Westside Elementary School

I have two daughters that go to this school. They are both enrolled in the dual language program there. They began learning Spanish and English in Kindergarten. I have one going to first grade and another going into third. They have learned so much from this enrichment program. I am highly impressed with this school and wish other districts would do this. There is more homework than most schools, but there are also programs offered for after school to help students who have learning trouble. My oldest daughter has ADHD, and this has not slowed her down, she made straight A's all year long in her Spanish and English classes and her test scores were off the charts! Thank you AISD for offering this program to our children, and also the love and care that is shown to our students. It is greatly appreciated and noticed!!!

The kindergarteners at Westside were expected to complete about 10 homework worksheets per week due every Friday...during the first month or so of school. Then the 'homework policy' changed to 20+ worksheets per week with portions due every single day, as opposed to every Friday. It made for lots of tears, exhaustion and dread of attending school...in KINDERGARTEN. The reasoning was that the first grade teachers were pressuring the KG teachers to better prepare the kids for the following year, or so my student's teacher told us. My child went from LOVING school to absolutely hating it...by the third month of the school year. When I made any inquiry into the state of my child academically, I was met with an attitude of offense, as though I were being unreasonable or negative, which certainly was not the case at all. I think this school is way too large to be of any true benefit to the majority of its students, and I feel sorry for the staff and teachers, who truly seem to care deeply for their kids, but are a tad removed/desensitized due to the volume of children. To any parent that desires to be involved beyond simply signing forms and sending money, prepare to be the 'oddity.'