Chartwell School

I came to the school with negative perceptions from previous reviews, but after talking to the principal I decided to enroll my kids there. I do not regret it. the teachers are dedicated and management do their best for the best interest of my kids. they communicate with me and try to engage students in several ways.

The staff is super nice. Teachers are great.

Absolutely the worst school we have ever encountered across 14 years of school aged children educational experiences. The principal is so removed and completely inactive with regards to any issues at the school - she even makes her own staff and faculty turn a blind eye to the issues in their classrooms. No opportunities for activities, advanced curriculum, or higher educational opportunities to those excelling. This school is only good for one thing - breeding foul language and violence. It’s awful. Avoid at all costs. If you’re forced to attend MPUSD district, then put in for a school transfer ASAP. Keep your kids out of here at all costs.

This school is the best of all !!!

POV from English-speaking parent with a child at Dual Language Academy of the Monterey Peninsula (DLAMP)Parents who are looking for an inclusive, dual-language school option for their children should know that schools with bilingual programs won't rank as well on state testing because, well, half of the student body doesn't speak English in their homes and testing is done... you guessed it, in English. Also, your little prince(ess) may not necessarily be the majority anymore so you'll need to embrace other cultures/religions/politics, the goods and the not-so-goods, with empathy and open minds.Our personal experience at DLAMP has been a positive one. No school is perfect but the teachers at DLAMP have all been engaged and cared about my son's education and social happiness. The biggest issue at DLAMP is the teacher turnover rate. Because the MPUSD schools cannot pay as well as neighboring districts, they have an issue keeping and recruiting Bilingual teachers for their program. Fortunately, they've recently partnered with CSUMB and set up programs to help solve that problem.DLAMP is trying to educate children to equal proficiency in two languages by the time they reach 8th grade, regardless of what language is spoken in their homes. This is the reason I chose DLAMP for my son - I want him to think in and speak two languages. This increases his opportunities in life, critical reasoning, and overall global understanding. The COVID distance learning probably affected the bilingual schools more than traditional schools but I was impressed at how the teachers and admin rose to the challenge. My son really missed his friends in 2020 and dropped a bit academically but still talked fondly of his teachers and felt loved by them. If you chose DLAMP or a similar bilingual program, it may seem like a child is lagging behind while in k-3 grades but, if you can be patient and encourage them at home (cartoons in Spanish, penpals, etc), you'll reap the benefits starting around 4th and 5th grades. We are seeing it now and I'm hearing the same from the other parents. YOU, the parents, have to throw in some Spanish activities and time at home, too, though... this is a group effort and needs to be supported at home as well as school. If you're not willing to at least set their apps, games, and cartoon controls to Spanish... then please don't take up an English speakers spot in a limited program that should go to families who understand and will accept the challenge.

ISM is such a great school and I have been bless to be part of it for the last 14 years. My two oldest have graduated from here and was definitely a smooth transition to high school. My youngest is still here and I know he will have the same experience. Staff are easy to talk to and are always welcoming. I only have good things to say about this school. Overall it's awesome.