Creative Minds WL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No doubt CMI has some work to do with PARCC testing in upper grades for ELA and I hope the new leadership seriously addresses that issue going forward. Maybe they can learn from ITS, which is the beauty of having different options and models. But according to the School Quality Report, CMI exceeds ITS for K-2 Reading (e.g., 85.7 CMI v. 71.2 ITS).

Their 3rd and 4th grades are atrocious. 30-50 points behind peers, not 14 points (which as pp says apples to oranges). There is no way to slice it that of you care about your kid’s education, I honestly can’t see why any parent with means or choices leaves and forgets this mess?

[Anonymous]

I don’t know about the higher grades, but many of the parents of CMI kids in preschool and kinder are looking for play and outdoor time, not academics. They want something like is described in this article: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/408325/

No worksheets, no homework, no drills, no tests. I don’t know if that’s what is “best”, but that’s what they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know about the higher grades, but many of the parents of CMI kids in preschool and kinder are looking for play and outdoor time, not academics. They want something like is described in this article: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/408325/

No worksheets, no homework, no drills, no tests. I don’t know if that’s what is “best”, but that’s what they want.

Sure but do you think CMI is the only school that has no worksheets and outdoor play? Why not go for a school that has both? Do you really think CMI is that special? What are your plans for 3rd grade when your kid can’t read?

[Anonymous]

My advice to CMI parents and those curious about the school to spend their time on things aside from posting about it on DCUM. Visit the school, ask to speak to parents whose kids go there, and judge for yourself. There will always be someone who has issues with the school and who has way too much time on their hands. My kids have attended a HRCS for years and have thrived year after year, despite the school struggling with test scores. And somehow, despite this, my kids have consistently tested above grade level, scored 5s on the PARCC, and -- more importantly to us -- have made memories and built friendships through the school that our family would not trade for anything. I also used to get upset by this one poster who seemed to pop up on DCUM every time someone asked a negative question to repeat their negative opinion about the school. In the end, that only subsided once the school stopped getting as much attention on DCUM. Test scores matter more to some parents than others. We have numerous friends with kids at CMI and they love it. These are not willfully blind families -- they know what they doing and they do no need to waste time convincing other people. And as much as we all fret over the choices we make for our kids' lives, the fact is that for those of us who have the luxury to craft the perfect rejoinder on this forum, whether our kids attend CMI or Barnard is a rounding error in their lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know about the higher grades, but many of the parents of CMI kids in preschool and kinder are looking for play and outdoor time, not academics. They want something like is described in this article: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/408325/

No worksheets, no homework, no drills, no tests. I don’t know if that’s what is “best”, but that’s what they want.

Sure but do you think CMI is the only school that has no worksheets and outdoor play? Why not go for a school that has both? Do you really think CMI is that special? What are your plans for 3rd grade when your kid can’t read?

Many many schools probably have less outdoor time and more "worksheets". Have you seen their playground? Certainly for a young kid it shows well. People can always move later.

- non CMI parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know about the higher grades, but many of the parents of CMI kids in preschool and kinder are looking for play and outdoor time, not academics. They want something like is described in this article: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/408325/

No worksheets, no homework, no drills, no tests. I don’t know if that’s what is “best”, but that’s what they want.

Sure but do you think CMI is the only school that has no worksheets and outdoor play? Why not go for a school that has both? Do you really think CMI is that special? What are your plans for 3rd grade when your kid can’t read?

Many many schools probably have less outdoor time and more "worksheets". Have you seen their playground? Certainly for a young kid it shows well. People can always move later.

- non CMI parent

It is a nice playground. But I doubt they get more outdoor time than my kid at his IB DCPS preschool. Also, I can't speak for all DCPS schools, but none of the ones I looked at had worksheets. Now, if you were choosing between CMI and Appletree, I'd choose CMI. But I'd take the IB DCPS over CMI because DCPS curriculum is play-based and there is more transparency about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My advice to CMI parents and those curious about the school to spend their time on things aside from posting about it on DCUM. Visit the school, ask to speak to parents whose kids go there, and judge for yourself. There will always be someone who has issues with the school and who has way too much time on their hands. My kids have attended a HRCS for years and have thrived year after year, despite the school struggling with test scores. And somehow, despite this, my kids have consistently tested above grade level, scored 5s on the PARCC, and -- more importantly to us -- have made memories and built friendships through the school that our family would not trade for anything. I also used to get upset by this one poster who seemed to pop up on DCUM every time someone asked a negative question to repeat their negative opinion about the school. In the end, that only subsided once the school stopped getting as much attention on DCUM. Test scores matter more to some parents than others. We have numerous friends with kids at CMI and they love it. These are not willfully blind families -- they know what they doing and they do no need to waste time convincing other people. And as much as we all fret over the choices we make for our kids' lives, the fact is that for those of us who have the luxury to craft the perfect rejoinder on this forum, whether our kids attend CMI or Barnard is a rounding error in their lives.

Here’s the thing. And I say this as a charter parent, not an anti-charter person. Charter schools are meant to provide something that city schools do not and/or outperform them. CMI does neither. They are behind the average nearby DCPS and far behind most nearby charters. The only think they provide that city school does not is a lovely outdoor space. And to be real, the school can’t afford the outdoor space, venue they’re in. Their financials are scary which has led to them to increase class sizes and continue to hire inexperienced teachers who leave after gaining experience creating a bad cycle. They are doing a disservice to the city with funds that we all contribute towards. Why would the charter board continue to allow a two star school exist? It’s irresponsible and gives the charter sector a bad rep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know about the higher grades, but many of the parents of CMI kids in preschool and kinder are looking for play and outdoor time, not academics. They want something like is described in this article: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/408325/

No worksheets, no homework, no drills, no tests. I don’t know if that’s what is “best”, but that’s what they want.

Sure but do you think CMI is the only school that has no worksheets and outdoor play? Why not go for a school that has both? Do you really think CMI is that special? What are your plans for 3rd grade when your kid can’t read?

Many many schools probably have less outdoor time and more "worksheets". Have you seen their playground? Certainly for a young kid it shows well. People can always move later.

- non CMI parent

So keep a school open because it has a nice playground? Have you tried to lottery for a spot in 3rd grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My advice to CMI parents and those curious about the school to spend their time on things aside from posting about it on DCUM. Visit the school, ask to speak to parents whose kids go there, and judge for yourself. There will always be someone who has issues with the school and who has way too much time on their hands. My kids have attended a HRCS for years and have thrived year after year, despite the school struggling with test scores. And somehow, despite this, my kids have consistently tested above grade level, scored 5s on the PARCC, and -- more importantly to us -- have made memories and built friendships through the school that our family would not trade for anything. I also used to get upset by this one poster who seemed to pop up on DCUM every time someone asked a negative question to repeat their negative opinion about the school. In the end, that only subsided once the school stopped getting as much attention on DCUM. Test scores matter more to some parents than others. We have numerous friends with kids at CMI and they love it. These are not willfully blind families -- they know what they doing and they do no need to waste time convincing other people. And as much as we all fret over the choices we make for our kids' lives, the fact is that for those of us who have the luxury to craft the perfect rejoinder on this forum, whether our kids attend CMI or Barnard is a rounding error in their lives.

Not when your child falls 1 or 2 grade levels behind and not when you come from a family where siblings of yours never finished high school and where you are the first to go to college. The "luxury" of trusting that your child will be fine whatever the elementary school attended is one that everyone can afford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My advice to CMI parents and those curious about the school to spend their time on things aside from posting about it on DCUM. Visit the school, ask to speak to parents whose kids go there, and judge for yourself. There will always be someone who has issues with the school and who has way too much time on their hands. My kids have attended a HRCS for years and have thrived year after year, despite the school struggling with test scores. And somehow, despite this, my kids have consistently tested above grade level, scored 5s on the PARCC, and -- more importantly to us -- have made memories and built friendships through the school that our family would not trade for anything. I also used to get upset by this one poster who seemed to pop up on DCUM every time someone asked a negative question to repeat their negative opinion about the school. In the end, that only subsided once the school stopped getting as much attention on DCUM. Test scores matter more to some parents than others. We have numerous friends with kids at CMI and they love it. These are not willfully blind families -- they know what they doing and they do no need to waste time convincing other people. And as much as we all fret over the choices we make for our kids' lives, the fact is that for those of us who have the luxury to craft the perfect rejoinder on this forum, whether our kids attend CMI or Barnard is a rounding error in their lives.

Not when your child falls 1 or 2 grade levels behind and not when you come from a family where siblings of yours never finished high school and where you are the first to go to college. The "luxury" of trusting that your child will be fine whatever the elementary school attended is one that NOT everyone can afford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My advice to CMI parents and those curious about the school to spend their time on things aside from posting about it on DCUM. Visit the school, ask to speak to parents whose kids go there, and judge for yourself. There will always be someone who has issues with the school and who has way too much time on their hands. My kids have attended a HRCS for years and have thrived year after year, despite the school struggling with test scores. And somehow, despite this, my kids have consistently tested above grade level, scored 5s on the PARCC, and -- more importantly to us -- have made memories and built friendships through the school that our family would not trade for anything. I also used to get upset by this one poster who seemed to pop up on DCUM every time someone asked a negative question to repeat their negative opinion about the school. In the end, that only subsided once the school stopped getting as much attention on DCUM. Test scores matter more to some parents than others. We have numerous friends with kids at CMI and they love it. These are not willfully blind families -- they know what they doing and they do no need to waste time convincing other people. And as much as we all fret over the choices we make for our kids' lives, the fact is that for those of us who have the luxury to craft the perfect rejoinder on this forum, whether our kids attend CMI or Barnard is a rounding error in their lives.

Not when your child falls 1 or 2 grade levels behind and not when you come from a family where siblings of yours never finished high school and where you are the first to go to college. The "luxury" of trusting that your child will be fine whatever the elementary school attended is one that NOT everyone can afford.

That's where I am too. I don't actually care if the yuppie white parents are choosing a great playground over grade-level academic content. They've got all kinds of slack built in the line for their kids and can afford to make up the difference later if they need to. But they're not the only kids attending that school, which is failing everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My advice to CMI parents and those curious about the school to spend their time on things aside from posting about it on DCUM. Visit the school, ask to speak to parents whose kids go there, and judge for yourself. There will always be someone who has issues with the school and who has way too much time on their hands. My kids have attended a HRCS for years and have thrived year after year, despite the school struggling with test scores. And somehow, despite this, my kids have consistently tested above grade level, scored 5s on the PARCC, and -- more importantly to us -- have made memories and built friendships through the school that our family would not trade for anything. I also used to get upset by this one poster who seemed to pop up on DCUM every time someone asked a negative question to repeat their negative opinion about the school. In the end, that only subsided once the school stopped getting as much attention on DCUM. Test scores matter more to some parents than others. We have numerous friends with kids at CMI and they love it. These are not willfully blind families -- they know what they doing and they do no need to waste time convincing other people. And as much as we all fret over the choices we make for our kids' lives, the fact is that for those of us who have the luxury to craft the perfect rejoinder on this forum, whether our kids attend CMI or Barnard is a rounding error in their lives.

Not when your child falls 1 or 2 grade levels behind and not when you come from a family where siblings of yours never finished high school and where you are the first to go to college. The "luxury" of trusting that your child will be fine whatever the elementary school attended is one that NOT everyone can afford.

That's where I am too. I don't actually care if the yuppie white parents are choosing a great playground over grade-level academic content. They've got all kinds of slack built in the line for their kids and can afford to make up the difference later if they need to. But they're not the only kids attending that school, which is failing everyone.

+1 and when my tax dollars are paying for the school, I expect accountability and that the school perform at least as well as its neighbor. I don’t want to subsidize yuppie parents to have a free crunchy, granola school on the public dime.

[Anonymous]

I have had two kids in upper elementary: one of them was in middle. They have both thrived academically. You’ve seen the math PARCC scores which are fantastic, and the 3rd and 4th math teachers were really great. The 3rd grade math teacher was promoted and now is responsible for math instruction at the school.

For ELA the school changed its curriculum to better fit the PARCC test. This paid off for the 4th graders as the numbers went up from previous year when they were third, but they still have work to do. For example, they’ve spent more time on reading/analyzing/writing short passages.

CMI loses many families in 5th grade to other charters with high school option (Latin, Basis etc) and as a result the middle school is filled with brand new kids with academic and other issues. I don’t know how they fix this. I’ve talked to many, many parents who left, and they ALL say that their kid is thriving academically in their middle school. This is true for my oldest who LOVES their new middle school and is excelling. I give CMI full credit for this.

My oldest’s 3rd grade ELA PARCC score wasn’t great but they scored well on other ELA standardized tests that year. Their 4th grade ELA PARCC was much better.

I highly recommend CMI for elementary, but their middle continues to struggle. I hope they figure things out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have had two kids in upper elementary: one of them was in middle. They have both thrived academically. You’ve seen the math PARCC scores which are fantastic, and the 3rd and 4th math teachers were really great. The 3rd grade math teacher was promoted and now is responsible for math instruction at the school.

For ELA the school changed its curriculum to better fit the PARCC test. This paid off for the 4th graders as the numbers went up from previous year when they were third, but they still have work to do. For example, they’ve spent more time on reading/analyzing/writing short passages.

CMI loses many families in 5th grade to other charters with high school option (Latin, Basis etc) and as a result the middle school is filled with brand new kids with academic and other issues. I don’t know how they fix this. I’ve talked to many, many parents who left, and they ALL say that their kid is thriving academically in their middle school. This is true for my oldest who LOVES their new middle school and is excelling. I give CMI full credit for this.

My oldest’s 3rd grade ELA PARCC score wasn’t great but they scored well on other ELA standardized tests that year. Their 4th grade ELA PARCC was much better.

I highly recommend CMI for elementary, but their middle continues to struggle. I hope they figure things out.

Why has CMI cleared its waitlist for Kindergarten this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have had two kids in upper elementary: one of them was in middle. They have both thrived academically. You’ve seen the math PARCC scores which are fantastic, and the 3rd and 4th math teachers were really great. The 3rd grade math teacher was promoted and now is responsible for math instruction at the school.

For ELA the school changed its curriculum to better fit the PARCC test. This paid off for the 4th graders as the numbers went up from previous year when they were third, but they still have work to do. For example, they’ve spent more time on reading/analyzing/writing short passages.

CMI loses many families in 5th grade to other charters with high school option (Latin, Basis etc) and as a result the middle school is filled with brand new kids with academic and other issues. I don’t know how they fix this. I’ve talked to many, many parents who left, and they ALL say that their kid is thriving academically in their middle school. This is true for my oldest who LOVES their new middle school and is excelling. I give CMI full credit for this.

My oldest’s 3rd grade ELA PARCC score wasn’t great but they scored well on other ELA standardized tests that year. Their 4th grade ELA PARCC was much better.

I highly recommend CMI for elementary, but their middle continues to struggle. I hope they figure things out.

Why has CMI cleared its waitlist for Kindergarten this year?

Because it isn't a very good school. And academic performance is more relevant from K upward. Most schools can do ECE well.