Guajome

Mission Meadows Elementary School has unfortunately declined in quality since the change in leadership from Dr. Porter to the current principal, Mr. Peel. Under Dr. Porter, the school was a much better place for students to learn and grow.Since Mr. Peel took over, the environment has become subpar. The school is plagued by rampant bullying, which goes largely unchecked by the administration. This creates an unsafe and uncomfortable atmosphere for many students.The administrators at Mission Meadows seem to lack genuine care for the students. Their focus appears to be elsewhere, resulting in a neglect of important issues and a decline in the overall quality of education and student well-being.I would not recommend Mission Meadows Elementary School to any parent who values a safe, nurturing, and effective learning environment for their child.

As we walk to and from school with so many other families, play at the park after school with friends, or grab an ice cream cone from the ice cream truck, I’m often reminded that Alamosa Park Elementary School is truly something special. All three of my children have been blessed with incredible teachers who have cared deeply for them and invested time and attention in the areas where they needed to grow. The school also has an outstanding foundation and PTA who work tirelessly to create meaningful assemblies, events, and field trips for the kids, while continually supporting teachers and classrooms. The families are wonderful as well, and our kids have made lasting friendships. These years will always hold a special place in our hearts and will be remembered fondly. If you’re new to the neighborhood or looking for an exceptional elementary school, we could not recommend Alamosa Park enough.

Unfortunately, Empresa no longer lives up to its previous reputation for exceptional teachers, programming, and leadership.In my experience, the current principal, Mrs. Hollowell, represents what happens when institutional mediocrity learns to network: eventually, it gets credentialed, promoted, and handed an office. Over the course of three years and multiple interactions with her, I came away with the distinct impression that credentials were being mistaken for expertise, authority for leadership, and holding an administrative position for being effective in it.It might almost be impressive if the consequences of that leadership were not being felt by actual children—including mine. After three years, we ultimately made the difficult decision to remove our child from Empresa because we believed his experiences with the administration had become detrimental to his overall health, well-being, and education.Our experience left us feeling that this administration was far more concerned with the appearance of good leadership than the difficult work of actually providing it. As another reviewer aptly described it, the leadership often felt performative. Families deserve administrators who listen, take concerns seriously, accept accountability, and act in the best interests of the children they are entrusted to serve. That was not our experience.I would be especially cautious if your child requires additional support through a 504 Plan or IEP. Based on our experience, this was an area in which the school failed miserably, and I would strongly encourage parents to pay close attention, document everything, and advocate relentlessly for their child.It is deeply disappointing to watch a school that once had such a strong reputation decline under ineffective leadership. The superintendent and district need to take a serious, unvarnished look at what is happening at Empresa, because families—and more importantly, children—are the ones living with the consequences.