What do you dislike about your elementary most?

[Anonymous]

Whenever people on here ask about schools, they tend to ask for confimation about certain schools. And, it seems to me that if you are zoned for a certain school, and you send your kid there, you are mostly going to want to say positive things. I am wondering if there is anything you dislike about your school, where there is room for improvement, big or small?

[Anonymous]

I can’t stand our principal, so I’ll say that. But I do think you’re right in that there is a tendency to say good things about your school, unless you also say you are actively trying to leave or sad you’re stuck there. It’s like you don’t want to look like you are willingly sending your kid to a sub-par school unless you have no other options.

But I love my kids’ schools, ha. They aren’t perfect but I still think they are a good fit for us.

[Anonymous]

Lack of communication, especially when everyone is distance learning and isolated. Just replaying information that the superintendent has already pushed out doesn’t cut it, thanks. Don’t pretend that we have a “great community” when you do almost nothing to nurture that community.

[Anonymous]

I loved our Elem school. I was nervous because it’s a focus school and a lot of people where I live avoid it and do private. Teachers have been great and DD really bonded with her first grade teacher. Other kids were fine, and j was able to go in and volunteer once a week. The only thing I didn’t like was the playground. It’s old and if a kid falls it’s an automatic scraped knee because it’s so gravely. And the basketball hoops are too high. Like they’re standard height I’m sure but unless you are a 4th/5th grader they’re useless. An Elem school should have equipment for the right ages.

[Anonymous]

OP - If you are willing to "out" your school that would be great too. I ask because my family is moving soon, and we are relatively flexible with where we can move, largely prohibited by cost only. One of my priorities is finding an elementary I really feel comfortable and happy sending my kid to, based on what I know about my kids personality and my personal preferences.

I visited Murch and Eaton prior to the pandemic. I was very happy with what I saw in Murch. There seemed to be less emphasis on testing and the numbers that could be pulled from the kids. And, more of creating an environment best for the children to actually learn in. However, the housing in the area is super small and fairly expensive. So, I do not think we will be able to move into this district. I often peruse this site to see what parents are saying about schools, and more often than not, there is a lot of postivity towards the schools they are zoned for. Which is great, but I think schools all have their drawbacks and depending on specifically what you seek for your child, they are all going to be a better or worse fit.

We are zoned for Garrison. And, thus far we have actually had an amazing experience. Our teacher is amazing. And the prinicipal is pretty wonderful. We are leaving because of the uptick in crime specific to our block, and some incidents we have had that make it very hard to feel safe anymore. What I dislike most in the school is that we have not experienced a great deal of social/emotional development. Though we have only been virtual and my kid is in K, so it is hard to know what happens in person in a normal year. I do wish 15 minutes a day was spend on some sort of work toward this sort of growth.

[Anonymous]

I loved our elementary for my oldest because he got every amazing teacher for his grade. He was best friends with the PTA president who I didn't realize requested the best teacher for her son AND that our kids be together. Additionally, the cohort of kids that year was great. No drama, great group of kids.

My youngest hit the worst teachers or teachers who went out on maternity or medical leave. His cohort was so challenging and several kids are just out if control as in classrooms had to be evacuated. It was as if he attended a completely different school. The final straw was he was hit in the head by a rock that gave him a cut and barely missed his eye. I moved him to private school at the end of third grade.

[Anonymous]

Elementary schools is fine. I don't like the fluff PTA brings to the school. PTA has nothing tangible to add.
Many kids go to Russian School of Mathematics and other tutoring places. Why not bring one of the places to aftercare, so kids don't have to travel all over the place. We pay enough money every year to get a tutoring company into school. PTA chooses to use the money for pizza parties instead.

[Anonymous]

Three kids, three different schools.

Private school - love it, wish it was cheaper so I could send everyone.

Japanese immersion school, elementary - the county curriculum's pretty dreadful, but they seem to do what they can with it. Unfortunately, that means they're also pushing the county's crappy online software, but on the other hand there's a quarterly folder of physical supplies, art, and manipulatives. Very well run, very well organized. Super impressed with the principal.

AAP school, elementary - saw how bad the county curriculum was and did everything possible to make it worse. On all trendy edubabble topics like white on rice. Good group of kids, nice group of teachers couldn't make up for this. Withdrew child to homeschool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Elementary schools is fine. I don't like the fluff PTA brings to the school. PTA has nothing tangible to add.
Many kids go to Russian School of Mathematics and other tutoring places. Why not bring one of the places to aftercare, so kids don't have to travel all over the place. We pay enough money every year to get a tutoring company into school. PTA chooses to use the money for pizza parties instead.

Why don’t you volunteer for a PTA leadership role and make a change in your school?

[Anonymous]

It's very much a neighborhood school and kind of snobby over silly things that make no sense. Lots of very insecure people running the school. They generally do a decent job and sometimes a very good job, so we manage.

[Anonymous]

The principal was abusive and nasty. The special education teacher didn't really understand our child's needs. Lots of bad teachers and the good ones were ignored with their concerns when they tried to help advocate for the kids.

[Anonymous]

First elementary school: The unevenness in the quality of teachers. We saw the best & the worst & it was eye-opening.

New school (we moved): I CANNOT stand the principal. She seems to have the vocabulary of a 6-yr old. And I will scream if I hear one more mention of how blessed she is.

[Anonymous]

Envision math and lack of homework / practice

[Anonymous]

Everything was great, friendly but no-nonsense principal, engaged teachers, responsive counselor, sense of community and then the Principal left because her spouse took a job out of state.

New Principal:
-got rid of beloved legacy teachers and staff
-to much out for their own career and not a good boss/manager, definitely notnlooking out for the students, teachers and staff
-wants the kids to like them more than be a Principal
-to much chaos because there is no control
-because this principal is new, has no idea how to get anything done through the bureaucracy that is MCPS

[Anonymous]

Children whose mom have the time to volunteer and get involved with the school receive preferential treatment. In our elementary, that's very common. I work full time and don't have flexibility so that's been a challenge.