Washington School

My daughter attended kindergarten at Washington school and I was disappointed. Being an educator myself, I had high expectations for my daughter s first year of public school. Within the first couple weeks my daughter was being bullied by another student in her class. I met with the teacher who seemed genuinely concerned and then my husband and I met with the principal and the teacher as the situation continued. They said the student was on a behavior plan now so everything should be okay, but the bully still had a locker next to my daughter s and an assigned seat next to her. I had to ask to have them changed. A little later my daughter s teacher left the school. (We were not given a reason; we only were sent a note home the day before her last day.) It was a terrible transition for the students who weren t given any time to prepare for their teacher leaving. In the spring my daughter was having trouble with the same student at recess. The teacher said she was aware of the situation at the beginning of the year, but nothing else was said or done. Although, the academic standards are up to par and my daughter is doing well, the behavior standards at this school are very low.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in Kindergarten and the home work assignments are often misspelled and tough to understand, the classrooms are very dusty, computer volumes do not work half the time and i sometimes feel like when i have a concern the principal just listens but doesnt do anything about my problem. and he is not excelling in reading skills :( iam working on transfering him to Martin school in the coming year. :)
—Submitted by a parent

I agree with most that is being said about Washington School. Unfortunately, it does not get the credit it deserves. My daughter was an advanced student who transferred to Washington from Boston. Although the curriculum focuses on grade level only. Her teacher and the administration recognized that she was in fact 2 grade levels ahead and accommodated her with higher level work. She enjoyed here experience at Washington. Now my 2 younger sons attend and they are thriving.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has transfered to Washington Magnet and I'm not pleased with the level of teaching. The standards and the expectations of these kids are set very low. There is problem with bullying in the school. On paper the idea of a Media Arts Magnet school looks very good on paper but I do not see the evidence that these kids actually benefit. the after school tutoring program is a joke, the work comes home sloppy and incorrect and I have to fix what the tutor was suposed to be working on with my kid on. These kids score lower than other schools in Manchester and these kids are not receing an educaton equal to other grade schools in Manchester. I will be transferrring her out at the end of the school year! The principal shouldn't be allowed to settle for less with the education of these kids.
—Submitted by a parent

I would rate this school as having a quality program for students. The administration and teachers care. They are very particular about expectations and helpful if there is a problem.
—Submitted by a parent

The racial breakdown of this school is inaccurate because the amount of african- american students is far greater than that of caucasian students. Just last year my son was one of three caucasian children in his class.
—Submitted by a parent

Washington School has been reopened as a media arts magnet school(2001-2002). A new extended day, afterschool program opened, thanks to a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant (2001-2002). This year, (2003-2004) 217 students participated in the program that provides an hour of academics with a certified teacher and an hour in a recreational activity. Classes have included: drill team, theater, digital design, video acting, fine art, poetry, Latin Dance, martial arts and more. Every 10 weeks, students show off their talents in a family showcase. Family field trips have included the Boston Aquarium and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. Prepartion classes for the Connecticut Mastery Tests are available in 3rd and 5th grades. Many parents, community organizations and volunteers participate in the program. Students often return from middle school to help out. Strong sense of family and community at Washington Media Arts Magnet School.
—Submitted by an administrator

This school has been a very unfortunate experience for both my children and myself. The teachers here do work just as hard and are just as wonderful as many other teachers across the state. The problem has been constant battles with the school administration. They do not encourage parents to participate in the school, they fight parents on most issues re: attendance and learning issues.
—Submitted by a parent

Washignton is a great school although lacking in a culturally sensitive staff and curriculum. The ratio breakdown of Blacks/Whites is incorrect. There are more Whites in the school than Blacks making the percentage breakdown biased. The way it is broken down indicates that there are an equal distribution of Blacks to Whites and Blacks are scoring far below Whites. This is inaccurate. Although I'm not surprised that this was done or even why.
—Submitted by Annette Odom, a parent

Before my son attended Washington we lived in Massachusetts and the class sizes were almost double what they are at Washington. The wonderfull teachers and staff gave my son the much needed confidence to grow and excel as a student. I would recommend to anyone who is looking to send a child to school in Manchester to send them to Washington. The principal is wonderful as well and you can always find either her or the teachers ready and willing to discuss your childs progress without hassle. Wonderful school 5 stars all the way!
—Submitted by a parent

Washington School is a wonderful school. The entire staff is very caring and nurturing. The students have a sense of pride and determination. My son loves his teacher and looks forward to learning and attending school daily.
—Submitted by a parent