Charles Barrett Elementary School

The overcrowding has impacted the learning environment of the school. If your child needs a smaller than regular class setting this school is not a good choice. Overall this school needs upgrading and expansion to address many issues.

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.

There were several instances where I felt unsafe for children at Oakridge and recently had to withdraw my son because a child in his class repeatedly touched my son in his private parts without any repercussions. The administration team is laughable. The principal wouldn’t even come into a meeting to address the sexual abuse that was taking place at HER school. Shame on her. I have called CPS and the superintendent, but I would steer clear of this school.

I have three young children at the school (1st grade, Kindergarten and 2s preschool program) and we have been so happy here. It's a beautiful, faithful, supportive and fun community; and the the teachers, administration and parents are generally well-aligned on mission. The pastor of the parish is very supportive and involved, and the teachers always go above and beyond. Although my kids are young, we've been appreciating the classical curriculum, and our older girls are reading very well. We love this school!