Denver Language School

Posted: December 12, 2023

Few native-speaking Chinese students make immersive learning difficult to achieve. Spanish classes are much better, and there are many Spanish-speaking families. There is a lack of emotional support. Bulling, problem students may appear in any school, but this school's response and management still needs to be improved.

Posted: December 12, 2023

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Posted: January 18, 2023

Bullying continues to be a pervasive problem at DLS, particularly in the middle school. Whatever DLS has attempted to do about it is not working. Trauma from bullying can be long-lasting and the damage to self-esteem can be life-long. We wish often that we had made the switch from DLS to a different middle school, but we were invested in the language immersion model..but at what cost? I suggest that parents who are deciding whether or not to stay for middle school consider their own child's susceptibility to bullying before committing. It's a small cohort of kids who can't escape each other or simply move on to a new group of kids to hang with...they are stuck with the same few kids. For our family, it's been something to endure, not enjoy.

The immersion model is wonderful. Many of the teachers exceptional. The school community is lacking in the upper grades. Perhaps if parents were around more and knew other parents better, the bullying wouldn't be so out of hand. But it is indeed out of hand.

Posted: October 30, 2022

It was Amazing I loved it there, totally recommend it.

Posted: October 30, 2022

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Posted: October 23, 2022

I have a 3rd and 5th grader in the Mandarin program at the school and am very pleased overall. I have been active on the PTO and the community is strong at the school. The staff are not paid as highly as other public schools, but they are there because it’s a special place, and they want to be there. Like anything, the more effort that’s put in, the more you get out. I feel like the staff and community put a lot into the school and my kids are thriving here. Not all perfect, but that’s when I put in more.

Posted: October 23, 2022

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Posted: May 26, 2021

Terrible School! Below one star. No support for Visual Arts. Actually is Anti-Visual Arts. As a result, there were multiple art teachers in only one year. The majority of teachers are not certified. The administration is terrible. There is no communication or consistency. They make things up as they go. Building Principal at K-4 School and Director are unresponsive to real needs. I taught here and it took 8 weeks for a functioning computer, yet I was required to post 17 online videos per week (and 4 in-person classes). The art room was beyond dirty and there is no storage for art materials so junk is piled to the ceiling when I started. I received zero support to get the art room clean or functioning. I received my teaching "contract" 8 weeks into hire and received no orientation and no information from the HR Human Resources who is located in Connecticut and is the only employee working remote. Two administers decided to go Part Time when I was there and positions were not filled to bridge the gap, creating less support. This is not a true "Immersion" school, students do not know the target language and many teachers do not speak English. Huge turn over, I saw a dozen staff leave in two months. There is no professional development. I was approved PD and then the principal "forgot" I was going and asked why I was not at a required CROSS GUARD duty. I was told I can "Yell at the Parents" who drive thru the crosswalks with children and teachers in the walk with the stopping up. I witnessed many bad things about this school.

Posted: May 26, 2021

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Posted: March 11, 2021

DLS is amazing. I am thrilled to have both my children attending this school. Yes, as a charter teachers do not need a CDE license, however, they need to be highly qualified (state standard testing). These teachers come from around the globe with culture, education, and enthusiasm. During a pandemic, this school has ensured that students' safety comes first. They work hard at building positive restorative practices in the classroom as well as a growth mindset. My oldest is thriving because he has teachers who care. Yes students bully but you find that at any school. I was sad to read some comments about how the school doesn't take action regarding student behavior, well they do. It takes a village not a department.

Posted: March 11, 2021

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Posted: October 23, 2019

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Posted: October 23, 2019

So far my daughter is having a good experience

Posted: July 25, 2019

Posted: July 25, 2019

Posted: July 25, 2019

The finance department is inept, unprofessional and doesn’t seem to understand how education works. The ED takes no part in the school unless it involves funding. English teachers receive no support and are looked down upon even though they are challenged with getting middle schoolers caught up with their peers. Stay away from this school!!

Posted: July 25, 2019

Many teachers do not give homework or only give completion points if they actually turn it in.

Posted: July 25, 2019

Many teachers do not have classroom management and allow kids to run the classroom. The English teachers seem to have no support.

Posted: July 25, 2019

Kids are not taught how to behave appropriately and when a teacher tries to correct their behavior, there is no support by admin.

Posted: July 25, 2019

The dean is a joke. There are no consequences for students and kids know that. The executive director just hides in her office and has no interaction with kids or staff.

Posted: March 5, 2018

My son is in the Spanish program. I had been scouting out DLS since he was not even 2 1/2 years old, hoping they would start an early learning center, because I knew how competitive it was to get accepted. When school choice rolled around, I never wavered putting DLS as our number one choice. I have witnessed first hand how dedicated the leadership team, PTA, and school board members are. They put in countless hours toward making the school a great place to be a student, as well as an employee. I am so proud to tell friends and family that my son attends such a diverse school, since we live in a Caucasian dominant neighborhood (while touring our local schools, this was one of my hangups). The academics are fairly rigorous, which is slightly intimidating because neither my husband nor I speak fluent Spanish. However, we just had parent-teacher conferences, and apparently my son is performing just as well as his peers. All of the parents I have come in contact with have been very friendly, and have interesting travel backgrounds (not surprisingly), and the teachers are always very friendly and willing to address parent questions/concerns. I am thrilled that the school offers life skills classes as well. There are many more things I could say, but there's no doubt this school has exceeded our expectations.

Posted: March 5, 2018

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Posted: February 26, 2018

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Posted: February 26, 2018

my child has some difficulty with emotional regulation and his teacher flagged it early on and arranged with the social worker for him to be in a small group focusing on emotional self-management.

Posted: February 26, 2018

I have an early elementary schooler in the Spanish program. We have been very happy with our experience so far. My son did not test into the G&T program but is advanced in math and his teacher has been happy to give him enriched homework, which he loves to do. He has learned to read and write and is reading above grade level even in English, where he gets less formal instruction. We do not speak Spanish in the home but have some relatives by marriage who are native speakers and they are really impressed with how fluent he is! He has made good friends and gotten into chess thanks to DLS's outstanding chess program.

Posted: February 26, 2018

I'm not a huge fan of homework in general in early elementary, but at least the homework at DLS is engaging--lots of word problems (in the target language!) in the math homework, and the reading homework is usually online books or fun language games, so no tedious worksheets to grind through. My kiddo seems to actively enjoy doing homework.

Posted: November 8, 2017

Our son is in second grade spanish and thriving! We do not speak Spanish at home and yet he can read, write and complete math all in Spanish. The leadership at the school is outstanding and the teachers have all been amazing and compassionate. Every year the school is working hard to improve on and build from previous years. We feel very blessed to be part of this great DLS community and highly recommend this school. Not only does our son receive a strong education but he is learning it all while learning a second language and being exposed to a multi cultural view point.

Posted: November 8, 2017

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Posted: November 5, 2017

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Posted: November 5, 2017

My Daughter is in first grade and has had a really good experience. This is not like any other school, and the full immersion model is academically rigorous, however the rewards are great. If you don't want your child to be in a school that is academically rigorous then this isn't the school for you. She's in first grade and doing math and science in Mandarin, and had no prior experience. I think this is a wonderful opportunity to give your child. The children take a life skills class that helps them deal with emotions and helps them to become more empathetic. The school does deal with bullying as well. We could not be happier.

Posted: November 2, 2017

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Posted: November 2, 2017

School is racist. My child has been here for 2 1/2 years & received nothing but problem from teachers & students. My child gets bullied all the time then when my child does something back my child is the only one who is disciplined. They don't take time to make sure the kid is understanding either. We'll be getting out of here soon hopefully.

Posted: November 2, 2017

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Posted: February 10, 2017

We've been incredibly pleased with Denver Language School. Our daughter has been there for three years now and our son will start kindergarten in the fall, both in the Spanish program. The school really supports the whole kid - it's not just teaching to the test. She's not only becoming completely fluent in another language, she's learning how to think critically, to be a leader and a global citizen, and to problem solve. The teachers and administration are very communicative and helpful any time I have any questions, and I love how proactive they are about creative a positive learning environment and providing for my daughter's needs before I even know she has them. I highly and without reservation recommend Denver Language School to any parent looking for a language immersion experience in the Denver area. I can't wait for the kids to learn Chinese in the 5th grade - I may have to step up and learn it myself!

Posted: February 5, 2016

I was/am attracted to DLS’ greatschools.com rating and to some of the existing parent’s reviews, and by the opportunities that will surely come from my kid learning a language – but, I've also found myself asking, at what cost? My personal experience is that DLS may not be a good fit if your kid doesn't already speak the language; if you are sensitive about your kid’s emotional wellbeing and safety, and/or if you get bothered by a headmaster's poor response rate to things like safety.

Posted: February 5, 2016

Posted: January 30, 2016

Posted: January 22, 2016

She's 6 and with the focus on academics above all else, she needs to unwind and decompress after going through a really tough day at school.

Posted: January 11, 2016

Safety is most important. My child got injured at this charter school, his foot bone broken in the PE class before 10am, teacher and all other teachers at this school, ignored his pain and suffering, didn't even give him a hand, no any concern, no any attention. Just let him hop around and walk that differently in pain for whole day. The school didnot call or inform parents, just let my son in such a pain for whole day. My child had cast for 6 weeks, when the cast removed, his right leg muscle was thin and soft, hardly to walk normally. It took long time to get recovered

Posted: January 11, 2016

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Posted: December 18, 2015

For the academic thing, I dont know how the rating gets calculated. Daily bully here, school doesn't do anything help to the parents and the classroom teacher.
Teachers at public schools all have the teaching license and get all the necessary professional training. But not for this kind of charter school. Most teachers have no teaching license, very rarely have the license.
students have the behavior problems, school just ignored and let the bully happen everyday in the classroom.
Once anything bad happened, Denver public school district has no power to handle this school, this kind of charter school is just a business. Be aware!

Posted: December 18, 2015

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Posted: October 16, 2015

We have been at DLS for going on four years now. While I cannot speak for the Spanish program, our experience in the Mandarin program has been really wonderful. I do agree that if you have a child who has trouble with a highly academic, structured school environment, this is probably not the school for them. DLS expects a very high level of academic achievement from the students, and this shows up in their test scores. My daughter, who has just average ability in math (takes after me, unfortunately) is testing at a year above grade level due to the math instruction at DLS. Yes, parents are asked to read with their children in English for twenty minutes per night, but if you deliberately choose to place your child in a full-immersion language school, I believe that that is part of the commitment for which you are signing up. I don't feel that I have been "homeschooling" my kids in English, but we do commit to the nightly reading time, and they are now (in 1st and 3rd grade) both reading at grade level in English. The "specials" are great, especially art and music, and all the teachers my kids have had are very caring and rigorous instructors. We couldn't be happier with our experience at DLS.

Posted: September 4, 2015

DLS is not perfect but what school is? I believe that we need to give schools time to implement all the feedback given. I know this is true because I've been a public school educator for 15 year, 4 of which have been in DPS. The parent community is active at DLS and they offer many opinions. I found the leadership of Kathy and her team to be top notch. They have slowly but very thoughtfully implemented the feedback given to them. After all, they're the experts in language immersion, NOT parents. Rome was not built in a day, people. Let's leave the instruction and running of a school to the people who are experts.

Posted: August 20, 2015

This is my third year as a parent of a child in the Mandarin immersion program. As with any new school, there were bumps in the road at DLS--a few poor administrators and some disorganization. However, our experience has been overwhelmingly positive. My child has made slow but steady progress in Chinese and she has excelled in math. The art program is top-notch and we appreciate the cultural education aspects of the school. Another great thing about the school is the friendly community of parents. I predict that this school will get better and better over time! I am thankful for the opportunity to enroll my daughter in an immersion program.

Posted: August 20, 2015

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Posted: June 8, 2015

Administration ignores parent input; all the time spent on feedback and suggestions has been a complete waste of time. It's embarrassing how bad the English teachers are. They claim credit for the fact that their students have good standard test scores in English, but they don't start teaching English until 3rd grade -- and they do it so poorly -- so these test scores are much more a testament of parents who are essentially home-schooling their kids in English, and so many parents are getting English tutors for their kids. Volunteer parents with professional skills to offer are ignored while the administration (unsuccessfully) micromanages tasks. Half-days on Friday are such a pain for working parents and the aftercare program is impossible to get into; we've been on a waitlist for three years! The half days are supposedly for "teacher training" but there is no accountability for what they are supposed to be trained on -- the administration refuses to offer any information on this. They are definitely not being trained on handling bullying, special ed, or communication with parents. They teach Singapore Math, but haven't been trained on this teaching method and they are not using the manipulatives, which are a key component to this math program. In the middle school target-language language arts classes, students are not reading books or doing book reports in the target language, so they are well behind their peers in these skills. A middle school class was assigned a 10-page research report but was given NO guidance on how to do this, so it turned into an exercise in plagiarism and blogging. Language teachers have been showing feature-length Disney movies in English just to kill time -- no academic value. One class was shown a R-rated movie with seriously adult themes! The bottom line is that this school has no over-arching curriculum plan or guidance for the teachers, and it shows. The school is five years old and is still just throwing things together without and understanding of the big picture for our kids.

Posted: May 27, 2015

Bullying is rampant. Teachers and administration ignore the issue. The English program is unfocused and English teachers are under-qualified; they produce assignments full of grammatical and punctuation errors! Academics in general are average to poor, and they get worse as the grade level increases, to the point that the attrition rate in the upper grades is approaching 50% in some classes; parents who care about academic quality pull their kids out. They don't have any plan for accommodating high or low achievers; kids who perform above grade level are unchallenged and bored, while kids who struggle are left behind.

Posted: February 4, 2015

My daughter is in the Chinese program for 1 1/2 years and was able to communicate when we went to China. According to the Chinese, she did not have an accent. The school environment is positive and teachers have energy. I appreciate the cultural activities as well. Parents are dedicated and a strong community is built between the school, parents, and students.

Posted: December 10, 2014

Wow...giving dls a one star, that's completely unfair and inaccurate. Dls has provided my child now in 6th grade with an outstanding education and it still does. The new math teacher is doing a great job and has strengthened, not weakened the program. I'm not sure what other parents are so "livid" about. The 5th and 6th grade share teachers and are considered part of the middle school. Teachers are great and truly care. My child is happy with school resources, activities and absolutely loves learning a third language this year. The principal is working hard trying to communicate to parents all the changes and improvements in the program. Unfortunately parents are not showing up to the latest informational meetings and are making wrong assumptions. We will definitely stay and enjoy everything that this wonderful school has to offer.

Posted: December 2, 2014

K-5 is running smoothly, but the middle school is a train wreck. This year is the first year for the middle school with two 6th grade classes and they just weren't ready for it. It's just like another year of elementary school. There are 600 kids at the school, but only about 30 in middle school. All the middle school teachers also work in the K-5 program and they teach accordingly. One teacher has been using the same material for 6th grade as for her 5th grade class. Math has been weakened by staff changes (we find out soon if the 6th grade will have their 3rd math teacher for this year or if they will stick with the 2nd one). Science is currently being "taught" by an English lit graduate. My child in 6th grade gets less homework than my child grades below does. There are no after-school programs aimed at the middle school. There's widespread worry that the school is not focused on preparing students to go to high school. Parents of 6th grade kids are livid. Some (like us) are using outside tutoring to compensate for the lack of rigor. The school is finally now trying to respond, but I'm certain that many 6th grade parents will enter the school choice lottery... just in case.

Posted: October 19, 2014

DLS is very good at teaching Math and language and they have an amazing art and gym teacher. For students who learn well in teacher centered classrooms DLS is a good option. There are a lot of wonderful supportive families in this community. DLS has a long way to go to develop a philosophy and a practice of teaching the whole child and of creating a caring warm culture. There is a lot of bullying and shaming that happens at DLS from both students and teachers, which has plagued the school since it opened. Very few of the Mandarin teachers (I can't speak for the Spanish program) are licensed educators so they lack the skills or the knowledge to respond to the social emotional needs of kids. There is a new principal who is very good, but she has a difficult job reforming the culture of the school and teaching teachers about good quality instructional practices. If you have a child who is emotionally fragile or has any learning or behavior difficulties this is probably not a good fit. The new leadership team, may be able to create a school that is about more than just teaching language, but it is going to take several years.

Posted: September 8, 2014

We are a new family to Denver Language School. So far we are really impressed. We have had our children in language immersion at an area private school before getting into DLS, and I can say that we are so impressed with the school, the management, the curriculum, the support services, the wonderful cohort of students and parents, and the safe and exciting atmosphere of the school. Most importantly, my kids love it. They are so happy with the switch. We look forward to seeing how the school year unfolds. For parents considering language immersion as an option for elementary or middle school, it's totally worthwhile to check out DLS. No need to pay for a private school tuition if you are able to get into DLS. The faculty are well-trained and have their acts together. The communication between the administration, principles and parents has so far been awesome, and the after school activities and fun clubs are nearly identical private school we were attending before. The PTA is supportive and also very communicative. DLS has a lot going on, and it's a breath of fresh air to see it all. I am very pleased and thankful that we found a place there.

Posted: June 21, 2014

Great school. Solid academics and wonderful teachers. They have a new principal who seems extremely qualified.

Posted: February 25, 2014

Where to start... I absolutely love the concept, vision and curriculum of DLS. Teachers care, kids are learning and thriving in both languages. Parents are a little too much involved...everyone with their opinion on how things should run. Unfortunately I think that takes time and effort away from the admin to focus on more important things. I feel admin is always too busy dealing with parents, never see them in the classrooms with the kids. But the school is amazing, the teachers are great and we are very happy that we chose Dls for our kids.

Posted: December 10, 2013

Some parents freak out about this school because it is academically rigorous, focused and "not what they experienced growing up." But, once I got over the unfamiliarity of my children learning in a foreign language, I could see what's so wonderful about this school. I am so impressed with everything my children are learning; and I have every confidence that our early investment in immersion will pay enormous dividends in cultural appreciation and academic prowess down the road. I only wish there could be more schools like DLS.

Posted: September 17, 2013

We are SO PLEASED with DLS! We have had our kids enrolled at DLS since inception. They are now in 4th and 5th grade Mandarin. Both of our girls are thriving in both English and Mandarin. We have been so impressed by the new principal, Dr. Sara Amodio. She is very responsive and is passionate about giving the kids a great learning foundation!

Posted: August 21, 2013

We have been happy at DLS and are starting our third year. The teachers seem very responsive to questions and concerns. We are very fortunate to have the teachers that we have, including the language teachers and the specials teachers.

Posted: February 5, 2013

We fully embrace full immersion education for our children and the teachers we have had have been great. The art, gym and music programs are fantastic. Unfortunately, the current administration does not have strong leadership skills, does not know how to delegate tasks or support teachers from different cultures. Instead of having a conversation with parents, the principal's technique is to yell at them or ignore them when they have an issue or concern. We are happy with what happens in the classroom but not what happens outside of it.

Posted: January 27, 2013

I am a parent of a first grade Mandarin student and am thankful every day that my son has the opportunity to attend DLS. Both our kindergarten and first grade teachers have been wonderful - academically strong, nurturing, supportive and everything that I would look for in a teacher. The bond among the students is strong, and the school does a wonderful job of encouraging students to think and act like global citizens. The specials teachers are incredible and the quality of instruction in Art, PE and Music has far exceeded my expectations. The new principal has made great strides in open communication and organization. Most importantly, my son is sad every time there is a day off school as he loves it that much. That, to me, is a testiment to the culture, the teachers, and the overall ambience of the school. Thanks to the work of the dedicated parents, the skilled staff and the involvement of the students/families the school will only continue to get better and better.

Posted: January 22, 2013

We have two kids at DLS, in first and fourth grade Spanish. We are truly amazed at how quickly they picked up a second language. They're both reading and speaking fluently in Spanish. We love all the extras-- music, PE, art, as well as many after-school enrichment classes offered by the teachers. We also love the diversity in the student population-- much more diverse than our neighborhood school. Teachers are animated, creative, and caring, and great at meeting the needs of all students in each class, including the highly gifted kids as well as the kids with IEPs. There are many opportunities for parents to volunteer in and out of the classroom and parent support is greatly appreciated. Every year the school gets stronger, and the new principal has made many positive changes since starting last summer, including great communication between administration and parents. We hope the school can move to a larger facility soon so we can grow into a full ECE-8th grade.

Posted: January 21, 2013

Wholeheartedly agree with the recent poor reviews and the points raised in each of them. We were ecstatic about sending our child to this school. However, our experience was in sharp contrast with what we were told and observed when we toured the school last year. That said, our child learned a lot of the target language and otherwise, thrived academically. We left mid-year because we couldn't justify staying after hearing our child's reports of what takes place in the classroom. These reports were confirmed through our own observations as well as multiple, independent accounts from other parents and their children. The administration refused to listen, acknowledge, or address these concerns. The reputation of the staff as unfriendly and resting on its laurels of the school's reputation from its first few years, IMO, is well deserved. There ARE a few gems in this school, but they lack the power to effect systemic change. The one star is for these gems.

Posted: November 14, 2012

I am a parent/former DPS educator. This is our second yr at DLS. We were hopeful that with another yr under its belt and a new administrator, students and teachers would be better supported. Unfortunately this is not our experience. We shared our concerns/suggestions with the board of directors & the principal. There was no attempt to follow up. We will be leaving mid year. Areas of concern for Spanish kgarten (imo): class size of 30+, excessive amount of worksheet/desk time, punitive demerit behavior system, recess withheld for all students as form of punishment, papers thrown in trash when incorrectly executed, children urinating in pants due to denial of bathroom access, excessive time spent in behavior management vs teaching due to class size, inadequate small group time, little time spent speaking the target language due to noise level/control of large class, children being "labeled" as bad vs behaviors being labeled, I sincerely hope that at least some of these concerns will be addressed for the other children who remain at this school. That said, the parental involvement is robust and the teachers seem to want to make a difference....they just don't have the power.

Posted: November 13, 2012

Every day I feel fortunate that my children can attend DLS, the 2012 #1 school of choice in the district. I am proud of Denver for supporting the vision that kids raised here will be ready for life in a global economy. Having fluency skills in a second language not only opens the door to opportunity in the workplace, but expands the way one can understand and enjoy another culture. Our family chose a language immersion program because the research stated that the earlier a child is exposed to a second language the better. After nine months in Shirley Li s DLS kindergarten, our daughter was able to write and present a four minute speech in Mandarin Chinese. It was only after being a part of DLS did we learn that kids in immersion programs test higher than their peers in all subjects after 5th grade. Researchers attribute the scores to an increase brain development of 20% because of the bi-literacy. DLS is an amazing place. We can't wait to learn Spanish next.