History

City of Atlanta’s First Charter School

Recognizing that a quality school  is the key to a healthy, vibrant neighborhood, the East Lake Foundation, the Atlanta Board of Education, and parents in the community of East Lake opened Charles R. Drew Charter School – the city of Atlanta’s first charter school – in August 2000.

The school started with 240 children in grades kindergarten through fifth and has since grown to serve more than 850 students ages 3 through eighth grade with an average class size of 22 students.  Students at Drew are outpacing their peers across the state.

A Choice Education

A model for continuous improvement, flexibility, and accountability, Charles R. Drew Charter School will continue to build community, foster student success and remain true to our mission – to work together as a community of teachers, staff, students, families, and volunteers to provide a learning environment that emphasizes high achievement and character development.

Drew is a great choice for families living in the city of Atlanta, with preference given to families living in the Villages of East Lake, the larger East Lake community, or Kirkwood.  Drew’s commitment to academic achievement, character development, and enrichment opportunities helps all students reach their potential.  Standardized test results show that student achievement steadily increases from pre-K through eighth grade; the longer students stay at Drew, the better they perform.

The educational plan at Drew incorporates excellent faculty and staff who serve as models of life-long learning; high standards and expectations for student achievement, innovative teaching strategies, rigorous student assessment and a commitment to continuous improvement; a vast array of enrichment opportunities, access to cutting-edge technology, extensive Before and After School Programs and, most importantly, involved supportive families.  Drew also has a new focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) with a foundation in literacy.  By infusing these areas of curriculum into the school as a whole, Drew is working hard to give students the opportunity to compete in a global world.