This week, we showed our #CPSDPride by giving a #SuperSchoolShoutout to Idlewild Elementary School with third grade teacher Julie Tran and fifth grader Colleen McMonagle.
Tran joined Idlewild in 2019 and was excited to work in an International Baccalaureate school. “My favorite thing at Idlewild is our units of study,” she said. “We have six different transdisciplinary themes that we go through each year, and students decide what topics we use to focus on these themes.”
One of Tran’s favorite units to teach is writing because she can inspire huge growth from her young students. “They get to be creative, and you can hear their voice shine through their work,” she said. “They also build so much stamina with practice.”
Tran had a desire to teach since she was in kindergarten and is proud of the connections she’s built with students. “There are times where I work with students during recess because they want to start a club and I work with the student voice group to complete amazing projects like the MLK play,” she said.
One of Tran’s former students who worked on the MLK play was Colleen. “I wrote the whole play, got to be JFK and researched all the historical figures like Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman and more,” she said. “I absolutely loved it because drama and writing are my favorite.”
Idlewild has been a great fit for Colleen, who enjoys participating in leadership and afterschool activities. “I like that this school is really inclusive and makes sure all students can be a part of things,” she said. “I also love that we have opportunities to do things like drama, art and student voice group.”
Colleen loves reading and writing and finds inspiration from books like the Percy Jackson series. When she grows up, she would like to be an actress or an author to inspire others. “Whenever I read, I always get this feeling that I can do anything,” she said.
Go Falcons!
Idlewild Elementary School
Summary:
Idlewild Elementary School is a public elementary school in Lakewood, Washington, serving 419 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Clover Park School District, which is ranked 183 out of 247 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.
Idlewild has a diverse student population, with a higher percentage of White (46.3%), Hispanic (18.85%), and students of two or more races (17.9%) compared to nearby schools. However, the school’s academic performance, as measured by SBAC/WCAS test scores, is generally lower than the state and district averages across all grades and subjects. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Idlewild’s proficiency rates in English Language Arts (37.39%) and Math (28.7%) were significantly below the state averages of 52.63% and 41.68%, respectively. The school’s performance is particularly low for 4th and 5th-grade Math, with proficiency rates of 25.76% and 21.92%.
Idlewild’s student group rankings within the state are generally low, with the school ranking in the bottom quarter of Washington elementary schools for most subgroups. The school has also seen an increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 36.34% in 2020-2021 to 44.15% in 2022-2023, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. Compared to nearby schools like Custer Elementary, Oakbrook Elementary, and Lake Louise Elementary, Idlewild’s academic performance is generally lower, suggesting that socioeconomic factors may play a significant role in the academic outcomes of these schools.
https://www.schooldigger.com/go/WA/schools/0141000258/school.aspx
Mr.Arbeeny, There is a time and a place for addressing issues. Intentionally attaching your negative report to a positive article focused on a singular teacher and child is beyond the pale.
Once again, unable to acknowledge and celebrate individual accomplishments, you chose to diminish and criticize. How special for that teacher and child. How very generous of you to subvert this article for your own purpose as you alert the public. Truly, it is embarrassing.
Please act with kindness and leave individuals – especially children- out of your need to expose the district. You have every right to write, but lest others think you are curmudgeon I’d stick to
more suitable opportunities.
I haven’t mentioned any individuals in my response, only facts. The CPSD needs to be “exposed” for its academic failures. I have published articles praising those schools in CPSD that are academic successes although they are in the minority.
I do not “diminish and criticize” just for the heck of it. Indeed my “purpose” is to wake up the community/tax payers to the fact that they are being deceived by CPSD. There has to be public accountability and if CPSD won’t own up to it then someone else (CARES) will.
When do you propose “more suitable opportunities” to “expose” CPSD and demand accountability for its academic performance? This criticism of CARES is often touted but I have never heard a response defining “more suitable opportunities”.
Mr. Arbeeny if you do not recognize the ill timing of your negativity then perhaps there is a reason you are not getting much traction from your serial expose’
articles. No, you did not mention the teacher & student, though you have in a previous submission. There are frequent articles concerning CPSD so you have ample opportunity to
You HAVE diminished the recognition of a teacher and child. Previously you have included the Superintendent and board members when there were articles concerning their achievements. While it was classless on your part , at least they are public figures. Sadly, attaching your expose to this specific article states more about your need for self importance and attention.
Apparently you are not aware of article tracking on Suburban Times. CARES articles tend to get between 200-600% more readership than do CPSD “puff pieces”. A recent CARES article on Lochburn got over 2200 unique readers while the CPSD Lochburn article got 321. That’s what I call “traction”! People reading CARES articles often go back to the original CPSD article to check out the referenced material.
The most frequent CPSD articles are these “puff pieces”. CPSD Board and Superintendent articles most recently only come up when they receive “awards” once a year. Even then you think it’s “classless” to address their academic failure. So when is it “classy” to address the topic…if ever? If CPSD is going to frequently publish propaganda then CARES will frequently publish facts.
You don’t know me and I don’t think you’re a psychoanalyst so stick to the facts instead of insinuation and innuendo.
A timely response, indeed, John. Why allow anyone to celebrate individual accomplishment, when you can throw water on the whole thing? You remain a one tric pony. Your concern is laudable, your execution of that concern needs work.
When would you propose is a better time to address the actual academic performance of CPSD schools…if ever? Who would you propose should address the actual academic performance of CPSD schools…CPSD if ever? When was the last time CPSD addressed its academic shortcomings to the public? CPSD “puff pieces” are intended to obscure the District’s lack of accomplishment academically via “cherry picked” anecdotal stories. As such they are a deception perpetrated upon the community.
Look for a CARES response on Idlewild Elementary School next week.
Think on this until then. In 2019 Idlewild was ranked at 56.9% academically among all Washington elementary schools: above average. In 2024 it was ranked 17.6%! How does that collapse happen in just 5 years?
Dear Mr. Arbeeny,
I don’t think that I have every seen a positive comment from you. I read this well written article about an Idlewild student and the education and enjoyment that she receives from the Idlewild educational program. I scroll down to see your disparaging comments based on controversial websites and you literally suck the air out of a room. When you look at yourself in the mirror every morning do you see a happy person?
Vicky
There is nothing “disparaging” about the facts, only in the way you take them. Would you have known about the dire academic situation at Idlewild had I not responded to the CPSD “puff piece”? I doubt it. Or would you be more of a “happy person” ignoring the facts thereof? I’d suggest you take a look at the official OSPI site to get some idea of how bad things are at Idlewild. In 2019 the percentage of students meeting state standards was 57.8%. In 2024 it was 31.8%. How did that happen? Our community not holding the CPSD accountable, lulled into complacency with articles like this.
https://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/ReportCard/ViewSchoolOrDistrict/102223