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Tenesha Barner, parent of a student at Dulles :
I was so against the turnaround that I went down to the board to protest against it. I was comfortable with the teachers. But at the same time, I knew there were problems and it was time for a change. I was even thinking of taking my kids out of the school. So I thought maybe I should see what takes place with the turnaround.
In spring, before AUSL took over, the new principal, vice principal and staff walked around the neighborhood knocking on doors, asking people to send their kids to Dulles. The staff still comes out into the community and walks the community. They talk to everyone, even people who don’t have students at Dulles. They also took us on a tour of Harvard School of Excellence, which already was a turnaround school, and they showed us all of the things they had. I became excited. It was really nice. I saw that the staff was there for the children. I thought, well, maybe this won’t be so bad after all.
Dulles has become a great school. The turnaround was a great idea. The building is super clean. The floors are sparkling, there are brand new bathrooms. There’s new furniture and computers. There’s an art lab, and a new music room, with keyboards for all of the students. It has a parent resource room, where you can learn how to do resumes and use the computer.
The students were really surprised by the changes, they loved it, they were happy. When you walk in, you get a smile from the staff, a “Hi, how are you doing?”
My daughter, Mekaela, took a test at the beginning of school year, and she needed 10 more points to get where she needed to be. The teacher made a plan for her, and worked with her and worked with her and worked with her. She broke things down for her, really taking time with her. By November, within just a few months, she was where she needed to be. She got there. The teacher teaches at the level at which the students learn. She doesn’t pressure them. She lets them take their time. She puts helpful notes on the wall, she sends notes home. She really wants her children to do great
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