Parks (Rosa) Elementary School

There hasn't been a review posted for Rosa Parks a while, so I figured I'd write a long one. My son has been at Rosa Parks for three years now, and I am getting ready to to send my daughter to kindergarten there. We've tried both the Gen Ed (now with a science/technology focus!) and Japanese programs and are very happy with teachers and school culture in both. The ongoing struggle, as seen in the numbers above, is closing the gap in outcomes between kids from high-income and low-income families. My 2¢ as a parent who has watched two principals and teachers in two programs across three grades, is that the school community as a whole is committed to helping not just kids but families through the big changes shaking up neighborhoods: rising rents, evictions, and the departure of many middle-class families who just can't afford the city anymore. The good news is that Rosa Parks has a lot of energetic and engaged parents from all walks of life, and remains deeply connected to both Japanese-American and African-American civil rights movements. Yes, there are two programs, but the school feels unified. The entire school starts the day together in physical activity (alternating Japanese calisthetics and the Cha-Cha Slide), then kids get mixed into combined small groups for reading practice. All the kids spend lots of time with a garden teacher, with the plants and chickens as the basis for science lessons and weekly salad lunches. All the kids see performances at nearby Civic Center arts organizations. All the kids do engineering and science projects in the new hands-on learning studio. (As an aside, the school has a partnership with Boys and Girls Club, which means that my son spends his afternoons getting music lessons and homework help at the clubhouse on Fulton and Gough -- it's the best deal in SF.) Rosa Parks is, as other parents have said, a hidden gem in the heart of San Francisco.

Rosa Parks is a hidden gem! We feel so lucky to have stumbled in to this diverse and nurturing school. We love our kindergarten teacher and the school principle! The community has been welcoming and offers many ways to get involved, from Gardening to the class room!

COME TOUR OUR GREAT SCHOOL! School tours cover both programs at Rosa Parks Elementary: the General Education program (GE) and the Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program (JBBP). Tours start at 7:50 am in the main school yard on the following dates and can be scheduled by calling the school office at 415-749-3519. 11/6/2014 Thursday School Tour 11/12/2014 Wednesday School Tour 11/20/2014 Thursday School Tour conducted in Japanese 12/3/2014 Wednesday School Tour 1/15/2015 Thursday School Tour 3/25/2015 Wednesday School Tour 4/10/2015 Friday Welcome Breakfast for New Parents

Initially skeptical about this school and San Francisco public schools in general, we now could not be more pleased with the education our grandchildren are getting. Most important is the positive attitude about the school that we see every time we come. The kids and teachers all have smiles on their faces both before and after the school day. Credit has to be given to the principal, teaching staff and the PTA for creating and fostering this culture.