Is the new Capital City charter good?

[Anonymous]

Please do not tell me to look under other forums since everything is old info. I want to hear from current middle school parents. How was the school, the teachers, the students. I was told there is diversity in the lower school but not in the middle or upper school. Please share real facts no trolls and no booster. Please do not rave if your children are elsewhere to increase enrollment. Thank you

[Anonymous]

My DC has gone to CCPCS since K, and will be a 7th grader there this fall. I think one thing to know is that the MS was essentially an entirely new school last year, with administrators, teachers, and academic programs all being introduced, and a new influx of students entering. That made for a pretty uneven year as far as the school culture goes: discipline issues met sometimes with heavy-handed administrative responses, and communication between home and school was inadequate at times--just what you might expect from a start-up.

That being said, I think that really good things are happening at CCPCS. My kid is a middling student, and I think that the teachers have done a super job of motivating DC. The small class sizes and intimate scale of the school help: each kid's strengths as a learner are known by the staff. I also appreciate how the academic program incorporates lots of reflection and instruction about the skills one needs to succeed as a student: DC is learning (slowly!) how to be accountable for class and homework.

I take it by your question about diversity that you are concerned about whether middle-class families feel welcomed at the MS. I think that what you'd discover is that there is a cohort of middle-class families--of many different races, from many different neighborhoods. While there is also a large cohort of lower-SES students, I do think that they come from families strongly invested in education. Personally, I like the fact that my kid has friends from all over the city, and friends whose class backgrounds differ from DC's.

[Anonymous]

anybody else??

[Anonymous]

I agree with what has been said. My DC has been at CCPCS since pre-K and is a rising 7th grader. There were some bumps this past year as the school adjusted to the influx of new students and staff, but overall it was a good year. Middle School communications was definitely an issue, and there were some discipline problems, but the administration continues to be responsive. The new building is fantastic, and the number and variety of activities made possible by the facilities are a huge plus. It is essentially a new school, with a strong set of existing core values - I personally have a lot of confidence in the ability of the school to continue to build on that strength.

[Anonymous]

from what I gather it's emphasis of core values, learning skills and lots of reflection.
Anything exciting happening academically?

[Anonymous]

Academically: lots of differentiation in math, with substantial enrichment for advanced students (additional study units, for example); in humanities, semester-long explorations of specific themes, with individual writing projects and group presentations attached. Students present their work to parents and friends several times a year. The year culminates with students presenting a portfolio of their work at the final p-t conference. In 8th grade, the portfolio becomes a more extensive personalized project, involving a formal presentation element.

The portfolio is another strength of the school, in my view.

[Anonymous]

M DS was in CCPCS from 1st-8th grade, from when the school was brand new. DD left after 6th grade.

I really like the elementary school (Pre-K through 4th or 5th), but didn't feel like the middle school and higher was very strong.

I think at that point, Cap City's dedication to not following the norm hurts the students more then it helps, their grading schemes become much more confusing, and some of the innovation is not beneficial to the students.

This is not to say I dislike CCPCS, I love their elementary school and I know many excelant teachers there, just that (as I told them when they were expanding into middle and high school grades) I don't think many of their methods translate well into upper grades where the goal is to prepare students for college and the workforce.

[Anonymous]

Since the PP mentioned grades, I will note that this is one thing that has really changed in the new MS. Quarterly, students receive a detailed standards-based report for each subject, with an overall grade for the subject, as well as a long list of scores for each of the quarter's benchmarks in that subject. So you get a quite detailed picture of the particular areas where your kid excels and where he/she needs further work. In addition, most teachers send out a less-detailed progress report. Some teachers use that as an occasion to alert students about the hw they have missed or failed to turn in. So in comparison to the old LS, the school is now much more transparent and informative about how students are being evaluated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since the PP mentioned grades, I will note that this is one thing that has really changed in the new MS. Quarterly, students receive a detailed standards-based report for each subject, with an overall grade for the subject, as well as a long list of scores for each of the quarter's benchmarks in that subject. So you get a quite detailed picture of the particular areas where your kid excels and where he/she needs further work. In addition, most teachers send out a less-detailed progress report. Some teachers use that as an occasion to alert students about the hw they have missed or failed to turn in. So in comparison to the old LS, the school is now much more transparent and informative about how students are being evaluated.

As I said, its been ~4 years since I had any experience with the middle school

[Anonymous]

Have to say our experience with differentiation (two kids both advanced) did not mirror PP 9:09 - there was little to no effort that I could see to offer my DCren work at their level - and it wasn't due to a lack of our involvement (multiple meetings) or other children in their classes that could also have handled advanced work (there were always at least a couple they could have been grouped with). CapCity is great in many respects but differentiation for advanced learners or treating their parents concerns as anything other than whining isn't something that CapCity values. No school is perfect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:M DS was in CCPCS from 1st-8th grade, from when the school was brand new. DD left after 6th grade.

I really like the elementary school (Pre-K through 4th or 5th), but didn't feel like the middle school and higher was very strong.

I think at that point, Cap City's dedication to not following the norm hurts the students more then it helps, their grading schemes become much more confusing, and some of the innovation is not beneficial to the students.

This is not to say I dislike CCPCS, I love their elementary school and I know many excelant teachers there, just that (as I told them when they were expanding into middle and high school grades) I don't think many of their methods translate well into upper grades where the goal is to prepare students for college and the workforce.

OP specifically asked for parents of CURRENT middle school students. Clearly that's not you. But go ahead because we all need to hear your opinion that references an experience from years ago, well before the move to Peabody.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:M DS was in CCPCS from 1st-8th grade, from when the school was brand new. DD left after 6th grade.

I really like the elementary school (Pre-K through 4th or 5th), but didn't feel like the middle school and higher was very strong.

I think at that point, Cap City's dedication to not following the norm hurts the students more then it helps, their grading schemes become much more confusing, and some of the innovation is not beneficial to the students.

This is not to say I dislike CCPCS, I love their elementary school and I know many excelant teachers there, just that (as I told them when they were expanding into middle and high school grades) I don't think many of their methods translate well into upper grades where the goal is to prepare students for college and the workforce.

OP specifically asked for parents of CURRENT middle school students. Clearly that's not you. But go ahead because we all need to hear your opinion that references an experience from years ago, well before the move to Peabody.

I am the PP.

My daughter is a lower school student.
I also was able to see the school grow from the beginning, so I have seen their philosophy shift and grow. I might be 100% up to date, but I damn well know a lot about the school's basis and strengths.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:M DS was in CCPCS from 1st-8th grade, from when the school was brand new. DD left after 6th grade.

I really like the elementary school (Pre-K through 4th or 5th), but didn't feel like the middle school and higher was very strong.

I think at that point, Cap City's dedication to not following the norm hurts the students more then it helps, their grading schemes become much more confusing, and some of the innovation is not beneficial to the students.

This is not to say I dislike CCPCS, I love their elementary school and I know many excelant teachers there, just that (as I told them when they were expanding into middle and high school grades) I don't think many of their methods translate well into upper grades where the goal is to prepare students for college and the workforce.

I don't agree. Both of my kids went to the middle school and loved it.