DC Prep Reviews

The entire philosophy lacks common sense. Doors open at 7:30am. School ends at 4:15pm. In Kindergarten for example, kids get ONE 15 minute recess IF they earn it. That 15 minutes includes the transition time outside and back inside. And you know..they had better do that transition perfectly and silently. Secondly, there is no nap. So, rigor, rigor, rigor. But...it just not fun. It's not fun for teachers who are in their classrooms at 6:30am and were probably still in the building the night before for a "meeting" or very "helpful" PD until 6pm. Teachers most of all NEED the downtime to rejuvenate and recreate and re-energize. They don't need all the advice, reflection, feedback, reworking the lesson plan for tomorrow from 8-10pm tonight. Of course some feedback is welcome, but you know, it really needs to go both ways. Admin will sit there and be "all excited" about data day and wear their "I Love Data" tshirts...but the reality is, every single meeting and every single PD I ever went to just created MORE work for me. Why for the love of god would anyone want to do this??

Senior Leadership/Home Office Staff does not accept feedback well and do not consider alternative instructional strategies (my way or the high way) Huge turn-over because they hire young teachers, burn them out, and recruit new ones (hello, early career TFA) and the machine keeps working as long as they have replacement cogs Results first means students as humans second and you as a human last. Creating so many new schools means that leadership is of poor quality. Poor diversity, even poorer diversity of thought At some campuses, the lack of trust is palpable. Lack of trust is a direct reflection of the inauthenticity of it's leaders.