Beauvoir Teacher Turnover

[Anonymous]

Why do they have so many teacher openings at Beauvoir? Does that school have a high turnover rate? We just signed the contract for DC to enter Pre K for next school year and I am concerned about this.

[Anonymous]

Not sure which particular openings there are currently but the school has an assistant teacher program that allows recent grads (full of fresh ideas, innovative teaching methods and lots of energy) to teach along side seasoned experienced teachers. The assistant teachers are for K through 3rd grade only because there are two head teachers in Pre-K. The assistant teachers are there for two years unless they obtain a permanent position at the school. So there are usually always openings for the assistant teacher slots. I love the balance of the two levels of experience and it is a nice training mechanism for new teachers.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it's nice to have energy, fresh ideas, etc. from Associate Teachers. However, the chemistry, balance and power dynamic between the Head and Associate teachers are really important. Unfortunately, in our five years there, we only had one truly great pairing that benefited both teachers and students. A couple of just bad and a couple were just ok. It's hard to pair people when there's always a new crop of people coming in.

[Anonymous]

I agree it's a nice mechanism for training new teachers -- I wish they didn't discriminate against older new teachers however. Why just recent grads, when moms (or dads) reentering the workforce or changing careers would welcome the training opportunity as well?

[Anonymous]

Well, that's also a nice "program" to allow them to keep paying entry level students and at the same time provide no consistency for families. And still make a bundle off the tuition.

[Anonymous]

Yes, some of the more consistent and established, though lesser-known, schools do a much job of the early years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree it's a nice mechanism for training new teachers -- I wish they didn't discriminate against older new teachers however. Why just recent grads, when moms (or dads) reentering the workforce or changing careers would welcome the training opportunity as well?

Is PP someone whose application was rejected? I've seen this axe ground in other anti-Beauvoir posts. The lead math resource teacher is a former corporate lawyer who switched careers to teach math at Beauvoir--an older, career changing new teacher who now has a successful new career teaching there.
Stop trashing the school, PP. You may want to consider the possibility that they didn't have space for your "talent", or that you simply lacked the qualifications.

[Anonymous]

I also question the lack of consistency with the associate teacher program. Although I agree that the energy the young people bring is nice, I'm not thrilled overall with the program. It has its benefits, but mainly I think it suits the school better and not the parents. And nope, not a rejectee here...

[Anonymous]

I'm just curious -- has Beauvoir ever hired an older person for the associate position? If any older hires for this position can be cited, I'd happily be disabused of my notion that they discriminate.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I know of at least a few "older" persons who were associate teachers (but not generally the norm). Older does not mean better however. Regardless of the age of the associate teachers, it's definitely more of program to benefit the school from the cost perspective as well as the training perspective. When you are lucky to have a terrific associate, then the students and families also benefit. Otherwise, you just get an extra pair of hands - still beneficial, but not really as good as a two teacher classroom model that Beauvoir would have you believe is what you are getting for +$26K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree it's a nice mechanism for training new teachers -- I wish they didn't discriminate against older new teachers however. Why just recent grads, when moms (or dads) reentering the workforce or changing careers would welcome the training opportunity as well?

Is PP someone whose application was rejected? I've seen this axe ground in other anti-Beauvoir posts. The lead math resource teacher is a former corporate lawyer who switched careers to teach math at Beauvoir--an older, career changing new teacher who now has a successful new career teaching there.
Stop trashing the school, PP. You may want to consider the possibility that they didn't have space for your "talent", or that you simply lacked the qualifications.

Ree lax Booster. She didn't trash the school, she just stated an opinion. And where in her post did she mention that her kid was not enrolled or accepted. Get off the red bull!!!

[Anonymous]

My understanding (from what I remember at open house and on tours) is that the basic classroom has approximately 20-22 children, 2 experienced teachers, and 1 assistant. This means the ratio of children to experienced teachers is about 11:1. When the assistant is counted, the ratio drops to 7:1. The assistants are usually (but not always) recent graduates of education programs.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.

[Anonymous]

Nope, one experienced teacher and one associate teacher in each classroom. But in our five years at Beauvoir, four of the associate teachers have been outstanding.

[Anonymous]

Ahh -- your first-hand experience definitely trumps my bad memory. How do they get a 7:1 ratio then? By counting the subject-specific teachers (art, music, language) in the mix?

[Anonymous]

It is a wonderful system and seems to work. The younger associate teachers bring new energy and new ideas to the mix which combined with the experience and ideas of the more experienced teacher makes a wonderful team. Trust me.