Charleston Development Academy

My oldest child started Memminger in CD-4 and will be graduating from this wonderful school this month. My youngest also started in pre-k, but moved to Buist for 3rd grade--which is not a move I would've opted for except we preferred Buist to our in-district middle school. All that to say, with Memminger becoming a Buist feeder school, the school demographics have shifted dramatically in this time--not necessarily for the better of the community and public, if you ask me, but I digress. What has been the same since we started, is the absolutely amazing, warm, inclusive culture at Memminger--thanks to truly amazing teachers, staff and administrators. This is a place where teachers seem happy and engaged, and everyone knows your child's name, whether they've had them in class or not. Dottie Brown was an amazing principle, and Cheryl Wash has been an exceptional vice and interim principal (who every bit deserved the full-time role, as I'm sure the vast majority of parents and educators would agree, but again, I digress). What you see on scorecards never gives a full picture. If I had used them to guide my decision about where to send my children, rather than my intuition, after visiting the school and getting to know the amazing educators and atmosphere (special shout out to Ms. Inabinet)I may not have sent my children to this wonderful gem of a school. My children both tested as gifted and have high 90th percentiles in iReady thanks in no small part to the excellent education provided by this school and the very dedicated educators. As a parent, I will miss this place tremendously--and I imagine the same is true of my kids.

This school is horrible they neglect the kids and if your kid is struggling bad they still just pass them to the next grade. Teachers have favoritism with the kids. The kid’s behaviors are out of control, and the principal don’t have a lot of communication with the kids and teachers.

As a concerned parent, I feel it’s necessary to share the experiences that many families, including my own, have had during the 2025 school year at Sanders-Clyde Head Start. This program is meant to support and guide our youngest learners—but unfortunately, it has not lived up to that promise.One of the most noticeable issues is the developmental regression in many of the children. I’ve seen kids who once spoke clearly now using baby talk. Instead of progressing, they’re going backwards —raising serious concerns about how well the environment supports their growth.Even more alarming are the repeated concerns about how children are being handled. I’ve seen and heard of teachers physically grabbing children by the arm and refusing to let go, then calling parents when a child reacts by biting. But no one asks the important question: What led to that behavior? Accountability should apply to staff as well—not just to the children. There’s also very little transparency with parents. For example, accidents happen far too often, and most are not documented or even mentioned at pickup. As parents, we deserve to know if our child fell, bumped their head, or had any kind of incident during the day. Not reporting these events is not only unacceptable—it’s unsafe.When it comes to food, what was promised at orientation and what’s actually served don’t match. We were told children would receive healthy food, juice, and snacks. Yet when asked, children say they only get milk and water. Much of the food includes ingredients like Red Dye 40, and meals such as bean-only quesadillas don’t provide the balanced nutrition growing kids need. Would you eat that yourself?Children are also starting to repeat phrases like, “I need something to calm me down” or “I can’t keep calm.” These are not things toddlers typically say on their own—they’re repeating what’s being said to them. This speaks to the stress and pressure they may be feeling in the classroom. We send our children to school hoping they’ll be treated with the same care and respect we would give them ourselves. I truly hope that in the new school year, Sanders-Clyde Head Start will take these concerns seriously and make meaningful changes. Please remember: these are toddlers. Be mindful of how you treat them. Your actions now will shape who they become. Next year Administration and teachers need weekly meeting to evaluate them, like they do our kids! Have a safe summer.

My daughter has been at JSM for three years, starting in 3K. We could not be happier, and I highly recommend it! She was reading at age 4 due to her phenomenal teacher. She loves going to school every day. The parent community here is special-engaged, uncompetitive, and dedicated to helping all kids receive an excellent education.

My daughter is in the 10th grade at Ashley Hall, and started school there in the 6th grade, after moving down from Connecticut. She has fit in wonderfully. She has a wonderful group of friends, and she is thriving. She is challenged everyday. She is currently taking 3 languages, and is very motivated academically. We couldn't imagine her anywhere else.