1663 Van Buren Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55104

Obviously all students have a different situation, but we’ve had a great experience at Como. I feel like the remodel has improved the daily feel of the school. There are lots of interesting class choices, and fun activities and sports.

Needs a complete revamp, starting from leadership then moving forward to their core beliefs. Teachers are doing their best in a difficult environment where they have little or no support. Total respect for majority of teachers at this school, they are in a tough spot and spend the majority of their time with students that choose to be an interruption vs being a respectful community member.There is no system in place to manage students that are assaulting students AND staff on a daily basis. Imagine trying to teach your family to respect their superiors then see nothing but disrespect happening in front of them in the school environment. Staff are being assaulted by students but those students see little to no disciplinary action. Students that used to be bubbly and chatty suddenly get quiet after attending Murray. Think about that.Overall things to note:Parent-teacher conferences are done in an open format. In other words, parents are asked to stand in line to speak to teachers rather than have a sign up system. Teachers have little to no time to prepare meaningful discussions with parents due to this rapid fire, ad hoc approach. This leaves not only students behind but it also puts parents in the dark of their progress and meaningful steps to move forward. I had to set a completely separate time with our teachers to discuss concerns, thus wasting any time set aside for these "conferences".Teachers are stretched so thin that they cannot give students the instruction that they need and deserve. My son was brought to a completely undisclosed location for a soccer game. Communication of the change was never received and when I expressed my feedback on the situation I was stonewalled by not only the athletic director but the principal as well. It wasn't until I voiced my feedback in a powerful manner and in a public place that my feedback was received. When it comes to a safety concern, such as bringing my son to an undisclosed location, you'd think that it would be a priority to address rather than sweeping it under the rug. Do yourself a favor and look for other middle school options. You'll save yourself a lot of grief and protect your children from seeing how disrespectful the world can be.

The school name is Hamline Elementary. The principal has changed in the last few years....for the good. Our current principal and vice principal are heavily involved with the kids, their families, the Hamline to Hamline (University) collaboration, PTA and neighboring Rec Center. The school has a Community Resource Room for families, Math Connection, Reading Corp, and community art and music partnerships. If people are only interested in scores from one measurement, they are missing the point of life and school readiness. I encourage families to visit, get involved, and explore what is a hidden gem.