Reply to Looking for feedback on Downtown Silver Spring and Takoma Park area elementary schools

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My child will be in kindergarten next year. We are doing immersion but I did go to a new parent meeting at ESS elementary, our zone school. They are going to have 4 kindergarten classes. Of the teachers, 2 will be brand new, one is in their third year, and one has approx 10 years of experience. That really concerned me, especially since I believe teachers can't change schools until after their third year. I believe the principal isn't popular.

ESS does go tpms->Blair in all 4 boundary survey options which I was happy with.[/quote]

I wouldn't worry about teachers merely because they're relatively new. Sometimes new teachers are excellent. Sometimes veteran teachers aren't. [/quote]

I was the first one to post above that teacher turnover at ESS was a problem.

I agree new teachers can be great; my concern with ESS right now is the rate of turnover.  They can't retain teachers from year to year at the moment, for whatever reason.  This wasn't always true and hopefully it will settle.  The current principal is unpopular.  When we were at the school I couldn't exactly tell why the principal was unpopular, but it seems to be having a direct affect on teachers and that concerns me.[/quote]

Just adding a different perspective and a word of support for the ESS president. I think highly of her as do every parent I have discussed this with so I think it's unfair to say she is unpopular.

She has been present at every school event I have attended. I saw her outside even on those frigid January mornings bundled up and outside greeting the kids as they entered the building. She really rolls up her sleeves and walks the walk.

All that said, she faces challenges satisfying the needs of a very diverse community- from families who need the free groceries the school distributes to demanding wealthier parents who have the time to weigh in on every aspect of the school.

I think the PTA does a veet good job supporting her- filling in gaps where possible like organizing activities and then fundraising to make those activities available for all. My post is less about comparing the school to others and more about responding to what I thought was an unfair characterization of the individual who is the principal.[/quote]

I am PP.  I take your point.  I think I also said above that I did not really know what was going on with teacher retention, and I should have stuck to that rather than commenting on the principal.[/quote]

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