As many of you know, over the last two months, the LSAT and I have engaged in several open, honest and difficult conversations around how to best position Brent for next year and beyond regarding the number of classrooms at each grade level.
Some of you participated in the Early Childhood Forum where we discussed everything from trailers on the playground to adding a fourth floor to Brent!
Ultimately, the LSAT recommended that I reduce our Early Childhood program by one class, from five to four, and make those four classrooms multi-age. In addition, the LSAT recommended creating a 3rd, third-grade classroom. Finally, there was an understanding from DCPS that since, on last year’s budget, they provided for three
Kindergarten classrooms, that they would do so again next year, even though that money was spent elsewhere.
Ultimately, I chose to accept the LSAT’s recommendation and forwarded it to DCPS.
After some further conversations between DCPS and myself I am very pleased to announce that DCPS accepted the recommendation. As a result, for school year
2014-2015, Brent will have four early childhood classrooms of 17 students each, 10 four-year olds and 7 three-year olds in each classroom. This is to accommodate the current three-year olds already in our program. Next, there will be three
Kindergarten classes with the goal of having 20 students in each classroom. And finally, we will add a 3rd, third-grade classroom. Part of the LSAT’s proposal was that we would make the staff lounge into a classroom in order to accommodate the additional third-grade classroom, and if not that, then utilize the current Chinese classroom as a homeroom space next year. The District decided that based on budgetary constraints, we are to utilize the current Chinese classroom as the additional space, and I will plan for that next year.
Brent’s budget discussions will ramp-up come the end of February and beginning of
March. I look forward to continued discussions with the LSAT and larger Brent community around these very important decisions.