Charles E Smith Jewish Day School

I have 2 children at the lower school. They do not have the support - but they mislead my family into thinking they do - for learning disorders and learning disabilities. If I knew then what I know now, we would not be at Jds. We have speech and language therapy as well as nightly tutoring after the school day finishes in addition to the monthly exorbitant tuition which has increased every single year. There is no visible support or understanding from administrators. As with many other schools, teachers are excellent, midline and a few horrible experiences. But we were lucky to have a few sensational teachers! The school encourages a community feeling and provides many opportunities to give back and be involved in the classroom. Is it worth the money - no.
—Submitted by a parent

I have three children at the School and am thrilled with the education, responsiveness, teacher quality and leadership. My kids are all on different parts of the learning spectrum and they have benefited from the learning needs professionals and they have been challenged in many curricular areas.The School is unusual in that it listens to feedback, reviews and improves on curriculum quality. Lower School Math and Science and High School Hebrew have been revised in response to feedback and evaluation. As a family who receives financial assistance, I take issue with people who say that it is a school for the wealthy. From the Headmaster onward, we have been treated with dignity & respect and our needs and requests have been heard and well-handled. This is the experience of the hundreds of other families that I know. Of course not everything is perfect and some families use these websites to get back at a school if they don't like a decision or a person.However, most families who are part of JDS's warm community feel cared for and the kids are well educated. The teachers, leadership and even the facilities staff know our kids and look out for them. Thank you JDS!!
—Submitted by a parent

The school is generally good, but is clearly not all it could (and should) be. The school is excellent for kids in the middle 80%. However, for kids who need extra help or with learning or social issues, they will not find it a JDS. Also, the truly gifted kid will not be pushed to excell at JDS. The teachers are generally very good (some truly superb), but they are not supported by the administration (and there are too many adminstrators). The dual curriculum is challenging, but the administration is generally not open to innovative ideas from faculuty and parents regarding changes to the program. Parent input is not welcome unless you are a signifcant donor. The student body is wonderful and much more supportive of each other than you find at most schools. The 3 month program in Israel at the end of the senior year is wonderful, a magical time in which seniors grow closer and experience living on their own (great preparation for college), while learning all about the history, geography and people of Israel.
—Submitted by a parent

I would consider JDS to be a mediocre school. It is not very well run -- teachers do not feel supported and there appears to be a large number of new staff year to year which is a sign of instability. Parental input is not welcome unless you are one of the biggest donors. Unlike public school where parents can have input into their child's placement, JDS will not consider parents or the students input. There is no real community except for a privileged few. The education itself is only ok. When you get a good teacher, you notice because typically your kid's other teachers are only ok. I will not be sending my child to HS there -- we live in an area with excellent public schools. Why would I pay for mediocrity? The stakes are too high for college admissions.
—Submitted by a parent

If you already have a gifted child the school will definitly push your kid to excell. But for those kids that need extra help or have learning issues, steer clear. JDS is not equipped to handle "special needs" kids. In fact once they determine your child falls into that category the school will begin the process of weeding your kid out. They have an image to uphold and poor performing students is not what they want nor have patience for. Their help consists of moving the child to the front of the class, abbreviating homework and giving extra time on tests. Beyond that they wash their hands of you. Eventually they will ask you to leave. There is a large number of Jewish children this school has unfortunately turned their back on. The schools enrollment has dropped like a rock in recent years. Due in part to a poor economy but largely due to dissatisfaction. Not good for a school which has a Headmaster making over $300,000 a year...one of the largest salaries in the country for a person in this position. Their teachers are also treated like garbage. This school may be worthwhile in the K-8 grades but after high school...go elsewhere.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 3 children enrolled in the school, at both the lower and upper school campuses. I can safely say that each of them is receiving an exemplary education and is part of a wonderful community. The values instilled in them by the dual curriculum are positive and strong, and the quality of the academic programs have surpassed my wildest expectations. Though somewhat expensive, the school offers very generous financial aid packages. Thank you JDS!
—Submitted by a parent

terrible, stay away All about the money!! its shameful JDS has been and continues to be a school of very poor education and no one there cares!!!
—Submitted by a parent

So sad...This school s leadership is a shame for the Jewish community. The salaries for the head of the school are outrages, and it comes directly from community pocket, and from student s tuition. Laying off teachers, and teachers assistants. Eliminating special teachers, and classes as Art and computer. The school blames the economic situation to the condition of the school that lead to low student s registration. The truth is that parents are voting with their legs, and going back to the public schools, were they can provide their children with an appropriate education. What a Jewish family will do to provide their kids with a Jewish education? They will be willing to compromise!!!! JDS is the proof and that is very sad. Someone needs to wake up the board or replace it, to save the school future or values. To use the community money for scholarship, school materials, teacher development.

We moved to the area last summer and placed our three children at JDS - two are in high school and one is in the lower school. We are thrilled with the quality of the education, both secular and Judaic, as well as the personal attention and support provided by the teachers and the adminstration. The school has tremendous resources for all levels of academic proficiency, as well as a terrific college placement staff. The quality of the teachers has been uniformly excellent. The lower school math cirriculum, which was updated for this year, is very strong, and compares favorably to the program we left behind in an excellent public school district. Finally, every effort was made to make our kids (and us) feel welcome.
—Submitted by a parent

I have a child in Kindergarten and we are having a wonderful experience at JDS. The school provides a nurturing environment for children to learn and because the class size is small they really meet the needs of each child on a individual basis. You feel part of a community. We truly feel our child is receiving a fabulous education at JDS.
—Submitted by a parent

CESJDS gives our children and us a community of caring friends. When they say 'it takes a village' this is what they are talking about. Academics are strong and because the class size isn't as big as public school, the teachers really get to know the kids and they can do more creative thing with them. The Hebrew language piece is wonderful. Our children speak Hebrew with Israel accents.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 3 children at JDS, one in the Upper School and 2 in the Lower School. We have been thrilled with all of their experiences. The teachers and parents are wonderful. It is definitely a community school. My oldest child told me he 'hit the jackpot' on his teachers this year -- how many middle school students say that?
—Submitted by a parent

My kids have been at JDS for 10 years. This school is a wonderful school. The staff is friendly and my kids get three 45 minute P.E. classes per week. No complaints here.
—Submitted by a parent

My children, 9 and 11, are happy, learning and from what I'm told they are doing things with technology the public schools dream of. They are learning in an environment of caring and looking towards the future. We are ecstatic with the education our boys are receiving at JDS.
—Submitted by a parent

We have had two children graduate from JDS and our third will graduate next year. Our children and their friends are polite, intelectually curious, and socially responsible young adults. They received an excellent secular and judaic education and have succeeded tremendously in college and life. JDS has a warm and welcoming community and our journey in the school over the past 18 years has been wonderful. We have met so many friends who we consider family and our children have received a wonderful education.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers are a mixed bag. One of my children has consistently had excellent, experienced teachers who go the extra mile, the other, not so much. I also do not find the community very welcoming - parents are very clannish, and children often follow suit. I do not feel very involved in the school community at all.
—Submitted by a parent

We have one in the Lower School and one in the Upper School. Both of our children love their teachers and their classmates. The new principal of the Lower School is fantastic and it is clear that the academic quality of the school keeps getting better and better. JDS has a warm, comfortable atmosphere and the teachers make a point to incorporate ethics and character education into the curriculum. We could not be happier with our decision to send our children to JDS.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is amazing from both an acedemic and social viewpoint. Students are encouraged to be highly successful and independent. The math program has been updated and is challenging. There is a new princiapl who is dedicated to the students and staff. A wonderful place to be!
—Submitted by a parent

The Lower School (where we have three students) has been a wonderful experience for all of us. Our children's teachers take a close and personal interest in their development and are very accessible and warm. Everyone is made to feel welcome and the curriculum is very strong and appropriately challenging. I am very impressed by how well the school maintains the double track of General Studies and Hebrew/Judaics, and we have received many positive comments about the Israeli-inflected Hebrew spoken by our children. We are very pleased with the quality of our children's education at JDS and we *all* feel at home in the JDS community.
—Submitted by a parent

JDS is good news and bad news. The good news is that it's a warm and loving community. I wish I had this level of Judaics when I grew up! The bad news is that the Math curriculum is terrible. The New Math they teach leaves many children lost. The school (particularly the principal) seems unwavering in their support for the de-bunked program. I must personally teach my child proper calculation techniques to supplement the teaching of the school. The English curriculum seems pretty solid. Science is also fairly weak. The fact that the school wont publish any test results is problematic. The Tuition is very high and grows higher each year.
—Submitted by a parent