My child will be attending Washington Latin PCS, does anyone know if they offer help to kids that need a push?

My child does not catch on easily and is not as motivated as others. I would love to offer him a better education but I hear that Latin's curriculum is very challenging and I must say that I am a bit nervous as to whether he will be able to keep up. Hopefully they offer tutoring or creative ways to get children interested.

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Hi 2kidzrok :),
What grade is your child entering into? Have you checked out your in-boundary public school? There are a few good elementary public schools and a few good charters. The good elementary public schools I know are mostly strung along Wisconsin in NW--all really reliable. All will have waiting lists as well (the lottery period has closed for both public and charter schools). Still, once people make their choices spaces sometimes open up, so it is worth putting name to waiting list. To transition to Middle School, Deal is really humming these days. For charters I am familiar with Capital City and Latin from personal experience. I like both, but Latin is demanding--in a way that did not sound quite right for your child. Latin, as I mentioned before, will expect your child to bring the diligence to start off with. I am in education, and my boss raves about the KIPP academies in DC. They are demanding too--but really focus on raising achievement and not settling for low expectations using methods that might energize the low-achieving child. What they do in their classrooms is well-oiled ( it is a national model) and seems to work. A few of them have the test scores to back up that they are successful in this. EL Haynes is mentioned a lot, though not sure why exactly. Hope this helps!

Hello and thanks for responding to my question. I actually went to Capital City and put in an application for my child. The waiting list is long! You appear to havr great insight regarding Charter Schools. Do you suggest any others that offer programs such as Capital City?

From the way that you describe your child, Capital City Public Charter School --with its expeditionary learning model-- sounds like a MUCH better fit. In fact, I know a child like your description of your own, who went there and whose academics have shot up and is thriving. I like both schools by the way; but Capital City and Washington Latin work offer very different programs suited to different types of learners. I wish more people would stop like you are and actually think about the stated mission of the school and whether it is a good fit for their child. Capital City just hosted President Obama and the 1st Lady (just a fun fact!)

Dear Parent,
Given your description of your child's learning style, which may indicate underlying special needs by the way (ie he or she may not be motivated due to frustration etc.) I personally would not recommend Washington Latin PCS. I am sorry to say that the child who will benefit most from the WL curriculum is a curious self-starter. Your description of your child suggests to me that he or she needs a much more scaffolded (in pedagogical terms, hand-holding and model based) environment. Children who thrive at WL generally hit the ground running with a good combination of reading for pleasure and knowledge, math fundamentals and motivation to explore new subject areas while conforming to certain high academic expectations. I think your child has the potential to thrive in school, but it sounds like he or she needs a good screening as the previous poster mentioned, plus a very learner-centered classroom with highly scaffolded instruction and adaptation, versus a fast-paced 'rigorous, classics-based' education (Washington Latin's area of strength).

Hi. I'm not from DC, but I'm wondering how old your son is/what grade? Is he currently attending a public school, and if so, have they ever evaluated him for possible learning disabilities? Is Latin PCS private or public? If it's public, they should have some RTI (Response to Intervention) programs to help him in weaker areas, and if he continues to have trouble catching on, then he should receive a comprehensive educational evaluation and potentially qualify for an IEP (Individual Education Plan.) If the school is private, then you may have to hire your own tutor to help him; you can certainly call the school even before you move to the area, and ask them what they have available.

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My child will be attending Washington Latin PCS, does anyone know if they offer help to kids that need a push?

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