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LaToya Thompson, parent of three children at Bethune School of Excellence:
When I heard Bethune was going to be turned around, I decided to see how it was going to work. The new staff was wonderful. They let me know where my child’s performance was at and what they were going to do to improve it. Before, my daughter could say her ABCs, but she didn’t recognize an “A” or an “M.” Her teacher has been pushing her to go beyond that. My son has been doing times tables in first grade – he’s doing 2s and 3s. They’re not going to stop at the grade level, they go a little further. In my son’s classroom, half the kids are above grade level. They really want to learn and the teachers want them to learn. The teachers show the parents they really do care.
The lunchroom has been totally redone, there’s fresh paint everywhere. They added an art and science department, which are real treats for the school. In the science department, they’re doing a CSI project. They have reading centers. They have all kinds of after-school activities, like a double Dutch team. The kids can’t stop taking it in and have total respect for the staff. The teachers are so dedicated, they reward the kids non-stop for good attendance and doing things well, with movies and popcorn, raffles and things like that. |
