Washington Latin Public Charter Schools

WHO WE ARE

Washington Latin PCS is a small network of liberal arts, college preparatory schools with a classical mission serving over 1,000 students in grades 5-12 from across the District of Columbia on two campuses. We believe that all students deserve a quality education that goes beyond preparation and focuses on developing knowledge, understanding and humanity. Ours is a school where words matter, ideas matter, and people matter.

Our school is grounded in the following essential characteristics, which shape the Washington Latin experience for our faculty, students, and families:

• Classical Mission – Our model brings together timeless truths from antiquity with the study of contemporary issues through a broad liberal arts curriculum, aimed at helping our students develop both their autonomy as individuals and their commitment to the common good. We ask students to consider moral issues across every subject and grade, particularly through regular Socratic seminars that help them to develop informed, reasoned and flexible opinions. This ability to engage in civil debate is a keystone of our democratic society and thus an important element of our program.

• Diverse, integrated community – Our student body is diverse by design, which we consider necessary to accomplish our mission. We believe that a central purpose of education is to help students to develop the ability to work within our diverse and increasingly global society. Our approach cultivates students’ respect for difference while fostering their understanding and appreciation of our shared humanity.

• Personal, Nurturing Culture – Washington Latin is deliberately small (overall and in terms of class sizes), so that everyone is known as a scholar and individual. We aim for mutual trust and respect in our community to foster intellectual curiosity and creativity. We want for students and faculty alike to feel a sense of community that encourages them to try something new, challenge ideas, make mistakes, and step up as leaders.

• Faculty Excellence & Autonomy – Our leaders are teachers, and our teachers are leaders. They bring expertise in and passion for their fields of study to their classrooms. We grant them autonomy in curricular and teaching choices, while at the same time providing personal support and opportunities for their professional development. Above all, we respect and nurture their intellect and humanity. The result: a stable cadre of excellent teachers, close-knit as a community and devoted to their students’ long-term success.

Read more about Latin’s model, teaching approach, and community on our website.