Has anyone accepted a spot at a highly coveted DC Charter and then later been disappointed?

[Anonymous]

In hindsight, what are some of the things that you wish you would have asked or considered before making a decision?

[Anonymous]

community - what do the kids do for team sports, girl scouts etc.

if you are at a DCPS elementary, it is common to be on a team with a bunch of classmates for soccer, baseball etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:community - what do the kids do for team sports, girl scouts etc.

if you are at a DCPS elementary, it is common to be on a team with a bunch of classmates for soccer, baseball etc.

+1. We switched from a popular charter to a DCPS in a "suburban like" area of the city with access to a ton of after school sports and extra curriculars. I really liked our charter but it was mid city and not housed in a real school building with outdoor space. The parents and administration did everything in their power to make up for this deficit and their efforts were sincerely appreciated. However, until I made the move, I didn't fully grasp the fact that you cannot underestimate the value of simple things like a playground, green space and access to sports activities. My DC is having a full school experience right now which I wish was the case for every child in this city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:community - what do the kids do for team sports, girl scouts etc.

if you are at a DCPS elementary, it is common to be on a team with a bunch of classmates for soccer, baseball etc.

There are a few charters that have sports teams, scouting, activities together, but this does not seem to be the majority.

[Anonymous]

we felt like we'd won the lottery at 2 rivers, but disliked it for prek and k and left. the bulldozing leadership wore us out and our advanced learner was bored to discipline issues, blamed on us, and her. wish we hadn't bothered. she's perfectly happy at a private school where challenge goes well beyond a bit of differentiation in the classroom, and claims that her needs are being met aren't bs.

[Anonymous]

Questions to ask: What the mission of the charter means for my family? Are our children the students that the school really wants to focus on? Or will they be an afterthought? If not, find a school with a better fit. Think about long-term. Is there a path to middle school and high school that you want? Moving schools is disruptive so start where you think you see a future. Do you want to do playdates over the city? Logistically it can be a nightmare and friendships are difficult to build.

[Anonymous]

Stokes. Nonexistent communication from administration. Never saw principal. Very disorganized..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stokes. Nonexistent communication from administration. Never saw principal. Very disorganized..

Did you stay at Stokes?

[Anonymous]

The limited responses on this thread are heartening to me.

[Anonymous]

Yes. We left because a coveted school because the foreign language instruction was meh and the English instruction was weak.

In DCPS now and DC is very happy.

[Anonymous]

we left CC middle and never looked back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:we felt like we'd won the lottery at 2 rivers, but disliked it for prek and k and left. the bulldozing leadership wore us out and our advanced learner was bored to discipline issues, blamed on us, and her. wish we hadn't bothered. she's perfectly happy at a private school where challenge goes well beyond a bit of differentiation in the classroom, and claims that her needs are being met aren't bs.

+1

Sadly, had a similar experience. Teachers and administration were caring and enthusiastic but they really teach to the middle and energetic very bright kids are likely to have "behavior" issues. Might attribute some of that to the lack of outdoor space. We also had a few troubling experiences with DD picking up some horrible language (can't repeat it here) and aggression.

[Anonymous]

uh huh. sounds like your kid was a problem, not a solution

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:uh huh. sounds like your kid was a problem, not a solution

Now now, Every school isn't right for every child.

[Anonymous]

I don't feel comfortable naming the school as it is new and I truly wish it the best. We left because I felt that my son could be getting "more" from a different school. The teachers in his class had their hands full and were teaching to the middle of the class. (As they should). I know this sounds arrogant but my son is very bright and I felt he was not stimulated, nurtured or challenged in the ways that I would expect for early childhood. I also wanted a better facility w a real at ground and opportunities for different physical activities. I know this will happen in the coming years. However, we didn't want to wait... We felt that we could so better for him.