Pollard
Arlington, VA 22201

My daughter attended Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School during the year 2025. In general, we believe Arlington Public Schools are good, and we wanted this school to be a positive experience for our child. Unfortunately, we had a serious incident that changed our trust in the school.One day, our daughter came home with a large bruise on her face. We immediately reached out to the school to understand what happened. We asked teachers, staff, and even met with the principal. The only answer we received was that they “didn’t know what happened.”We understand that accidents can happen and that sometimes kids might accidentally hit each other. If the school had given us a clear explanation or at least some information, we would have understood. What concerned us most was the lack of communication and the fact that no one could tell us how a child was injured so noticeably while in their care.Because we weren’t able to get a clear answer, we made the decision to move our daughter to another school. We still believe Arlington Public Schools overall are good, but our personal experience at Drew left us feeling unsure about the supervision and communication regarding student safety.

I loved my time at this school. I graduated in 2015 and I learned so much here. My teachers taught me more than just classes, they prepared me for college and beyond. They were great all-around people and role models. I felt like even when taking AP classes my mental health was still a priority here, and work/ life balance was important. My coaches knew how important sports were to mental and physical health and encouraged us to work thorugh our school challenges on the turf field or on the track etc. Overall, a great school, incredibly diverse, taught me a lot, teachers that care, and a community of warriors.

At GMS, everybody feels welcome and safe. The Academic scores are excellent, and they have an amazing band program. The best part is the diversity. Gunston has 3 programs, Montessori, Spanish Immersion, and Traditional, and it's great to see them all coexist.