Varsity Park

I am extremely disappointed with how Charles Barrett Elementary has handled my son’s first week of preschool.My son has an IEP and receives specialized transportation. Despite school starting this week, his transportation was not properly arranged, and I was only made aware of the problem after I began calling around myself. I was told the transportation request was submitted late and that he may not have transportation until Monday. As a result, my child could miss almost his entire first week of school because of an administrative issue that I had no control over.What is most upsetting is the lack of urgency and concern about the instructional time he is losing. I am the parent, not the school employee responsible for submitting transportation requests. My son should not be the one paying the price for a breakdown in communication or paperwork between the school, his teacher and the transportation department.I have been passed between departments instead of being given an immediate solution. This is a 3-year-old child with an IEP who is supposed to be receiving services and attending school. Missing the first several days of school is not a small inconvenience it affects his education, routine, and services.I expected much better communication, preparation, and accountability from Charles Barrett Elementary, especially when dealing with a young child who has an IEP. I am asking the school to take responsibility for what happened and provide an immediate solution so my son can attend school without losing any more instructional time, but I'm sure from all of my experiences with Alexandria Public Schools this issue will not be resolved. I have sent an email to the director while also ccing everyone on the team.

one of the best schools of Alexandria my kids learned very fast the teacher very respectful and responsible

My son attended SWT for three years, Kindergarten through 2nd grade. The school is very divided by the haves and have-nots. The needs of the kids who have less means are prioritized, which makes sense. Many are immigrants and refugees, which create a rich cultural community. However, the school is stretched to its limit - teachers are maxed out and it’s obvious. Many students don’t know English and special needs students are in the classrooms. It’s too easy for students of means to get lost, my son was one. I was relieved to relocate out of state and into a public school district that was in much less distress. If we hadn’t moved, we’d have moved to private school. My son was miserable and has faired much better in a school that has capacity for him. Lastly, the word “bullying” is used so flippantly at SWT. Kids have no problem solving skills and don’t learn to work things out. The volume of tattling is insane.