Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unpopular opinion: the new Walls application process benefits a school like ITS, where it isn't too difficult to get very good grades and the teachers have an interest in writing glowing recommendations (because the school likes the taut the walls admission rate at open houses).

Wonder how if it would change it Walls went back to test-in.

It would be interesting to look at Walls admission before and after the change wrt ITDS. I actually think I remember that more kids got in from ITDS before. I'm a long term parent at the school (8 years and counting) so I've kept track.

As much as I enjoy thinking about questions like that, I think the number of kids at ITDS who have a realistic shot at Walls is so small (and, before COVID, was even smaller due to the 8th grade enrollment being so small) that the data isn't actually that meaningful.

Anonymous wrote:Unpopular opinion: the new Walls application process benefits a school like ITS, where it isn't too difficult to get very good grades and the teachers have an interest in writing glowing recommendations (because the school likes the taut the walls admission rate at open houses).

Wonder how if it would change it Walls went back to test-in.

It would be interesting to look at Walls admission before and after the change wrt ITDS. I actually think I remember that more kids got in from ITDS before. I'm a long term parent at the school (8 years and counting) so I've kept track.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you can ask the school for the list of where kids are going for high school. I think the results this year are pretty impressive.

They were! Nine kids I think got into Walls, most of them going. A bunch going to Banneker. Some to Duke Ellington. Several to privates. (GDS, Maret, St. Johns and DeMatha that I know of) REALLY great outcomes. The 8th grade class was only 42-45 kids so super impressive.

Wow! that is really impressive.

Please note that these were mostly non-kids of color. African -American children don’t have the same experience as a whole, with getting into the top schools. Equity is still an issue, as it is in many schools in DC.

fwiw, I think it is more tied to socioeconomic status than race. Black kids of upper middle class background (like mine) were in those high performing groups and got into top schools; while we had a good experience at Inspired it's clear that, as in lots of other school communities, family income and/or education levels has a significant impact on student performance. I see and hear that they are continuing to plug away at this challenge but it feels so hard here and in other schools/communities. I'm not excusing it at all -- just seeing the connection between HS opportunities and family makeup.

Unpopular opinion: the new Walls application process benefits a school like ITS, where it isn't too difficult to get very good grades and the teachers have an interest in writing glowing recommendations (because the school likes the taut the walls admission rate at open houses).

Wonder how if it would change it Walls went back to test-in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you can ask the school for the list of where kids are going for high school. I think the results this year are pretty impressive.

They were! Nine kids I think got into Walls, most of them going. A bunch going to Banneker. Some to Duke Ellington. Several to privates. (GDS, Maret, St. Johns and DeMatha that I know of) REALLY great outcomes. The 8th grade class was only 42-45 kids so super impressive.

Wow! that is really impressive.

Please note that these were mostly non-kids of color. African -American children don’t have the same experience as a whole, with getting into the top schools. Equity is still an issue, as it is in many schools in DC.

I wish it were possible to share your experience without being blasted by others. As an adult, I know that you can have multiple kids at the same school, and everyone won’t have the same experience. People have a variety of reasons for making the decisions that they do. Perhaps we should give space to hear from on another instead of attacking. Some of the responses have been disheartening.

We have experienced ITDS and private school. Both have had their benefits and the adjustment in both environments was fine. It just depends on what you value and decide to prioritize for your kid. As long as he/she is happy and thriving and your values are being met, feel good about your decision. Different experiences and opinions can co-exist and both be right.

NP. Also, a family with a middle schooler at Inspired Teaching (ITDS). My DC has been very happy at school this year. When I asked my DC about pros and cons of the school, DC said she has a good group of friends, little drama/few distractions, close relationships with teachers (there seems to be a lot of mentoring), learning in a fun way and "we feel like a family."

I also have not supplemented, but DC scores well above her grade on all tests. I asked her if she wanted a tutor but she said her teachers do a good job at explaining.

My child would probably be more advanced at a private or more rigorous school, but she's able to explore topics of interest outside of school so it all evens out.

Exactly. Families that leave for these other schools almost always do so before middle school -- it's nearly impossible to get into these other schools after 5th grade. Totally understandable -- High School anxiety is real. However, the choice is not usually made based on first-hand experience with ITDS middle school, but rather desire to go to a different middle school that tracks into a high school. Of course it would be nice if ITDS also had a guaranteed high school option!

Anonymous wrote:Too small middle school, not enough high achieving peer group or rigor, lacking in extracurriculars and sports.
The thing that unites the "better charters" mentioned above is that they all have high schools; ITDS does not. We are lucky to have JR as our zoned high school. But families that *don't* have WOTP options might find those other charters significantly more attractive given they guarantee a decent or strong high school experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is "options" code for a $55k/year private school? Sure, ITDS is not that. But ITDS has sent a disproportionately high share of graduates to very well-regarded public high schools, such as Walls and Banneker, over the past few years. Extracurricular offerings have ramped up since the pandemic and are still expanding.

ITDS doesn’t have all the bells and whistles and is a little rough around the edges in places. It still has room to grow, no doubt. But the academics are sound, the kids are grounded, the culture is nice, and the parents aren’t jerks.

Plenty of time still remaining for our kids to run the rat race later in life - in high school, college, and beyond.

Anonymous wrote:Too small middle school, not enough high achieving peer group or rigor, lacking in extracurriculars and sports.

Families with options don’t stick around. Open spots gets filled with new students to ITDS

No majority are not going the 55k route. They are leaving for better charters if they get in like Latin, Basis, DCI. Or moving to the burbs or WOTP. Some might be going parochial.

Not all families with such options choose them. For instance, mine. We are zoned for Deal and were offered a spot at Basis but declined those to stay at ITDS. Just one example, of course.

And "better charters" is in the eye of the beholder. I agree with PP who says that no one school is perfect for every kid. ITDS was good for mine.

The thing that unites the "better charters" mentioned above is that they all have high schools; ITDS does not. We are lucky to have JR as our zoned high school. But families that *don't* have WOTP options might find those other charters significantly more attractive given they guarantee a decent or strong high school experience.

FWIW, ITDS punches way above its weight in terms of getting in to Walls, Banneker, and Duke Ellington. For such a small school, it makes up a significant fraction of every class at those selective public schools.

Lest I sound like a complete cheerleader for ITDS, I will say that it is by no means a perfect school, and that my family found the lower grades a better experience than the middle school. However, we don't regret keeping our kid there through 8th grade.

Anonymous wrote:Is "options" code for a $55k/year private school? Sure, ITDS is not that. But ITDS has sent a disproportionately high share of graduates to very well-regarded public high schools, such as Walls and Banneker, over the past few years. Extracurricular offerings have ramped up since the pandemic and are still expanding.

ITDS doesn’t have all the bells and whistles and is a little rough around the edges in places. It still has room to grow, no doubt. But the academics are sound, the kids are grounded, the culture is nice, and the parents aren’t jerks.

Plenty of time still remaining for our kids to run the rat race later in life - in high school, college, and beyond.

Anonymous wrote:Too small middle school, not enough high achieving peer group or rigor, lacking in extracurriculars and sports.

Families with options don’t stick around. Open spots gets filled with new students to ITDS

No majority are not going the 55k route. They are leaving for better charters if they get in like Latin, Basis, DCI. Or moving to the burbs or WOTP. Some might be going parochial.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I removed my child from ITDS and sent them to a private school. Anyone who thinks that ITDS is academically solid has no experience outside of ITDS. We're very happy with our choice and have yet to meet a single family who regretted leaving.

Nonsense. My older kid is at Walls and was well prepared by ITDS.

Several families in kid's class left for other middle schools, with some reporting real happiness in the change and others regretting it. This was not a surprise to me. No school will be perfect for every family.

Agreed. I've yet to encounter a school where everyone has a uniform experience, but for us Inspired was great through elementary and middle. Our student was accepted to their private high schools of choice as well as their DCPS application school of choice, and has been well prepared.

In general, from what I've seen of private schools I think it's hard/impossible to compare public schooling to most private schools in the area. There is just a radically different array of resources available. I'm glad you've been happy with your move!

This was also our experience.

This was also our experience. Kid is now at a high level private school getting mostly As.

Is "options" code for a $55k/year private school? Sure, ITDS is not that. But ITDS has sent a disproportionately high share of graduates to very well-regarded public high schools, such as Walls and Banneker, over the past few years. Extracurricular offerings have ramped up since the pandemic and are still expanding.

ITDS doesn’t have all the bells and whistles and is a little rough around the edges in places. It still has room to grow, no doubt. But the academics are sound, the kids are grounded, the culture is nice, and the parents aren’t jerks.

Plenty of time still remaining for our kids to run the rat race later in life - in high school, college, and beyond.

Anonymous wrote:Too small middle school, not enough high achieving peer group or rigor, lacking in extracurriculars and sports.

Families with options don’t stick around. Open spots gets filled with new students to ITDS

Too small middle school, not enough high achieving peer group or rigor, lacking in extracurriculars and sports.

Families with options don’t stick around. Open spots gets filled with new students to ITDS

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I removed my child from ITDS and sent them to a private school. Anyone who thinks that ITDS is academically solid has no experience outside of ITDS. We're very happy with our choice and have yet to meet a single family who regretted leaving.

Nonsense. My older kid is at Walls and was well prepared by ITDS.

Several families in kid's class left for other middle schools, with some reporting real happiness in the change and others regretting it. This was not a surprise to me. No school will be perfect for every family.

Agreed. I've yet to encounter a school where everyone has a uniform experience, but for us Inspired was great through elementary and middle. Our student was accepted to their private high schools of choice as well as their DCPS application school of choice, and has been well prepared.

In general, from what I've seen of private schools I think it's hard/impossible to compare public schooling to most private schools in the area. There is just a radically different array of resources available. I'm glad you've been happy with your move!

This was also our experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I removed my child from ITDS and sent them to a private school. Anyone who thinks that ITDS is academically solid has no experience outside of ITDS. We're very happy with our choice and have yet to meet a single family who regretted leaving.

Nonsense. My older kid is at Walls and was well prepared by ITDS.

Several families in kid's class left for other middle schools, with some reporting real happiness in the change and others regretting it. This was not a surprise to me. No school will be perfect for every family.

Agreed. I've yet to encounter a school where everyone has a uniform experience, but for us Inspired was great through elementary and middle. Our student was accepted to their private high schools of choice as well as their DCPS application school of choice, and has been well prepared.

In general, from what I've seen of private schools I think it's hard/impossible to compare public schooling to most private schools in the area. There is just a radically different array of resources available. I'm glad you've been happy with your move!