Takoma Education Campus for PK3

[Anonymous]

Worth considering? Does anyone have a kid in PK there?

[Anonymous]

My coworker did and he loved it. But moved on at K when he had better luck in lottery.

[Anonymous]

Great school , we stayed until 6th grade (last year), then ran away to a middle school west of the park feeding into Wilson High school because Coolidge is too far from being an acceptable option for high school.
If you are IB for Takoma do not think twice. If you are OB, chances are low.

[Anonymous]

Our daughter is in PK3. She is absolutely in love with TEC, and thriving. We are extremely satisfied with it, despite some bumps.

The school is an extremely vibrant and creative atmosphere. The arts integration philosophy is front and center, and an enormous source of pride. The kids spend a lot of time being creative across a variety of media - visual arts, music, dance, an after-school cooking class, etc. A parent I know who also has experience with Shepherd's PK told me that s/he prefers TEC for PK because of this vibrancy and energy; that Shepherd can sometimes feel overly routinized/traditional at even that young of a grade level.

Most staff and faculty are deeply engaged. I have felt this sense from them since we first visited, and it continues now as I serve on committees with them. They *care.*

This is a small, perhaps weird observation, but I think it speaks volumes: Every single kid who goes there holds the door open for adults and visitors when they enter the building or classroom. It's a small detail but I think it suggests that the school is somehow imparting the value of good manners in subtle, often overlooked ways. Big kids engage little kids in caring ways, whether as classroom reading buddies or on the playground after school, as my daughter gazes fondly at the kids skipping rope and they try, patiently, to teach her. It's very impressive.

There is a strong sense of community in the school. Parents greet each other in the hallway when we pick up our kids, and hold playdates on the playground on the weekends. The school has recently rallied around a family whose youngest child recently died, tragically.

Other pertinent details:

-- We are IB and listed TEC first because, all else being equal, we decided to prioritize a convenient (walkable) commute and neighborhood feel over other desirable traits (e.g. second language). We also felt confident about the odds of lotterying in, since TEC's WL is comparatively short.

-- The Principal is in the first year of his tenure, following a seven (or more?) year stretch of the former Principal, who was beloved by staff and parents and is credited with turning the school around from an under-performer to its present vibrant atmosphere. Mr. Brody, the new principal, is making lots of the kinds of misjudgments one would expect of a first year principal but he is learning, and getting better. I was initially disappointed by what I perceived as his non-responsiveness but, now that I've gotten to know him better by participating in school committees, I admire his vision and I think that he is learning how to adjust to his new position to achieve it. That said, communication still remains a hang-up. It's getting better...slowly. Frankly, I think he's overwhelmed and hasn't yet figured out how to delegate effectively. I hope he figures this out, and I see signs that he is.

-- Parent involvement and community building is extremely high in PK3, PK4, and K. Dads chaperone field trips. Grandmas serve on fundraising committees. (Obviously, moms do all of this as well ) But there have also been parents demoralized by the failures of communication, among other reasons (see below). Their involvement is tapering off and some are planning to lottery out next year. This is, as I understand it, an ongoing problem. Lots of excitement, involvement, etc in the early childhood classes and even up through grade 2, and then a real cooling, as thoughts turn to test scores, high school trajectories, etc.

-- The school's racial/ethnic/linguistic diversity also drops off above Kindergarten; I'm not sure about its SES diversity. I imagine that if some of the younger cohorts of classes commit to staying together above K, rather than lotterying into a guaranteed high school trajectory, that the racial/ethnic/linguistic diversity and, frankly, higher SES that characterizes PK3 and PK4 (evident in the ever-shrinking number of Head Start eligible children) will proliferate throughout the higher grades as well. I say this not to stake a claim on whether or not the demographics of the higher grades should change or not. Just to say that, knowing that diversity in all of its forms is one of the constant topics here on DCUM, one would expect the TEC of five years from now, if all entering PK3/PK4 students stayed, to be more diverse along a number of categories.

I hope this response helps. Please feel free to pose specific questions and I'll respond to my best ability.