Class Size - 4th grade at Janney, Lafayette, and Murch

[Anonymous]

Unexpectedly contemplating a move and wondering about 4th grade class sizes at Janney, Lafayette, and Murch. Also, are they all teacher plus and aide, or just a teacher? If folks could help us out, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unexpectedly contemplating a move and wondering about 4th grade class sizes at Janney, Lafayette, and Murch. Also, are they all teacher plus and aide, or just a teacher? If folks could help us out, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

4th grade is a pretty big cohort at Janney, maybe 24-25/class across 5 classes. I would call the school and ask what the numbers are as of now. They have teachers and partner teachers but the partner teachers are shared across the grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unexpectedly contemplating a move and wondering about 4th grade class sizes at Janney, Lafayette, and Murch. Also, are they all teacher plus and aide, or just a teacher? If folks could help us out, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

4th grade is a pretty big cohort at Janney, maybe 24-25/class across 5 classes. I would call the school and ask what the numbers are as of now. They have teachers and partner teachers but the partner teachers are shared across the grade.

Think it's maybe a hair smaller at Lafayette, but no partner teachers.

[Anonymous]

No partner teachers at Murch and enrollment is hard to gauge given they are coming out of the swing space which has meant higher enrollment at other schools in similar circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unexpectedly contemplating a move and wondering about 4th grade class sizes at Janney, Lafayette, and Murch. Also, are they all teacher plus and aide, or just a teacher? If folks could help us out, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

4th grade is a pretty big cohort at Janney, maybe 24-25/class across 5 classes. I would call the school and ask what the numbers are as of now. They have teachers and partner teachers but the partner teachers are shared across the grade.

For Janney 4th grade technically it's teachers and co-teachers. PK, K, and 1st have teachers, partner teachers (in 1st they are shared across the grade) and co-teachers (also shared across the grade). Generally the co-teachers do specialized instruction LLI, Words their Way, Fundations, Jr Great Books, small group math work,) etc. and the partner teachers are more an extra set of hands. Also, co-teachers cover the IEP minutes.

PP is correct that Janney 4th grade is one of the larger cohorts at the school. You're looking at 24-26 kids a class. I have a child in that grade and he has been very happy (and has benefited from the co-teaching model).

[Anonymous]

A parent-paid ‘coteacher’ should not be doing any IEP interventions. That would be a big violation.

A DCPS learning specialist, special education teacher or support staff (SLP, OT, psychologist) would do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A parent-paid ‘coteacher’ should not be doing any IEP interventions. That would be a big violation.

A DCPS learning specialist, special education teacher or support staff (SLP, OT, psychologist) would do that.

No one said anything about a parent teacher.

[Anonymous]

Janney Language:
Co-Teacher is the inclusion or special ed teacher. They are the ones that implement the IEP. They are the one that provide pull out or push in services, and determine where the student is vs goals.

Partner Teacher - may help with a child who has an IEP the same way they help any other child in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

If I had the option of the 3 you mentioned, I would select Murch. Why? Murch has a reputation for an established strong 5th grade teaching team. This is a known weakness at Janney.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Janney Language:
Co-Teacher is the inclusion or special ed teacher. They are the ones that implement the IEP. They are the one that provide pull out or push in services, and determine where the student is vs goals.

Partner Teacher - may help with a child who has an IEP the same way they help any other child in the classroom.

And a co-teacher has little to do with children who do not have IEPs, so it's irrelevant to the class size / teacher student ratio conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No partner teachers at Murch and enrollment is hard to gauge given they are coming out of the swing space which has meant higher enrollment at other schools in similar circumstances.

Enrollment for 4th should not be too much of a guess. IB families for 4th graders either kept them through the swing space or moved to private. If they are at private, I would guess most families will leave the child there through the end of elementary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unexpectedly contemplating a move and wondering about 4th grade class sizes at Janney, Lafayette, and Murch. Also, are they all teacher plus and aide, or just a teacher? If folks could help us out, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

Average is around 24

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I had the option of the 3 you mentioned, I would select Murch. Why? Murch has a reputation for an established strong 5th grade teaching team. This is a known weakness at Janney.

This is a very good point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No partner teachers at Murch and enrollment is hard to gauge given they are coming out of the swing space which has meant higher enrollment at other schools in similar circumstances.

Enrollment for 4th should not be too much of a guess. IB families for 4th graders either kept them through the swing space or moved to private. If they are at private, I would guess most families will leave the child there through the end of elementary.

When Lafayette moved into its new building, the 4th grade gained 17 new kids.

[Anonymous]

Might think about Mann or Hearst for smaller classes.