Cleveland Elementary

[Anonymous]

Has anyone toured? They’re on my list alongside Seaton

[Anonymous]

You mean for PK3 a year from now? If it is not your IB I would skip it.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Upcoming Kindergarten for next year.

[Anonymous]

You will surely get into Seaton. If you strongly desire Spanish or are Spanish-dominant, consider Cleveland, otherwise don't. It isn't as good a school as Seaton.

[Anonymous]

Where is your child now and what is your IB?

[Anonymous]

Here is how I would rank:

Seaton
Langley or Garrison based on convenience
Friendship Armstrong
Cleveland

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is how I would rank:

Seaton
Langley or Garrison based on convenience
Friendship Armstrong
Cleveland

This is a really random list.

You can maybe get into Cleveland English track for K OOB? Forget Spanish.

[Anonymous]

I would rank Garrison before Seaton.

[Anonymous]

Cleveland is great for kindergarten and first academics wise. Everything else needs work. Speaking of which, what do current parents think of the school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would rank Garrison before Seaton.

Isn’t Seaton stronger overall ? While Garrison just modernized as far as playground is concerned? I believe they just had theirs done not long ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would rank Garrison before Seaton.

Isn’t Seaton stronger overall ? While Garrison just modernized as far as playground is concerned? I believe they just had theirs done not long ago.

I think they are both good schools, so the Garrison v. Seaton decision should really come down to which is more convenient (of course they are close to each other too!) Their Parcc scores are pretty similar (FWIW), and Garrison had incredible improvement in scores this year. I might give the edge to Garrison, just because the scores are comparable and they have the nicer facility/playground. It seems like most people feel the same, judging from my waitlist numbers for both schools That said, everyone I know who has gone to Seaton describes the experience as magical, so, it also sounds great!

To the OP, there was a really informative thread about Seaton, Garrison, Cleveland and Langley a few months ago: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/776495.page.

[Anonymous]

We have been a Cleveland family for years (bilingual) and love it. Yes the PARCC scores are not very good, but the kids are kind and are learning and their math and Spanish is excellent Tests don't always tell the full story.

[Anonymous]

we are a Seaton family and I would say the best things are that
1. the teachers are really, really exceptional (we had that superstar principal for 6 years and her hiring was amazing).

2. the garden is truly magical. big weeping willow to sit under, cherry trees to climb, peach trees overflowing in the late spring... everyone uses the word "magical."

FWIW, we are getting a big renovation of the grounds (1.5 million in the budget) with construction happening next summer in time for the next school year to begin.

[Anonymous]

My kids are in middle ES grades there, since PK3. We are happy and plan to stay through 5th.

I love that people on this message board offer advice on schools they know very little about. Seaton is getting a brand new playground next summer. Cleveland is too. Don’t make decisions about your child’s school based solely on playgrounds for goodness’s sake. And if you do, at least make it based on correct information.

OP, do you have specific questions about Cleveland?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids are in middle ES grades there, since PK3. We are happy and plan to stay through 5th.

I love that people on this message board offer advice on schools they know very little about. Seaton is getting a brand new playground next summer. Cleveland is too. Don’t make decisions about your child’s school based solely on playgrounds for goodness’s sake. And if you do, at least make it based on correct information.

OP, do you have specific questions about Cleveland?

Not OP, but we're looking at Cleveland also, specifically the language program (DC is Spanish dominant). In some of the older threads, people mentioned that there is some tension between the language program and the regular program, and that the principal/management is quite weak. Do you think that is the case? Can the parents/administration work with each other, or is there still distrust/lack of leadership? And how does the school deal with differentiation? What do you think about the teachers? Are there significant behavioral problems that disrupt learning?

Compared to other schools in the area (Garrison, Seaton), Cleveland's scores have gone in the wrong direction. Scores aren't everything, but they're a rough proxy for certain things, so that's why it's not on the top of my list. Still, the commute is good for us.

FWIW, a few months ago, I was on the Mall and ran into a group of little kids in Cleveland uniforms, probably on an outing of some sort. The staff seemed quite attentive.

Thanks!