Anonymous wrote:IMO,
HRCS are Overrated with unexperienced, young teachers that have no classroom management. At first parents are happy to see a room of diverse faces but it quickly crumbles when parents have high demands and teachers don't have the tools to communicate or truly differentiate in the classroom. If you talk to anyone in detail at a HRCS, you will find a disgruntled, unfilled parent and school experience.
My advice is to find schools with a solid teaching staff. In Elementary, your child will flourish in most any environment - solid teachers are the key. In Middle school, you need to look at their peers. Teachers probably have less of an influence because of their peers so choose wisely.
For now pick a school where your children will be cared for and plan carefully for Middle school.
We are IB at a dcps I like over all and the kid is happy. Like most families we question staying beyond K. We played the lottery this year because K is a good year to get into some of the schools. Don't want to miss the chance at a different school but also nervous to leave. But when teachers (great, long time tracer with commitment) tell you they wouldn't send their kids their after prk, K or 1st that is a hard one. They will tell you behind closed doors it is about the behaviors and lack of recourse. Which is only going to get harder with the new dcps policy. Kids hitting, cussing out teachers in early elementary school it is crazy. No assistant teachers in these class rooms to help manage and redirect the kids. It is too much for most teachers balance and unfair to all of the kids. Yes, I said it it is unfair to the ones thag need the help to stay appropriate at school and unfair to those behaving and triying to learn. Not even starting on the safety and quality of education parts.
So even a solid teacher staff have their limits. What is one to do when you like your IB but know the teachers feel the spend too much time on other things besides teaching... That they would not send their own kids to their school?!?!?!