Denver Language School

This school has exceeded our expectations. We came from DMIS which is a private school and this school is much more organized and the academics are much more rigorous. The immersion model is explained in depth and you understand how and what your children are learning. Very impressed. The teachers are fantastic and seemed to be supported.
—Submitted by a parent

NO diversity! Immersion may be taking place at this school but if you are a family of color you are NOT treated fairly or looked upon as having a brain! Parents aren't happy with Administration, front desk staff or teachers. I don't think my child will be attending DLS in the fall.
—Submitted by a parent

I understand that everyone has their own experiences with the DLS administration, but I must say that I have been very happy with the follow up that my concerns received earlier this year: my kindergartener was being bullied by a peer in her classroom. When I emailed the principal about it, she replied within an hour, and followed that up with a phone call later that afternoon. She was appropriately concerned and explained to me what was being done to ameliorate the problem. She also encouraged me to contact her again any time in the future with any other concerns I might have. Since this conversation, my daughter has reported no more problems with this peer.
—Submitted by a parent

We fully embrace full immersion education for our children and the teachers we have had have been great. The art, gym and music programs are fantastic. Unfortunately, the current administration does not have strong leadership skills, does not know how to delegate tasks or support teachers from different cultures. Instead of having a conversation with parents, the principal's technique is to yell at them or ignore them when they have an issue or concern. We are happy with what happens in the classroom but not what happens outside of it.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of a first grade Mandarin student and am thankful every day that my son has the opportunity to attend DLS. Both our kindergarten and first grade teachers have been wonderful - academically strong, nurturing, supportive and everything that I would look for in a teacher. The bond among the students is strong, and the school does a wonderful job of encouraging students to think and act like global citizens. The specials teachers are incredible and the quality of instruction in Art, PE and Music has far exceeded my expectations. The new principal has made great strides in open communication and organization. Most importantly, my son is sad every time there is a day off school as he loves it that much. That, to me, is a testiment to the culture, the teachers, and the overall ambience of the school. Thanks to the work of the dedicated parents, the skilled staff and the involvement of the students/families the school will only continue to get better and better.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our 2nd year at DLS & we couldn't be happier! Our child is conversationally 'fluent' in speaking Mandarin, can read age appropriate books & is learning to write characters. The Singapore math model that is used is excellent, as are the science & social studies curriculums. Her teachers are kind, loving & truly care about their students. Differentiation occurs in the class, so small groups w/i 1 class are getting more individualized instruction. Class sizes range from 23 to 30, w/ 2 full time teachers in each class at all times. The PE & art teachers are amazing! The parent body is very involved, including a great & active PTA. Our excellent new principal has hit the ground running this year & has made some great changes. She is very supportive & truly has the school's best interest in mind. I do feel like people have to remember that DLS is just in it's 3rd year & yes, it does have some growing pains. But the administration is very aware of the issues & is tackling problems & making improvements everyday. There are many ways for parents to be involved too, even if you don't speak the target language. I highly recommend DLS & look forward to sending my 2nd child there.
—Submitted by a parent

We have two kids at DLS, in first and fourth grade Spanish. We are truly amazed at how quickly they picked up a second language. They're both reading and speaking fluently in Spanish. We love all the extras-- music, PE, art, as well as many after-school enrichment classes offered by the teachers. We also love the diversity in the student population-- much more diverse than our neighborhood school. Teachers are animated, creative, and caring, and great at meeting the needs of all students in each class, including the highly gifted kids as well as the kids with IEPs. There are many opportunities for parents to volunteer in and out of the classroom and parent support is greatly appreciated. Every year the school gets stronger, and the new principal has made many positive changes since starting last summer, including great communication between administration and parents. We hope the school can move to a larger facility soon so we can grow into a full ECE-8th grade.
—Submitted by a parent

Wholeheartedly agree with the recent poor reviews and the points raised in each of them. We were ecstatic about sending our child to this school. However, our experience was in sharp contrast with what we were told and observed when we toured the school last year. That said, our child learned a lot of the target language and otherwise, thrived academically. We left mid-year because we couldn't justify staying after hearing our child's reports of what takes place in the classroom. These reports were confirmed through our own observations as well as multiple, independent accounts from other parents and their children. The administration refused to listen, acknowledge, or address these concerns. The reputation of the staff as unfriendly and resting on its laurels of the school's reputation from its first few years, IMO, is well deserved. There ARE a few gems in this school, but they lack the power to effect systemic change. The one star is for these gems.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent/former DPS educator. This is our second yr at DLS. We were hopeful that with another yr under its belt and a new administrator, students and teachers would be better supported. Unfortunately this is not our experience. We shared our concerns/suggestions with the board of directors & the principal. There was no attempt to follow up. We will be leaving mid year. Areas of concern for Spanish kgarten (imo): class size of 30+, excessive amount of worksheet/desk time, punitive demerit behavior system, recess withheld for all students as form of punishment, papers thrown in trash when incorrectly executed, children urinating in pants due to denial of bathroom access, excessive time spent in behavior management vs teaching due to class size, inadequate small group time, little time spent speaking the target language due to noise level/control of large class, children being "labeled" as bad vs behaviors being labeled, I sincerely hope that at least some of these concerns will be addressed for the other children who remain at this school. That said, the parental involvement is robust and the teachers seem to want to make a difference....they just don't have the power.
—Submitted by a parent

Every day I feel fortunate that my children can attend DLS, the 2012 #1 school of choice in the district. I am proud of Denver for supporting the vision that kids raised here will be ready for life in a global economy. Having fluency skills in a second language not only opens the door to opportunity in the workplace, but expands the way one can understand and enjoy another culture. Our family chose a language immersion program because the research stated that the earlier a child is exposed to a second language the better. After nine months in Shirley Li s DLS kindergarten, our daughter was able to write and present a four minute speech in Mandarin Chinese. It was only after being a part of DLS did we learn that kids in immersion programs test higher than their peers in all subjects after 5th grade. Researchers attribute the scores to an increase brain development of 20% because of the bi-literacy. DLS is an amazing place. We can't wait to learn Spanish next.
—Submitted by a parent

What I like about the school is that unlike so many DPS schools our students have PE, music, art every week. I also like that each class has two teachers, a lead teacher and a full-time T.A. My first grader is teacher my younger child Mandarin and already answers me in Mandarin. She sings songs in Mandarin and loves it. The classrooms are bright and large. Everyone greats you with a smile and all teachers take time to say hi. The school is still new, there are some growing pains but the quality of the education my child receives is terrific.
—Submitted by a parent

We are so glad our child attends DLS. We loved the teachers dedication and their effort. There are so many parent volunteers, everybody wants to make the school not just good but great. I think that some of the customer service at the front desk could be better and it is being addressed. We are happy to have art, physical education, and music plus many extracurricular activities. Some activities we have to pay for but some are just created by parents like classroom book clubs which help support English proficiency. Also, the 2012 tcap results for 3rd grade were amazing!!!
—Submitted by a parent

Great concept but there is no mechanism in place for handling kids that don't fit their model. They wait until the child is in total meltdown and then determine that special education is needed. My son was MISERABLE, the assistant teacher didn't treat him fairly (this according to the primary class teacher). Instead of ensuring that the adults in the classroom treated children appropriately, my son suffered greatly. The school psychologist suggest I pull my son out as the school doesn't seem to notice they have created an issue. It has taken months for my son to get back to what was close to normal for him. Unless leadership changes I would steer clear. Great parental involvement. I think the teachers are well meaning but completely lacking in self awareness.
—Submitted by a parent

I like DLS. The education is good and the goal is better. However I do feel their kindergarten requirements are high which is great but the student teacher ratio is not adequate so when the staff notices a child has a problem and is sent to the so-called specialist they are not helpful either. I think the teachers were nice and curriculum is good but there is just not enought attention being paid to students who need extra help to succeed. Half of an entire kindergarten class gets held back that is not good. My children will return because one is doing exceptional but he also had teachers who are no longer there when he started. So if my daughter does do better this go-round maybe the immersion process is just not for her. Good school for kids to learn a new language overall.
—Submitted by a parent

In response to the post from an administrator, I also stated that the staff was very unwilling to help when it came to the process. I had to ask the Registrar if the Principal was available before she got out of her chair to help us. I am not blaiming DLS, I am stating a fact as to what happened to myself, my husband and our children with the registrartion process. I hold firm that there is poor customer service. I am very happy that Denver area students are doing well.
—Submitted by a parent

In contrast to the other reviews, we have not had a great experience at this school. The families who attend are very committed and involved, and make a great community. However, on the classroom level, we have not been so pleased. It may be that it is just not a good match for our child's needs.
—Submitted by a parent

DLS is an amazing Total Immersion School! My daughter is now in first grade, her second year in the school. She is in the Spanish Program and we are very impressed with the quality of the curriculum, the high academic expectations and language acquisition. She's been in the school less than two years and she is able to communicate to native Spanish speakers and reads above grade level in both English and Spanish. We couldn't be happier with the staff. They are all caring, hard working, dedicated teachers. The administration offers many opportunities to communicate, volunteer and participate in school events. I can't wait for my second kid to start kindergarten here next year! What a treasure in DPS!
—Submitted by a parent

What a great school to call home! I am a teacher at DLS and I truly leave school with a smile on my face, giving thanks for being able to be a part of such a positive, creative, and innovative educational community. The students are picking the target language naturally and quickly and make me laugh daily with the things they say and do. The parents are amazing - supportive, generous, down to earth and friendly. The staff are wonderful and inspiring to work with. I look forward to being a part of the DLS family for years to come.
—Submitted by a teacher

We are thrilled with DLS. The art and PE programs are outstanding. The energy of the school is extremely positive. My child is excited to go to school every day.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter just finished her first year in Mandarin Kindergarten. She absolutely LOVES school, her teachers and all the new friends she made there. The classes are lively, energetic and full of songs and dramatic learning. My daughter has learned a great deal of Mandarin already and basically sings and talks in chinese at home (I have no clue what she is saying though!) She is even teaching her 3 year old brother who can now count to 20 in mandarin. The teachers are amazing and easily approachable. The parents are very involved and our PTO fundraising efforts are incredible for a school that has only 3 grades so far! We are very happy with our school. As for Brian, he is exactly what a start up needed and has been instrumental in generating funds for the school and planning its future. He has two incredible Program heads (CHinese and Mandarin) who are more than adequately experienced in running the educational programs. Love it!
—Submitted by a parent