As the new academic year approaches, D.C.’s public charter schools have once again set high standards to ensure that all of 43,911 of its students receive an education that prepares them for either college or a career.
To that end, top-ranking schools are continuing to expand to provide more quality choices to students, while plans are on tap to close lowest-performing schools.
Top-ranking Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS – East End One, has opened an additional campus, which fulfills the charter schools’ longstanding efforts to bring a bilingual public charter school to families living in east of the Anacostia River.
In having closed low-performing schools since 2012, charter school officials have managed the closure of 35 low-performing public charter schools for either poor academic performance for fiscal reasons.
However, prior to closing a school, officials meet with the school’s leadership and board members to discuss concerns, develop corrective actions, and issue “Notices of Concern and Charter Warnings” to chronic low performers.
Safe, Effective Vaccinations
With the summer break winding down, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser urges parents to make sure their children receive all mandatory vaccinations for the new school year.
The vaccines, which are safe and effective, are the single-most important way to protect the D.C. community against serious and sometimes deadly diseases, city officials said.
Health centers in all eight wards are offering free immunizations for children and teens. Call 202-442-5955 or go to dchealth.dc.gov to find a nearby health center.
Kids Ride Free
This year, new Kids Ride Free cards will be sent directly to all D.C. Public and D.C. Public Charter Schools for distribution starting Aug. 26.
Students’ cards from the 2018-19 school year are valid until Sept. 30. New cards will be provided to students by their school’s DC One Card administrator before current cards expire.
New Schools Opening
DCPS is opening two new buildings this semester: Ida B. Wells Middle School in Ward 4 and Bard High School Early College DC in Ward 7.
DCPS is also making big investments this school year in technology to equip every third-, sixth- and ninth-grade student with their own laptop or device.
Meet-and-Greets, ‘Back to School Night’
Sept. 5 — Classes begin at Achievement Preparatory Academy Public Charter School – Wahler Place Middle School
“Parents as Partners” meet-and-greet for returning families takes place daily the first week of school, Aug. 26-29 Back to School Night – Sept. 11 (fourth- and fifth-graders), Sept. 12 (sixth- and eighth-graders)
Aug. 26 — Classes begin at AppleTree Early Learning Center Public Charter School – Columbia Heights
Summer meet-and-greets take place through August to support cultivation of relationships with new families.
Aug. 26 — Classes begin at Creative Minds International Public Charter School
Faculty and staff look forward to welcoming new and returning families to kick off the 2019-20 school year with an open house on Aug. 23.
At this time, families will have an opportunity to meet teachers and see the classroom in advance of the first day of school.
Back to School Night will be celebrated on Sept. 4, where families will have an opportunity to hear more about what their children will be learning over the course of the school year.