Grand Oak Elementary

We have been so happy with Grand Oak Elementary! Everyone from administration, to teachers, to staff show not only concern for the student's academic achievement but for their over all well-being. We love that Grand Oak is a personalized learning school. I find this programming allows teachers to meet students where they are in their academic journey as well as teach students skills in problem solving, independence, and time management. I have never had any problems with communication with the school. Weekly communications from both teachers and PTA are sent out, every teacher we have had has been great at addressing any questions I've had, and administration has always made themselves available as well (the Principal even does Coffee Chats as another avenue of making himself open to parent questions and concerns). Also as a parent I have been given many opportunities to be a part of the school through volunteering. Overall Grand Oak is a really amazing learning environment for my kids. They love going to school and I am grateful for everyone at the school that works hard to create such a place that gets them excited about learning!

Unfortunately, the teachers are not held accountable. They rarely return classwork, emails or phone calls to parents. Parental involvement all is minimal as the teachers do not keep parents updated on classroom assignments or activities. The principal does not make teachers accountable for their actions or lack there of.

My oldest child attended this school from the time it opened until he transitioned to middle school. My youngest will be starting in the fall. This is a great neighborhood school that prides itself on being part of the community, not ostracizing kids who don't fit into tiny boxes, out of the box methods of teaching and a great group of teachers and administrators who actively listen to parent concerns and want to be better and do better. The first year was a tough transition -- teachers were experimenting with technology and collaborative teaching methods, it was the same year the core curriculum was started and there was a lack of communication and confusion in general, however the following school year this seem to settle some. They have never shied away from fixing what was broken and trying new things. As for diversity, the data above says it all, neither the staff not the student body are diverse which was always a huge concern for me -- that said when I brought this up to the Principal and Assistant Principal they put in place some cultural sensitivity training. When you move to the area there can't be a realistic expectation of socio-economic or cultural diversity given the neighborhood, but I appreciate the work that has been done to teach cultural sensitivity to the staff. Could there be more diversity in the staff, absolutely -- but the work that is being done to make sure the attributes of compassion, empathy and accountability are taught to every student is a good start for now.

Friendly atmosphere, excellent teaching, interactive classes, approachable staff, and community oriented. The focus at the school is on the whole child.