Applying to Teach in DC

[Anonymous]

I applied to teach in DCPS for the 2017-2018 school year. I have been accepted into the "Recommended Pool," meaning my resume, essay answers, and video were all approved. I'm pretty excited! I have several years of experience. I am looking to find a position in special education at an elementary or middle school level. I would like to work at a low or moderate income school, but not one that is chaotic. Does anyone have any schools to recommend?

[Anonymous]

Barnard, Brookland MS, maybe some others.

[Anonymous]

No advice to offer, but greatly appreciate your enthusiasm for joining DCPS. Thank you and best of luck!

[Anonymous]

Shepherd might be a good option. Many families from modest backgrounds, and 28% receive free and reduced meals (although growing proportion of middle/upper SES families too). The school is small with only ~350 students and does not feel chaotic.

[Anonymous]

Takoma EC

[Anonymous]

Langley! It has a large special ed team and the teachers are really nice. Nice building too. You will love the neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Harriet Tubman Elementary
Cute school, many ELL students, high rate of special ed need.
Parents are appreciative.
Columbia Heights-good neighborhood for a young professional to live.

[Anonymous]

Garrison Elementary. A large special ed population. Good teachers. Great location!

[Anonymous]

What grade do you want to teach? At a lot of "low-income" elementary schools the demographics change A LOT between the younger and older grades. You often see a school that's 90+% low-income in grades 3-5 and less than 50% in grades PK-2.

[Anonymous]

McKinley Middle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harriet Tubman Elementary
Cute school, many ELL students, high rate of special ed need.
Parents are appreciative.
Columbia Heights-good neighborhood for a young professional to live.

I second Tubman. Has the kind of environment that you are describing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harriet Tubman Elementary
Cute school, many ELL students, high rate of special ed need.
Parents are appreciative.
Columbia Heights-good neighborhood for a young professional to live.

I second Tubman. Has the kind of environment that you are describing.

No way. Terrible, unsupportive, nitpicky admin.

[Anonymous]

JO Wilson principal has a special ed background.

[Anonymous]

any particular type of special ed? DC has self-contained classes for different things (behavior support, low vision, autism, etc.) at different schools. School Within School has a multiple disabilities classroom. It's not a low/moderate income school as DCPS goes at all. But the self-contained classes take kids from all over the District.

[Anonymous]

Takoma Education Campus will give you exposure to both elementary and middle school-aged kids. I know that the elementary special ed teachers have been at the school for awhile (stability) and the school seems to make an effort to be inclusive.