Stokes

[Anonymous]

Did anyone get into Stokes for PK/PS? (My DD is accepted). Are you planning to go? Why/Why not?

Can current or former parents at Stokes give us some honest assessment? Test scores don't look great, but I did really like the feel of the school?

[Anonymous]

For whatever reason, there are not a lot of Stokes parents on this site.

I know of 3 families there who are very very happy.

The test scores are based on 3rd to 5th graders, and I think they will go up dramatically with the location change. Kids who started preK at the new location will be in 1st next yr, so a couple more years. The location change has caused a shift to a more diverse (used to be FARM and ELL, hispanic now is more racially and economically diverse). Stokes is proud of their scores, when you look at the breakdown ELL students are doing quite well on an English test.

[Anonymous]

I personally think you would be silly to pass up a slot there, it's a great school and there are TONS of people who would love to have that slot. If you don't want it please let them know ASAP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I personally think you would be silly to pass up a slot there, it's a great school and there are TONS of people who would love to have that slot. If you don't want it please let them know ASAP!

ITA. Bilingualism is a gift to your child that will confer benefits and advantages for a lifetime. If you don't want it, please let it go so that someone else who does can have it ASAP.

[Anonymous]

I know a family with their son there. They love it. The mom volunteers in the classroom every week so she has a good idea of what's going on. Their son's French accent is amazing- he's only in 1st grade.

[Anonymous]

I know a great family with one son there - they love it and drive cross town from NW to take him there. The mom is a professional very involved in the local community and dad is a small business owner. I also asked about the test scores and they seem to think great things are going to come with the next few years of tests

[Anonymous]

A friend of mine is a bilingual educational professional who had reviewed the Stokes program and spoke highly of it to me.

[Anonymous]

Really, no one on DCUM has first hand experience with Stokes?

Maybe that is the best reason yet to go!!

[Anonymous]

The reason that you don't see many Stokes boosters on DCUM is that the population of the school has been mostly working class and many immigrant families for over a decade. They did not have a school listserve until quite recently, for example-- it hasn't been that kind of place. My friend sent her two children there nonetheless and she was often the only person in the room besides the Stokes staff that had any post high school education. Her children's friends from school were not from homes where there were many books or NPR or whatever... it just wasn't that kind of school. That said, now that it's moved from 16th street over to Brookland in a renovated building, the population is changing, from the lower grades up. It will be interesting to see what happens as the new families integrate into the school.

Stokes scores actually ARE good, considering that many of these children spoke another language at home until school. So they aren't Cap City, or Key or whatever-- the kids can speak two languages by first grade and become biliterate in both by 4th. Let's test Cap City and Stokes kids on their knowledge of spanish or french and see who kicks butt-- Stokes or Cap City?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The reason that you don't see many Stokes boosters on DCUM is that the population of the school has been mostly working class and many immigrant families for over a decade. They did not have a school listserve until quite recently, for example-- it hasn't been that kind of place. My friend sent her two children there nonetheless and she was often the only person in the room besides the Stokes staff that had any post high school education. Her children's friends from school were not from homes where there were many books or NPR or whatever... it just wasn't that kind of school. That said, now that it's moved from 16th street over to Brookland in a renovated building, the population is changing, from the lower grades up. It will be interesting to see what happens as the new families integrate into the school.

Stokes scores actually ARE good, considering that many of these children spoke another language at home until school. So they aren't Cap City, or Key or whatever-- the kids can speak two languages by first grade and become biliterate in both by 4th. Let's test Cap City and Stokes kids on their knowledge of spanish or french and see who kicks butt-- Stokes or Cap City?

How did your friend's kids do with making friends, play dates, etc. I worry a bit about that b/c when they are young, friendships really do depend on parents having something in common too. Not just a worry at Stokes, but at the mid-city DCPS, at Haynes and other Charters too.

[Anonymous]

It was hard, to be honest, PP. My friend loved the school-- the environment there, the loving staff, the amenities (it's an 11-year old charter school so they know what they are doing, and with Jenna Bush's influence, they received some nice grants and PR). Her children made friends at school but never really clicked outside of school. They maybe could have, but there was some girl drama (nothing to do with the school) and it was hard. So she relied on neighbors, church, sports teams and other sources for friends. It worked OK.

That said, the lower grades are much more diverse these days so there probably would be more families with whom you have more in common.

[Anonymous]

I haven't seen this experience posted before, but it's the same feeling I got when touring schools. Our son might do well at some of these schools, but don't know if the families would click. I've seen an us vs. them mentality at some schools and it isn't appealing.

Anonymous wrote:The reason that you don't see many Stokes boosters on DCUM is that the population of the school has been mostly working class and many immigrant families for over a decade. They did not have a school listserve until quite recently, for example-- it hasn't been that kind of place. My friend sent her two children there nonetheless and she was often the only person in the room besides the Stokes staff that had any post high school education. Her children's friends from school were not from homes where there were many books or NPR or whatever... it just wasn't that kind of school. That said, now that it's moved from 16th street over to Brookland in a renovated building, the population is changing, from the lower grades up. It will be interesting to see what happens as the new families integrate into the school.

Stokes scores actually ARE good, considering that many of these children spoke another language at home until school. So they aren't Cap City, or Key or whatever-- the kids can speak two languages by first grade and become biliterate in both by 4th. Let's test Cap City and Stokes kids on their knowledge of spanish or french and see who kicks butt-- Stokes or Cap City?

[Anonymous]

What's really going to be hard is when middle class families start to "turn around" schools that generations of neighbors have thought were perfectly good. Or good enough not to warrant a bunch of newcomer do-gooders taking over the PTA, etc. (their perspective, not mine). There was an article about this situation in the Wall Street Journal a number of years ago about an LA elementary school and parents that banded together to try to make it better. Didn't go well at all-- turned into a cross-cultural and class battle for the school. The middle class parents eventually abandoned the project and the school.

Not saying this is going on at Stokes or any other particular school, just sort of a cautionary tale.

[Anonymous]

We also got into Stokes for PreK. I have heard great things about this school and I really liked the school climate during the times I have visited. I also liked what I heard from the parents during the open house. Our son is learning Spanish and I would like for him to continue on this track. However, we just learned that we got into E.L. Haynes, so now I am torn between the two schools.

I am in agreement with other parents who posted, I think the standardized scores will improve over time in the next few years. But on another note, I know children who attend the school now who had limited English proficiency when they began the school and are progressing very well as an ELL student in the very short time they have been there.

[Anonymous]

EL Haynes goes up to 12th, which is a big plus. However, Stokes is planning to add 7th and 8th in future years, so you might be set all the way through middle school. Who knows what HS would best suit your child anyway, at this early juncture?

Between the two excellent options, I'd probably go with Stokes just for the language.