Ruth Acty Elementary School

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Current Reviews of Jefferson

Feb 2016

We are currently applying for our oldest son to start Kindergarten in the NW Zone next Fall. His brother will follow behind him two years later. I am trying to choose my selections, and am quite torn between Jefferson and Rosa Parks! I could really use some recent feedback from parents at either school, and particularly at Jefferson. Honesty and detail so much appreciated

Here are my impressions: I love Rosa Parks, and I found Paco Furlan inspiring. I like the physical set-up of the classrooms, the Environmental Science focus, and the vision of the school that I think comes from strong leadership at the top. RP is a bit far for us, though, and has a late start; our kids would probably take the bus, and the schedule might be more inconvenient/difficult for us in the mornings. On the other hand, we live 4 blocks away from Jefferson and could walk to school! We don't underestimate that quality of life issue. I thought the classrooms and facilities at Jefferson seemed pretty good, and the teachers generally appeared to be great.

I am specifically interested in hearing from people who have children at Jefferson, and how you feel about Principal Sonya Martin. How is her relationship with the teachers? With families? How does her leadership affect the school? I would love to fill in my impressions with more feedback from Jefferson and Rosa Parks families. Any cultural differences between the two schools that I might not be thinking of? Any comments on how the leadership at both schools affects the overall environment and experience? Thanks so much! NW Zone Mom

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Obviously, you were able to get an impression of the principal on your tour of Jefferson. Here is what I will tell you about Jefferson School. It is the TEACHERS that are inspiring, and who lead, plan and facilitate the vision of our school. I am going to assume that you didn't get to see the joy and spirit of the school when it was presented to you. Hopefully this will help!

Has this been a trying year for the parent community? Absolutely. Even through all of the changes (new principal with little elementary knowledge or leadership skills, larger student population, after-school program changes and ensuing chaos, etc.), it has been the strong teaching staff that has kept the school together, and the students are happily engaged in the classroom and learning through it all. You will not find a more cohesive teaching staff in the district. Many have been at Jefferson for a long time and don't consider this place their job, but their home. You can see it in all of the extra time and work they put in at the school, the committees that they sit on with parents, and the work they do after hours (I often see lights on in the classroom well after 6 pm.)

The teachers of Jefferson are also teacher leaders in the district. Some teachers are ''model classrooms'' for math and writing for the district. A first grade teacher is the head Equity Teacher Leaders for the district. Other teachers come to learn from them! Jefferson teachers were often at flag football games that were off-campus, rooting on and supporting the team. This past fall, five teachers volunteered countless hours coaching a Girls on the Run team twice a week after school. And even more teachers showed up to run and support the girls at the 5K on a Saturday in San Francisco! 5th grade teachers and students put together a fantastic Native American History museum each year. Those same teachers also teach community building through after-school team building classes and camping trips. A second grade teacher and her students researched, wrote, acted, and narrated a film for Women's History Month that was recently accepted to the Bay Area International Children's Film Festival. A first grade teacher has brought technology into the classroom, and is teaching students problem solving skills and collaboration through coding. A Kindergarten teacher relied on the expertise of a parent to put together a photographic essay of Kindergarteners following the school guidelines. The response-to-intervention teachers are dedicated to their craft, working tirelessly to bring children up to speed, both academically and socially. The secretary is warm, inviting, and so organized. When the principal made changes to the after-school program on her own, and when that program fell apart, it was the TEACHERS who offered to step in and help ease the fluidity and transition to yet another change at our school. I was so thankful they were willing to do this and it truly made for a seamless transition for the students and the parent community. On top of that, they are just really good at what they do.

My child has loved Jefferson, and I am continually amazed at how my child's teachers have been able to challenge my child academically in a classroom of differing abilities, but still infuse arts, science, and creativity into the day. I could go on, and I truly believe a vast majority of parents feel the same about the teachers as I do.

Lastly, the parents and teachers work very well together. From volunteering in the classroom to PTA events and fundraising, as well as supporting struggling families in our community, we work as a great team. Perhaps you can come back for another look to try and get a better sense of what is happening in the classrooms, because THAT is the Jefferson experience. Good principals stay, bad principals go. But the Jefferson teachers have continually showed that they are here for the long run...no matter what. Jefferson Parent

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I am a parent of two kids at Jefferson. The school has been through some major transitions over the past 2-3 years starting with a large construction project, then new leadership and now this year increased student enrollment. However, what is most important for me as a parent is the teachers. Jefferson has an amazing staff of dedicated, enthusiastic and inspiring teachers. I've witnessed them come together during this transition to help lead the school. Jefferson Parent

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Principal Martin seems fine to me. I am happy my children have a minority principal. What I most care about are the teachers and the school climate. Jefferson teachers are top-notch. They are dedicated, inspired, supported, diverse in ethnic and gender. The community has high standards, so they voice concerns, then things get worked out. I think it's a positive sign. Don't worry, the school is on solid footing.

Also, every day I am so grateful that my kids' school is close by and the timing works for us. Small things REALLY add up over the 8 or so years if you have 2 kids.

Each school has it's positive attributes that is often not self evident from a brief tour and current gossip. No matter which school your child is assigned to, we as parents can always work to make it even better. Bravo on asking for digging deeper. Thriving family at Jefferson

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Jefferson vs Thousand Oaks Elementary in Berkeley

Dec 2015

Hi - We are looking at schools for our upcoming kindergartener. We live very close to Jefferson, but our tour there left us a bit disappointed. The tour of Thousand Oaks was better, but Jefferson is so close, would hate to be missing a great opportunity. We'd love to hear from recent parents of both schools- what do you like, dislike about the school. Thanks a ton! K

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Hi there, We had the opposite issue: We live near Thousand Oaks but were somewhat more impressed by the tour of Jefferson. We went with Jefferson and could not be happier. I can't speak to the Thousand Oaks experience at all, but we are halfway through kindergarten at Jefferson, it has been a wonderful experience for us and our son. The teachers are all fantastic, and we love the sense of community. That being said, it would be really nice to live in walking distance of elementary school, but we have no regrets. Although I imagine we would have been happy with Thousand Oaks, too. Good luck! Anon

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I hope that you will give Jefferson another look. I have been a Jefferson parent for seven years and, while there has been a lot of change during this time, what's remained constant is the incredible quality of the teachers and staff. Jefferson teachers are so committed to the craft of teaching. They tell me that they love working at Jefferson because they know they can turn to their colleagues for professional advice and support. This dedication to the teaching profession shows. Each year, my kids' teachers have quickly learned their unique learning styles, challenges and strengths and differentiated the curricula accordingly. There are always amazing interdisciplinary projects throughout the year: lots of performances, art projects, field trips, camping trips, games, and more. The hallways are filled with kids' math, science, history, geography and art.

Jefferson is a place where people go out of their way to help each other. The teachers constantly go above and beyond. One of the most important events is a Math Night for parents, when teachers explain and model teach the math curriculum so we parents can feel more connected to what's going on in the classroom. JefferSONS and Daughters provides food, clothing, school supplies, Halloween costumes and more to families in need in our community. The PTA raises enough money to provide lots of scholarships for the enrichment program after school (which includes language classes, circus, math games, legos, art, etc.) in addition to all the other things PTAs have to pay for nowadays.

One more thing: the construction project from 2 years ago has given our school new classrooms, a gorgeous new library, more space for specialists (OT, reading, speech, etc.) and a renovated playground, which the kids love.

I hope you will come back to Jefferson for another visit! It's been a great school for my family. Happy Jefferson Mom

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I currently have a kindergartener and second grader at Jefferson Elementary and my family has been very happy with the school. Our first year at Jefferson began as the new building construction and schoolyard renovation was going strong, Common Core was being introduced, and a new principal was introduced. Throughout all of these transitions the wonderful teachers and staff at Jefferson have continued to go above and beyond.

The educators that my children have learned from have embraced the Common Core and found ways to teach all kinds of learners. Each has shown intelligence, creativity, classroom management skills, open communication with parents and passion about teaching and working with children.

Jefferson Parent

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March 2014

My son will be entering kindergarten this fall at Jefferson Elementary. I was hoping to get input from current parents with kids at Jefferson. What is your overall impression and experience at the school? How did your child handle the transition to kindergarten? My son is currently in all day preschool, but has been with a lot of the same kids for most of that time, so this will be a big adjustment for him. I'm also curious to hear more about JAZ, their afterschool program, since my son will most likely need afterschool care. Thanks in advance for any advice/input! soon-to-be Jefferson parent

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Welcome to Jefferson. As a current Jefferson parent with a kid currently in 3rd grade and an incoming K (boy), we love Jefferson. full disclosure, I'm also on the PTA. Jefferson is an excellent small community. Reasonable level of parent involvement, active PTA (although we totally need more people to participate in our activities). We fund raise like crazy--which goes to funding core school aspects (like PE, sand for the sandbox, counseling services, books for the classroom and transportation for field trips).

If you'd like to see the school in action and get to know what's going on, please feel free to come to our Mayfair event (Saturday May 3rd; 11-3). Its great fun and a major fundraising event for the school. Your kid will love it. We are also having a community meeting for the whole school on April 12 (sponsored by the School Governance Council) to obtain feedback from the full community and help to set the strategic direction of the school for the next few years. Welcome.

As to my impressions (admittedly, biased), its a great school. The teachers are excellent and Principal Maggie has been able to choose the cream of the crop when new teachers come in. That's important because the school is growing and a few new teachers are coming in. The school has great events (assemblies, books).

The school is just completing a construction period and so next year when the kids come in parts of the building will be new--including a new library--and great. And year after next the playground will get a major facelift as will. So we will have many new school parts.

You asked about the JAZ program. My big kid has been it for a number of years and my little one will be in the program in the fall (every day until 5:30). For the money, there is no better program. The staff are extremely caring. And they have been working over the past few years to continue to enhance and further develop the enrichment offerings. I never worry about safety. And they keep the K separate from the big kids so they are in a more protected group. I also augment JAZ with the PTA classes. the PTA also provides scholarships for the PTA classes so that all kids, regardless of income limits, can take advantage of the high quality of those classes.

RE Transitions: Jefferson, like most Berkeley Public Schools starts the school year with groups randomly put into classes and then they swap teachers each day for the first week. That allows parents to meet different teachers and allows the teachers to create class groups that work best for teachers and the kids. I know that all of the current K teachers are excellent--they have that special touch with the little ones and so they can help to ease the transition for any kid. I know that my kid will have a great transition. My kid is also in FT preschool with only 1 or 2 kids coming to Jefferson so he will be starting over as well. We will be planning a number of welcome play dates at the school for incoming K plus the current G1 classes to give parents and kids a chance to meet each other and have some friends on the first day. Coming to those play dates were great for my big kid when he started at Jefferson.

all in all, Jefferson is a great Berkeley Public School.

Welcome to the community. I look forward to meeting you. Melissa B.

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Jan 2009

As the deadline for the BUSD lottery approaches, I was hoping to get more recent reviews of Jefferson elementary, in particular as regards incoming kindergartners. Any info would be helpful, but I am particularly interested in feedback re: music and drama, spanish, and the before/after school program. Also, can you clarify if there are aides/assistants in the classrooms for kindergarten and 1st grade--or if not, if parents are usually there? I have received varying information so far, and worry about the ratio a little. Thank you! small step for humankind, big step for us!

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I am the parent of 2 Jefferson students: one in 3rd grade and one in Kindergarten. So far, the teachers have ranged from good to outstanding- and most have been outstanding. There are not aides in the classroom. However, in each of my children's classrooms, there is a special needs child who has an aide and this is another adult in the classroom. Parents also volunteer. We have participated in the afterschool classes and a little bit in Voyager, the after-school program. I have been pleased with both of them. I have also heard good things about the other schools in this zone: Thousand Oaks and Rosa Parks. Jefferson Parent

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Afterschool Program at Jefferson

June 2007

My daughter will be starting kindergarten at Jefferson in the Fall and I would like to learn more about after school care options and parent feedback on those options. I know the PTA offers some after school classes and that there is a program called Voyager but couldn't find any recent reviews of either in the BPN archives. Am particularly interested in hearing from parents of kindergartners and first graders in after school programs this year as my main concern is how well the after school care is supervised and how the kindergartners do mixing with the older/bigger kids. Am not sure how much (if any) separation of ages there is, how much supervision of the playground is provided, etc.. Thanks in advance for your feedback and advice. Rita

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My daughter is a kindergartener at Jefferson, and attends the PTA enrichment classes plus the Voyager program 3 days/week. The PTA classes are run by great teachers, and most classes are separated into age groups - i.e. kindergarten only, or K-1. For kindergarteners, the classes include art, clay, Mandarin, dance movement, carpentry. Voyager is the after school program at Jefferson, and the children are separated by grade - K-1, 2-3 and 4-5. The Voyager staff person supervising the K-1 kids is a wonderful, loving, nurturing woman - all the children adore Shabana. We feel very fortunate our daughter is in such good hands at Jefferson. pl

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Welcome to the Jefferson community! I have a second-grade daughter at Jefferson who started K as a 4-year old, so I had some of the same concerns as you do about afterschool care. It is an adjustment, for sure, from the cocoon-like feel of preschool to being the youngest in a much bigger student body. My daughter was at Voyager full time as a Kindergartener and has been there part time since then. The Kindergarteners and first graders are kept somewhat separate from the older kids, particularly at the beginning of the year, and are in the charge of Shabana Ghani, who is a warm and attentive caregiver. There were times when I felt the supervision was a bit inadequate, not for safety reasons but more for interpersonal ones - we had some problems with kids squabbling and/or teasing and not having the adult guidance I'd have wished for. The people who run and staff Voyager are all good-hearted and attentive, but it is a big program run on a shoestring, so I think of it as good, fun, safe, but primarily custodial, care. The kids have a ball - my daughter loves it and begs to go to Voyager instead of to her other aftercare program (the JCC, which we both also love). In addition to the regular Voyager program, the kids get free enrichment - drama, yoga, art, and probably other things I'm forgetting. Shabana will walk the little ones to/from their afterschool classes if they take any. They can play indoors with lots of games, books, etc., or outdoors on the play yard. It's quite inexpensive - $180/month for full time. All that said, I think you can choose Voyager and have a great experience, but it will be a big adjustment for you when your child is new to K.

As I said, my daughter goes to the JCC a few days a week - I actually did this initially because she had a best friend at Jefferson/Voyager with whom she had a very high-drama relationship, which was wearing me out. Kids go to the JCC on the school bus, and that works out fine. The JCC's program is marvelous - rich, warm, great teachers and aides, great values. The main downsides are the additional cost, and if you're walking distance to Jefferson but not to the JCC, the extra transportation issues. If you go to a place like the JCC, you do get a second community, which is great, but two new communities may be a bit much to adjust to for a new Kindergartener. Plenty do it fine, though, and the JCC is a very loving, fun place for all the kids.

Maybe more than you asked for, but in short - your child will be safe and happy at Voyager, but it will be a bit of a culture shock (especially for you). A bonus for being at Voyager is added opportunities to connect with other families in the school community - which at Jefferson is a very lively, strong, positive part of the school experience. Nancy

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Kindergarteners get out of school one hour earlier so they are by themselves for the first hour with their group leader. When school is over all the kids are together, but they are also with a group leader K-1, 2-3,4-5. The program is good they have homework club, yoga, drama, art all for free. The kids are all good to each other and for the most part it is a good program. The PTA afterschool classes are good. You will get info on the program during the summer and if you want you can go and see it in action before the end of school. dmr

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May 2006

My son will be entering kindergarten at Jefferson in the fall while most of his friends are going to another school. I know there will be a get-together in August and that he will make friends when he begins school, but he is very interested in having some playdates this spring with kids who will also be starting Jefferson kindergarten this fall. Is there already a forum for this that I don't know about? Or do you have a child entering Jefferson kindergarten and want to get together this spring/early summer? thanks, Katya

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I don't know if you have set up any playdates with prospective kindergarteners yet, but I highly recommend attending Jefferson's Mayfair on Saturday, May 13 from 11:00 - 3:00pm. This event has fun carnival games, great food, relay races, student performances, a cake walk, a raffle, a book sale, and more. It is really a lot of fun and can get your kindergartener excited about entering Jefferson. (It got my child excited last year!) You will certainly meet current parents and kids and may be able to meet entering kindergarteners as well. Feel free to email me if you have questions. Kira

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Our son is starting kindergarten at Jefferson School this fall, too. We would love to meet other new Jefferson families for playdates before the August event. H.

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April 2005

Our soon-to-be kindergartener has been assigned to Jefferson Elementary School in Berkeley. We would like to get some reviews of the school from families currently attending the school - both positive and negative please. We're in the position to consider private school, but are strong supporters of the public school system and we're feeling somewhat conflicted in today's school climate. We're reviewed the previous comments in the UC parents archives. Thanks! Public School Supporter

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My daughter is a current kindergartener at Jefferson. It is a GREAT school and I recommend it highly. My daughter had no classroom experience prior to attending Jefferson. (She stayed home with Grandma during the days until starting kindergarten in September of 2004.) We did teach her the alphabet, numbers through 20 and read to her every night. Now she can read and will attempt to sound out the longer harder words. The school is just great and we are pleased with the progress she had made in less than a year.

Mrs. Delany, the principal, is a SUPER lady and so are the teachers. All 3 kindergarten teachers are great! Can't say it enough....Jefferson is a great school! A Happy Jefferson Parent

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My daughter is a kindergartener in Rosemary Robinson's class at Jefferson this year, and I could not have been happier with her/our experience there. My daughter and I love Rosemary and what she does in the classroom; we enjoy the other children and families, and have made great friends; and the PTA is very active, does great things, and has been very welcoming to new families. My daughter has learned a great deal this year, and grown enormously in many ways. I'd be happy to entertain specific questions by e-mail. Robin

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We're a Kindergarten family at Jefferson, so our experience is limited. I hope families who've been there longer answer your question as well.

In short, we've been very happy with Jefferson so far. There's a good sense of community there, and the faculty are almost uniformly liked by the parents and teachers (there are a couple of teachers that are less highly regarded, and a few that have almost celebrity status - probaby just like at any school). Although Jefferson has very good test scores, I haven't heard one single word about the tests yet - possibly that's because I'm a Kindergarten parent and the tests don't affect us, but I take it as a sign that the school as a whole isn't fixated on the standardized tests, which I think is a good thing. There's a weekly assembly every Thursday morning, which is delightfully old-fashioned - the kids sing together, and all the classes get chances to perform at assembly. There's a monthly event outside of school hours - an ice cream social, a fabulous halloween party, a cultural potluck, etc., so families get opportunities to get to know each other and feel a part of the school community. There's a conflict manager program on the playground, staffed by kids, and a culture of respect school- wide. I can't say whether any of this is unique to Jefferson, but I can say that both adults and child in our family have been very comfortable there, and my daughter is thriving. A friend whose older kids have attended two other Berkeley public schools says that Jefferson is her hands-down favorite. I'm very happy with our decision to go to Jefferson. a Jefferson mom

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I am both a parent of 2 Jefferson students (5th and 3rd grade) as well as the current PTA co-chair. This school really capitalizes on the positives of a public school education: strong sense of community, exposure to different cultures and family choices, teachers committed to excellence who are themselves part of the Jefferson community. On a recent Saturday while selling Girl Scout cookies at Monterey Market, 3 Jefferson teachers walked by and stopped to chat.

The teachers, parents and administration all work very well together. Our focus this year and last year in every committee has been on academic achievement for all students. The results from our test scores last year reflect good progress from a very solid academic base.

We have weekly school-wide assemblies that are open to parents/guardians. There is a lot of music appreciation as well as a variety of presentations during these assemblies -- drop by on a Thursday morning and check it out.

I know there has been a lot of press about the possible name change of the school. Please don't let this color your opinions of the school. No matter the outcome, all the participants agree that we will still have the best elementary school. It is not de-focusing us at all from the importance of improving the student experience both academically and socially.

Lastly, you're welcome to attend our monthly PTA meetings -- second Tuesday of the month at 7:00PM in the library. Please come! Kate

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Nov 2003

We have two kids at Jefferson who love school there, and we're more than happy about the education they're receiving. There are many components of a good education, here's a few issues for first-time parents to consider:
1) Quality teachers. Most Berkeley schools have experienced, dedicated teachers who know how to get the most out of the kids. There is not a teacher at Jefferson who I would not want my kid in his/her class.
2) School climate. At Jefferson, like many of the schools, recess and lunches are staggered by grade level. So the kindergartners and first graders have recess and eat lunch together. Same with 2-3 and 4-5. This makes for uncrowded play equipment and kids playing with peers.
3) School building blocks: Be Safe. Be Kind. Do Your Best Work. These are drilled into the kids in each classroom. When you go to the classes you'll see well-behaved kids. On the playground, certain students are Conflict Managers--trained to help resolve the kind of disputes kids invariably get into. [Of course there are adults there too.]
4) School community. There are many community events, from class potlucks to school-wide events sponsored by the PTA. Every Thursday morning the whole school gathers for Assembly--parents are welcome to come too. The kids sing, classes perform, sometimes outside performers too.
5) After School. There is a great, inexpensive, on-site, after-school program: Voyager. There is also a full range of after school classes including Spanish, Mandarin, chess, basketball, science, etc etc. Here are a few less obvious things to consider: 1) Remember your kid won't be in kindergarten forever--look at the whole school. 2) Yes, our schools are racially and economically diverse. Look at the kids cooperating on a variety of levels--in the classroom, on the playground--it really does give one hope for the future. 3) Your kid won't lose out on that Rhodes scholarship in kindergarten-- give it a try--you'll find that the overall level of academic achievement is quite high and your kid will love it. Jay

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I have a second-grader at Jefferson and am very happy with the school. The teachers are by-and-large very good. The kids--with explicit and ongoing help from the teachers and administration-- are respectful of each other and adults. The new playground is great. I'd love to see more art and other enrichment and get back more of the wonderful science teacher's time that we lost due to budget cuts. It is a nice, small school with a warm and diverse community of involved families. Jefferson Parent

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I am a parent of a 4th and a 2nd grader at Jefferson Elementary and am in my 5th year of PTA involvement.

We feel a very strong bond with the school and are very happy to be part of the Jefferson community. We don't live in the immediate Jefferson neighborhood so we get a lot of comparative data on the public and private schools from neighbors and friends. All of them are aware of Jefferson's great reputation. It is known for its academics, Chinese bi- cultural program, musically oriented students, weekly school-wide assemblies, and for having minimal behavioral issues in the student body. For my kids, it has been a very welcoming place to do their best and it has exposed them to many things outside the classroom too - bird study, great field trips, interesting assemblies and lots of fun evening family events: Halloween, Art, Math, Culture, Books.

As far as test scores, no one can give you answers -- only you can draw your own conclusion from the information available. We had a Parent Education Forum last year to discuss standardized tests -- what they are used for and how the data can be mis-interpreted. I realized that there are lots of ways to slice the test score data and even then there are many unknowns. kate

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Afterschool for kindergartener?

March 2003

Well, now that we know we got into Jefferson, we are starting to think about what happens after school. Our kindergartener will need to go to an after school program 3 days/week, until 5 pm. What do parents think of the Voyager program? pros/cons? How is it for the little ones? (is K mixed with all the other grades, etc?) Do most kids who need after school care stay for the Voyager program, or do they go to a mix of other programs? What other programs are popular, and do we need to apply to those now to get a spot? Thanks for any input on this.

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Congratulations on getting into Jefferson! We do a mix of after-school programs -- both Voyager and the city's James Kenney Park. Voyager is OK and getting better all the time. Morris, who runs the program (and seemingly pretty much everything nonacademic at the school!) is wonderful, and kids and parents all love him.

It's taken Voyager a little while to find its balance, and I think it's still best for kids who like to run around a lot. There is a ''homework club'' and computers and lego-type activities for kids whose energy isn't so large and expansive. There are no real age divisions as far as I can tell, but the Jefferson culture is so hip to the issue of bullying that I don't see that as a real problem. To be fair to Voyager, the Kenney program is supported by Berkeley property taxes, while Voyager is really scrounging for dough, so that's a big part of the difference.

A downside to Kenney is that Berkeley city holidays are rather frequently different than the school holidays, so sometimes you'll find yourself scrambling for an alternative. That's one of the reasons we are signed up for both. The other reason is that Jefferson has other after-school programs in the form of actual classes that are offered by a variety of organizations or individuals (art, dance, chess, languages, etc). If your child is enrolled in a class, s/he may not be able to catch the bus to Kenney.

Our solution has been to enroll in Voyager on a 2-3 day/week basis, as well as Kenney full-time (a bargain at only $20/month for snack fee). This gives us the leeway we need to do a little of both.

(See James Kenney Park for the rest of this review.)

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Also recommended:
Berkeley-Richmond Jewish Community Center After School Program

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Jan 2003

My daughter has had a great experience at Jefferson -- she's been in the Chinese BiCultural program and both the kindergarten and first grade teachers have been fantastic. The other kids are also a good mix and the teachers have done a good job working with the very high energy kids, and the kids who didn't have formal preschool to help them understand how to be students. The PTA is strong, and raises a fair amount of money as well as sponsors several evening school-wide events that seem to attract most of the parents. The new principal is very hard-working and seems to be developing a good overall picture of the school and the community. I would strongly recommend Jefferson. CL

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1996

I have two children in Jefferson Elementary, a son in fourth grade, and a daughter in kindergarten. We walked in with a full awareness that we were consciously choosing a public education, with its benefits _and_ drawbacks, and we have been very happy (and very involved). The teachers are excellent. Sure, everyone has favorite teachers, and those whose styles they think might not mesh with their own kid, but all in all, terrific.

The approach taken by our son's teachers (and our daughter's teacher) has been geared around an understanding of child development. This educational approach meshed with our early childhood philosophy (largely acquired at CCC, our children's parent coop nursery school); it's not for everyone. If it will bother you that your child might not have spelling tests till 3rd or 4th grade, then you might not be happy at this school, anyway.

Our son has learned the curriculum plus loads of color theory, classroom cooperation, creativity, and "self propulsion" skills. He also did very well on his standardized tests last spring and has surprised me with how well he is doing on those spelling tests. Jefferson has a very active parent body (critical to children's success), and fosters a real sense of community and inclusiveness. Ours is a very diverse school with lots of differently-composed families. I think everyone benefits from this. Marian Altman, our long-time principal who retired 1.5 years ago used to remind us that public schools teach children how to get along in the world. I think she's absolutely right.

If you have specific questions about the controlled choice system for school assignment, or anything else about Jefferson, please don't hesitate to ask me. I've been involved long enough and deeply enough to know how most of these machinations work.

Melissa