Creative Minds K-3?

[Anonymous]

We just were offered a spot at CMI in the Kindergarten year. I'd love feedback from parents with kids in K-3 that can tell me about their academics. I'm not a tiger mom but the school we are yet prioritized socio-emotional learning (which is great) but wasn't able to do as much academically and my daughter got super bored. I am impressed by CMI's arts education and their space is beautiful but I'd love to know more about academics. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Congratulations! My child is currently in K. We love the K teachers. I think they do good job in balancing academics and socio-emotional learning (IPC). I love that my child's teachers are able to differentiate and challenge the kids that have advanced academic skills. I know there were some issues with the upper grades which I think is part of the school's growing pains. I am optomistic that the the school is ironing the kinks out.

[Anonymous]

I'll try to pull some of the older conversations, but I think the general summary is that it is still a lovely community, but light on the academics a little too long past preschool. The parents have complained, and the administration is working on it.

[Anonymous]

OP, please, please be careful about characterizing your PK4 kid (your 4 or 5 year old) as super bored because school is not academic enough for them. There are so, so, so many ways for a kid that age to be engaged in learning - but if you give your kid the academic boredom lens, you can really poison the well and negatively impact how he or she engages in future learning. (I'm not a CMI parent.)

[Anonymous]

Good friends at CMI are heading out after 1st grade for this reason. Lovely community but not enough substance after early childhood education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good friends at CMI are heading out after 1st grade for this reason. Lovely community but not enough substance after early childhood education.

Where are they headed?

[Anonymous]

I'd like some insight into this as well- i feel like creative minds was like "ooh that cool school" for a while and now people just seem to not like it, ITS went through something similar, like ppl were all pumped about it and then it lost its, i don't know, cache, for lack of a better word. I have visited ITS and wasn't really impressed so I can see why that would happen but yeah.. a similar thing with mundo verde where people were dying to get in and now just an 'eh' school. Is this something to take into account when making lottery lists or is it just general DCUM treating schools like celebrities? they just got their IPC accreditation plus the middle school, does it just feel like the school is too stretched or is it the recently increased class sizes or is the school fine?

[Anonymous]

OP here. It seems like the biggest difference between CMI and ITS is that ITS teachers have several years more experience and also have masters degrees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd like some insight into this as well- i feel like creative minds was like "ooh that cool school" for a while and now people just seem to not like it, ITS went through something similar, like ppl were all pumped about it and then it lost its, i don't know, cache, for lack of a better word. I have visited ITS and wasn't really impressed so I can see why that would happen but yeah.. a similar thing with mundo verde where people were dying to get in and now just an 'eh' school. Is this something to take into account when making lottery lists or is it just general DCUM treating schools like celebrities? they just got their IPC accreditation plus the middle school, does it just feel like the school is too stretched or is it the recently increased class sizes or is the school fine?

Paid marketing to generate hype? Don't hate the player, hate the game.

[Anonymous]

I know a few 1st and 3rd grade families are leaving this year.

For us, we find the school to be good and we are giving it year by year. It's very heavy on drama, art and music and less so on math and science. Lots of upper middle class white parents with flexible jobs who can come to winter performances and exit points and dance parties. It's more about the events for the moms and less about caring about the curriculum.

Those who have left (or are leaving) do so because they move or the academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OP here. It seems like the biggest difference between CMI and ITS is that ITS teachers have several years more experience and also have masters degrees.

Teacher education and salary (from learndc.org and 2015-16 school annual reports http://www.dcpcsb.org/report/evaluating/charter-school-annual-reports)

ITS
Bachelors 26.3%
Masters 73.7%

Average salary 62,000
Minimum salary 42,000
Maximum salary 88,000

CMI
Bachelors 61%
Masters 38%

Average salary 46,700
Minimum salary 42,000
Maximum salary 56,542

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd like some insight into this as well- i feel like creative minds was like "ooh that cool school" for a while and now people just seem to not like it, ITS went through something similar, like ppl were all pumped about it and then it lost its, i don't know, cache, for lack of a better word. I have visited ITS and wasn't really impressed so I can see why that would happen but yeah.. a similar thing with mundo verde where people were dying to get in and now just an 'eh' school. Is this something to take into account when making lottery lists or is it just general DCUM treating schools like celebrities? they just got their IPC accreditation plus the middle school, does it just feel like the school is too stretched or is it the recently increased class sizes or is the school fine?

ITS seems to have recovered its rep after one bad year of negative DCUM posts. Not so MV. We'll see which trajectory CMI takes.

I do wonder why it is so hard for these charters to deliver a solid product with decent demographics and engaged parents. Maybe they should hire teaches with . . . teaching degrees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd like some insight into this as well- i feel like creative minds was like "ooh that cool school" for a while and now people just seem to not like it, ITS went through something similar, like ppl were all pumped about it and then it lost its, i don't know, cache, for lack of a better word. I have visited ITS and wasn't really impressed so I can see why that would happen but yeah.. a similar thing with mundo verde where people were dying to get in and now just an 'eh' school. Is this something to take into account when making lottery lists or is it just general DCUM treating schools like celebrities? they just got their IPC accreditation plus the middle school, does it just feel like the school is too stretched or is it the recently increased class sizes or is the school fine?

Not sure about the above. CMI, MV, and ITS all still seem pretty popular based on their WL #s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd like some insight into this as well- i feel like creative minds was like "ooh that cool school" for a while and now people just seem to not like it, ITS went through something similar, like ppl were all pumped about it and then it lost its, i don't know, cache, for lack of a better word. I have visited ITS and wasn't really impressed so I can see why that would happen but yeah.. a similar thing with mundo verde where people were dying to get in and now just an 'eh' school. Is this something to take into account when making lottery lists or is it just general DCUM treating schools like celebrities? they just got their IPC accreditation plus the middle school, does it just feel like the school is too stretched or is it the recently increased class sizes or is the school fine?

Not sure about the above. CMI, MV, and ITS all still seem pretty popular based on their WL #s.

+1 I would urge folk not to judge a school based on rumors on DCUM or number of topics about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd like some insight into this as well- i feel like creative minds was like "ooh that cool school" for a while and now people just seem to not like it, ITS went through something similar, like ppl were all pumped about it and then it lost its, i don't know, cache, for lack of a better word. I have visited ITS and wasn't really impressed so I can see why that would happen but yeah.. a similar thing with mundo verde where people were dying to get in and now just an 'eh' school. Is this something to take into account when making lottery lists or is it just general DCUM treating schools like celebrities? they just got their IPC accreditation plus the middle school, does it just feel like the school is too stretched or is it the recently increased class sizes or is the school fine?

It's the product life cycle. The growth stage can be a challenge for any organization. Once it reaches maturity I bet there won't be many posts about it at all (see 2 Rivers and EL Haynes)