We are currently in PK3. Unfortunately, the location is a major drawback—traffic during drop-off and pick-up is terrible. The facilities are also underwhelming. The outdoor space is limited and uninspiring, with only a few structures that don’t accommodate many children. The only real activity is climbing up and down, which gets boring quickly.
The classrooms are not well-equipped, and my child frequently complains that they’re boring. We also didn’t get lucky with the teacher—she’s not particularly engaging, and we feel very disconnected from what’s happening in the classroom. She doesn’t seem to care for parent feedback, and when she provides feedback about our child, it’s often factually inaccurate and difficult to understand.
The after-school care has been a huge disappointment. The teachers make minimal effort to engage the children—there are no clubs, no enrichment activities, and no structure. They seem eager to leave for the day, packing the kids up 15-20 minutes early and seating them by the front door to wait for their parents, like sad little puppies.
Overall, the culture at Stevens feels very transactional. Most families are only involved for a single year, so there’s no real sense of community. The administration often prioritizes staff convenience over the needs of the children. For example, our classroom has been without a permanent aide for over three months because the school is holding the spot for the previous aide—who was, frankly, terrible. On numerous occasions when I dropped off my child and saw her scrolling through her phone, completely disengaged from the kids.
The academics is super weak - no real progress towards counting or reading. But that may be a common problem for DC public system.
The school is under-enrolled, and it seems that everyone on the waiting list is eventually offered a spot. To compensate for the low enrollment, the school has a strong focus on supporting children with special needs, as well as those experiencing homelessness or in foster care. There is also a high percentage of students considered at risk.