Shepherd Elem?

[Anonymous]

What are your thoughts on Shepherd?

I know that they had some principal issues this school year. Has that been resolved? How is the new/current principal?

Shepherd is supposed to be an IB school with dual language. Is it still on target for that?

Any words of wisdom/advice about Shepherd?? We're considering a house in boundry for Shepherd, and the school is definitely a consideration for our family in whether we move into the neighborhood.

TIA

[Anonymous]

I.B. does not have a bright future at Shepherd. Do a search of the archives for discussion of the proposed IB programs in DCPS.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Can anyone else weigh in on their thoughts about how Shepherd is??? (IB and language issues notwithstanding)

[Anonymous]

too many leadership changes... need to wait and see.

[Anonymous]

There's a note about Shepherd in the most recent issue of DC North and it's not good. The neighborhood is scrounging to come up with parents who will pay the enrichment fees in order to cover the cost of faculty salaries.

In this context? I wouldn't look for IB funding any time soon.

Here's the full May DC North:

http://www.capitalcommunitynews.com/publications/dcnorth/2009_May/html/index.cfm

Here's the link to the note on Shepherd:

http://www.capitalcommunitynews.com/publications/dcnorth/2009_May/html/WardReports0509.cfm

and here's the text:

Money Problems at Shepherd Elementary
by Tanya Snyder

Shortfalls in the school budget forced the Shepherd Elementary School PTA to support some staff salaries this academic year. But the PTA may be reaching the end of its fundraising potential: parent Sue Perez worries that teacher aides for French and Math may have to be let go before the end of the year. Both aides assist with multiple classes.

Perez is leading a fundraising drive to keep the teacher aides, in an attempt to supplement the $50 PTA dues and the $500 Family Enrichment Fees.

She says the PTA is “working with the Principal to ensure that staff positions for the next academic year are fully reflected in the 09-10 budget.” She says relying on the PTA to fund staff positions is “too volatile” and “not sustainable.”

FYI, Shepherd serves one of the wealthiest populations of DCPS elementary schools (only 16% FARMs).

It might be okay as a fall-back school but you'd be better off OOB or in a good charter.

[Anonymous]

My only child has been at Shepherd since Pre-K, in that time I have lost count of the number of principals, but it has been the strength of the parents and teachers that have provided the stability for my daughter to receive a sound education. If you are looking for a school that has a strong sense of community and will provide a nurturing environment for your child Shepherd is that school. The new principal is young and dedicated. She leads by example, she had a baby in March and was back at the school May 4th so that she could oversee testing. My child has taken language for the last 4 years and her comprehension is solid and while I love the exposure, I still like the focus on the basics reading, writing and arithmetic. No teacher was laid off because of money issues. Yes, there was talk of letting go one aide because fundraising is down but as of today she is still in the school. However, look at where the graduating class of 2008 35% are in honors programs at Deal and Hardy. The other 30% who left for Private School are at Landon, Georgetown Day, Sidwell and Holton Arms. If you are really interested in Shepherd I suggest you come take a tour, attend a PTA to see other likeminded parents. I would definitely recommend the school.

[Anonymous]

Every school has it's ups and downs. And while the administration and teachers are crucial to the school the parental participation is the icing on the cake. Despite the past several principals there are so many participating parents and children that made the past few years ones that I wouldn't trade. I realize that I have a choice (and I have been thru quite a few schools) my choice has been to remain at Shepherd. The commitment is there on a parental and faculty level. One that I am sure is not duplicated around the many public AND PRIVATE schools in the DC area.

[Anonymous]

Seems strange that DCPS would let an elementary IB program fail, since Shepherd feeds into Deal and Deal is an IB program. I would think that failure of the Shepherd IB program would hurt Deal, as IB usually requires kids to be fluent in at least 1 foreign language, and that is much harder to do if you don't start a foreign language until 6th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems strange that DCPS would let an elementary IB program fail, since Shepherd feeds into Deal and Deal is an IB program. I would think that failure of the Shepherd IB program would hurt Deal, as IB usually requires kids to be fluent in at least 1 foreign language, and that is much harder to do if you don't start a foreign language until 6th grade.

Deal's IB program isn't off the ground yet either. It takes over 3 years to get IB certification (it's a pretty involved process) and Deal was only just beginning. The Chancellor has decided not to fund IB initiatives at this time.

If you do a search of the archives for "IB" you'll find other discussions on this subject, especially as it regards schools that were promised the IB and are no longer getting it (Thomson, Deal, Shepherd, and Cooke).

The short answer is that the unfunded and unimplemented IB program at Deal is unlikely to help the unfunded and unimplemented IB program at Shepherd. You won't be the only parent to call Rhee's office to thank her for that.

[Anonymous]

Beats me where all these anonymous post-ers are saying that IB is dead at Shepherd, Deal or anywhere else. Shepherd is on track to submit an IB certification in December. Teachers have been taking IB training, as recently as two weeks ago. The school newsletter devotes a page each week to IB learning principles and exercises.

I'm glad that someone had the foresight to make Shepherd, my neighborhood school, a destination school with IB and instruction in your choice of two foreign languages from pre-K onward. Shepherd's in a neighborhood where parents have the time and money to shuttle their kids to all manner of charter schools or pay for private of parochial school tuition. But dual-language instruction and the progress toward IB certification are solid incentives for motivated parents.

Face it: You're not going to be able to drop your kid off at school and expect a model citizen when they graduate if you don't get involved. If you don't want to get involved in your child's education, go somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

With no funded IB coordinator, it will be interesting to see how Shepherd pulls this off.

It is true though that DCPS paid the extension fee to IBO just this month. It was due in January. Thanks DCPS!

If anyone can find the budget line for IB in the budgets of the previously mentioned schools, please do post it here. I'd love to see how much money is involved and where it is committed.

[Anonymous]

Deal has been working on the IB for the 3 year process. It is a candidate school this year and it will be authorized in October. Not sure why some think that IB is dead at Deal.

[Anonymous]

Sorry - What is IB?

[Anonymous]

IB stands for International Baccalaureate, a writing-intensive (at least in higher grades) system of learning. It's not quite analagous to Advanced Placement (AP). AP courses can get students out of high school quicker (either to college to to a qualified mental health professional), while IB culminates in a diploma. High school students have to write papers for all IB courses, even math subjects. At the primary years, there's a focus on awareness of the larger world around you and your own part in it.

In the meantime, I'll let our IB coordinator at Shepherd know that her paychecks all bounced. "No funded IB cooridnator," indeed!

[Anonymous]

Please do give us the name of the Shepherd IB coordinator. BTW, it's a full-time job at IB schools, so having a classroom teacher do it in addition to her teaching duties doesn't count. Using the principal doesn't count either.

So please, do let everyone know who this mystery woman is, inquiring minds want to know.

Or if you want to maintain her privacy, just show us the budget line on Shepherd's 09-10 budget on the DCPS website.