88 out of 10GreatSchools

Frank Otis Elementary School

Alameda, CA
  • Public
  • |
  • Grades K-5
  • |
  • Enrollment: 640

Overview

Frank Otis Elementary School
3010 Fillmore Street
Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 748-4013
Frank Otis Elementary School is located in Alameda, CA and serves grades K-5.It received a GreatSchool rating of 8 out of 10
This information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Student Diversity

Race

Percentage

Pacific Islander
0%
Native American
0%
Filipino
2%
Black
3%
Hispanic
14%
Two or more races
18%
Asian
19%
White
39%
Other
5%

Reviews12 Reviews

4.5
parent
We've been at Otis for several years now. When our first child started there were a few "not-so-great" to terrible teachers. They have all moved on and I believe they are all now at least average. Some are truly fabulous! There's a new principal this year, so she is finding her way. So far, so good. They are currently adding classroom space to ease the over-crowding, so that issue should be dramatically improved for the 2017-2018 school year. Excellent PTA and community. Curriculum and teaching styles are fairly traditional, but there is an openness for new ideas (like reducing homework and using technology.)
other
Very active diverse community with celebration culture enrichment activities. Over crowded and redirecting to other alameda school from mid year enrollment has been a problem and will continue to be a problem unless the district population/data growth projection team can gets its act together
parent
Good community and diverse student population. Teaching methods are surprisingly traditional for the Bay Area with a strong emphasis (and reliance) on testing. School is bursting and many grades are over enrolled, which means you may be bumped after the first week if you are new and the grade is over subscribed. Principal is energetic, but not a able to successfully direct all of her teaching staff. Instead she does quite a bit of "horse trading," rewarding active volunteer parents (who will complain) with spots in the best classrooms (so they won't complain). This is not really a secret among Otis parents. We were new to the school and (no surprise) our child landed in one of the marginal teacher classrooms. Rough year for our child, who made great social connections, but was not supported well and lost a year academically. We tried to address with the principal mid-year and didn't make any real progress. After solid and caring K-4 teachers at our child's previous school, Otis was a huge disappointment for us. Happy for a fresh start at a new school next year.
parent
Otis has been great for both of my kids. I had one child who was in GATE and one who gets special education support, so we've experienced how the school works for two very different children. My academically successful child had advanced reading and math and I always felt that the curriculum was adequately challenging. The support that my more academically challenged child is receiving is phenomenal. The classroom teacher goes way above and beyond in providing help, and special ed provides several hours a week of general one-on-one help, social skills, and OT. It's overcrowded so space is an issue, but kids don't get lost in the shuffle. The parent community is highly involved and a lot of fun. It's a great community of people and a great school.
Showing 4 of 12 Reviews