Chabot Elementary School
- See Also: Adventure Time After School at Chabot
Parent Q&A
Parent Reviews
Parents, please Sign in to post a review on this page.I have been a parent at Chabot for many years, and offhand, I can think of at least half a dozen families of dyslexic children who are deeply unhappy with the services their children receive(d) there. I think everyone in the building means well and does their best, but my sense from listening to other parents talk about it for years is that the root of the problem is district-wide policies and lack of funding. What fellow parents have told me is that OUSD doesn't have enough resources to provide quality services as federally required to all the kids who need it. So they do their best and only provide better services (slowly, reluctantly, and incredibly painfully for families) to those families who make themselves a total pain in the butt and/or sue the district. Honestly, it sounds like a total nightmare.
I also had a few friends who struggled to get services through Chabot because administrators made assumptions about them being well off enough to afford help outside of school and kind of treated their kids like a lower priority. It was incredibly disheartening for those families (and the assumptions were wrong in some cases too.)
Hello! As someone from outside the catchment area who DID get into Chabot - yes, it very much felt like we won the lottery! HIGHLY RECOMMEND. My eldest is now in middle school and my youngest is in 1st grade at Chabot. Here is why I love it:
Extremely good teachers, some of whom are award winners! We have only had one teacher who was not a good fit for our eldest, who is a more shy, reserved child. But that SAME teacher is a perfect fit for our younger, more boisterous child. While you can't request a teacher by name, they do an excellent job of listening and trying to pair your student to the right teacher if you have any specific requests or needs.
Extra support: My youngest has ADHD, and needs extra help with managing his emotions and his impulse control. The counselor at the school is a great listener, and has been excellent at working with us to create management plans with the teacher and yard staff. I know from other parents with neuro-divergent kids at Chabot that this school does a MUCH better job at providing assistance than other schools. Yes, all public schools are required by law to "help" kids with special needs. Not all schools actually do it with any kind of enthusiasm. Chabot DOES support kids, proactively. Onsite speech therapist, social-emotional counselor, therapist, nurse, etc.
Inclusion: Principal Jessica Cannon really tries to listen and include ALL people at Chabot. Even when she makes mistakes, she does an excellent job at apologizing, acknowledging her mistake, and trying to do better. Over the course of this month, she is having small group breakfasts with different affinity groups, many of whom have limited English skills and so might not feel able to participate in PTA meetings, etc. I respect that she's putting in the extra effort to make sure that she hears and addresses their needs. The school also has a VERY strong stance on LGBTQ inclusion and anti-bullying. One of the kids in our K class was gender non-binary, and the staff supported their pronouns, expression, and bathroom needs.
Community: I keep hearing about other schools with parent cliques, and I haven't seen it here. There is a real dedication to pitching in and helping. We make sure that the gala and other events are free or reduced price for those who want to participate. The parents also fundraise a "helping hands" fund for community members who are in financial distress. When my husband lost his job, that fund helped us pay some bills. Now that he has a job again, we gave back, but there was NO expectation that we had to do so. The community really takes care of each other!
Extras: The PTA puts a LOT of work into the school, especially in fundraising. That means that we have a dedicated music teacher, art teacher, and science lab assist. Many schools don't get that!
Cons: The after school program does not cover the entire population of the school, and they have been inconsistent with their programming. They seem to be doing better lately, but I understand that they had a hard time hiring post-pandemic. Also, we used to have a dedicated Spanish teacher, and I'm sad that we lost that program.
Hope that helps!
Longtime Chabot family here... Chabot is a great school, but it will not offer you anything comparable to a bilingual education for your child. They used to have PTA-funded Spanish class in some grades and an optional Spanish language program before school. But that bit the dust during covid (huge loss, in my opinion). Chabot also lost some absolutely stellar teachers during Covid, sadly.
If you at all have an option for a full bilingual education, I don't think there's any aspect of Chabot that can compare with that. It's a totally solid school academically, and your kid will come out having met or exceeded the state standards. But I think the reason people treat it like winning the lottery is because they are comparing it to other public neighborhood schools, not to schools with specialized programs like MLA or EBI.
My two cents - go for the bilingual education!
I'm a white parent at Chabot and have been a part of that community for many years now. Hopefully parents of color will chime in too, but I wanted to share that Chabot is in the midst of a lot of change right now, including a significant demographic shift. Numerous affluent and/or white families left the school this past year because of dissatisfaction with distance learning. And I know of many other families who are switching to private school this summer too. In one year, the percentage of our student body that qualified for free and reduced lunch went from ~18% to nearly 30%, which (I think) puts it on par with Joaquin Miller. Looking around the yard at the end of this school year, the school looked more racially diverse to me as well.
Chabot is also participating in an enrollment pilot program which should contribute to it becoming even more socioeconomically diverse. (It's unclear whether the pilot will impact racial diversity much - time will tell.)
We also had quite a few teachers retire this year, and there will be new teachers at almost every grade level.
All of this is just to say that things are changing rapidly at Chabot, so if you get reviews from someone who was around even as recently as a year or two ago, it may not be super relevant anymore. Best of luck with your decision!
I'm a current Chabot parent. Generally speaking, the neighborhood preference still exists for all OUSD schools, and given the size of Chabot, it is currently able to accommodate 100% of in-neighborhood kids + a good number of out of neighborhood kids. Unless there is some crazy demographic shift next year (like a thousand new families with school-aged kids moving into your neighborhood), that should remain the case. But what year are you asking about?
If you are asking about the indefinite future... the answer is maybe. When Kaiser was combined with Sankofa, OUSD folded the Kaiser attendance area into the Chabot attendance area on a trial basis. It's unclear whether the neighborhood lines will stay exactly as they are now over the long term. The district is also engaging in a process of revisiting enrollment policies as a whole, so over the next few years, things might change.
Either way, I encourage you to visit multiple schools regardless. We live in the Chabot neighborhood and just took our neighbors' word for it that it's a "great" school and enrolled our eldest child without doing more visiting or deep thinking about it. I reasoned that we'd try our neighborhood public school and could change course later if it turned out not to be a great fit. I now regret that decision. Chabot is indeed a great school in a lot of ways, but in some ways it's not right for our family and doesn't fit my values and educational philosophy. I wish I had explored more before taking the plunge. I was naive to think it would be easy to change course! Now that our kids are settled and have their friends, etc. it's really hard.
Best of luck to you.
Hi!
I have one child at Chabot and another at Emerson.
Chabot is obviously a very good school academically. Beautiful campus and great teachers. Nice families. Drawbacks are the size of the school makes it hard to connect and since there are 4 classes per grade your kid ends up not having much overlap with friends in the same class as the years progress.
Emerson, a school not as well “rated”, I love so much. The community is very tight knit. There are tons of wonderful events and community building (more than Chabot). The parents are extremely warm and open. My child has only been there one year, but his teacher is beyond excellent. I would recommend both wonderful schools, but especially look into Emerson! Good luck!
I think you will be hard-pressed to find a public elementary school anywhere in Berkeley/Oakland that is completely tech-free. State standardized testing, which begins in grade 3, is now administered on computers, so the kids have to be prepared for that. And there's also an awareness that some kids will not receive any kind of digital education at home, so they need to be introduced to computers at school in order to access all the resources their more affluent peers can. With all that said... my kids are at Chabot Elementary in Oakland, and a year(ish) ago, we surveyed classroom teachers in grades 2-5 on how many hours per week computers were in use in their classrooms. (We have zero computer use in kindergarten and very limited use in some grade 1 classrooms.) The very highest users averaged around 5-7 hours per week, and the lowest were down around 2 hours per week. The average was in the 3-5 hours per week range. In almost all cases, the teachers did not have access to a full set of computers (i.e., one computer per child), and classroom practices at our school often involve dividing the class into small groups. So one group is working on chromebooks while another group is working directly with the teacher while a third group is doing a paper-and-pencil activity. So... even if the classroom averaged 5 hours a week of computer use, that rarely (maybe never?) translates to an individual child staring at a screen for 5 hours a week.
This is an area that has been subject to quite a bit of change (and quite a bit of evaluation) over the past few years at our school, and I would guess that's true at other area schools as well.
I have a first grader and a 4th grader at Chabot, and over the years, both my (neurotypical) kids have been in full inclusion classrooms (my older child was in one for K, 1st and 3rd and my younger child is in one now in 1st). I can tell you that our classroom teachers take turns teaching the full inclusion classes, along with whatever aides are required to meet the needs of the kids in the class. As I understand it, all our teachers have awareness/experience with teaching neurodiverse students, but they don't all do it every year.
Generally speaking, I have heard really good things about the full inclusion program from fellow parents whose kids are in it. But I would encourage you to come visit and check out the school for yourself.
I'm pretty sure all OUSD schools offer tours; ours are in December/January every year. You definitely would see a full inclusion classroom on any Chabot tour, since you visit all 4 K classrooms on the standard tour. But you might not be aware which classroom is full inclusion unless you specifically ask. Often, the kids and even many parents have no idea which classes are full inclusion and which aren't. I would encourage you to come for a tour and then request to be connected with other parents whose kids have HFA; we definitely go out of our way to connect prospective families with current families who are similar, if they want us to. So... reach out! The office staff and the parent community are really friendly and ready to help and answer questions.
You've gotten some good info regarding the likelihood of OUSD reopening Santa Fe after Glenview moves back to Glenview. I second all of it.
But I wanted to correct one thing a previous poster wrote. Chabot Elementary is NOT beyond capacity. Every year, about 35-40% of our school's seats are filled by students from out of our catchment area. As a result, we have students from all over Oakland at Chabot and have seen an uptick in the socioeconomic and racial diversity of the school within the past few years. Come check out Chabot - it's a terrific school.
My kids go to Chabot, which is a big school and has room to accept kids from all over the district. Of our 22 classroom teachers, 10 are white women, one is a white man, 6 are women of color and 5 are men of color. Of the teachers of color, three are African-American, two are Asian American, and the others are either Latinx, mixed, or middle Eastern in origin. So... it would be pretty unlikely for your child to go all the way through with teachers of color, but he/she would definitely get black or brown teachers at some point. (I know my kids have.)
Importantly, Chabot has a principal who is tuned in to the importance for kids of color (especially African-American kids) to have teachers that look like them at some point in their lives. It's been my experience that our principal is also quite responsive to parent insights into what kind of educational environment (i.e., what kind of teacher) will help their kid thrive. So... maybe Chabot is worth a visit? It's a great school in general as well.
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Hillcrest or Chabot?
August 2013
Our older son has been going to a private school in Berkeley. While we've been happy with the school, our younger son is going to be due to start school just around the corner and the financial reality of sending two kids to private school is hitting us. We are lucky to live in Upper Rockridge where the local schools are very well regarded. With back to school just around the corner, we have a dilemma that we need to resolve quickly. We have a spot at Chabot and are on the wait list for Hillcrest, but have been told we have a good chance of getting in. If we pull our son out of private school, we really want to make the best decision about school. We are not sure whether Chabot or Hillcrest is best for him and would appreciate more current feedback from parents out there.
So far pros for us at Hillcrest: walkable, good academics, would make local friends, small, goes K-8 Cons for Hillcrest: We've heard and read about bullying which I am hugely concerned about, campus is small with not many outdoor play options, facilities not very new, small also means more limited social options, we've read there is a lack of diversity
So far pros for Chabot: nice new facilities and gorgeous campus, good academics, read that is a very nice community with a great headmaster Cons for Chabot: Larger, only goes K-5 then what, short drive
My son is sensitive but also social. Just want to make sure he's in environment that is welcoming, but teaches him a love of learning. Your thoughts, experiences, feedback are most welcome. Thanks! - School Dilemma
I was in your same situation. However, a week before school started, Hillcrest disenrolled us from Chabot because they had a spot. Without telling me - I was furious! We love Chabot's diversity, and, for our family, Hillcrest was too small for K-8. My neighbors chose Hillcrest, but we are having a great experience with Chabot. My kid loves Chabot and so do we.
Chabot fan
Extended care Kindergarten
April 2013
We just got notified our son (who's starting Kindergarten this fall) was assigned to Chabot. While we're thrilled about this, I'm not so thrilled about the extended day care options. The only one I can find is Adventure Time, and frankly, it's pretty expensive. Does anybody know about other options? I start work at 8am in San Pablo, and have to drop off our younger son in Berkeley first, so I'd have to drop off our older (Kindergarten age) one probably around 7am-ish. I wouldn't be able to pick him up until about 5pm. Thanks!
I always considered AT to be a pretty good bargain, especially after what we paid for pre-school... We're just about to graduate from Chabot this year, and over the years I've only heard of 3 options for those that didn't/couldn't use AT- Studio One, Tzofim, or hire a college student/au pair/nanny.
Eventually all kids who need pre or post care ended up at AT. Reasons being ease, convenience, quality of care, reliability. As soon as you start looking for off-campus care, things get more complicated and there may be costs you haven't calculated yet (transportation). Sorry for not really answering your question, but maybe you need to think it through more. And other advice- SIGN up for AT on the official sign up day! You can always cancel or reduce your hours later, but if you don't sign up in the spring, you may not get a space in the fall! Mom of 2
This info is on the Chabot website: http://www.chabotelementary.org/curriculum/extended-care Chabot Mom
Current information about Chabot?
May 2011
I was wondering if anyone can give me any current information on Chabot? We are moving from Berkeley to Oakland and are seriously considering taking our 5 year old out of private school to save money. I hear mostly good things about the school but the ''it's ALL about the teacher'' comments worry me. What if you get a bad teacher? How bad is it and what does that mean? Thanks anon
re: ''It's all about the teacher'' applies to every single school - at any age, public or private, all the way through college. Not all teachers understand, click with or even like every student. There is no guarantee. And same goes with other kids - there are bullies and irritating kids everywhere that can affect your child's experience at anytime. Having said all that - both my kids have done just fine at Chabot. One is still there, the other is in middle school.
Yes, there are a few teachers that have not been my personal fave, and I was initially very disappointed when my child was assigned, but my child was NOT scarred or damaged by the experience. And there are some teachers who I believe deserve 5 times their pay, awards and recognition.
Also, teachers retire, move and transfer. This year there were three new teachers and next year there will be at least three, maybe 4 new teachers. IF you get a teacher that you have heard negative things about, you can 1) talk to the principal and/or 2) wait and see how it actually works for your child and then 3) if it's really not working, see option 1. So, sorry to give you a sort of ''gray'' answer - but life is like that! Mom of Two
I have a child who graduated in 2010 and a child going into 4th grade this fall. I would describe my older child as ''not average'', which is a good way to see the different ways teachers and school assist, and on the whole we had a very good experience. I got to know some of the teachers and staff very well, and appreciated how hard they worked, not just for my child, but for all their students. Some teachers get mixed reviews from parents, but generally speaking the students usually have a positive experience.
Over the years, the more you get to know other parents, the more variety of stories you hear - and realize that a) people prefer to talk about negative experiences more than positive b) there will never be solutions to issues that please everyone c) your child's experience can be affected by things completely out of your control d) no school is 100% perfect d) sometimes you (or your child) learns the most from the toughest experience. This, of course, can apply to every single school.
What I also specifically like about Chabot: I have a few favorite teachers and staff, the recent renovations have been a huge improvement, Adventure Time aftercare staff are outstanding, the parent involvement and commitment are terrific and do a lot to enhance the learning environment, the principal works very hard, and several staff members send their own children there. Elena
I missed the original question about Chabot, but saw the response. To start, I will say we are basically happy with Chabot. However, and I think this goes for every school -- your child's experience and yours depends almost entirely on the teacher, and how the teacher fits with your kid.
If your kid needs special assistance for any reason, I think the child is likely to have a better experience than most. The child will qualify for an individual learning program and that will open up resources and result in administrators and others giving extra thought to what teacher might best suit their needs, etc. I think this is a huge advantage in dealing with the underfunded public education system at the moment.
And, I would disagree with the commenter who said that people like to talk about the negative. I have found completely the opposite. Among most parents I have found overwhelming boosterism. I would also note that while several staff do send their kids to the school I've observed that those people's children also end up in the classrooms of the teachers generally considered to be the best. anon
Oct 2010
Re: Oakland elementary that values creativity, peace, fun, learning
Public elementary schools in Oakland. Our child goes to Chabot. Based on the numbers I think it is one of the ''best'' K-5 schools in Oakland. The PTA raises A LOT of money every year for enrichment programs. But I think it all comes down to whether your kid is assigned a good teacher. There is no grade where you wouldn't be secretly or openly hoping to get a particular teacher and to NOT get one of the others. Another consideration -- how much will the administration listen to the family about what sort of teacher will work for your child? At Chabot the administration seems to listen a bit in advance of placement, but will do nothing after your child is assigned a class. I admire teachers, I have no idea how they keep elementary aged children engaged for 6 hours a day, but I have found the quality of teaching at Chabot to be not nearly as good as I expected based on all the positive things I heard prior to enrolling our child. Chabot is a large school, I think there are 96 kindergarteners this year and they eat lunch and have their main recess with 96 first graders. Two years ago there were only 80 in each grade K-3, these numbers have gone up at all schools due to the budget crisis. In that environment most of the kids could use a little more social/emotional support, but there is almost none. Given the budget constraints the school does a very good job, but if your child's teacher isn't a good fit, it will be a long year. realist
Jan 2010
Re: Gifted 4 year old: best school?
I read with interest the post about your 4 year old. Isn't it amazing? Our daughter was a super-early reader as well (started at 3 and 1/2 and was reading pretty sophisticated chapter books like Harry Potter, The Wizard of Oz series and The Little House series before kindergarten even started).
And...we sent her to our local neighborhood public school! (Chabot, in Oakland)I want to reassure you that she still progressed dramatically as a reader every year in school. I felt that the learning-to-read instruction the class received only helped her writing and spelling emerge-(she had somehow learned to read whole words, not phoentically.) and she never lost her enthusiasm for learning; no one ever held her back... When asked how her schoolday was, she'd say things like, ''We're learning to read today!!!'' She absolutely loved the whole scene-- sitting in circle, the hands -on projects, etc... Truthfully, the social part of school was always harder for her, so we wanted to do whatever we could to help keep her connected to other kids.
I say all this to encourage you not to do too much to separate or isolate your child further. Ok- he reads. You'll find, as we did, that other kids come to kindergarten as readers, too... and you'll also find that reading is just one piece of your child; a whole, balanced child is social, physical, etc...
Feb 2009
We are thinking about sending our daughter to our neighborhood school, which is Chabot Elementary in Oakland. She would be entering in first grade, as she is currently at a private school. I am hoping that some Chabot parents could give me the highlights/lowlights of going to Chabot. Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks!! Prospective Chabot Parent
Hi - we moved our kids from a private school to Chabot a couple of years ago and our experience has been overall good with some ups and downs. Our experience has been that it's ALL about the teacher. Like in any school, public or private, there are great teachers and there are good teachers and there are mediocre teachers. You kind of have to learn to work with what you get. Also there's virtually no help, support, guidance, etc at Chabot for new families the way there is in private schools. You have to fend for yourself and figure everything out on your own.
There's not enough space here to go through the things I really like about Chabot and have been really good for our kids, and the things that make me shake my head in disbelief. Feel free to contact me directly if you want to talk. C
Nov 2008
Re: Small public elementary school in Oakland
What I see as a Chabot parent, is that all K classes are 20. If they go over, there is a financial penalty (which the school took two years ago to accommodate 6 extra children). I know that Chabot is considered a good school because of test scores and and heavy parent involvement (volunteers, fundraising to support extra programs). Therefore, a good school will always be working at it's limits - 20 per class, never, ever any less. I do not know of any public school, especially in OUSD, that could restrict class size to any less. As for your other requirements, well, with my two children, I have not seen much in the way of ''thoughtful and innovative teaching methods''. Physical activity is recess. Language opportunities were Spanish for all K classes last year, and occasionally Mandarin was offered as an afterschool class that you pay for. Music is also taught to K classes, but it's really just singing - no instruments, music theory, anything heavy duty. Best advice: tour the schools. Mom of Two
Feb 2008
We are trying to figure out how much we should worry about rough play and bullying at lunch and other less supervised free play times at Chabot Elementary, just because it seems so big. We know that it's a great community school in many ways, but we want to know specifically if parents on this network have children who have been hit, shoved, kicked, bullied seriously? If so, was it addressed in a an effective and timely way? Are disciplinary policies and supervision of the playground effective in eliminating most troubling behavior? In particular, we would love to hear from people who have children who have been at Chabot with Mr. Meyer as the principal and who have had experience with full day kindergarten. Thanks so much for your honest feedback--we really appreciate the help from fellow parents. We understand that people have different philosophies about how toughing it out on the playground can make you stronger, but we are mostly wondering what the facts are before we get around to the philosophical discussion. wondering mother
I have had two children at Chabot - one who is a 5th grader this year, and one who is in second grade at Montclair school now, after K and 1 at Chabot.
My experience is this: there is a lot of playground supervision and plenty of resources for the kids to ask for help, or to report unsafe behavior. However, the treatment of boys versus girls was dramatic in our experience and had a negative impact on our son (he spent a lot of time in trouble for behavior that was accepted with girls).
There is some bullying - that occurs at all schools. I do not think it was any worse at Chabot, and there is even greater supervision of the K kids. They also divide up the lunch periods and the playgrounds so older kids and younger kids are not out together. I like Chabot - it has been a great school for our daughter, with a very supportive community and active volunteers. Like all schools it helps if you are connected and involved with what is going on - Maggie
Chabot Elementary is as safe as any other school where kids play like kids on a playground. Safety is top priority, as it should be. The Chabot staff is very diligent (albeit not perfect since there are far more kids than monitors) about keeping the playground safe for all children. The school has a strict no bullying policy - as there is at all schools.
With the construction next year, however, the school and playgrounds will be much, much more crowded. If you are concerned about your child getting bumped around on the playground, next year may not be the best one to start at the school. There will be a lot of students in a small amount of space, even though all efforts are being made to minimize the crowding. Consider this carefully, keeping in mind, of course, that Chabot is a high-demand school and with the new building it may be hard to transfer back in future years -- even for neighborhood parents. Safety First
I have 2 children at Chabot, one in 1st and the other in 3rd. Our experience with bullying and playground supervision has been mixed.
The kindergarteners do get their recesses to themselves, and there is plenty of supervision. I've been happy with that situation. But we personally had bullying start in 2nd grade, and mixed feelings on how it was handled.
Bullying can be very insidious, inconsistent and sneaky and come from friends as well as those not in your child's peer group. So detecting it for what it is is harder than we expected. In the end, what worked for us was giving our child better ''scripts'' - i.e. If they say/do this, then you say/do that. And reminding our child that he always has the power of ''No!'' and the power of walking away.
OUSD as a whole and Chabot in particular do like to think they have very strict anti-bullying rules and tactics. But I have yet to come across anything anywhere that can really apply solutions in real life. Sometimes I think ''kids are kids'' and this is simply a primeval way of defining pecking order; can we really change basic human psychology with a couple of quick lessons on ''no dissing, no name calling''?
One thing that would help and I wish Chabot could do is to simply have more recess supervision - but they're lacking manpower. Most of the teachers don't get much of a lunch break anyway, so to have a rota where they take turns watching the kids doesn't always work. You can't always get parents to volunteer for that, and frankly, I don't think all parents are qualified to either recognize bullying, intervene appropriately, or really understand the situation. Parents are more likely to label and make false assumptions. But then again, just more adult presence could help.
So, I doubt this eases any of your fears... But I can't think that Chabot is very different than any other public school in this respect. Good intentions, a decent attempt, falling down due to lack of manpower. Out of their control.
However, it doesn't mean we've given up or pulling our kids out or hating the principal. We keep talking and reminding and doing what we can, helping anyway we can. Mom of Two
Sept 2007
We're looking for more recent information/feedback on Chabot Elementary, particularly on ability to address individual needs of students, social/emotional development dimension, and also on how much of the time is spent doing worksheets, etc. We have 2 boys, one in private kindergarten, and we're probably going to try to place our 4 year old in public school... Thanks!! zoned for Chabot
You'll probably get lots of responses saying that ''Chabot is a great school'' and it is, for a public school, and for some private schools (but not many). It's not a great place if you have 2 full time working parents as you need to provide a lot of your own enrichment and assistance, and the after school program is ok but not inspiring. The school relies heavily on parent volunteers to do absolutely everything besides the main teaching of math and reading (no science program to speak of really and the art classes are by the numbers).
A big deal is made by all about how it's a neighborhood school and your kids can walk there and all their friends live close by. I've found that to be less of a big deal, and am personally more concerned with the quality of teaching than how close your child's friends live.
If you've had exposure to one of the great private schools in the area then you might be disappointed. You do save a lot of money though! Good luck with your decision, it's not an easy one. Feeling lukewarm about Chabot
We have two kids at Chabot, 3 years apart. What we've realized is that the quality of the education all depends on the individual teacher and the student. Some ''great'' teachers might not work for certain students, while others can bring out unexpected qualities in a student.
ALL public school teachers do have to meet certain criteria, but they do try and figure out the best way to get there that suits their personality and teaching style.
Our older child has had some particular issues that needed extra attention - and we found that most of the teachers have been sympathetic and keen to make things work for him. As for time doing worksheets - if you mean in the classroom - can't say for every teacher - they all have different approaches. If you mean homework - again, varies.
Some K teachers hand out the monthly homework packet as merely ''suggestions'', others expect it done and signed. And then with each progressive grade - it varies - they all have the same curriculum, but some add extra, some say it's nightly, some weekly. Some say ''all I want is an honest effort'' and some say ''about an hour every night of solid work''.
We like Chabot because we see a lot of parental involvement - a lot of support as well as criticism - which is good since it makes us really consider other approaches and solutions. It's not perfect, but what school is? But, then again, we didn't ''shop around'' since we can't afford private at all.
Sure, if we had the funds to find a private school that suited every aspect of our child's style, personality, issues I'm sure we'd be tempted...
One thing worth mentioning - Chabot will be re-built starting next year. Good and bad - since this will mean that the school will be a construction zone for awhile, and will be physically ''uncomfortable'' for awhile. But, like any remodel, the results will be totally worth it. Chabot Mom
Also see: We live in the Chabot district - worried we may not get in (May 2006)
Dec 2005
Hi, I was wondering if any parents could comment on Chabot Elementary. I remember hearing that Denise Saddler was an amazing principal, but she has promoted and there is someone new. HOw does he seem to be doing? Do they do project-based learning? Are the teachers supported and enthusiastic? I bet the parents are supportive. Does every kid who needs afterschool care get it? Or is there some kind of lottery for that? thanks!
looking at my options.
My daughter attended Chabot K-5. We had 3 yrs. of Denise Sadler and 3 yrs. of another principal. There were issues w/ both but it didn't matter that much because the parents are very strong there and the principals do answer to them. I do not know the new person but my guess is Chabot is still pretty great. The school has changed, it is more diverse than before which is good but it means kids from outside the area are coming which changes the demographic. This was not OK w/ everyone, I don't know if it's OK w/ you. The main issue is there are more kids who are struggling in classes than before. When my daughter was in 5th grade, over 95% of Chabot parents were college graduates, less than 1% on free lunch, that was 3 yrs. ago. Because it is not a Title 1 school parents raise funds for everything; library, computer, art, etc. And they do. As far as after school care, it is run by Adventure Time which is pretty good but it's day care, make no mistake about that. I was not aware of any lottery; but if you need it, sign up as soon as you know. Most of the teachers are good. I don't know any of the ones who have changed in the past 3 yrs. You should definitely arrange for visits of the kinder if that's what you're looking at, or whatever grade your child is entering. To sum up, I think Chabot is one of about 4-5 schools in Oakland that you can feel good about sending your child to. I say that both as a parent of 2 kids who went to elem. school in Oakland and a teacher who taught there. Good luck. anonymous
Oct 2004
Hello friends: I have a son starting kindergarten next year (Fall 2005) and I am planning to try intradistrict transfer. My question is for those of you out there who have considered intradistrict transfer to either Chabot or Peralta. Why did you choose one over the other? Are there pros and cons for each I should be aware of? Also, I'd appreciate any information about how you actually did the transfer process. Thanks-- Kate
Last year, I looked at both Chabot and Peralta and found them to be very different schools. You can get the basics on each school at www.greatschools.net (test scores, diversity, etc.), but to get a real feel for the school, you need to visit the school, talk to the principal, teachers and parents, and see the school in action. I think that's the only way to know if the school is a good fit for you. FYI, last year, they were decreasing the number of kindergartners at Chabot from 90 to 60, so transferring into Chabot next to impossible. I don't know what the situation is this year.
more responses: Peralta Elementary School
January 2003
We are thinking of sending our son to Anthony Chabot Elementary and I would be very interested in hearing any feedback about the school. Interested Parent
This is for parents re questions about Chabot School--we've been at Chabot for 4 years (w/ a semester break to try out a charter school that didn't work for us). The great things about Chabot--1) the new principal Denise Saddler (there for about 3 years now) w/ alot of energy, commitment to all kids, & who has worked effectively at increasing academic achievement of African American students & participation by African American parents;2) great ethnic & socioeconomic diversity of student body; 3) very active parent body, esp. at fundraising (although predominately white); 4) new ''reform'' efforts spearheaded by the principal and parents from Saturday school to help underperforming kids to new enriched and more culturally appropriate afterschool activities to the removal of a ''problematic'' teacher (after parent complaints for years & years) to a new community garden & curriculum.
Not so great things about Chabot--need to adhere strictly to Open Court requirements and do group teach rather than individualize student instruction. I met several months ago w/ the Oakland superintendent & deputy superintendent about bringing in flexibility and project-based learning to Open Court (based upon our child's needs)--they were very responsive and were going to pursue those changes this year--but then the fiscal crisis hit. But there's a strong parent & community organizing effort to keep the Superintendent in place, which would spell eventual flexibility to meet individual student needs in the reading program--but not sure when that will actually take place.
Good luck w/ whatever you decide--after struggling w/ school issues for so long (investigated the private school option & actually got into several good schools, tried charter school) we've realized that no educational experience will be perfect for your child and much of it is what your highest priorities are as a family and knowing that you will need to supplement the learning (be it creative engagement, critical thinking, or the standards) in some way at home. Margaretta
We are new to the area, and chose our neighborhood for Chabot School. The school has a nice, small, safe feel, and the facilities are nice. I like the principal Denise Saddler very much, and she is well connected, which results in many benefits for the school (special programs, nice grounds, more of a voice in the district). There is a strong PTA and lots of volunteers, and that also contributes to ''special'' programs like a school garden, many field trips, art, a wide variety of relatively inexpensive after school programs, library, etc. The students are diverse and really a great and interesting group of kids.
Open Court is not so exciting, but the teachers seem great and many of the kids are quite academic. There is a GATE program and a genuine interest in the needs of different kids...
We came from a more academically accelerated school previously, but for me socialization, safety and diversity are very important and Chabot offers all that. New Chabot Parent
2000
I have my 6 year old son at Chabot and I can't give it enough praise. Very caring teachers, but especially a super principal (fun, involved, active). What worked for us, too, is their after school care program, Adventure Time, right on site, run by Val and Valerie, who are experienced and loving and attentive. The school is being renovated and may not look like much at first sight, but I highly recommend it. Annet
1999
My two children have attended Chabot by way of intradistrict transfers, and the odds of getting in change from year to year depending upon the demand within the Rockridge neighborhood, and from "outside" neighborhood folks applying through the Oakland intradistrict transfer program. At the moment, because of considerable upgrades to the school facility and numerous other improvements in the school overall, there is a higher than normal demand for Chabot, or at least this is how it appears to me. The "normal" channel is to apply for a transfer by filling out paperwork some time in Feb. or March. I will try to keep up on this and notify the list when the Oakland transfer "window" period opens up--it's usually a 4-6 week period of time. You have to pick up the paperwork at the central OUSD Admin office down the street from the Oakland Museum on Tenth. Your priority is based on whether you have other children at the school, what after-care program you use, and no doubt other factors which aren't publicized (such as gender, race, etc.). No one in the intradistrict transfer office is very helpful or knowledgeable, so you have to sort of feel the process out for yourself, unfortunately. But here's the thing. Many times people get turned down through the intradistrict transfer process when there are spaces available at the school. So it's always a good idea to call the principal at the school (Wendi Caporicci 879-1060) and check in from time to time during the spring, and summer, and even during the first week of school. The more persistent you are at the school site, the better are your chances of getting in. This September, we had many available unfilled spaces, and we may still have unfilled spaces at various grade levels if anyone is interested.
No responses received.