Anyone going to the Inspired Teaching lottery tomorrow night?

[Anonymous]

YY's first year they were chartered to teach preK, K, 1st, 150 kids. They ended up with a set of classrooms that had 50 preK (english/ chinese alternate days), a set of Prek/K classes with ~15 prek/~35 K, and a set of K/1 classes with ~10 K/ ~25 1st. Total school population of ~135 instead of the 150. One thing Inspired will need to look at if they don't get enough applicants in the upper grades is filling the slots with younger kids, and somehow adjusting the classes around the kids they get. First year charters need the funds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:YY's first year they were chartered to teach preK, K, 1st, 150 kids. They ended up with a set of classrooms that had 50 preK (english/ chinese alternate days), a set of Prek/K classes with ~15 prek/~35 K, and a set of K/1 classes with ~10 K/ ~25 1st. Total school population of ~135 instead of the 150. One thing Inspired will need to look at if they don't get enough applicants in the upper grades is filling the slots with younger kids, and somehow adjusting the classes around the kids they get. First year charters need the funds.

So, schools sometimes readjust their class structure based on how the applications shake out, then? Inspired Teaching was only planning on 1 class each for PK, K, 1, 2, and 3 for their first year. I wonder if they'd end up addition a 2nd PK or a PS/PK combined class, since that's where they had the applicants/longest waitlists. Hhhmmmnnnn....

[Anonymous]

Hmmm. I like your way of thinking! Geniousy idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hmmm. I like your way of thinking! Geniousy idea.

16:18 Here. Glad you liked my idea (and didn't make fun of me for the "maybe they'll end up addition...").

[Anonymous]

We all make mistakes!

[Anonymous]

I think the philosophy and the people involved seem fantastic. I'm hoping those who are seriously interested can help get the word out to get the numbers up so this school can succeed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've heard wonderful things about their teacher training, philosophy, approach to teaching etc.--but I'm a bit concerned about how well their discipline policy will translate to little ones, who can't really reason through a situation the way older kids can. Also, 21 3-year-olds with 2 adults? That doesn't sound like a good (or safe) ratio to me. I guess my overall question is: What kind of experience do they have with early childhood?

Bear in mind this is much better than a standard DCPS offering, which is 25 kids with 1 teacher and 1 aide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard wonderful things about their teacher training, philosophy, approach to teaching etc.--but I'm a bit concerned about how well their discipline policy will translate to little ones, who can't really reason through a situation the way older kids can. Also, 21 3-year-olds with 2 adults? That doesn't sound like a good (or safe) ratio to me. I guess my overall question is: What kind of experience do they have with early childhood?

Bear in mind this is much better than a standard DCPS offering, which is 25 kids with 1 teacher and 1 aide.

Yes, this is better than DCPS. I believe the lowest ratio for any of the popular charters is 9:1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard wonderful things about their teacher training, philosophy, approach to teaching etc.--but I'm a bit concerned about how well their discipline policy will translate to little ones, who can't really reason through a situation the way older kids can. Also, 21 3-year-olds with 2 adults? That doesn't sound like a good (or safe) ratio to me. I guess my overall question is: What kind of experience do they have with early childhood?

Bear in mind this is much better than a standard DCPS offering, which is 25 kids with 1 teacher and 1 aide.

Yes, this is better than DCPS. I believe the lowest ratio for any of the popular charters is 9:1

Bridges is 15 or 16 students:2 teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard wonderful things about their teacher training, philosophy, approach to teaching etc.--but I'm a bit concerned about how well their discipline policy will translate to little ones, who can't really reason through a situation the way older kids can. Also, 21 3-year-olds with 2 adults? That doesn't sound like a good (or safe) ratio to me. I guess my overall question is: What kind of experience do they have with early childhood?

Bear in mind this is much better than a standard DCPS offering, which is 25 kids with 1 teacher and 1 aide.

Yes, this is better than DCPS. I believe the lowest ratio for any of the popular charters is 9:1

Haynes is 21:3 in PS3 and PK4.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:YY's first year they were chartered to teach preK, K, 1st, 150 kids. They ended up with a set of classrooms that had 50 preK (english/ chinese alternate days), a set of Prek/K classes with ~15 prek/~35 K, and a set of K/1 classes with ~10 K/ ~25 1st. Total school population of ~135 instead of the 150. One thing Inspired will need to look at if they don't get enough applicants in the upper grades is filling the slots with younger kids, and somehow adjusting the classes around the kids they get. First year charters need the funds.

How many of those ~65 PK'ers are still at YY today? (In 1st now, right?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard wonderful things about their teacher training, philosophy, approach to teaching etc.--but I'm a bit concerned about how well their discipline policy will translate to little ones, who can't really reason through a situation the way older kids can. Also, 21 3-year-olds with 2 adults? That doesn't sound like a good (or safe) ratio to me. I guess my overall question is: What kind of experience do they have with early childhood?

Bear in mind this is much better than a standard DCPS offering, which is 25 kids with 1 teacher and 1 aide.

DCPS max for PreS/PreK is not 25 with 1 teacher with 1 aid. It 16 and 18. They adhere to it now since they have incorporated headstart that mandates low ratios

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard wonderful things about their teacher training, philosophy, approach to teaching etc.--but I'm a bit concerned about how well their discipline policy will translate to little ones, who can't really reason through a situation the way older kids can. Also, 21 3-year-olds with 2 adults? That doesn't sound like a good (or safe) ratio to me. I guess my overall question is: What kind of experience do they have with early childhood?

Bear in mind this is much better than a standard DCPS offering, which is 25 kids with 1 teacher and 1 aide.

DCPS max for PreS/PreK is not 25 with 1 teacher with 1 aid. It 16 and 18. They adhere to it now since they have incorporated headstart that mandates low ratios

DCPS: That is 16 in PreS with 1 teacher and 1 aid and 18 in PreK with 1 teacher and 1 aid. The numbers increase into the 20s when you get into K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:YY's first year they were chartered to teach preK, K, 1st, 150 kids. They ended up with a set of classrooms that had 50 preK (english/ chinese alternate days), a set of Prek/K classes with ~15 prek/~35 K, and a set of K/1 classes with ~10 K/ ~25 1st. Total school population of ~135 instead of the 150. One thing Inspired will need to look at if they don't get enough applicants in the upper grades is filling the slots with younger kids, and somehow adjusting the classes around the kids they get. First year charters need the funds.

How many of those ~65 PK'ers are still at YY today? (In 1st now, right?)

Not sure how many, but it's definitely the majority. A few left because they moved out of the area. The retention rate is very high in all the grades. The open seats in the rising classes exist because there will be more classes at each grade, but of smaller size, so that allows a few more kids. I think it's 3 classes of 18, instead of 2 classes of 25. Not sure how they'll work the English/Chinese rotation though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard wonderful things about their teacher training, philosophy, approach to teaching etc.--but I'm a bit concerned about how well their discipline policy will translate to little ones, who can't really reason through a situation the way older kids can. Also, 21 3-year-olds with 2 adults? That doesn't sound like a good (or safe) ratio to me. I guess my overall question is: What kind of experience do they have with early childhood?

Bear in mind this is much better than a standard DCPS offering, which is 25 kids with 1 teacher and 1 aide.

DCPS max for PreS/PreK is not 25 with 1 teacher with 1 aid. It 16 and 18. They adhere to it now since they have incorporated headstart that mandates low ratios

DCPS: That is 16 in PreS with 1 teacher and 1 aid and 18 in PreK with 1 teacher and 1 aid. The numbers increase into the 20s when you get into K.

Are you sure that is universally true for DCPS. I remember going to a few open houses on the Hill and asking how many kids are in PreK4 and I heard numbers between 20 and 22 with 2 teachers in the classroom.