Viola

My child has been so happy at Garfield! The curriculum and extra curriculars are broad and great, and the teachers are fantastic. He is pushed academically, and I'm confident in the education and opportunity he's receiving, in and out of the classroom. Take a look at the college placement, and you'll get an idea of how good Garfield is. In terms of safety, my son feels very safe in the school, and I'm confident they're addressing the issues surrounding the school.

I am extremely disappointed with Principal Carter. Over several years, I repeatedly advocated for my daughter’s appropriate placement and early grade advancement, but my concerns were ignored or deflected. She misrepresents facts, fails to communicate clearly, and does not follow through on serious issues.During kindergarten, my daughter faced multiple safety incidents in her classroom—being choked, slapped, and nearly losing a tooth. These incidents were not addressed properly, yet my daughter was penalized while the other children were not. When I requested a transfer for her safety, Principal Carter minimized the situation and failed to provide real solutions.Now, my daughter is placed in a K/1 split classroom with a first-year teacher, despite being academically and socially ready for a full first-grade classroom. Principal Carter’s explanations about class composition were inaccurate and misleading.Overall, she is rude, deflects responsibility, and avoids solutions. Interacting with her feels like dealing with one of her students rather than a school administrator. I do not trust her to act in the best interest of the students, and I strongly caution parents who expect transparency, accountability, and advocacy for their children.

This is my son's first year of middle school and I was uncertain how the transition from elementary school would go. Despite Meany being a large school my son seems to have adapted to the environment fairly seamlessly. The teachers seem committed and engaged and I can confidently say it has vastly exceeded my expectations. The level of academic rigor seems quite satisfactory, he's learning a lot, has made new friends and without exception they all seem to be great kids. I had a lot of angst about the start of middle school but it's been much more straightforward than I expected.