a more economically diverse group of students. There is a lot about the lottery that makes this hard. I hope an at-risk preference is implemented.

If your PTA would like to cut our PTA a check that would be great.

As a struggling middle-class parent at another Charter with 15% At-RIsk, and 25% Disadvantaged students, may I steer you towards our kind friends over in the JKLMMs for PTA checks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From a parent perspective, the teacher training program is amazing. There are two teachers in nearly every classroom - in most cases, that includes an experienced master teacher and a learning resident teacher - and it's so valuable for kids to have both and to be able to see their teachers learn from each other and complement each other and work as a team. (PK3 and PK4 have a paraprofessional in each classroom in addition to the two teacher.)

I think the teaching and commitment to teacher excellence is what sets ITS apart - as a prospective parent, it wasn't something that was so much on my radar. But as someone who's been at the school for a number of years, it is the thing that I most value.

(And YES, an at-risk preference would be great and if that becomes an option in the lottery, I hope the school opts in.)

It's just annoying, as a Langley parent. We have a high poverty population and many live in Edgewood and would have had the right to attend school in the Inspired Teaching building if it were still Shaed. All his social justice stuff is BS if you donot actually serve the kids. Go om raising your hundreds of thousands of dollars for an already affluent school and dom't mind that your neighbors' school has all these challenges.

I hear you. I agree. The school landscape in DC is really complicated and there are many things that happened years ago - before any of our kids were born - that have implications for where we are now. We are all trying to make the best decisions we can in a system that is changing around us. One thing that ITS is doing is training teachers who then bring the Center for Inspired Teaching's practices and pedagogy to schools - public and charter - across DC. I think this is valuable. From everything I know, the school would like to serve a more economically diverse group of students. There is a lot about the lottery that makes this hard. I hope an at-risk preference is implemented.

If your PTA would like to cut our PTA a check that would be great.

As a struggling middle-class parent at another Charter with 15% At-RIsk, and 25% Disadvantaged students, may I steer you towards our kind friends over in the JKLMMs for PTA checks?

They aren't making claims to support social justice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From a parent perspective, the teacher training program is amazing. There are two teachers in nearly every classroom - in most cases, that includes an experienced master teacher and a learning resident teacher - and it's so valuable for kids to have both and to be able to see their teachers learn from each other and complement each other and work as a team. (PK3 and PK4 have a paraprofessional in each classroom in addition to the two teacher.)

I think the teaching and commitment to teacher excellence is what sets ITS apart - as a prospective parent, it wasn't something that was so much on my radar. But as someone who's been at the school for a number of years, it is the thing that I most value.

(And YES, an at-risk preference would be great and if that becomes an option in the lottery, I hope the school opts in.)

It's just annoying, as a Langley parent. We have a high poverty population and many live in Edgewood and would have had the right to attend school in the Inspired Teaching building if it were still Shaed. All his social justice stuff is BS if you donot actually serve the kids. Go om raising your hundreds of thousands of dollars for an already affluent school and dom't mind that your neighbors' school has all these challenges.

I hear you. I agree. The school landscape in DC is really complicated and there are many things that happened years ago - before any of our kids were born - that have implications for where we are now. We are all trying to make the best decisions we can in a system that is changing around us. One thing that ITS is doing is training teachers who then bring the Center for Inspired Teaching's practices and pedagogy to schools - public and charter - across DC. I think this is valuable. From everything I know, the school would like to serve a more economically diverse group of students. There is a lot about the lottery that makes this hard. I hope an at-risk preference is implemented.

If your PTA would like to cut our PTA a check that would be great.

As a struggling middle-class parent at another Charter with 15% At-RIsk, and 25% Disadvantaged students, may I steer you towards our kind friends over in the JKLMMs for PTA checks?

They aren't making claims to support social justice.

Oh doh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From a parent perspective, the teacher training program is amazing. There are two teachers in nearly every classroom - in most cases, that includes an experienced master teacher and a learning resident teacher - and it's so valuable for kids to have both and to be able to see their teachers learn from each other and complement each other and work as a team. (PK3 and PK4 have a paraprofessional in each classroom in addition to the two teacher.)

I think the teaching and commitment to teacher excellence is what sets ITS apart - as a prospective parent, it wasn't something that was so much on my radar. But as someone who's been at the school for a number of years, it is the thing that I most value.

(And YES, an at-risk preference would be great and if that becomes an option in the lottery, I hope the school opts in.)

It's just annoying, as a Langley parent. We have a high poverty population and many live in Edgewood and would have had the right to attend school in the Inspired Teaching building if it were still Shaed. All his social justice stuff is BS if you donot actually serve the kids. Go om raising your hundreds of thousands of dollars for an already affluent school and dom't mind that your neighbors' school has all these challenges.

I hear you. I agree. The school landscape in DC is really complicated and there are many things that happened years ago - before any of our kids were born - that have implications for where we are now. We are all trying to make the best decisions we can in a system that is changing around us. One thing that ITS is doing is training teachers who then bring the Center for Inspired Teaching's practices and pedagogy to schools - public and charter - across DC. I think this is valuable. From everything I know, the school would like to serve a more economically diverse group of students. There is a lot about the lottery that makes this hard. I hope an at-risk preference is implemented.

Or maybe they want you to think that, but don't actually do the recruiting that would cause those kids to apply. That way ITS parents can feel good about "social justice" but have a yuppie school culture and good test scores too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From a parent perspective, the teacher training program is amazing. There are two teachers in nearly every classroom - in most cases, that includes an experienced master teacher and a learning resident teacher - and it's so valuable for kids to have both and to be able to see their teachers learn from each other and complement each other and work as a team. (PK3 and PK4 have a paraprofessional in each classroom in addition to the two teacher.)

I think the teaching and commitment to teacher excellence is what sets ITS apart - as a prospective parent, it wasn't something that was so much on my radar. But as someone who's been at the school for a number of years, it is the thing that I most value.

(And YES, an at-risk preference would be great and if that becomes an option in the lottery, I hope the school opts in.)

It's just annoying, as a Langley parent. We have a high poverty population and many live in Edgewood and would have had the right to attend school in the Inspired Teaching building if it were still Shaed. All his social justice stuff is BS if you donot actually serve the kids. Go om raising your hundreds of thousands of dollars for an already affluent school and dom't mind that your neighbors' school has all these challenges.

I hear you. I agree. The school landscape in DC is really complicated and there are many things that happened years ago - before any of our kids were born - that have implications for where we are now. We are all trying to make the best decisions we can in a system that is changing around us. One thing that ITS is doing is training teachers who then bring the Center for Inspired Teaching's practices and pedagogy to schools - public and charter - across DC. I think this is valuable. From everything I know, the school would like to serve a more economically diverse group of students. There is a lot about the lottery that makes this hard. I hope an at-risk preference is implemented.

Or maybe they want you to think that, but don't actually do the recruiting that would cause those kids to apply. That way ITS parents can feel good about "social justice" but have a yuppie school culture and good test scores too.

...Or maybe 15% At-Risk, and 25% Disadvantaged students allows the school to take care of those kids and the better-off kids best. Maybe there is a threshold of At-Risk and disadvantaged students beyond which the better-off families feel like their own kids are not properly served and flee, leading to a zero dollar PTA situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From a parent perspective, the teacher training program is amazing. There are two teachers in nearly every classroom - in most cases, that includes an experienced master teacher and a learning resident teacher - and it's so valuable for kids to have both and to be able to see their teachers learn from each other and complement each other and work as a team. (PK3 and PK4 have a paraprofessional in each classroom in addition to the two teacher.)

I think the teaching and commitment to teacher excellence is what sets ITS apart - as a prospective parent, it wasn't something that was so much on my radar. But as someone who's been at the school for a number of years, it is the thing that I most value.

(And YES, an at-risk preference would be great and if that becomes an option in the lottery, I hope the school opts in.)

It's just annoying, as a Langley parent. We have a high poverty population and many live in Edgewood and would have had the right to attend school in the Inspired Teaching building if it were still Shaed. All his social justice stuff is BS if you donot actually serve the kids. Go om raising your hundreds of thousands of dollars for an already affluent school and dom't mind that your neighbors' school has all these challenges.

I hear you. I agree. The school landscape in DC is really complicated and there are many things that happened years ago - before any of our kids were born - that have implications for where we are now. We are all trying to make the best decisions we can in a system that is changing around us. One thing that ITS is doing is training teachers who then bring the Center for Inspired Teaching's practices and pedagogy to schools - public and charter - across DC. I think this is valuable. From everything I know, the school would like to serve a more economically diverse group of students. There is a lot about the lottery that makes this hard. I hope an at-risk preference is implemented.

Or maybe they want you to think that, but don't actually do the recruiting that would cause those kids to apply. That way ITS parents can feel good about "social justice" but have a yuppie school culture and good test scores too.

...Or maybe 15% At-Risk, and 25% Disadvantaged students allows the school to take care of those kids and the better-off kids best. Maybe there is a threshold of At-Risk and disadvantaged students beyond which the better-off families feel like their own kids are not properly served and flee, leading to a zero dollar PTA situation.

... and also, maybe rather than bullying the charter schools that are doing a good job of serving a diverse group of students, maybe put an at-risk preference in those JKLMMs that have zero at-risk kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From a parent perspective, the teacher training program is amazing. There are two teachers in nearly every classroom - in most cases, that includes an experienced master teacher and a learning resident teacher - and it's so valuable for kids to have both and to be able to see their teachers learn from each other and complement each other and work as a team. (PK3 and PK4 have a paraprofessional in each classroom in addition to the two teacher.)

I think the teaching and commitment to teacher excellence is what sets ITS apart - as a prospective parent, it wasn't something that was so much on my radar. But as someone who's been at the school for a number of years, it is the thing that I most value.

(And YES, an at-risk preference would be great and if that becomes an option in the lottery, I hope the school opts in.)

It's just annoying, as a Langley parent. We have a high poverty population and many live in Edgewood and would have had the right to attend school in the Inspired Teaching building if it were still Shaed. All his social justice stuff is BS if you donot actually serve the kids. Go om raising your hundreds of thousands of dollars for an already affluent school and dom't mind that your neighbors' school has all these challenges.

I hear you. I agree. The school landscape in DC is really complicated and there are many things that happened years ago - before any of our kids were born - that have implications for where we are now. We are all trying to make the best decisions we can in a system that is changing around us. One thing that ITS is doing is training teachers who then bring the Center for Inspired Teaching's practices and pedagogy to schools - public and charter - across DC. I think this is valuable. From everything I know, the school would like to serve a more economically diverse group of students. There is a lot about the lottery that makes this hard. I hope an at-risk preference is implemented.

Or maybe they want you to think that, but don't actually do the recruiting that would cause those kids to apply. That way ITS parents can feel good about "social justice" but have a yuppie school culture and good test scores too.

...Or maybe 15% At-Risk, and 25% Disadvantaged students allows the school to take care of those kids and the better-off kids best. Maybe there is a threshold of At-Risk and disadvantaged students beyond which the better-off families feel like their own kids are not properly served and flee, leading to a zero dollar PTA situation.

But that has consequences for the other schools who have to take everyone regardless of what works "best" for those who are admitted. Charter school navel gazing with no regard for the system as a whole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From a parent perspective, the teacher training program is amazing. There are two teachers in nearly every classroom - in most cases, that includes an experienced master teacher and a learning resident teacher - and it's so valuable for kids to have both and to be able to see their teachers learn from each other and complement each other and work as a team. (PK3 and PK4 have a paraprofessional in each classroom in addition to the two teacher.)

I think the teaching and commitment to teacher excellence is what sets ITS apart - as a prospective parent, it wasn't something that was so much on my radar. But as someone who's been at the school for a number of years, it is the thing that I most value.

(And YES, an at-risk preference would be great and if that becomes an option in the lottery, I hope the school opts in.)

It's just annoying, as a Langley parent. We have a high poverty population and many live in Edgewood and would have had the right to attend school in the Inspired Teaching building if it were still Shaed. All his social justice stuff is BS if you donot actually serve the kids. Go om raising your hundreds of thousands of dollars for an already affluent school and dom't mind that your neighbors' school has all these challenges.

I hear you. I agree. The school landscape in DC is really complicated and there are many things that happened years ago - before any of our kids were born - that have implications for where we are now. We are all trying to make the best decisions we can in a system that is changing around us. One thing that ITS is doing is training teachers who then bring the Center for Inspired Teaching's practices and pedagogy to schools - public and charter - across DC. I think this is valuable. From everything I know, the school would like to serve a more economically diverse group of students. There is a lot about the lottery that makes this hard. I hope an at-risk preference is implemented.

Or maybe they want you to think that, but don't actually do the recruiting that would cause those kids to apply. That way ITS parents can feel good about "social justice" but have a yuppie school culture and good test scores too.

...Or maybe 15% At-Risk, and 25% Disadvantaged students allows the school to take care of those kids and the better-off kids best. Maybe there is a threshold of At-Risk and disadvantaged students beyond which the better-off families feel like their own kids are not properly served and flee, leading to a zero dollar PTA situation.

But that has consequences for the other schools who have to take everyone regardless of what works "best" for those who are admitted. Charter school navel gazing with no regard for the system as a whole.

Bring back your "the other schools who have to take everyone regardless of what works "best" " argument when every single DCPS school offers guaranteed PK3 to their in-bound children. Until then, charters are working very hard to create economically diverse schools in which everyone is thriving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From a parent perspective, the teacher training program is amazing. There are two teachers in nearly every classroom - in most cases, that includes an experienced master teacher and a learning resident teacher - and it's so valuable for kids to have both and to be able to see their teachers learn from each other and complement each other and work as a team. (PK3 and PK4 have a paraprofessional in each classroom in addition to the two teacher.)

I think the teaching and commitment to teacher excellence is what sets ITS apart - as a prospective parent, it wasn't something that was so much on my radar. But as someone who's been at the school for a number of years, it is the thing that I most value.

(And YES, an at-risk preference would be great and if that becomes an option in the lottery, I hope the school opts in.)

It's just annoying, as a Langley parent. We have a high poverty population and many live in Edgewood and would have had the right to attend school in the Inspired Teaching building if it were still Shaed. All his social justice stuff is BS if you donot actually serve the kids. Go om raising your hundreds of thousands of dollars for an already affluent school and dom't mind that your neighbors' school has all these challenges.

I hear you. I agree. The school landscape in DC is really complicated and there are many things that happened years ago - before any of our kids were born - that have implications for where we are now. We are all trying to make the best decisions we can in a system that is changing around us. One thing that ITS is doing is training teachers who then bring the Center for Inspired Teaching's practices and pedagogy to schools - public and charter - across DC. I think this is valuable. From everything I know, the school would like to serve a more economically diverse group of students. There is a lot about the lottery that makes this hard. I hope an at-risk preference is implemented.

Or maybe they want you to think that, but don't actually do the recruiting that would cause those kids to apply. That way ITS parents can feel good about "social justice" but have a yuppie school culture and good test scores too.

...Or maybe 15% At-Risk, and 25% Disadvantaged students allows the school to take care of those kids and the better-off kids best. Maybe there is a threshold of At-Risk and disadvantaged students beyond which the better-off families feel like their own kids are not properly served and flee, leading to a zero dollar PTA situation.

But that has consequences for the other schools who have to take everyone regardless of what works "best" for those who are admitted. Charter school navel gazing with no regard for the system as a whole.

Bring back your "the other schools who have to take everyone regardless of what works "best" " argument when every single DCPS school offers guaranteed PK3 to their in-bound children. Until then, charters are working very hard to create economically diverse schools in which everyone is thriving.

??? What on earth does guaranteed pk3 have to do with it? And how exactly are charters working very hard? They recruit only affluent students and kick out the difficult poor kids after count day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From a parent perspective, the teacher training program is amazing. There are two teachers in nearly every classroom - in most cases, that includes an experienced master teacher and a learning resident teacher - and it's so valuable for kids to have both and to be able to see their teachers learn from each other and complement each other and work as a team. (PK3 and PK4 have a paraprofessional in each classroom in addition to the two teacher.)

I think the teaching and commitment to teacher excellence is what sets ITS apart - as a prospective parent, it wasn't something that was so much on my radar. But as someone who's been at the school for a number of years, it is the thing that I most value.

(And YES, an at-risk preference would be great and if that becomes an option in the lottery, I hope the school opts in.)

It's just annoying, as a Langley parent. We have a high poverty population and many live in Edgewood and would have had the right to attend school in the Inspired Teaching building if it were still Shaed. All his social justice stuff is BS if you donot actually serve the kids. Go om raising your hundreds of thousands of dollars for an already affluent school and dom't mind that your neighbors' school has all these challenges.

I hear you. I agree. The school landscape in DC is really complicated and there are many things that happened years ago - before any of our kids were born - that have implications for where we are now. We are all trying to make the best decisions we can in a system that is changing around us. One thing that ITS is doing is training teachers who then bring the Center for Inspired Teaching's practices and pedagogy to schools - public and charter - across DC. I think this is valuable. From everything I know, the school would like to serve a more economically diverse group of students. There is a lot about the lottery that makes this hard. I hope an at-risk preference is implemented.

Or maybe they want you to think that, but don't actually do the recruiting that would cause those kids to apply. That way ITS parents can feel good about "social justice" but have a yuppie school culture and good test scores too.

...Or maybe 15% At-Risk, and 25% Disadvantaged students allows the school to take care of those kids and the better-off kids best. Maybe there is a threshold of At-Risk and disadvantaged students beyond which the better-off families feel like their own kids are not properly served and flee, leading to a zero dollar PTA situation.

But that has consequences for the other schools who have to take everyone regardless of what works "best" for those who are admitted. Charter school navel gazing with no regard for the system as a whole.

Bring back your "the other schools who have to take everyone regardless of what works "best" " argument when every single DCPS school offers guaranteed PK3 to their in-bound children. Until then, charters are working very hard to create economically diverse schools in which everyone is thriving.

Exactly. The kids who don't get kicked out may be thriving, but what about the ones you dump on neighborhood schools? Thriving too? Oh we just can't meet their needs, too bad so sad. Well neighborhood schools have no choice but to serve them. Save your social justice back-patting , ITS. We all know it's a facade.