Francis-Stevens Education Campus

I am a preschool teacher at Francis Stevens and I would like to respond to the parent that reported that we haven't had any open houses or haven't reached out to neighborhood parents. We have actually had two separate open houses this spring that were well attended. We also welcome parents to make an appointment with our main office for a personal tour during operational hours. We have had a get together for new parents on our playground and are also planning another meet and greet breakfast for our new parents. We do try to limit the amount of large group open houses so that the children who are currently attending our school are not constantly being disrupted in their classroom. We welcome children across the city and are excited about all parents who want to be a part of our Francis Stevens family from preschool all the way to the 8th grade!!!!
--Submitted by a teacher

As a parent, I can say that I am pleased with this school and will be returning next school year. The location is in NW, DC - the Foggy Bottom area. It is minutes away from Dupont Circle and Georgetown. The school has several partnerships with local businesses, including George Washington University. My daughter has made tremendous literacy gains in fluency, comprehension and vocabulary development - from teacher instruction and free GW student tutoring programs. The school has a diversified student population and is offered Spanish as an elective class. The administration is visibly present and welcoming to the school community and neighbors. After several talks with the principal, I find him to be a visionary. He has strategic plans to prepare student learners for the demands of the 21st century. Kudos to Francis Stevens!
--Submitted by a parent

I have had a wonderful experience with my child there the past 4 years. He has been challenged by his coursework, has moved from proficient to ADVANCED the past 2 years on DC CAS, and has a true love for his school. The principal and AP have been beyond supportive. We have had a great experience at FSEC!
--Submitted by a parent

What a disappointment this school is. It is on beautiful grounds, has a supportive neighborhood, and has done absolutely nothing to reach out to parents in the neighborhood who want to learn about the school and send their children there. We are surrounded by two good elementary schools: Ross and Hyde. It is obscene that DCPS, and Francis Stevens in particular, cannot get their act together and have a simple open house at FS for prospecitve parents. Virtually every other PS in D.C. has an open house. Are you really going to trust your child's education to a school that cannot-- and has no interest in-- organizing an open house? I have heard from numerous parents who send their children to FS that the preschool and kindergarten teachers are good but the first grade teacher is horrendous so at first grade, you have to find your child a different school (and the fact that these lower grades are good is due to neighborhood parent involvement-- wake up FS!). What a disappoinment. DCPS, the Francis Stevens Parent Organization, and the principal of FS should be ashamed of themselves.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter who went there for a year in Pre-K absolutely hated the school. The teachers were extremely rude and unforgiving, the kids in her class were bullying her, and no amount of complaints to the teachers helped. My daughter was absolutely traumatized and now does not even want to pass by the school.
--Submitted by a parent

What an unforgettable year our kids are having at Francis-Stevens PS-3! I am sure they will have the best memories about Ms Schrauth, Ms Bilker and their classmates. And I hope my kid will find teachers like them in his academic life. They care, they know, they love our little ones like they are their own children. I really appreciate what you have done for our children, Francis-Stevens PS3 team.
--Submitted by a parent

I can't believe how worried I was one year ago about preschool! My son is having an amazing year at Ms Schrauth's class! Francis-Stevens PS has the best teacher in town. I am very grateful and decided to write a review here. My son came from a private daycare in downtown - he was always sick and didn't like it. Now he asks to go to school every single day. He sings class' songs and plays with the alphabet. He absolutely loves school. Francis PS goes to the library on Thursdays and has field trips almost every month (today they are going to Glen Echo theater). Ms Schrauth loves children and knows exactly what each one needs. They are nice to each other and enjoy to be at school. FS Principal was also very nice when I needed his help. I didn't have to make an appointment to talk to him and he solved my problem in two minutes. Thank you so much for this fantastic year, Ms Schrauth and FS team!
--Submitted by a parent

We are at preschool at FS and quite happy about it. One has to look beyond test scores for middle school to see that pre-s and pre-k are much better.
--Submitted by a parent

This is the worst school ever the principal is useless, its tons of racism, and they have no control over the students. They are children pre-k to 8th grade, older kids picking on the younger ones. Few months ago there was a firth grader that beat up two pre schoolers, and yesterday police took two 8th graders in hand cuffs and the school didn't even contact the parents I had to find out from my child. I don't advise anyone to go to this school.
--Submitted by a parent

This is my children's 1st yr in a public school. So far so good. There is great communications amongst myself, my kids teachers, and so on. The only issue I truly have is the lack of parental involvement!
--Submitted by a parent