Big Shanty Elementary School

I had my doubts about this school going in, because of what I'd heard from a few other parents. But personally, our experience here has been very positive!

We are entering our second year with Big Shanty and we couldn't be happier! We have two more kiddos that we plan to send here, once they reach the eligible grade levels.

This is my son's 2nd year at Big Shanty and it's been tough. The principal doesn't seem to know her left from her right and there is too much focus on behavior and not enough on academics. There is no awards ceremony for those who excell in academics, but there is a ceremony for those with good behavior. I was shocked when I was invited to the Eagle ceremony and find that my son did not get recognized for making all A's, but he was recognized for having good behavior for the semester. I've been pretty disappointed to say the least.

As with most schools, there are teachers and staff that are awesome and there are others that you wonder why they are in education. One thing that bothered me is that I emailed the Assistant Principal twice regarding a request/concern and I never heard back from her. I feel this is completely unacceptable. However, when I emailed the Principal, I immediately heard back from her. Whenever I email my daughter's teacher, she always responds. That is excellent. Staff in the front office are usually helpful and friendly. However, the teachers in the car line and morning duty are not always friendly in the morning. Again, there seems to be a consistent mix of wonderful individuals at Big Shanty and others that could use some extra training.