Turner Middle School

GREAT overall experience. No school is perfect and Turner is no exception but they do work VERY hard to continually improve. The staff seems more concerned about the future success of their students than just making the numbers look good for this year.

We were drawn to Turner because it is a STEM school and because its test scores were comparatively high for TSD. The small town aspect is a mixed bag, of course. If a student happens to fit in well, a closer-knit social circle can be an advantage. But a child who feels chronically out of place among the few cliques of a small school may more easily find true peers among a larger population.An obvious drawback is that Turner offers fewer classes & extracurricular options than larger schools can. Check carefully that anything you consider essential is in place before enrolling! We just assumed that all local middle schools would offer a full music program, failing to notice that Turner has no orchestra.The academic curriculum seems fine, considering it's a public school under increasing federal control. There are scary gaps in our kids' knowledge, but the students seem engaged without being overwhelmed by the workload. Each of my kids has found classes to enjoy, and no one seems to hate any subject altogether.Our biggest unforeseen issues have been with the staff. Qualification & dedication in seems below average across the board. Some are quite good; most are just okay. There are a few really destructive ones, though. And staff policies (approachability, helpfulness, integrity) are appalling.

There are alot of cliches in this school and some teachers won't do much about it especially when your new and they may think your over exaggerating but after going on my 3rd year in this school and finally making a friend or two, I Love it! the teachers only get better with the grade!

I will agree and confirm that the parent who wrote about cliches in this school. They are abundant. Located in a small town, in a beautiful old neighborhood is about the only appealing thing this school has to offer. If given the chance to do it all over again, I would have sent my child elsewhere.