Before I share my review of the Dr. John Ochsner Discovery School (DJOD), let me share my…read morequalifications as a reviewer. I am a lifelong, professional educator having taught 44 years ranging from middle school to graduate school. I have a Ph.D. in education and am currently a high school teacher who also teaches 3-4 graduate education courses each year for LSU; and I serve on the Board of Directors of an "A-rated," metro-New Orleans PK-8 charter school. So, my review comes from a professional perspective.
When my child's admission lottery number finally got us into DJOD, I was ecstatic! I truly believed DJOD would be a superior educational environment than the neighborhood public middle school. I could not have been more wrong!!
DJOD was a huge disappointment and I totally regret pursing this educational opportunity for my child. Why? Over several years, I found the teachers to be inferior to the neighborhood school in their classroom teaching. My child's learning atrophied as too many of the teachers don't teach, rather they pointed their students to the internet and let online teach.
Prior to beginning at DJOD, my child tested at grade-level or higher. Sadly, at the end of our time at DJOD, my child tested below grade-level.
Worst of all, the teachers don't challenge the gifted and don't challenge early finishers. Prior to DJOD, both were managed quite well at the neighborhood school and I believe contributed much to strong academic progress and LEAP2025 mastery and advanced scores. At DJOD, the teachers appeared clueless with the gifted and early finishers.
On top of all this, I personally experienced the lack of ethics of the school's administrators. DJOD's value form the acronym HEART and you hear and see HEART all over the school and from teachers / administrators mouths. Yet, while DJOD talks the talk of having HEART, I can attest personally they unfortunately cannot walk their talk. Their actions toward parents and students are HEARTLESS and unethical. In fact, I have concluded students and parents rank well behind everything especially their public face and brand. That's number one! How DJOD looks to the public.
The prevailing administration attitude (all the way to the top) is: "DJOD is a choice; choose elsewhere, if you're not happy." Of course, through their lottery and waitlist, this translates to: "we don't care about you because we have plenty to replace you." How's that for HEART?
Next, DJOD is a feminine culture and boys struggle to find their place in this feminine culture. Even worst, DJOD has no male role models for the boys. (Check out the DJOD directory and you'll see the lead administrators are female and there's only ONE male teacher.)
So, in the end, as a professional educator (and, yes, as a parent), I have a very poor review of DJOD and strongly recommend you enter the school with eyes wide open - or better, stay away! When you pull back the curtain, it's not the school their leaders want you to see. Don't fall for the facade and double-talk. Good luck!
