Anonymous wrote:Agree with PP- Often Title 1 is filled with the most passionate teachers. They want to make a difference. I would ask yourself if you're ready for the challenge, because it is definitely a challenge, but can be very rewarding.

I had my kids in a Title 1 and agree with this completely. Title 1 schools have the best teachers because they truly want to be there and because you have to be a very good teacher to handle those classrooms and vastly disparate achievement levels. We had a teacher one year that was very sweet but had poor classroom management skills and the year was an epic disaster because the kids exploited her weaknesses terribly. She probably would have been just fine at a higher income school or in an intervention/support role, but could just not manage a Title 1 classroom. But if you are truly passionate about equity and are very open minded to learning, then schools need more teachers like you!

Anonymous wrote:You’ll have more staff and smaller classes but it will still be harder

Not necessarily.

Also they are not responsible for school supplies. The district will supply them so don’t even think of doing it yourself. But there will be the martyr teachers you’ll hear saying Oh I need to buy this and that or they won’t have it.

Nope! If the district isn’t buying it oh well. I don’t spend a penny out of pocket because I have a home to help pay for and my own kids to put through college.

LCPS Title One elem teacher here. Class size is capped at 23 which is nice. But admin will bend over backwards for students/families who are just coasting and, let’s be honest, many of them should not be here to start with. You will be blamed for all their failings and you will burnout to a crisp in a year or two. I’m living it right now.

I actually think those demographics are fantastic. It's a truly diverse school and the split between at risk and not at risk is approaching 50-50. Yes there will be challenges but also big rewards.

A couple things I would look at in addition to these metrics: truancy rate (this is huge -- higher truancy rates make teaching really really hard because it's so hard to keep kids on track when attendance is sporadic and a lot of abseentism impacts the kids who show up every day too) and how test scores track year over year. In a Title 1 school with a high at risk population you will see lower test scores than at most non-T1 schools because of how closely test scores correlate with socioeconomics. However there are T1 schools that successfully advance students through curriculum and especially that are able to lift kids out of the lowest test scores to on or approaching grade level. This is a sign of an effective school which generally reflects a good administration and teachers plus a supportive parent community. I'd look for positive trends in both attendance patterns and test scores.

A downside of T1 is that while you will get more money via grants for certain programming you will not be able to rely on PTA funds or parent support for a lot of things that teachers often ask for help with. You need to know how to work T1 resources or you can end up spending a ton of your own money on classroom supplies and materials. If you are coming from a school with wealthier families this can be an adjustment.

My kids go to a title 1 school. The teachers are fabulous. But tons of behavior problems and majority of kids will not be grade level proficient no matter what you do, with many being far below grade level. Absenteeism is a huge problem too.

I had my kids in a Title I school and the benefits are more support, lower ratios, and (usually) dedicated teachers and administrators.

The downsides are very heterogenous classrooms and the ways that generational trauma can play out in the classroom, particularly in upper grades.

Agree with PP- Often Title 1 is filled with the most passionate teachers. They want to make a difference. I would ask yourself if you're ready for the challenge, because it is definitely a challenge, but can be very rewarding.

I taught in title one schools for years. I loved it. It will be harder for you not because it is title 1, but because education has changed and students have changed dramatically in the last 5-6 years. If you do it, you might love it. If you love it, that's great! But if you hate it or get to where you hate it after one, four, ten years? Get out quickly. Don't drag it out. Take care of yourself. Good luck.

Anonymous wrote:I’ve taught at both ends of the spectrum but the best teachers have been at the Title 1 school. I honestly felt like the kids in the high SES school would be fine with meh teachers since most of them came to school already on 3rd base.

I would agree that there are often fantastic teachers at Title I schools on one end of the spectrum, on the other end is the constant rotation of teachers who get burned out by the high needs/low parent involvement

Parent who had my kid at at Title1 school. The teachers at our school were fabulous and really cared about the kids.
Depending on which grade you teach you will have smaller class sizes.
I say go for it OP.

I’ve taught at both ends of the spectrum but the best teachers have been at the Title 1 school. I honestly felt like the kids in the high SES school would be fine with meh teachers since most of them came to school already on 3rd base.

You’ll have more staff and smaller classes but it will still be harder

Anonymous wrote:The school I interviewed at is 60% free and reduced lunch and considered Title 1. The student population is roughly 30% black, 30% Hispanic, 12% white, 7% Asian…. I’ve never worked in a title 1 school or at a school with this demographic. I know you can’t generalize but is this a teaching environment that will be harder or does it actually have more benefits??

Asking for a teacher position.

The school I interviewed at is 60% free and reduced lunch and considered Title 1. The student population is roughly 30% black, 30% Hispanic, 12% white, 7% Asian…. I’ve never worked in a title 1 school or at a school with this demographic. I know you can’t generalize but is this a teaching environment that will be harder or does it actually have more benefits??