Reply to Can anyone shed light on what is likely to change at Norwood with new leadership?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Timeline is key. For a young child, a school taking three years to pull it all together is too long. Again, I loved the warmth in the school, but as you said, I am guarded about academics and teacher quality. I have heard that training teachers is not what they need. Teachers should have been trained when they were certified (they are not certified), so I am not happy about the idea of them training on my watch. I hope that there will be a staff overhaul with removal of the bad eggs. I have heard numbers from 6-12 questionable teachers in the LS alone. Also heard of a weak teacher evaluation process. 
The schedule for the LS students is chaotic with many transitions that are wasteful. Transitions for EVERY class. Maybe a revamped schedule? 
Anyway, this is really weighing on me. We liked so much about the school. [/quote]

Overall, I think the new team has a welcome sense of urgency. The teacher evaluation process has been strengthened since the new MS principal arrived, and some teachers have left (including the only poor teacher my kids have had--otherwise, they have been excellent). In any case, based on our experience and that of our friends' children, I think your 6-12 number represents a significant exaggeration. As for training, I disagree with your position that teachers should be trained when/if they are certified. Training should be continuous, so yes, some of that will happen on your watch.

I also disagree with your view of the schedule. I don't see it as chaotic. A lot of thought goes into the schedule, and the vast majority of students adapt easily to it. I agree that the transitions are time-consuming, and different ideas have been floated for reducing them, such as having fewer longer periods, but they can also be beneficial for kids who need to be able to get up and move at regular intervals. In addition, they help students learn to become more responsible for themselves and their movements. That said, the schedule may change in future years to reduce the number of transitions. I don't say this out of any insider knowledge but because I know it is always under evaluation.

One other thing to keep in mind--both in regard to the schedule and more broadly--is that sometimes there are tradeoffs that cannot be avoided. Norwood's schedule is more complicated than the schedules at some other schools because the admin tries to fit a lot into the day and the week. For example, LS students have art, music, and PE more frequently at Norwood than at Sidwell, as well as daily chapel. I think Sidwell spends more time on academics (and it may also have somewhat longer periods for specials). Neither approach is right or wrong. Or to take another example, GDS doesn't start foreign language instruction until 3rd grade whereas Spanish starts at Norwood in K. So GDS can allocate that time in other ways. Also, Norwood has ability grouping for reading and math in most grades., which requires more transitions than having those subjects taught in homeroom. I'm not saying that you should want ability grouping or Spanish in K; I'm somewhat agnostic about both (especially the Spanish). But if you do, you're going to have a more complicated schedule. [/quote]

But with the transitions you reach a point of diminishing returns. If they want the ability grouping then maybe they need to cut down on specials, or if they need the specials then cut the ability grouping. I have heard from insiders that consultants have told the school that the schedule is too busy for young children and that the ability grouping is achieving little. Yes, a flammable issue. That said, I just want to see something moving in the right direction soon. Bump up academics, better teachers, fewer transitions...something.
BTW, the number of teachers was from one parent who said that at that tuition, all of the teachers should be excellent not fair. There are the bad ones, but many are just fair. And some have had little or no past training and little continuing education. They get paid poorly, so the school might have trouble attracting the better ones. [/quote]

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