Chevy Chase Elementary - quality of classrooms & instruction

[Anonymous]

We are moving into the boundary for this school, and my children are currently at a DC school. I've searched the forum and found items related to COVID policies, zoom school, etc. Looking for new information on the actual experiences within the classroom in 2021.

Can anyone with recent experience tell me about the Language Arts and math curriculum and how the programs are implemented at Chevy Chase Elementary (not the CES program)?

Are the teachers warm and engaging?

Do you find your child receives enough academic attention and support?

Thank you in advance!

[Anonymous]

The curriculum is the same across all of Montgomery County, so any challenges or complaints have very little to do with the school…

Current parent at both RHES and CCES and I can say that CCES is pretty wonderful. The principal is not exceedingly warm, but her VP absolutely is. And she has done an exceptional job recruiting and retaining AMAZING teachers and has done a great job managing covid.

The parent community is VERY engaged and there are many opportunities to volunteer and get to know people if that is your thing.

Overall, I am thrilled with the school and would not hesitate to move to the area.

[Anonymous]

Thank you, PP! I was getting nervous because I've seen lots of posts about the principal and seems she rubs many the wrong way. Great to know about the teachers.

Do you find the curriculum is quality? Are your kids learning? I am tired of busywork and sub-par curriculum materials in our current school.

[Anonymous]

PP again. I have not had any interaction with the principal, and honestly that is fine with me. Keep the school open and the teachers happy! The PTA is very active and keep parents well informed.

In terms of curriculum, like I said, it’s run at the county level. Within the last couple of years MoCo got new reading and math curriculum. It’s been a learning curve changing curriculum and the math is challenging for parents because it’s very different than how we were taught, but generally I am happy with it… both reading and math have opportunities for challenges at all levels (it’s very groups based) and teach to real world skills, which is useful. For example, reading includes lots of non-fiction and annotating. The math teaches foundational skills so the kids really understand why math works the way it does (annoying for parents to follow and help, but very good as a curriculum) and teaches real world skills and algebraic thinking from kindergarten. So, yea, the curriculum has challenges for parents but I think it is very good. I have a kindergartner at RH who was not well prepped for K (hello, pandemic) and a very academically inclined, self-challenging kid at CCES. The curriculum has met both kids where they are and challenged them to go farther.

[Anonymous]

We really like CCES (and have had a more positive experience here than RHES). The curriculum is Eureka for math and Benchmark for ELA -- this year they are implementing the enriched benchmark curriculum for kids who were waitlisted but didn't get into CES. That is true of most schools in MCPS. Some schools, however, get the Enriched Literacy Curriculum for advanced ELA kids, and that is akin to what they have in CES. NCC has this. Not sure if MCPS will be rolling this out to more schools, but I kind of doubt it because they just rolled out enriched Benchmark. As far as I can tell, there has been no enrichment in ELA yet this year, but it's early yet.

I am not a fan of the principal, but she does hire very good staff. Everyone we know has had positive experiences with all the teachers. I can't think of any dud that people don't want to get.

[Anonymous]

My kid just graduated, and because she was in the CES, we can compare CCES to her previous elementary, and her friend's schools. Leaving aside that CES teachers were the best elementary school teachers my kids ever had (we loved them!)... The Principal is ditzy and not at all Covid-conscious, and compared to other Principals I've worked with (PTA stuff), not the most competent. However the school building is REALLY NICE compared to other MCPS elementary schools, with high ceilings, and a dedicated meditation room. They're not overcrowded like other schools, which makes a big difference to how they can spread out and use their space. Less student per sq ft reduces the amount of noise and stress in the building. The outdoor space is lovely, they even have an exercise track and flowered garden. The surrounding neighborhood is really cute.

The standard curriculum is the one MCPS uses in every school, and in my opinion, very slow. No public or private elementary has ever had an excellent curriculum, in my experience. It's really hard to reach all students at that age, since there's no tracking, so they need to go slow. The extra-curriculars are interesting. My daughter took Latin one year and quite liked it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid just graduated, and because she was in the CES, we can compare CCES to her previous elementary, and her friend's schools. Leaving aside that CES teachers were the best elementary school teachers my kids ever had (we loved them!)... The Principal is ditzy and not at all Covid-conscious, and compared to other Principals I've worked with (PTA stuff), not the most competent. However the school building is REALLY NICE compared to other MCPS elementary schools, with high ceilings, and a dedicated meditation room. They're not overcrowded like other schools, which makes a big difference to how they can spread out and use their space. Less student per sq ft reduces the amount of noise and stress in the building. The outdoor space is lovely, they even have an exercise track and flowered garden. The surrounding neighborhood is really cute.

The standard curriculum is the one MCPS uses in every school, and in my opinion, very slow. No public or private elementary has ever had an excellent curriculum, in my experience. It's really hard to reach all students at that age, since there's no tracking, so they need to go slow. The extra-curriculars are interesting. My daughter took Latin one year and quite liked it.

This. Except I wouldn't say she's ditzy. She's very calculated and I think the other posts were spot on about the vanity, pettiness, and cruelty towards certain students. I would avoid if you could but it sounds like you can't. The whole admin is a mess but some of the teachers are great while others are terrible like most schools. Am involved with the PTA too and it's a great group of families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid just graduated, and because she was in the CES, we can compare CCES to her previous elementary, and her friend's schools. Leaving aside that CES teachers were the best elementary school teachers my kids ever had (we loved them!)... The Principal is ditzy and not at all Covid-conscious, and compared to other Principals I've worked with (PTA stuff), not the most competent. However the school building is REALLY NICE compared to other MCPS elementary schools, with high ceilings, and a dedicated meditation room. They're not overcrowded like other schools, which makes a big difference to how they can spread out and use their space. Less student per sq ft reduces the amount of noise and stress in the building. The outdoor space is lovely, they even have an exercise track and flowered garden. The surrounding neighborhood is really cute.

The standard curriculum is the one MCPS uses in every school, and in my opinion, very slow. No public or private elementary has ever had an excellent curriculum, in my experience. It's really hard to reach all students at that age, since there's no tracking, so they need to go slow. The extra-curriculars are interesting. My daughter took Latin one year and quite liked it.

This. Except I wouldn't say she's ditzy. She's very calculated and I think the other posts were spot on about the vanity, pettiness, and cruelty towards certain students. I would avoid if you could but it sounds like you can't. The whole admin is a mess but some of the teachers are great while others are terrible like most schools. Am involved with the PTA too and it's a great group of families.

PP you replied to. We were only there for two years, and I wasn't involved that much in the PTA, so she came across as ditzy to me, but I can see how I'd be mistaken... it's true I've heard some stories.
OP, no school is going to be perfect. The only Principal and assistant Principal I can whole-heartedly recommend is the team at Bethesda Elementary school, who make it their mission to serve students with special needs, and who ensured my other child with SN received all his accommodations and services. Sadly that school is getting more and more overcrowded, because of the expansion of downtown Bethesda, so I can't recommend it entirely, but at least the leadership is competent.

[Anonymous]

It’s a great school, do not hesitate to send your kids. I actually like the principal — I think she’s funny and warm and honest, and hires good teachers. I agree she is not Covid cautious, nor is the AP. I think the PTA is actually not that active compared to some other schools in the county, but some of that is Covid-related. PP is right that they don’t do ELC for the high performing non-CES students, but some of the magic of the CES curriculum comes from the wonderful teachers who teach at these programs, not necessarily from the curriculum itself, though it is an excellent curriculum. The school offers regular and compacted math to 4th and 5th graders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a great school, do not hesitate to send your kids. I actually like the principal — I think she’s funny and warm and honest, and hires good teachers. I agree she is not Covid cautious, nor is the AP. I think the PTA is actually not that active compared to some other schools in the county, but some of that is Covid-related. PP is right that they don’t do ELC for the high performing non-CES students, but some of the magic of the CES curriculum comes from the wonderful teachers who teach at these programs, not necessarily from the curriculum itself, though it is an excellent curriculum. The school offers regular and compacted math to 4th and 5th graders.

The magic mostly comes from having high-performing students all together in one class. The ELC does that at other schools. CCES has high-performing students mixed in with those at or below grade level, so it's not as rich for the high-performing non-CES students.

[Anonymous]

CCES is an awesome school. People have posted a lot already, so I’ll just endorse.

[Anonymous]

I have a child with SN who attends CCES. I find it surprising that PP describes the general ed classrooms as being all mixed together across ability levels. Maybe PP doesn't realize, but CCES classrooms are pretty awful about grouping all of the kids with IEPs together and not letting them truly be mainstreamed. I am glad my child is in a general ed classroom, but I want DC to benefit from working with peers at all ability levels - including those who regularly outperform DC and can thereby challenge DC to push to higher goals. It doesn't really happen when they're all in a small group together and not interacting much with everyone else.

Overall, I am not that impressed with the teachers - especially the special ed teachers. Every year my DC is assigned to a teacher who has literally just graduated from UMD - zero actual experience. And zero continuity because they're moved on to something else the next year. The admins don't impress me either and I am disappointed that the principal has never attended an IEP meeting or expressed any interest in helping my DC through the last 18 months (which were awful for everyone, but even worse for kids who were missing out on their services).

Good points: the building is lovely, the specials teachers (art, music, etc.) are all wonderful, and the kids are warm and welcoming to one another. My DC is quite happy, despite all of my complaining about the academic issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CCES is an awesome school. People have posted a lot already, so I’ll just endorse.

Yeah - having had kids both there and at Somerset, I was much more impressed by CCES. (If you are complaining about Mrs Smith, I would love to see you get a load of Mrs Morris, she is something else.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a child with SN who attends CCES. I find it surprising that PP describes the general ed classrooms as being all mixed together across ability levels. Maybe PP doesn't realize, but CCES classrooms are pretty awful about grouping all of the kids with IEPs together and not letting them truly be mainstreamed. I am glad my child is in a general ed classroom, but I want DC to benefit from working with peers at all ability levels - including those who regularly outperform DC and can thereby challenge DC to push to higher goals. It doesn't really happen when they're all in a small group together and not interacting much with everyone else.

Overall, I am not that impressed with the teachers - especially the special ed teachers. Every year my DC is assigned to a teacher who has literally just graduated from UMD - zero actual experience. And zero continuity because they're moved on to something else the next year. The admins don't impress me either and I am disappointed that the principal has never attended an IEP meeting or expressed any interest in helping my DC through the last 18 months (which were awful for everyone, but even worse for kids who were missing out on their services).

Good points: the building is lovely, the specials teachers (art, music, etc.) are all wonderful, and the kids are warm and welcoming to one another. My DC is quite happy, despite all of my complaining about the academic issues.

+1 on special Ed being terrible at CCES. My DC had one of those first year inexperienced and dumb teachers. He used to email me and complain that my child was lazy and unmotivated because I was providing supports at home on homework - supports that were prescribed in the neuropsych report he never read.

Special Ed is bad at CCES because of the negative leadership of Principal Smith. You’re lucky she’s never attended a meeting - she only makes it worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a child with SN who attends CCES. I find it surprising that PP describes the general ed classrooms as being all mixed together across ability levels. Maybe PP doesn't realize, but CCES classrooms are pretty awful about grouping all of the kids with IEPs together and not letting them truly be mainstreamed. I am glad my child is in a general ed classroom, but I want DC to benefit from working with peers at all ability levels - including those who regularly outperform DC and can thereby challenge DC to push to higher goals. It doesn't really happen when they're all in a small group together and not interacting much with everyone else.

Overall, I am not that impressed with the teachers - especially the special ed teachers. Every year my DC is assigned to a teacher who has literally just graduated from UMD - zero actual experience. And zero continuity because they're moved on to something else the next year. The admins don't impress me either and I am disappointed that the principal has never attended an IEP meeting or expressed any interest in helping my DC through the last 18 months (which were awful for everyone, but even worse for kids who were missing out on their services).

Good points: the building is lovely, the specials teachers (art, music, etc.) are all wonderful, and the kids are warm and welcoming to one another. My DC is quite happy, despite all of my complaining about the academic issues.

+1 on special Ed being terrible at CCES. My DC had one of those first year inexperienced and dumb teachers. He used to email me and complain that my child was lazy and unmotivated because I was providing supports at home on homework - supports that were prescribed in the neuropsych report he never read.

Special Ed is bad at CCES because of the negative leadership of Principal Smith. You’re lucky she’s never attended a meeting - she only makes it worse.

Correct. For SN services to work, you really need an administrator who believes in the mission.