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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There were a lot of unresolved behavior issues with the old administration. This year has been a lot better. The teachers and principal contact families If there are issues. There have been no behavior issues that I have heard of in middle school since the beginning of school.[/quote]

This 5th grade parent begs to differ.[/quote]

I'm sorry you've had a different experience. We had similar struggles at a school we attended before Inspired so I have a lot of empathy and I hope you all find healing soon. I hope it's helpful to a prospective family to know these experiences seem to be isolated, even if the affected families have had a difficult time. [/quote]

I think it's really just the luck of the draw whether your kid's class happens to have a child who struggles with behavior. If you do, the school doesn't deal with it very well. But some people don't think it's a problem because they haven't personally experienced it. A lot of the parents at ITS want to believe it's a really great school because they don't have a better option other than moving.[/quote]

I'm a PP who shared my kids haven't experienced these issues (we've now been there for all grades, and multiple times).  I believe that you've had the experiences you describe, and I also know from talking with many families over many years, that they don't seem to be the norm. Through no special interventions from us, our kids have both been academically accelerated, and meaningfully challenged and engaged throughout their time. They've had positive social experiences including into and through MS with a lot of new students matriculating. I'm not sure why it's been better for some than for others, but I do know that both can be true. While that's lousy if your kid is not having a good experience, it doesn't mean that the good isn't happening too, and not just because we didn't have other options. If you stay on, I hope your child's experience improves.  [/quote]

The cohort that just finished 5th grade is the one that has a lot of trouble with behavior. Also the cohort that just finished 3rd. It's not really a mystery why some people have these experiences and others don't. Probably it has been better for your kids because you just haven't happened to get a classmate with those issues, or your child isn't the one who has been personally targeted. Or your child just doesn't report as much of what happened at home. Though it doesn't happen often, when it does happen, the school handles it poorly. The incidents may be isolated (they aren't really, they're all the same few kids and the same types of incidents) but the pattern of the administration handling it poorly is a running theme. With so many kids leaving and entering for middle school, it's hard to predict how next year will go. But this may be your year to have a difficult classmate and see a very different side of ITS. I hope it is not, I wish you all the best, but the administration handling these incidents and problems poorly absolutely *is* the norm.[/quote]

Can you give an example of what has occurred and how the administration has handled it? [/quote]

The one with the throwing of chairs early this past year in 5th, which they totally hushed up and refuse to answer questions about.

The one with the kid getting throttled and they deny it ever happened. Also 5th this year.

How they talk about "restorative justice" and give you an equity scolding if you question its effectiveness at reducing violence.[/quote]

Concur. I know of at least four children who were assaulted by the chair tosser. As mentioned earlier, third grade was also a mess. My child was punched by another kid after beating him at a game and [b]administration told him that my son should try to be his friend.[/b] We left DCPS. ITDS is still a great school for early ed, but I’d bail at 1st or 2nd. [/quote]

Is that the so-called "restorative justice" in action?[/quote]

We were in the 5th grade class and are no longer with ITS. I believe in restorative justice but it was not the answer in this situation. You can’t ask a 10 year old to take responsibility for being choked or having a chair thrown at their head (on multiple occasions).  [/quote]

What did the school actually do about it (if anything)?[/quote]

I don’t think legally they’re allowed to tell you what they are doing to the other kid. So from the other parent’s perspective all you see is restorative Justice approach snd then whatever they are doing not working to solve this other child’s clear emotional issues. But I have no insider info on what the school has tried. I’m assuming whatever the most serious consequences are in the tiers of discipline. Which they did revise this year. [/quote]

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