School Without Walls High School

As a parent, in-class parent volunteer, parent chaperone (had to clear an FBI background check and get finger printed), PTA representative, I was very excited about Ross. But what I saw over 4 years, was deliberate withholding of FAPE from dozens of students especially those with any kind of dyslexia or learning disability. Why would the smallest school in DCPS, in Ward 2, always under enrolled, withhold reading supports to students eligible for an IEP? Ross leadership would not hear that 1 in 5 people have dyslexia. That people with dyslexia are super bright thinkers, and are more able to adapt because that is what they always have to do. Ross refused to offer supports to its teachers and supports that would not have come out of the Ross school budget. Ross leadership is focused on raising money from the the parents of the lower grades to pay for everything in the school. Dyslexia is usually recognized and or diagnosed btwn 2-5 grades when the work gets harder, and yet it can be detected as early as pre-k. Ross refused phonics and to give teacher training in Child Find- a federal and state law. Why would Ross NOT even support its own teachers in academic expertise? People want to teach as a small school, so why is there an intense turnover rate of teachers at Ross? For 10 years, Ross leadership refused to place a parent representative on the Personnel Committee so that the parents could have input on teacher hirings. Why? Parents, PTA, and LSAT signed a petition and sent it around to OSSE and others for Ross leadership in order to force a placement of a parent on this committee. This letter also demanded that Ross leadership hire non-white teachers, to hire racially diverse, teachers, representative of DCPS. Why did this have to happen? Ross could be a vanguard of change. It could be an incredible school for reading and writing, and why not? With this focus, students from 2-5th grades would stay rather than leave in a mass exodus in 3rd and 4th grades and/or leaving the DCPS system altogether. DC Council passed The Decoding Dyslexia bill- Ross Leadership should take everything in that bill and run with it!! It should become the top example for how the measures in that bill can turn around an entire school especially after 3 yrs of COVID school shutdown, Canvas, Teams, etc...(spring 2020, SY 2020-2021, fall 2021).

My daughter is in prek3 at Thomson elementary and we absolutely love it. The school is amazing. The staff are all so nurturing and there is very low teacher turnover. The principal knows all the students by name. There is a strong sense of community and the student body is very diverse. The level of education is so strong. My daughter just turned 4 and is already reading and able to do simple addition and subtraction. She came home last week explaining how she learned about the magic e at the end of words. It’s so awesome to see. Class sizes are small and so teachers are able to do a lot of one on one. We also get daily updates and pictures, which we’ve loved. We have so appreciated how the teachers get to know the families, offering home visits and having regular communication through the school app. Most importantly, the kids are so happy. My daughter absolutely loves the centers in the classroom (dramatic play for example is one of them) and the specials. She gets to have Spanish, art, social emotional learning, music and library every week. At home, she likes to “play school” regularly and set up centers like she has in her classroom even. I wanted to share this review because a lot of parents don't consider Thomson solely because of the lack of outdoor space. But please do not let that deter you. I cannot stress enough how happy I am with our choice because of the level of attention and education my daughter is getting. I’ve talked to parents who have their kids at other schools in dc as well as Arlington, and I can say with certainty Thomson is special.

We have been at SWWFS for eight years and the school has felt like family since day one. The teachers are phenomenal and the admin works around the clock to take care of students, staff and families. We love that our kids can be in the same place from Pre-K through 8th grade. Principal Young is incredible and we are so lucky to have her.

Hyde is a great school and our family loves it!

An excellent immersion preschool that provides a solid academic, linguistic and social foundation for young children in a nurturing environment.

What I initially loved about Georgetown Montessori School was the beautiful setting the children have to learn. The primary room is in an old church room with vaulted ceilings, the space is filled with natural light, and the indoor and outdoor settings are relatively integrated (but safe, being one block from the Waterfront in Georgetown). All other things being equal, I would choose this space for my children (and for myself!) to learn in over almost any other. 4 of our children have now attended GMS over the last decade, so I also know that beyond the school setting, the principles and history that guide the school are even more meaningful than how the school looks. GMS is a classical Montessori school (I honestly didn't know what that was before). The toys/ kits/ projects that the kids work on are the same ones that were there 10 years ago. The kids are taught to listen to older kids and take care of younger kids rather than ignore everyone but the teachers. Nearly all the teachers either attended themselves or have had children who have attended. If you want your children to feel like part of a family, to have time-tested methods of play that inspire them to learn and to be independent and confident, to get excited about things like cleaning chairs and helping fold laundry, and to be good people, send them to GMS.