About Us
When asked about her failing grade in math, eighth grader Jamari looked up. “I hate school… It’s boring and has nothing to do with real life,” she said. “All they teach us is how to pass a test. Why can’t I learn about credit cards and how to pay a mortgage …for real life?”
When we asked students how they would redesign their school, they listed the same key issues: They want more authenticity, more skills that are relevant to their everyday lives, and above all, more agency in their own learning experiences. When school is disconnected from these core elements many students disengage. These active, social and passionate middle school teens need a way to access learning experiences that are centered around their needs, interests and passions.
Capital Village Schools is a network of micro-schools that will effectively meet the diverse needs of our students by combining:
real-world learning expeditions grounded in social justice,
personalized instruction centered around the unique needs of individual students, and
an intentionally small village focused on developing the whole child.
Our small schools will be nimble and flexible. Each student’s experience will be guided by a learning plan tailored to his or her specific needs and abilities. With this high level of personalized support and the support of their families, each student who attends a Capital Village PCS will be set up to succeed.
Our Mission
The mission of Capital Village Schools is to prepare all students, regardless of background or circumstance, to reach their full potential in college, career, and life and to become agents of change in their communities.
Our Philosophy
We believe that receiving a quality education is a human right. Education can be a child’s ticket out of poverty, an institution of change in a community, and a vehicle for social justice. However, not every DC student has the opportunity to access a quality education.
Capital Village Schools’ philosophy and values are grounded in years of high-level academic research, intensive investigation of successful models, and extensive on-the-ground community engagement, and they are designed to disrupt educational inequity. Our school model rejects the system of “haves” and “have-nots” that to often surrounds our public schools. Both our academic program and school environment are born out of an urgent need to rethink a status quo where some students excel, but others fall through the cracks.
Our Team
Capital Village Schools is the product of the collaboration of a talented, experienced and passionate group of educators and professionals.