Barrett Elementary School

I strongly recommend this school, even tho it has very low ratings. Barrett Elementary is a school on the outskirts of Silicon Valley. This means that the students are mixed: some come from high-income tech families, while others (more than half of the students) come from low-income families. Since more than 50% of the students come from low-income families, the school is designated a Title I school and receives extra funds. This is also the reason for the poor ratings: a lot of students are children of seasonal workers with poor English skills. While the school has an English development program, it is impossible to get these kids up to speed immediately, and as a result they score lower in state mandated tests. Obviously, that affects the ratings in a negative way.In the classroom, every student is treated equally, and in some cases it is impossible to tell which families are low income. This I feel is a very good thing; a child does not choose its parents. The school focuses very heavily on reading and math, but especially reading. I agree with the principal that this is one of the most important aspects of elementary education as this sets up the student for future success. One cannot learn if one cannot read. All the teachers I've worked with so far (which, since I'm also volunteering, is quite a lot) are great people and excellent teachers. Every student and their family is treated with respect, regardless of their background. Struggling students are redirected to intervention programs as soon as feasible.My child has been at Barrett for 3 years now, and thanks to their reading intervention, is doing great.

Excellent, don't let the score scare you. The teachers are Phenomenal, engaging, motivated and seem to love what they do.

Poor.... most parents are great but the few trouble makers combined with teachers just wanting a pay check results in poor outcome.

Students perform well academically but I do notice that the school does have a hard time getting parents to become involved. The school support staff needs improvement especially in the area of communication whether it's a parent or a student.