Not All KIPP Schools are the Same

While most students at KIPP San Jose Collegiate believe that all KIPP schools are similar in every way, they are wrong. KIPP schools vary in many ways, from academic performance to the school rules. These differences were evident at our cousin school in San Lorenzo, KIPP King Collegiate.

First off, KIPP King uniform is different than KSJC. They could wear black or khaki pants and wear their shirts untucked. Also Seniors have special privileges of wearing solid color clothing and professional dress on some days of the week. While at KSJC everyone has to wear khaki pants and KSJC shirts tucked in. These some of the uniform difference.

Also KIPP King has different school rules than at KSJC, but the focus is the same: academic excellence. King’s rules are less strict than ours, which seem more focused on consequences. Both schools expect students to behave as a team and family, and work together with each other and teachers to have an outstanding school experience. Both King and KSJC strive to help all of their students get to college, and students support each other to achieve this goal.

KIPP King is more laid back than KSJC partly because the students understand the rules and don’t go over the line. For example, they know when to act and behave in situations and not do the wrong thing. While at KSJC some students don’t understand why there are certain rules so they keep on breaking it and not allowing teachers to trust the students fully yet.

The curriculum at KIPP King offers students a larger variety of course options than some other school KIPP schools. Classes offered include Leadership, War and Peace, Dance Class, among others. These classes are a twist on the standard course offerings like History and English, and offer more student-teacher interaction. This is beneficial to the students because they get to communicate with their teacher more but not have to just only take notes.

The graduation requirements that are at KIPP King aren’t as rigorous as they are at KSJC, which may be why students there seem less stressed out than students here. King’s science offerings are the opposite of KSJC’s; students there take Biology as freshman and learn Physics as juniors.

At both schools, club participation is still lacking: At both schools clubs aren’t as strong as they were in the beginning of the year, and many end up disbanding by the end of the year. This difficulty in sustaining clubs may be due to the longer hours of KIPP.

Students at King seem to have more school spirit than those at KSJC. King students put on pep rallies, a Spirit Week each quarter, talent shows, intermission-a break during school, and three dances a year. King students also are more based in the local community than KSJC students, and students don’t seem mind coming to school much.

Sophomore Misty Tran said, “I look forward to some of the classes but come here for my friends.”

Their students feel the same way like as other students. “OMG, teach me something I want to learn about and why can’t I understand?”

“I just want to get through the day to go home.”

At both KIPP schools the campuses are both small and everyone knows each other and when you don’t understand something you can go see that teacher during office hours.

Just because a school is part of the KIPP organization doesn’t mean that they are exactly similarly in every way, it’s just like an extended family- similar in outlook for students different in making sure they do well. Also they sure love to play four squares at lunch.