I rarely leave reviews and this is a long one, but I feel like it's important to start addressing…read morethe serious issues and concerns that not only I have, but many other parents have as well and are afraid to speak up because of fear of retaliation or their student being denied access to a club or group or whatever it may be for being outspoken and advocating for their kid.
My child is a 3rd grade student at Coral. He is well-behaved, high-achieving, has never been in trouble and has always been motivated to learn. Over the last two years, school has become a source of anxiety for him and not because of the amount of homework or projects he has to do or bullying from other students, but because of the behavior of many adults in the building.
Another thing he has mentioned to me is that students are reportedly expected to sit silently in the lunchroom, and if they speak, they may lose recess, sometimes the entire 30 minutes, leaving them with zero time outside for fresh air or exercise (which is not legal or consistent with the Nevada Department of Education guidelines!). There also appears to be no consistency in terms of discipline or expectations from class to class or grade level to grade level, which is confusing and frustrating for students and parents. Students don't know what to expect from one teacher or staff member to the next, which I think has led to him feeling like he can't be himself out of fear of the reaction he'll receive from them.
It also seems like academics, grades, and test scores are pushed in an unhealthy way, where struggling students are shamed, scolded, or made to feel stupid instead of supported. When my son knows a big test is coming up or an important project, he will suddenly get extremely sick to the point of throwing up and me having to take him to the doctor just to find out "it's just stress." He's 8! That is not ok!
The other frustrating part of our experience there has been with the front office staff. They often come across as condescending and unnecessarily difficult. They seem to push certain "policies" and they're inconsistently enforced, and parents are frequently made to "jump through hoops" over rules that are unclear or seemingly nonexistent. Parent volunteers also seem heavily discouraged, which is unfortunate. I've also heard of parents feeling like if they are not "liked" or friends with the front office staff, they are not allowed to volunteer or it is extremely difficult for them to get approved to volunteer. My youngest son, the third grader and my oldest son, who's in 5th grade, have attended two other schools and both of those schools, here in Washoe county, have welcomed parents with open arms and actually encouraged them to volunteer, so it seems extremely suspicious and unusual to me that parents are being either discouraged or straight out denied to volunteer.
Thankfully, there have been some positive experiences during our time at Coral. His 2nd grade teacher was amazing, supportive, communicative, and just overall seemed to enjoy her job as a teacher. I will also say that the principal has always been pretty responsive anytime I have shared my concerns and he does appear to genuinely care about the students. I have also had a few interactions and conversations with the dean, who is new this year, and those interactions have all been positive and she seems kind and truly invested in the students and families as well. It's unfortunate though that after some of these great conversations, there seems to be little or no change happening. I do get the impression that the people trying to run the school are not able to run the school because of the difficult staff and teachers.
Another alarming issue I just recently started to notice is the number of families who have left. In only two years, I have personally seen dozens of families unenroll their children. That should be a serious warning sign. As a parent, you come to a new school hoping to finally find a place where your kid will be happy, get the education they need, and hopefully grow as a tiny human, but when you get there and you're faced with the reality, it's very disheartening.
My really do hope that the administration and even the board begin to seriously examine these concerns and actually address them, not just say they're going to address them. Every kid deserves a school where they feel safe, welcomed, respected, and excited to learn. I do not want to pull my son out in the middle of his elementary years, but I also cannot continue watching him become overwhelmed by adults who should be helping him grow, not causing him distress.
