Olney El School

I was here since kindergarten, and at first it was very rocky, but after a new principal (Mr. Roth) stepped in, everything changed for the good. More and more students are motivated to be on good behavior due to the tiger rating system he created, there are clubs, and very good ones too, there’s sports programs, there are better test scores, and the teachers really encourage us to do our best. Olney may have been bad at first, but in my opinion, it’s great now.

No control of kids after school when they get out. Always starting a fight or play fighting on homeowners property, and destroying homeowners property especially mine, had to break up a fight last week on report card say because they decided it was okay for females and males to play flight with other 6th graders and younger to instigate the fight . For a school with good teachers, these kids are terrible students who don't know how to act outside of school. The school needs to be more strict on the bad students than punishing the good for what the ignorant kids are doing inside of classes and outside. My child should not have to get out 10mins late because of the bad kids won't stop talking.

Funding was so low, and teachers tried the best they could with what little they had. They had to buy supplies out of their own salary so we could learn - like chalk - and compensated for having no art programs by doing little things in their own classes. They had to deal with ancient textbooks, kids acting up, and fighting, and hanging out in the concrete school yard with no equipment to play with. Kids whose only meal that day was the subsidized lunch. They had to make something out of nothing. And when the PSSA's came around, we didn't do well. So the government pulled more funding, and it just got that much harder. To their credit, everyone I graduated with made something out of themselves. They have steady jobs, and raise good kids, and have motivation. I really believe that because our teachers had such passion, that despite everything we're thriving today. I'm a hospital administrator. Another graduate is a journalist, another is a marketing financier, an artist, a musician, a teacher. Just because it was hard doesn't mean it was bad. The school isn't to blame for being a part of such an ill-devised system.

Ever since the former principal left due to medical concerns, the new principal is just a figure who is just following "school district policy." Teachers are to each file out an objective sheet for the week - having it sent to the principal and have most if not all objectives executed within the classroom. There's a no hug policy, due to the students inappropriate contact with each other. There is absolutely no tolerance for school bullying. The teachers are not preparing students to learn - everything is busy work and based on moral education (meaning it depends on the teacher your child will have in means of building character). Lack of a music and art program. There's a selected few able to play an instrument, and there's even no strong enforcement of it. In terms of reading and writing - their teachers build good structure to teach it to children. Often going out of their way to find books that the students will be able to relate to when enforcing the subjects. There is lack of understanding math or science. The teachers are horrible in these aspects and need to reevaluate who is teaching the students rather than them having the slip and also teach another subject.