Reply to Inspired Teaching - Are you in in for the long haul?

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[quote=Anonymous]I'm not an IT parent but have a 4th grader in a very nice PS-5 DCPS with no great middle school lined up and therefore empathize with your question. While we'll certainly agonize over middle schools, I'd like to chime in here by affirming that NOT transferring our child was a wise decision. Thanks to the lasting connections that come with continuity, our child has grown into a really well rounded preteen, who will likely do well in any setting going forward. Buying yourself (maybe!) a viable middle school option at the price of turmoil in 3rd grade is not worth it. As you'll see soon enough, 3rd grade is a crucial year in that preteen development stage. In your current school, because he is familiar with it and has a set of friends and faculty support, you might see him take on leadership roles, while his 3rd grade in the new school would be dedicated to fitting in and rebuilding connections. (The earlier point about an IT parent transferring out and back in speaks to that.)
Another relevant point to add when I look back two years: When our child was in 2nd grade, I was quite jealous of all those K-8 options, and several of our area elementary schools with parents like me pushed to become K-8. Now that our child is in 4th grade I see things differently. Our elementary school's small and cozy context no longer seems like a good fit for an emerging teenager who is interested in and talented at just about anything. A much better fit seems to be a larger context that provides a wide range of opportunities specifically for teens. And that's why K-8 charters like the ones you mention lose many parents come middle school. The upside of that: if nothing viable works out after 4th or 5th grade, you'll have many seats to pick from in those otherwise very coveted K-8 schools, including IT.[/quote]

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