Inspired Teaching - looking or feedback

[Anonymous]

Oh, and all ITS residents are enrolled in the teacher training program through the Center for Inspired Teaching as a condition of their residency. Learning and working at the same time. It's intense. They also place residents at Cap City.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think they hide that fact at all. The titles are all listed on the website and the school explains its leadership/training structure at all functions.

All classrooms have two adults at all times. You don't get that in many public schools. In early childhood, yes, but most publics only have one teacher for 20-25 kids starting at grade 1. The fact that there are two adults - one of whom is either a Lead or a Master teacher - and one of whom is either an assistant (our assistants have masters degrees!, IME) or a Resident/Teacher in Training is pretty remarkable. The caliber of their hires, other than the unfortunately chosen 4th grade teacher this year, is impressive.[/quot

Having two adults in a class room is awesome. But, two things to rember the middle school does not have this and nor do I think they will also not all assistants have Master Degrees or even a background in child development. If you have a child in 2nd grade they may get lucky next year and get a master teacher with a resident when they move up to 3rd or they may be one of the lucky ones that gest a new teacher with an assistant.

[Anonymous]

The school works for some and not others. Just like Kipp and appletree are great for some. It is never going to be the HRCS that some like to think it already is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The school works for some and not others. Just like Kipp and appletree are great for some. It is never going to be the HRCS that some like to think it already is.

The sentiment seems to be a dramatic swing from the boosterism of last year's lottery. Did DCUM just have a major booster for ITS or two? Or did the move have the school lose quality staff/faculty/families?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school works for some and not others. Just like Kipp and appletree are great for some. It is never going to be the HRCS that some like to think it already is.

The sentiment seems to be a dramatic swing from the boosterism of last year's lottery. Did DCUM just have a major booster for ITS or two? Or did the move have the school lose quality staff/faculty/families?

The PP is likely not an IT family but a "rival" school that doesn't like other schools being considered HRCS. IT is certainly a HRCS no question about it. Some older grades are not as pleased with teachers, particularly 4th but that doesn't take away how great the school is. No need to put other schools down. Many HRCS have issues with a handful of teachers or other things like bullying, that should take away from the core of the school. I am pleased for one that there have not been any issues with bullying at IT. I think the teachers and admin have a strong hold on that and also are really working to get music (in addition to art, pe, and Spanish they already have).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school works for some and not others. Just like Kipp and appletree are great for some. It is never going to be the HRCS that some like to think it already is.

The sentiment seems to be a dramatic swing from the boosterism of last year's lottery. Did DCUM just have a major booster for ITS or two? Or did the move have the school lose quality staff/faculty/families?

The quality of the staff is great. The families are amazing. Really, not just saying. Come check out an open house and meet some families and teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school works for some and not others. Just like Kipp and appletree are great for some. It is never going to be the HRCS that some like to think it already is.

The sentiment seems to be a dramatic swing from the boosterism of last year's lottery. Did DCUM just have a major booster for ITS or two? Or did the move have the school lose quality staff/faculty/families?

Come on now...don't let one anonymous comment let you make such drastic statements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school works for some and not others. Just like Kipp and appletree are great for some. It is never going to be the HRCS that some like to think it already is.

The sentiment seems to be a dramatic swing from the boosterism of last year's lottery. Did DCUM just have a major booster for ITS or two? Or did the move have the school lose quality staff/faculty/families?

Come on now...don't let one anonymous comment let you make such drastic statements.

Not just this comment, but combining those of aftercare plus teacher qualifications plus potty training. I've reached out to families in my neighborhood via our listserv to get feedback, I don't know any families personally.

[Anonymous]

Funny you should say aftercare. It is excellent for our family. Affordable price also includes half days, spring break, other days off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It all depends what type of education you want for your child and when you are looking at your 3 year old it may be hard to figure out. For the young children meaning preK3 through K I think ITS has it figured out. What happens in 1st through 4th is a different story. The best I can describe our educational experience is mediocre. Yes, the partnership with the Philips Collection is special, but art integration does not really exist. The school PR feels like it should be expeditionary learning, but it's not. You want to believe that there is project based learning going on all the time, but it's sporadic and sometimes feels rushed for the learning showcases. Hardly any field trips; total underutilization of what DC has to offer to enhance learning. Completely insufficient enhanced learning opportunities if your child excels. That said, i believe that if you have a child who has learning needs, the school does a good job of providing support. It's the other end of the spectrum that they fall short. If it was project based learning, if it was more creative or inspired, they could meet the needs of kids who sit well above grade level, but it's not. They have a hard time figuring out how to integrate all the great ideas they had when they started the school. There are very few teachers who are Master Teachers (those who have more than 5 years of experience) or have completed the program at the Center for Inspired Teaching. They all get some sort of training at the beginning of the year, but they don't all go through the training program at the Center. Also, there are very few Resident Teachers and they are all concentrated in the lower grades with the exception of 3rd grade. It's a school that is still trying to figure out who they want to be and they will tell any griping parent that that's what you get with a new school. It may be true to an extent, but I feel they are giving themselves far too many pats on their own backs without working out the issues that are really important. Yes, the building is nice, yes the family community rocks, but it's a balancing game -- the trappings or a quality education? On Middle School, you couldn't ask for a more dynamic leader, but it remains to be seen how much room she will be given to move by the Head of School.

I think this post is spot on.

[Anonymous]

Some of the concerns expressed on this thread are valid, and I think it's particularly hard to be a family in one of the "leading edge" classrooms (this year, 2nd and 6th) because of the fact that you are often "breaking in" new teachers to either the grade or to the school. The school is in a growth mode, and there are certainly challenges associated with that growth that are inevitable and won't go away overnight. In its 4th year, the school has moved twice, completed an enormous construction job in a very short amount of time, and serves 300+ kids at NINE different grade levels. It's a huge challenge, and I think the school leadership has met it well. It is also my understanding that the Center for Inspired Teaching changed a number of things about the fellows model for this year, and that had an impact on the pool of fellows available to the school - like many families, I hope to see more fellows next year. The retention level for lead and master teachers is high (nearly all moved with the school this past year) and the teachers are overwhelmingly capable and qualified. When there are problems, the school seems to handle them proactively.

We love the teachers, the kid-focused community, the families, the building, the outdoor space, and yes, the aftercare. There is no place in DC that I'd rather send my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of the concerns expressed on this thread are valid, and I think it's particularly hard to be a family in one of the "leading edge" classrooms (this year, 2nd and 6th) because of the fact that you are often "breaking in" new teachers to either the grade or to the school. The school is in a growth mode, and there are certainly challenges associated with that growth that are inevitable and won't go away overnight. In its 4th year, the school has moved twice, completed an enormous construction job in a very short amount of time, and serves 300+ kids at NINE different grade levels. It's a huge challenge, and I think the school leadership has met it well. It is also my understanding that the Center for Inspired Teaching changed a number of things about the fellows model for this year, and that had an impact on the pool of fellows available to the school - like many families, I hope to see more fellows next year. The retention level for lead and master teachers is high (nearly all moved with the school this past year) and the teachers are overwhelmingly capable and qualified. When there are problems, the school seems to handle them proactively.

We love the teachers, the kid-focused community, the families, the building, the outdoor space, and yes, the aftercare. There is no place in DC that I'd rather send my kids.

Been there four years. There are bumps along the way but ITS is a special school positioned to keep growing and learning, as we all are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Funny you should say aftercare. It is excellent for our family. Affordable price also includes half days, spring break, other days off.

Some time ago a Lee parent (I assume) posted about observations of ITS aftercare on the (shared) playground. At the time I joined the conversation saying that I had not witnessed the type of issues that the poster described. Since then I have seen such problems, and they were spot on. The issues stem from poor supervision, unfortunately. I have no idea if other aspects of the aftercare are better, but I assume that's what PP is referring to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Funny you should say aftercare. It is excellent for our family. Affordable price also includes half days, spring break, other days off.

Some time ago a Lee parent (I assume) posted about observations of ITS aftercare on the (shared) playground. At the time I joined the conversation saying that I had not witnessed the type of issues that the poster described. Since then I have seen such problems, and they were spot on. The issues stem from poor supervision, unfortunately. I have no idea if other aspects of the aftercare are better, but I assume that's what PP is referring to.

Aftercare is also run by the Y who is in charge of PHD which also in my opinion is lacking and has many issues. My Children are constantly complaining about PHD and the supervisors.

[Anonymous]

Also, your chances of getting your kid in are close to nil. Unless your kid is in the higher grades. Don't spend too much time researching every detail of every school. You really aren't likely to get your kid in IT has been our top choice for two years. Never even got close to the top of the list.