Alcott Elementary School

I substitute taught at Alcott in fall 2013. It was a nightmare. Not a single teacher said good morning when I arrived and students were out of control in the halls. The students had no discipline and for the most part, teachers only screamed at students. In my opinion, administration is terrible and teacher attitudes even worse. The school is run down and sadly, so are the teachers.

How many "Aggies" does it take to LEAD a school from Exemplary (A-rating) to Academically Acceptable (D-rating)? Apparently, one is plenty! Now, in an attempt to correct poor campus management, the teachers are being forced into a "self-contained" classroom environment. This will only result in educators (who previously taught a "specialized" subject) struggling to balence and emphasize a much broader curriculum. So long as weak, puppet-string principals are recruited from outside the district, student chaos will continue to run un-checked. Unfortunately, schools like Alcott and the dedicated teachers who serve them always pay the "Price."

Alcott will never realize its full potential under Dr. Price. He demonstrates little to no interest in critical areas such as student discipline, and as a result class time is often wasted because teachers have to address repeated instances of misconduct. His arrogance doesn't allow him to hear the concerns of dedicated faculty members. The teachers don't think very highly of his "cheerleader" tactics, and its obvious he's merely "passing through" until his next appointment. His glaring lack of leadership suggests that anyone who pursues a professional degree will eventually receive the opportunity to ruin a school. Apparently, the same poor management skills that caused him to fail as a small business owner are transferrable to public education, as well. . . so sad!

Wow. . . I see I am not the only person with concern regarding Dr. Price. I met him at the beginning of the school year, and was actually impressed with "the speech" he gave about continuing the tradition of excellence at Alcott Elementary. Shortly into the year, though, it became apparent that he was just a lot of "talk". . . OH, YEAH, AND ARROGANCE!!! I didn't agree with the way he changed the dismissal procedure, as well. The teachers seem overworked, and the level of student misbehavior is very disturbing. . . I also heard about teachers quitting barely into the first semester. I don't recall this ever being the case in recent years (and I've had closer ties to the school than most residents). I would advise any parent, grandparent, or guardian to enroll their child at Mading or maybe even Bastian. . . the boat at Alcott has sailed, and will more than likely end up shipwrecked! TIME FOR A NEW CAPTIAN!!!