Bridges parent here. We stumbled into Bridges because of the late year age cut off and I have to say that after two years, I think my son has had a real advantage of starting in a school that was focused on the lower grades and pre-school in particular. After hearing other parents who left the school to secure a spot at a long-term school, i have valued the following things about Bridges even more:
1. 6 classrooms and no more than 16 kids in each; 3 teachers per class and the additional special education teachers mean lots of adults and individualized attention.
2. distributing a mix of 3 and 4 year olds through out each class so every kid stays in that class for two years and comes in as a learner and leaves as a leader
3. inclusionary model seems to lead to individualized teaching to meet your kid where they are at (and in pre-school, it seems to be a huge variance in a classroom)
4. staff and admin are used to dealing with pre-school parents (first time dropping off kids at school and we worry about naps, the length of the day, how they will eat, etc.)
5. PARENTS are involved and engaged

They DID get approved to expand(!) We sent our son as a way to get started in the PS system and worried about what it meant for securing a long term school later, but now, I expect that I would pass up a sibling pre-school spot at Cap City/Two Rivers, etc. for my second child to send them to Bridges first and then join their sibling at whatever school he is at. And there are several parents at Bridges who do this --- deal with multiple school schedules to stick with Bridges for their pre-schooler.

"Significant gap" poster here. It was a very poor word choice--I wanted to highlight schools that the charter board loves, but DCUM ignores. Sorry for the inartful wording.

Anonymous wrote:Um, what "significant gap" are you talking about? The list that the PP suggested is exactly the same, with the exception of schools not yet evaluated by the charter board, as the list you provided of of high-performing schools identified by the public charter board.

Actually, it is not exactly the same. The poster provided additional schools including:

Center City PCS Trinidad Campus
Center City Petworth Campus
Community Academy – Butler Bilingual Campus

Anonymous wrote:If Bridges expands, that would be great! When will we know and what grades will they take? 1st? (crossing my fingers)

I think they're just trying to expand to K for now. The charter board was supposed to give them an answer earlier this year, but it's been delayed. They're hoping to find out soon.

Um, what "significant gap" are you talking about? The list that the PP suggested is exactly the same, with the exception of schools not yet evaluated by the charter board, as the list you provided of of high-performing schools identified by the public charter board.

Anonymous wrote:The charters most talked about on DC Urban moms for elementary are

Non-Immersion
Two Rivers
Capital City
EL Haynes
Inspired Teaching

Immersion
Elsie Stokes (French Spanish)
LAMB (Spanish)
Yu Ying (Chinese)
Mundo Verde (Spanish)

All of these are sought after for Pre-k and have waiting lists every year. Best? I think that depends on who your kid is. I am sure that there are others that are good too.
I know I am probably leaving some off.

Note that there's a significant gap between the most talked-about schools and those doing best by objective measures. Schools with PK that are on the Charter Board's list of highest-performing schools are:

Capital City PCS Lower School
Center City PCS Trinidad Campus
Center City Petworth Campus
Community Academy – Butler Bilingual Campus
E.L. Haynes PCS
Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS
Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS (LAMB)
Two Rivers PCS

(Note that Inspired Teaching, Mundo Verde and Yu Ying were not evaluated for this round.)

Anonymous wrote:charter schools = amateur hour

Privates = ?
DCPS = ?

charter schools = amateur hour

Inspired Teaching has another Saturday open house:
Saturday March 17, 2012
10:00 am – 11:30am
Location: Inspired Teaching School
4401 8th Street NE, Ground Floor
Washington DC, 20017

Applications can be submitted until 3/31
http://www.inspiredteachingschool.org/school/appl/application-2/

Their lottery will be held April 12.

Anonymous wrote:Bridges and Appletree are ps/ok programs that are often mentioned on here. They stop at PK though I hear Bridges is trying to expand upward.

Yes, both of these have solid reputations. Everyone seems to love them as alumni or has a friend who went there and loves them. The biggest drawback is that they end in Pre-K, right when families realize they have to find a school that's much longer term.

If Bridges expands, that would be great! When will we know and what grades will they take? 1st? (crossing my fingers)

Bridges and Appletree are ps/ok programs that are often mentioned on here. They stop at PK though I hear Bridges is trying to expand upward.

The charters most talked about on DC Urban moms for elementary are

Non-Immersion
Two Rivers
Capital City
EL Haynes
Inspired Teaching

Immersion
Elsie Stokes (French Spanish)
LAMB (Spanish)
Yu Ying (Chinese)
Mundo Verde (Spanish)

All of these are sought after for Pre-k and have waiting lists every year. Best? I think that depends on who your kid is. I am sure that there are others that are good too.
I know I am probably leaving some off.

Which Charter schools are the best for Pre-K? Which ones for Immersion Pre-K?