Public and Charter Schools that are like Private Schools

[Anonymous]

E.L. Haynes (charter) offers 47 weeks of instruction per year, including optional intersession weeks. Not sure how "like a private" that is, but it's clearly something "above and beyond" the ordinary public school.

[Anonymous]

I second the vote for EL Haynes.
I have talked to many friends about how my sons education at EL Haynes, compares to their kids in various private schools, and they all tell me I am very lucky, and I think they are right. So far it has really exceeded my expectations:

-The week before Pre-K starts, the teachers visit the students IN THEIR homes, bring them a name tag, and play with each and every one of them.
-The year round schedule is phenomenal...there are only 2 weeks in the summer when there is no programming at all.
-All of the administrative staff including the principals know EVERY kid by their first name.
-The activities are creative, and very well planned.
-They take interesting field trips, and each class is taught about relevant events in the word (election, african herigage, etc.)

And if the lottery discourages you....TRY, I did, and it worked!

[Anonymous]

Excel Academy Public Charter School- an all girls public charter with a very strong academic, enrichment and social curriculum- WE LOVE it, and my daughter is thriving!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Excel Academy Public Charter School- an all girls public charter with a very strong academic, enrichment and social curriculum- WE LOVE it, and my daughter is thriving!!!!

The idea of single sex education is one of those 'so old it seems modern again'! I am sure it is appealing for the right children; a few colleges still doing this as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Excel Academy Public Charter School- an all girls public charter with a very strong academic, enrichment and social curriculum- WE LOVE it, and my daughter is thriving!!!!

The idea of single sex education is one of those 'so old it seems modern again'! I am sure it is appealing for the right children; a few colleges still doing this as well.

There are good reasons for the approach and many successful working models from which to choose. Almost like HBCUs that way. It's nice to have choices.

[Anonymous]

I think it depends what you are looking for in a school. SWS at Peabody is an amazing program. Unfortunately, it is only for pre-k and k and is difficult to get into if you are OOB. They also do not offer language like some of the schools mentioned by previous posters.

[Anonymous]

SWS is a nice program. The children are also housed on the third floor of a building that isn't ADA compliant. They have to go down 3 flights of stairs to use the bathrooms and the playground doubles as a parking lot.

Again, it's a nice program but I can't calling it "like private." If I were paying $20K plus, I would expect adequate toileting facilities.

[Anonymous]

Peabody SWS - is that the Reggio program? Can't say I know much about it, but it sure sounded interesting. I think we tried to get in OOB but had no luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SWS is a nice program. The children are also housed on the third floor of a building that isn't ADA compliant. They have to go down 3 flights of stairs to use the bathrooms and the playground doubles as a parking lot.

Again, it's a nice program but I can't calling it "like private." If I were paying $20K plus, I would expect adequate toileting facilities.

PP here, and not to get into a big debate here. I am not sure you can have a public school that is like a private one. To clarify, there is a toilet on the 3rd floor. They go down as a group to use the facilities in the basement, but if they need to use the bathroom at any other time they use the one on the third floor in the art studio. The building is old, but I think that is part of the schools charm.

All three of my children have been through the program and thrived there. They really teach children how to learn and to enjoy learning. I still see many of the lessons taught there in my oldest child in his approach to school.

[Anonymous]

If you think 1 single stall restroom for 88 children is charming, then ok.

Again, SWS a nice program, but the point remains is the the playground doubles as a parking lot and the building lacks a wheelchair ramp or any sort of ADA accessibility.

No private school parent would tolerate such conditions and (I say this as a DCPS parent) no child in this country should have to either.

To each her own, I suppose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I second the vote for EL Haynes.
I have talked to many friends about how my sons education at EL Haynes, compares to their kids in various private schools, and they all tell me I am very lucky, and I think they are right. So far it has really exceeded my expectations:

-The week before Pre-K starts, the teachers visit the students IN THEIR homes, bring them a name tag, and play with each and every one of them.
-The year round schedule is phenomenal...there are only 2 weeks in the summer when there is no programming at all.
-All of the administrative staff including the principals know EVERY kid by their first name.
-The activities are creative, and very well planned.
-They take interesting field trips, and each class is taught about relevant events in the word (election, african herigage, etc.)

And if the lottery discourages you....TRY, I did, and it worked!

I agree 100% I also think the number of specials they offer is above and beyond.

[Anonymous]

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm surprised that Janney isn't mentioned at all. We are looking to buy and considering AU Park because we had heard Janney is great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not to hijack the thread, but I'm surprised that Janney isn't mentioned at all. We are looking to buy and considering AU Park because we had heard Janney is great.

Janney is a good, relatively large public elementary school. It's like Lafayette or Murch; it's not like a private. (No value judgment here -- just explaining why it wouldn't have come up on this thread.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not to hijack the thread, but I'm surprised that Janney isn't mentioned at all. We are looking to buy and considering AU Park because we had heard Janney is great.

Janney is a good, relatively large public elementary school. It's like Lafayette or Murch; it's not like a private. (No value judgment here -- just explaining why it wouldn't have come up on this thread.)

I have seevral friends who's kids are at Janney. Its a decent public school but overcrowded and crumbling facilities. You would do better to look at Palisades/Kent/Spring Valley/Wesley Heights to get in to Key or Mann. Key physically looks like a priovate and is s ablue ribbon winner. Mann receives a tremendous amount of extra funds from the parent community. And, contray to a previous post, there are less expensive options if you want your kid at Mann. There are several town house communities (along new Mexico) and a few apt buildings (on Cathedral and maybe Mass) that are in bounds to Mann. Similarly, there are small apt buildings and a few townhouses along MacArthur that serve Key and, espcially in the "toe" of palisades, you can still fund relatively lower priced housing.