Shepherd Elementary School

Posted: February 11, 2026

When Principal Hedlund led the school, we were having a more positive experience. There was accountability within the staff and parents. Communication was clear and much better. Since Principal Russell has stepped in, that has all gone down hill. There’s been several safety concerns that goes unaddressed or parents aren’t aware until AFTER it’s happened. The teachers are poor communicators (especially in the 4th grade), no accountability and often show favoritism. As a parent I could not be more disappointed in the negative turn Shepherd has taken.

Posted: February 11, 2026

Posted: February 11, 2026

Posted: February 11, 2026

Posted: February 11, 2026

Posted: February 11, 2026

Posted: February 11, 2026

Posted: February 11, 2026

Posted: July 3, 2024

Shepherd is a wonderful small community where you get to know all the other children, parents, and teachers easily. Unlike some other DCPS elementary schools, there are fewer than 400 children and most live in the immediate boundaries of the school. This, combined with an active and engaged PTO and administration, planning lots of community events, means there is always something happening in or around the school. We could not feel more connected to the school or the local community. The major renovation and new cafeteria and gym are also big perks.

The teaching staff have been wonderful and communicative. The move to departmentalize - students have both 2nd grade teachers one for math and science the other for ELA and social studies - seems to have been a great success. Your child has the same group of classmates, but gets to work with both teachers. We have seen nothing both exceptional growth academically and socially from our children. Also, the aftercare program including the very strong and competitive chess and basketball round out a great experience. Principal Russell also does a great job of making an extra effort to engage with families formally and in informal settings including regular "coffee and conversations."

Posted: July 3, 2024

Posted: July 3, 2024

Posted: July 3, 2024

Posted: July 3, 2024

Posted: July 3, 2024

Posted: July 3, 2024

Posted: July 3, 2024

Posted: August 25, 2021

Posted: August 25, 2021

Posted: August 25, 2021

Posted: August 25, 2021

Posted: August 25, 2021

Posted: August 25, 2021

Posted: August 25, 2021

Posted: August 25, 2021

This school is average. The teachers did not communicate well with the students nor did they give the homework specified to their needs. This school was small however there was always lots going on event, teacher, and student wise. As a child who went here and had very obvious anxiety, I found the teachers were not understanding and in some circumstances made it worse. Therefore I believe that shepherd could use some more understanding of students suffering from mental health problems. This leads me to the fact that some of the teacher's (mainly in the later grades) teaching and punishment methods would leave me and other former students stressed. Adding to this the teachers would take away our break times as a form of punishment, I understand that taking away our ability to talk at lunch and our recess could theoretically be an effective response to misbehaver, however, lunch and recess is a student's one break from a day of learning and helps many of us get back into a learning mindset, therefore, this could lead to frustration or distraction throughout the rest of the day. I found that the amount of homework for elementary students was a lot and overwhelming especially because it was hard to communicate with the teachers, during and after school. The cafeteria was filthy with the food being disgusting and most of the time cold, they also did not cater to students with health problems and allergies despite being a nut-free school (however this was my experience before the renovation so they might have changed the food and cleanliness). The school was also obsessed with IB, changing the teaching protocol and making certain 'ib students' which made the other students feel left out or not as good as them (I personally do not care about this but I know my peers cared a lot about it. Lastly, I'd like to touch on the common core math method. First of all Common core made learning math 10 times more difficult as it included complicated ways to get the answer, I understand that the point of common core was to made make learning math easier, however, it often made math more confusing for me and my peers. Another problem with common core was that the teachers expected you to always use that method of math even if you found the answer using a different method, they would still expect you to show your work with the common core way. However, shepherd did have a few positives like good community events and student opportunities however the clubs were limited.

Posted: October 13, 2018

A wonderful company of professional teachers and administrators. We also appreciate the truly excellent before/aftercare and welcoming community. Go Mustangs!

Posted: October 13, 2018

Posted: October 13, 2018

Posted: October 13, 2018

Posted: October 13, 2018

Posted: October 13, 2018

Posted: October 13, 2018

Posted: September 28, 2018

Posted: September 28, 2018

Posted: September 28, 2018

Posted: September 28, 2018

Posted: September 28, 2018

I am not sure every incident is addressed.

Posted: September 28, 2018

Overall our experiences at Shepherd under Ms. Brawley's leadership have been great!

Posted: September 28, 2018

Posted: August 21, 2018

Great, very traditional school. I feel welcomed and an continually impressed by the professionalism of the staff and administration.

Posted: August 21, 2018

Posted: August 21, 2018

Posted: August 21, 2018

Posted: August 21, 2018

Posted: August 21, 2018

Posted: August 21, 2018

Posted: June 2, 2018

The IB curriculum here is fantastic at helping develop thoughtful keep da.

Posted: June 2, 2018

Posted: June 2, 2018

Posted: June 2, 2018

Posted: June 2, 2018

We’ve had a fantastic 3 years at the school. Challenging but also loving community. Few complaints and mostly directed at ongoing communication issues with administrators.

Posted: June 2, 2018

It’s regular and feels like a good review.

Posted: June 2, 2018

Teachers we’ve had so far have been great at assessing our kid’s strengths and weaknesses.

Posted: February 24, 2018

My son is a kindergartner - He loves school and comes home happy everyday. He is progressing very well in reading and math. I am very satisfied to date

Posted: February 24, 2018

Posted: February 24, 2018

Posted: February 24, 2018

Posted: February 24, 2018

Posted: February 24, 2018

Posted: February 24, 2018

Posted: May 23, 2016

My son's teacher is very supportive of him and actively reaches to the parents for support.

The principal is new, and she too is open to ideas to foster a better school environment.

The PTA is very active and committed.

My son has great friends, and has bonded with all classmates.

In the 2015-2016 school year, Shepherd ES hosted an astronaut at its school; visited the U.S. Supreme Court and met with Chief Justice Roberts; and have competed in science fairs hosted by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

Just know that there are different philosophies employed at other schools that are more nurturing.

At some DCPS schools, you may find both the principal and vice principal greeted every family at 8 AM every day.

The suggested PTA donation is $180/year per family. Some don't even both to give that much. Some schools ask 2-10 times that amount from their parent families in part because the money can supplement the school curriculum.

Lastly, I have seen too many parents act like teenagers who simply do not follow rules.

This includes the following: parking in the public crosswalk;

parking their cars and blocking the alleyway used by residents;

parking a car with a pit bull inside, but the window fully down to intimidate pedestrians (no kidding);

clogging up the drop off/pick up lanes by parking their car;

PK 3 and PK 4 parents (the most coveted neighborhood spaces) arriving in cars with Virginia and Maryland tags;

and finally, parents who do not pay for after care, yet routinely leave their children at the school until 6 PM.

This neighborhood deserves better.

Posted: May 23, 2016

There are good teachers, like my son's teacher. The staff is very good and welcoming. The music teacher is very engaging.

Posted: May 17, 2016

My son completes his assignments in aftercare in 10 minutes. He is doing it just to get through the lesson plan.

Posted: May 17, 2016

Supplies were requested from all parents at the beginning of the year. Day 1, I could see which parents brought supplies and which simply showed up. Almost 200 school days later, you get to know those who just show up. The kids, in this class, kept breaking the pencils in part because they were afraid that others would take and that they, themselves, would be without any pencils or pens.

Posted: November 23, 2014

Having been at Shephard ES for 5 years now, the school continues to grow into its IB program and parent engagement. I love the way the school teaches and encourages critical as well as creative thinking to prepare our children for the global economy. My oldest is currently in Middle School and has thrived from day one. I believe that Shepherd had a lot to do with it. My middle child, who is an introvert, decided to run for a student government office and was encouraged by his teacher and administration. Finally, my youngest, who is in Kindergarten, has grown leaps and bounds in learning to read.

Posted: October 23, 2014

My family is now in our second year at Shepherd ES. Both of DC's teachers have been friendly, but very firm, regarding their academic expectations and classroom management styles. They created an environment where hard work and success were rewarded and they even allowed a little scholarly competitiveness to develop among the top students. The IB curriculum has been implemented wisely and DC has enjoyed all of the projects that have been assigned. I'd give school management a solid 'B' grade. All of our paperwork has been processed w/o issue. The principal is not going to knock your socks off with an inspiring speech but she keeps the trains running on time. PTA leaders and active parents are helpful and more than willing to welcome new families into the community. Overall, we are very pleased with Shepherd ES and we are so happy to have a resource like this in our community, especially since we can walk to school instead of commuting a long distance. Before we enrolled, we heard lots of mixed reviews about the school, but we are happy to report than the negative comments were either unfounded or the issue they described has been addressed.

Posted: October 22, 2014

We did a TON of research into schools last year. Although our child was accepted at a nearby private, we decided to try Shepherd--we reasoned that the test scores were good and rising, the IB model was innately appealing, the feeders were some of the best in the city (Deal Middle and Wilson H.S.), and we liked the idea of supporting our neighborhood school. I am so glad we did. More and more young families in the area seem to be choosing Shepherd, so our daughter's PK3 class definitely has a "neighborhood" feel--she already knew several children in her class from the neighborhood playground, which made the transition even easier. She loves her teachers, and has made lots of new friends already. We also like that the school is quite diverse--some parents are Washingtonians born and bred, while others are international families. Finally, we were pleasantly surprised by the high level of parental engagement--on a recent field trip to the Smithsonian Discovery Theater, almost all of the children in the class had a parent chaperone on the trip. In short, Shepherd is a great choice for our family, and we look forward to coming years as our daughter matriculates through.

Posted: October 20, 2014

My son is in the first class of PK3 at Shepherd, and he could not be happier. He was happy in preschool before, and he is notoriously resistant to transitions, but he immediately fit in at Shepherd. The mornings are a cheerful walk to school; in the afternoons he comes running to tell me about his day. He loves his teachers and has made many friends in his class. His teacher assessed him early in the year, and though she was impressed by his preparation for school, she has promised to keep him challenged. The IB program encourages curiosity and critical thinking, and the curriculum is complemented by positive approaches to discipline and emotional/social development. Aftercare is well-organized and responsive to parents; they have a different "special" every day of the week (dance, PE, music, language, etc.). Our son is happy, challenged, and supported at Shepherd. We are done with the lottery!

Posted: October 20, 2014

Shepherd Elementary has meet or exceed all of our expectations for our son. The school is wonderfully renovated, and still has one more phase of improvement to go before the $20 million renovation is complete. Shepherd is also one of three schools in the city to use the acclaimed International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program (along with Yu Ying Public Charter School and Washington International School). All children are receiving either Spanish or French instruction three time a week as part of the standard curriculum. This school is truly a neighborhood gem, and a great school for my child.

Posted: October 14, 2014

I'm a neighborhood parent, kid in Pre-K 4 and we love Shepherd. We were at a great public charter last year, but the resources at Shepherd dwarf that of our last school. I'm in constant awe at all the cool things my four year old is exposed to. The kid takes violin lessons (at school!), gets Spanish 3x a week, 4x if you count aftercare, and also gets all the other specials - art, PE and library. Her teachers are very experienced and loving. The teaching style is play-based. In three months, the kid is sounding out far more words in books, reading at home and getting better at writing with legible letters. They have recess every day at a fantastic playground. And they go on monthly field trips (a pleasant surprise for us). I've also been impressed at parent engagement in the classrooms and the PTA. Our walk to school is the best part of my day. I'm not sure how it'll go in the later years, but I keep meeting parents with 1st and 2nd graders who tell me they chose to stay at Shepherd, despite chances to jump to schools West of the park. I think more families are realizing this school is definitely on an upswing and we're proud to be a part of that.

Posted: August 25, 2013

I attended Shepherd a long time ago, I have had one child graduate and two currently attending. No school is perfect but looking at other public school options in the city, I am happy with Shepherd. They could use some improvement but who does not need to improve. With the jobs and resources that the parents at Shepherd have, we could be better but you can't complain unless you have done all you can to help. We have a partially newly renovated building with plans to continue into next year. We have new energetic teachers with great ideas and ready to implement them. There has been a decline but things are changing for the better and are on there way back up if you don't believe me look at the scores. The statistics speak for themselves!

Posted: June 24, 2013

Shepherd school was an excellent school until all of the outstanding teachers left last year, total of five teachers leaving all at the same time. this to me points fingers at the way the principal manages her staff. Some changes need to be made, in order to bring this school in good standing like it use to be.

Posted: April 17, 2013

Shepherd Elementary has progressively declined over the years. My child has attended the school for 5 years. Instruction from teachers is severely lacking leaving parents to reteach fundamentals of math and language arts at home. Instruction is often replaced by websites meant to be a supplement such as "First in Math". Often times some of the newer teachers are dismissive of parents concerns which ultimately must be funneled to the principle who at this time is bombarded by complaints, yet no changes have been seen. Longevity of teaching staff has been a significant issue at the school. Many of the academic issues could be addressed by utilizing online resources properly such as posting homework assignments online, instead of steering students to video game type learning tools in lieu of classroom instruction. I can say that Music, Art, and Gym instruction are on track for this school.

Posted: June 5, 2012

Shepherd tries very hard but is a bit overwhelmed with trying to be an IB school.Academics are average at best. I was not impressed with teacher my child had. She had no up to date training and was not interested n teaching the whole child. The PTA is overwhelmingly the best thing about the school however if you dont live in the neihborhood you are kind of an outcast. Also if your child is new and you have not been a part of the school since Pre K you an outsider. It is in a very nice area of Washington DC and therefore gets credit that it doesnt deserve. The star average says it all.