Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who has a child there and has no complaints so far. The structure at a school like that is not the most developmentally appropriate but may yield good test scores because that is the main focus, not educating the whole child.

I have heard some first hand horror stories from current and former teachers about things that go on and are swept under the rug/ kept from the public to preserve reputation.

A few have said "I know someone" or "I have a friend"....are there any parents that actually have sent their child there?

Clearly you don't understand that the "no excuses" approach was designed for low-income children of color. DC Prep parents are not likely to be on DCUM.

What does DCUM stand for?

DC Urban Moms and Dads - the forum you are currently using.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who has a child there and has no complaints so far. The structure at a school like that is not the most developmentally appropriate but may yield good test scores because that is the main focus, not educating the whole child.

I have heard some first hand horror stories from current and former teachers about things that go on and are swept under the rug/ kept from the public to preserve reputation.

A few have said "I know someone" or "I have a friend"....are there any parents that actually have sent their child there?

Clearly you don't understand that the "no excuses" approach was designed for low-income children of color. DC Prep parents are not likely to be on DCUM.

What does DCUM stand for?

I worked there. Very intense- I wouldn’t send my child there with the huge focus on academics so young (my friend was a kinder teacher there and was teaching her students how to write paragraphs...). The social emotional learning is very much so “this is how you should act” - from sitting up Straight, walking silently in a Hallway and consequence if you even whisper. I have a lot of guilt about the things I enforced teaching there. If a kid even tries to talk about what happened they are seen as “talking back” and will be handed another consequence. So many rules were unnecessary and harmful to children. Very controlling environment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who has a child there and has no complaints so far. The structure at a school like that is not the most developmentally appropriate but may yield good test scores because that is the main focus, not educating the whole child.

I have heard some first hand horror stories from current and former teachers about things that go on and are swept under the rug/ kept from the public to preserve reputation.

A few have said "I know someone" or "I have a friend"....are there any parents that actually have sent their child there?

Clearly you don't understand that the "no excuses" approach was designed for low-income children of color. DC Prep parents are not likely to be on DCUM.

Teachers are underpaid and work tremendous hours. There is high turnover and almost exclusively younger teachers for that reason. Once people can find a job elsewhere they leave.

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who has a child there and has no complaints so far. The structure at a school like that is not the most developmentally appropriate but may yield good test scores because that is the main focus, not educating the whole child.

I have heard some first hand horror stories from current and former teachers about things that go on and are swept under the rug/ kept from the public to preserve reputation.

A few have said "I know someone" or "I have a friend"....are there any parents that actually have sent their child there?

They have some videos on YouTube of lessons. It's a few years old now so take with a grain of salt but that and the qsrs are probably good ways to learn more beyond the open house.

Horror Stories:

With the large class size and only 2 teachers having a few students get lost/ out of the school and being taken back to school by someone in the community.
Teachers being told to sugar coat incidents when reporting things to parents so that they are not upset rather than reporting things as they really happened.

I taught at a different DC Prep location several years ago. It’s not a terrible place for a kid, but it’s very structured and there is little time for play that is not heavily facilitated / overseen by an adult. I worked with some of the smartest and most talented, passionate educators I’ve ever known. I also burned out and nearly quit teaching altogether because of the intense amount of detailed lesson planning, micromanaging, expectation that all instruction fit a specific “model”. I think the curriculum is good teaching- your child will learn to read, etc. We had Pre-K kids entering Kindergarten reading on a first grade level. The behavioral expectations are high but not impossible.... kids with differing needs or learning styles can struggle but I also know that the staff does a lot to accommodate and adapt when needed (more than they often get credit for). They have done a lot of work in the past few years to tone things down from the type of “no excuses” movement that they (and KIPP) were initially known for, especially given consideration of current research on social and emotional development, race and equity, etc. They offer school visits — I’d recommend that. I wouldn’t hesitate to send my own kid, for what it’s worth. But it was not sustainable to work there and there’s a good bit of turnover. They DO sweat a LOT of small stuff.... some of it makes sense and other rules seem kind of silly (the color of your 3 year old’s shoes). But I think the overall environment is positive and the teaching is high quality.

After having taught in a no excuses school, I would never send my children to one. I want my children to enjoy learning, and I want my children’s teachers to enjoy educating.

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who has a child there and has no complaints so far. The structure at a school like that is not the most developmentally appropriate but may yield good test scores because that is the main focus, not educating the whole child.

I have heard some first hand horror stories from current and former teachers about things that go on and are swept under the rug/ kept from the public to preserve reputation.

No complaints, but horror stories?

Details, please?

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who has a child there and has no complaints so far. The structure at a school like that is not the most developmentally appropriate but may yield good test scores because that is the main focus, not educating the whole child.

I have heard some first hand horror stories from current and former teachers about things that go on and are swept under the rug/ kept from the public to preserve reputation.

Horror stories like what? That is a pretty explosive thing to say without providing any any context or details. Examples please

I have a friend who has a child there and has no complaints so far. The structure at a school like that is not the most developmentally appropriate but may yield good test scores because that is the main focus, not educating the whole child.

I have heard some first hand horror stories from current and former teachers about things that go on and are swept under the rug/ kept from the public to preserve reputation.

No experience, but their website states that they have an "unapologetic focus on academics" and that their students spend more time in school than other DC public school students. It's a "no-excuses" school in the same vein as KiPP.

Seems like a decent school and it seems like a good safety school, but some of the reviews are about "too rigid" and "too academic". I'd love to hear about people's experience or if you know anything about this school.