Harriet Tubman Village Charter School

have spent my life evualuating businesses and other functional entities, and have observed that in nearly all cases the organization reflects the attitudes and values of the owner/boss/ or in this case, principal. This individual is the epitomy of what I would wish to run the academic side of my (2) children's lives. She is ACCESSABLE beyond belief, and controls the curriculum and the teachers for the best CHILD ORIENTED results, which you will never find in a city bureacracy that fears the backlash of unions, etc. Everyone says, "What about the children?"... Well, here is someone doing something about it!!! It is intellect and imagination... She has only been there 3 years & what she has done to lift the academics and the atmosphere is nothing short of miraculous... A new add..All of this crying about the principal is pap by new age parents! Do you want your child in an efficient academic institution, or a crib that pampers to bureaucratic unions and whining parents?? If the latter, go to a public school. If the former, get your child in here, ready to learn.. That's what you'll get here, due SOLEY to that fearsome principal & the carefully selected teachers & policies.
—Submitted by a parent

i love the school the staff is great as well as the primetime people are great, but i dont like the professionalism of the principle of this school she is very rude and offensive. I have tried to give complaints in the past but there is no one to go to. other wise this school has one of the greatest teachers they go over an beyond for their students
—Submitted by a parent

This is not the best school. It has poor leadership and therefore poor teachers. I removed my child from here as soon as I found out the situation.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my second year at Tubman and my fourth year teaching and this school is by far the best school that I've taught at. I have taught in school district schools as well as several charter schools in the San Diego area. No school that I've taught at cares about all of their students the way Tubman does. We strive to make each and every student college and career ready and prepare them with the skills in order to be successful in the real world. The idea of college and career readiness begins in kindergarten. The kindergarten program has been completely revamped from the classrooms to the garden. Kindergarten has small class sizes between (15-18) students, giving the teacher the opportunity to work with small groups of students and focus on each individual child. Tubman focuses on the whole child, providing students with the opportunity to engage in art, explore the garden and school orchard, go to the library and computer lab, and engage in Physical Education two times a week. Each kindergarten classroom also comes equipped with 3-4 computers in order for students to complete activities and assessments in a comfortable and safe environment. Stop by to check out this program!
—Submitted by a teacher

After having worked and observed at several different public schools in San Diego County, I can say that HTVCS is one of the few schools that truly cares about the students and their needs. The class sizes are small, specifically in K (15-18 students), and students are able to develop a personal connection to their teachers and school staff. Also, students are encouraged to grow and thrive as a person by being exposed to other subjects besides just Reading and Math, such as P.E., Science, Social Studies and Art. Kindergarteners also have their own safe space to explore, with their own playground, lunch area, and garden.
—Submitted by a teacher

So glad that that my student will not be in this Mess of a school next year. I pray for the students left that somehow this school will get the proper leadership so that this school can thrive and become a truly great school but for now this school is really a joke!!
—Submitted by a parent

Tubman has given me an opportunity to use different techniques and strategies to help my students learn. I love that I have many opportunities to integrate technology in my teaching everyday!
—Submitted by a teacher

I have had kids at this school for over the last 13 yrs - seen 3 different principals and the current one is by far the best & has been quick when change has been needed whether it be change to curriculum or change in staffing to meet the needs of the students - great school
—Submitted by a parent

I love working for Harriet Tubman Village Charter School. I believe that over the course of the year the entire team has come together to work very hard to build a school ready/college bound school. There is a very strong community involvement and parents know and appreciate that our students are there to learn!
—Submitted by a teacher

I have a 7th grade student that attends HTVCS. I am very happy to see the school year come to a close. The leadership can be compared to that of Napoleon - there is very little parent involvement - PTA meeting times & locations are undisclosed, board meetings are not truly open to parents, for months I tried to get a schedule for the board meetings to no avail. During the 3rd week of school the entire 7th grade staff was removed for unknown reasons - parents who were concerned were not allowed to express concern in any forum - The school would really benefit and grow if new leadership were in place - Really a sad situation for the students and staff - school has great potential - but just not very progressive
—Submitted by a parent

I really enjoy being a part of this school. The students are very respectful and are eager to learn! :)
—Submitted by a teacher

Tubman has implemented a rigorous standards-based program across all grade levels. We are focused on student engagement and mastery of standards. We have begun a systematic change in mathematics instruction, focusing on understanding mathematical reasoning as opposed to the traditional algorithms. The AVID program has been implemented in grades 6-8, with one AVID elective class and AVID strategies used in all middle school classes. This year administration made the decision to create a 6th grade honors class and challenge this cohort of students in math by placing them in a pre-algebra class. The intent is to groom this cohort to successfully complete algebra as 7th graders and geometry as 8th graders, similar to what many traditional larger middle schools offer. Additionally, based on results of school-wide strategic planning, our school community is committed to focusing on integrating STEM into our charter. The first step we are implementing at this point is recruiting elementary teachers that are strong in math, as well as providing consistent professional development in math for all K-8 teachers.
—Submitted by a teacher

This morning's visit to a middle grade math class was awesome! Students were engaged in making meaning collaboratively were very excited about what they were learning! It was inspiring to see the AVID methodologies present and in action!

Tubman is the school to watch! Test scores are improving, there is new technology in every classroom, netbooks for 3rd-8th grade classes, new textbooks, new library books, new teachers, more electives classes, and a new AWESOME after school program director!
—Submitted by a parent

I love "Breakfast in the Classroom"! The school is focused on academics and it shows because they are meeting their goals.
—Submitted by a parent

The support staff is always visible. During every recess, you can see many adults out supervising. The computer lab and library are open in the mornings. I like the friendly office staff and the new Prime Time director.
—Submitted by a parent

While selecting school for my children, I had the opportunity to meet with several principals. It was the principal at Harriet Tubman Charter School that really impressed me. Her positive attitude, her praises for teachers/staffs and her vision for the children made the decision easier for me. In addition, I noticed that the enrollment has gone up from previous year and the test score has improved tremendously. The school test score is now up at 791.
—Submitted by a parent

My son attends Tubman Village (Kindergarten) and I have to say his teacher and principal are very dedicated to the children & education. I love the classroom, yard and garden (the children learn gardening which I love). I also love his teacher's creative approach to all subjects, especially reading and math. He has homework daily and we hear announcements from his principal every eve. My son surprises me almost on a daily basis with what he's learning-he plays music, sings songs, counts in several different languages, reads above normal level it's great. Keep up the good work Tubman Village:)
—Submitted by a parent

New principal at the school has no clue what to do or where to start. since my son started attending this school he has no homework yet maintains a A+ the bar is set very low for the children at this school not much is required other than show up so the school can continue to get paid. uniforms seem to be more important than education.
—Submitted by a parent

Many of the comments I just read are so true. It's nice to know that parents see how hard teachers work and care for our students education process. I can't say enough about the staff at Harriet Tubman. They are the glue to that school because leadership from the top is minimal to say the least. My analogy to principal leadership is like that of a well run business or restaurant ; If Principals keep their teachers happy (supplies, interacting, praise, etc), than teachers apply their teaching strategies much more effectively, and students learn and are happy. Believe me kids know when something is bothering us. They are like little detectives. T he teachers are amazing but the school lacks many extra-curricular programs and electives.
—Submitted by a teacher