Palouse Prairie Charter School

I am giving our little school four stars instead of the five I'd like to give it, just because five stars would mean everything is perfect. It's not perfect. But it's a great school. One of the very best things about Palouse Prairie School is that kids learn to work together on projects. They learn empathy for each other and for the adults working with them. These things aren't just important; they're built into the fabric of school life and into the stated mission of the school. The parents who have brought their kids to this school have done so because of the school culture. It's a small school, a very intentional school, a school which many parents worked very hard to bring into this world. PPSEL is a charter school, and we don't get ANY funding from the property taxes we pay for local schools. None. We get state funding, but not local. Our property taxes increased $200 this year, just for the schools, and our school won't see any of that. And yet we support it still -- financially (yes, we give a monthly contribution to help keep the school afloat), and with our time.

I don't understand why anyone would give our school just one star. We've been very happy with Palouse Prairie School. Our oldest son would not have done well at the other district schools, because of some issues he has; but he has thrived at Palouse Prairie. The younger boy is doing very well too.

Actually, I'm changing my rating to five stars. Just to counteract that one-star rating that must have been put in by the parent whose son was expelled because his mom would call him in sick just any old time he didn't want to go to school. Don't let one bad apple spoil your impression of Palouse Prairie!

Palouse Prairie is a highly sought after school in this community with waiting lists for every classroom. I am confused by this sites inaccurate info on the school. We are so fortunate to have such an amazing charter school option in Moscow, Idaho and the school heavily influenced our decision to move here. I know so many parents who await the lottery date with such anticipation just hoping that their child will get the opportunity to attend Palouse Prairie where the teachers are some of the best in not only the state but the country. We have the most phenomenal principal who knows each child by name and who the entire school has such admiration for, respect and who works above and beyond to make the school the best place to work, go to school and want to support. We are so lucky to have such a school in our community! I also believe strongly that the community is benefitting now and again as these children become adults, in the quality of education they are receiving. I am amazed daily with all that my child is learning above and beyond the expected subjects. He is becoming a compassionate, articulate and passionate learner and community member!

Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning is a huge reason why we chose to live in Moscow instead of Pullman where my husband teaches. This is my son's second year and he is thriving, absolutely loves his teachers, is learning so much both about the world around him, of course rigorous academics but even more importantly he is learning important skills and attributes in how to work with and communicate with others. The 10 Design Principles of Expeditionary Learning lay the foundation of the school and these attributes have been brought home by our child too. We feel like we are getting a 10 star private school education for our child. The teachers and staff at Palouse Prairie are there because they are passionate about education and it shows in their interactions with the children, their immense energy and time spent learning themselves and there just aren't enough words of gratitude to express on the quality and integrity of this school. Here are the 10 Design Principles that give you a sense of what I am talking about:
1. The primacy of self- discovery - Learning happens best with emotion, challenge and the requisite support.
2. The having of wonderful ideas - Teaching in Expeditionary Learning schools fosters curiosity about the world.
3. The responsibility for learning - Learning is both a process of discovery and a social activity.
4. Empathy and caring - Learning is fostered best in communities where students’ and teachers’ ideas are respected and where there is mutual trust.
5. Success and failure - All students need to be successful if they are to build the confidence and capacity to take risks and meet increasingly difficult challenges.
6. Collaboration and competition - Individual development and group development are integrated so that the value of friendship, trust and group action is clear.
7. Diversity and inclusion - Both diversity and inclusion increase the richness of ideas, creative power, problem-solving ability and respect for others.
8. The natural world – A direct and respectful relationship with the natural world refreshes the human spirit and teaches the important ideas of recurring cycles and cause and effect.
9. Solitude and reflection – Students and teachers need time alone to explore their own thoughts, make their own connections, and create their own ideas.
10. Service and compassion – Students and teachers are strengthened by acts of consequential service to others and one of our school's primary functions is to prepare students with the attitudes and skills to learn from and be of service.

I'd be interested to know how "SchoolDigger" arrives at its ranking of schools, particularly in the absence of real or accurate data. There appears to be little information about Palouse Prairie School here (no test scores, for example, which would allow a comparison to other district schools). The data that SD *does* provide is outdated and incorrect (number of students, number of teachers, school diversity statistics).

This real disservice both to the school and to people who rely on this site for accurate information.

To set the record straight: PPS-EL has closer to 80 students. The school is increasingly ethnically, socially, and economically diverse. There are currently at least seven full time teachers. There are other part-timers as well. The school is small, which is something to like, I think. The student to teacher ratio means that students get a lot of individual attention. It's a charter school, which uses an "expeditionary learning" model: this means that in addition to the usual classroom work, students engage in in-depth, hands-on "problem solving" kind of work.

While the school is not perfect, as a parent, I have been pleased with the school's commitment to deep learning. Rather than "teaching to the test," teachers focus ensuring that students really understand the material they are learning and grasp the fundamental concepts at work. Moreover--and in a related way-- they view each academic unit as a building block to the next. Teachers thus do not simply "move on" until they feel that students can make meaningful use of the material they've already covered. They are also interested in long-term "skill building."

For example, this year, students in the fifth grade practiced writing persuasive essays. Building on what they had already learned about essay writing, the students drew on additional sources, including literature and scholarly writing. They practiced style, use of evidence, and argument. I had the opportunity to look at a sample of the letters the students wrote and also to see their process. Students read scholarly articles on their topic, highlighted important portions, and integrated those into their essay as support for their position. They also cited properly (!!). These students are developing skills that many college students do not possess. In fact, the essays were, in many cases, better than those I receive from my students (I am a university professor teaching in the Humanities).

While my experience with the school is anecdotal, it nevertheless illustrates the kinds of things do at PPS-EL and illuminates the school's strengths.

Im the future, I hope this site will be more responsible in its reporting and ranking.