The office staff does not know laws, not all teachers are credentialed, and my son is behind in basics of social studies and science. I was speaking with my child who has attended since preschool. He has now completed fourth grade. He will not be returning.
I have had a few issues over the years with the school.
First, there is no playground. The students play in the parking lot. There is a small playground that they had specially built for the students (parents paid for!) but is only used by schedule and has ridiculous rules such as only certain ages can play on the monkey bars. Why did we have to contribute to all those fund raisers and donate all this money for a playground that barely gets used and we rarely see kids playing on?
Second, the principal Mr. Horton, tends to talk down to parents and children. My son has had the same haircut for three years. No one has ever had a problem with his haircut - teachers, administration, or students. Then one day out of the blue I am called at work and told my son cannot come back to school until he gets a haircut. The problem - his hair was touching his collar. No warning, no letter home. Hair barely touching his collar called for suspension? Really? Another of my experiences with him was when school was over one day, I had to walk across the parking lot to my sons class and pick him up. I was stopped by Mr. Horton and told I could not walk across the parking lot because I could get hit by a car and it was against school policy. I'm 40 years old. I think I can make it across the same parking lot the students are CURRENTLY playing in.
Third, I was talking to my son last night and he was building with his Legos like he often does. He is a bit of an engineer like his grandfather. My three year old is watching Bubble Guppies on Nick Jr. My older son turns to me and says "You know the only reason I know what the Sphinx is, is because of this show." This caused me alarm as his father is a teacher and I am a counselor. I remember learning about Egypt and The Romans when I was in third and fourth grade. I asked him if he knew who Cleopatra was or King Tut, if he could tell me anything about Egypt? I asked if he could tell me about The Roman Empire at all, who was Julius Cesar or Mark Anthony? He told me he couldn't. He said he pretty much knew that Egypt killed the Israelites and the Romans killed Jesus. He wasn't able to tell me anything else. I learned this information when I was in elementary and so did his father. I asked some other parents I know and they said their children had learned about this already in their schools. It made me sad to think that my son knows so little history. Nick Jr taught my son more history. My three year old knows more about Egypt. What am I paying for?
Fourth, when we decided this year that he should go to another school, we called and requested a copy of his records which we are entitled to according to FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). The office assistant was exceptionally rude and argumentative stating that she doesn't give out copies of student records and that the other school would have to request them. When we spoke to the other school district, they said they have never done that and by law we are allowed to view and can request a copy of our child's records at any time. The district does not call them and request copies of the forms. She repeatedly refused to give me a copy of my sons records stating they have been doing it this way since 1924. She made a blurry copy of the immunization records however which we gave to the other school district and they could not read. We asked for a better copy and she argued saying "Don't you have your own? I made that copy with the copier here. Why do you need another one?"
If I could give this place no stars I would. read more
