Lockmar Elementary School

My eldest daughter was at a different school in Palm Bay. Repeatedly I went to her teacher & requested help. I didn't get anywhere. I then turned to the councilor. I was asked, if we were on free or reduced lunch. When I responded by saying no. I was told they would have to see what they could do for my daughter. I called back several times & got no where. I went up the ladder to the principal & every time was asked the same question. Every time I didn't receive help for my daughter educationally. It was extremely refreshing when I came to Lockmar. We came here and have never been asked if we were approved for free or reduced lunch. A students ability to receive services/accommodations should not be determined gaged by their families income level. My daughter has an amazing support system here at Lockmar. The teachers listen to what my daughter has to say. Over the past four years they have worked with us to teach her strategies to work through her learning challenges. If something didn't work then they have worked with us to brainstorm to find something that would work for my daughter. Our lives have been truly blessed by the teachers, staff & management at Lockmar Elementary. We will miss all the teachers when she moves on to middle school a year from now.

Locally I hear great things about this school in the community but being new to this school with a 5th grader this year, I am finding out that the Assistant Principal rules with an iron fist. She demands that the kids be afraid of her and does not hesitate to publicly humiliate those that do not cower with fear. I know kids can be tough but I have never known my son to be disrespectful to an adult yet since his first day (only been at the school for a month) he is regularly threatened with detention, isolation, and is yelled at in front of his peers. What for, apparently he slouches at the lunch table or eats his orange too loud. This is out of hand. My other concern is the fifth grade students having to carry all their books and supplies to and from school each day. The teachers will not let them use the desks. Not even to leave a pencil. When I spoke to the teacher about it the next day she singled out my son and made him leave some of his supplies on a shelf in the room to lighten his load. He was the only one given this treatment that day. School should be for learning and not a place of unnecessary stress.

My kids had a horrible experience at this school with racism. The school is predominantly white with a predominantly white and biased teaching staff. Their peers seemed very mature for their age. I know this because I visited my kids one day to have lunch with them and observed their behavior. My kids also had a friend who was teased mercilessly by the other Caucasian kids in their grade. His parents finally moved him to another school and I finally moved my children to a Charter school nearby-they were very happy there and really blossomed with more caring teachers. I think overall, if you are sending Caucasian children to this school you will be okay but if you have minority children then beware because this area tends to be biased. Just a little heads up from someone who lived in this area for quite awhile. If you want your children to learn about being multicultural and unbiased then do NOT send them here.

It's an elementary school. How does one graduate from it and receive a doctorate degree? One with a doctorate degree should be proficient in the use of proper puncutation and have some ability to write a statement that accurately reflects the probability that one attended graduate school. On another note, my child has one of the best teachers I have ever met and he absolutely loves being in her class. She challenges him daily and has many wonderful, well planned, and thought provoking assignments.