196 N Algona St
Dubuque, IA 52001

We have had an excellent experience in academics, athletics and other concentrations for both of my children.

Irving has a great history but the current regime leaves a lot to be desired... The office staff is exceptionally rude...The principal is micromanaging and delusional about what goes on in her school...she is two faced and will smile and nod to you while she is making terrible decisions that detract from and diminish the quality of education at Irving...She and her office staff are rude, impatient, condescending, unaccommodating. She is not in keeping with the traditional high standards of Irving. Most of the staff with strong integrity has retired or left and the remaining staff are kept silent about incidents and conditions and odd behavior by fear of losing their jobs...she has shut out parents to maintain the strained stranglehold she has on the school as any self respecting average citizen would observe the absurdities of her rule and she would be undone...And indeed many many parents have observed these actions and commented. It is hard to believe she has not been censured. There must be something wrong at the level above her...in the management of Dubuque's elementary principals to allow her to continue and to make recent terrible decisions like switching the "good"/successful principals out of the schools where they were successful and leaving the Meehans where they are...it all has an air of Machiavellian decision making to instill fear to keep control and dismantle the strong neighborhood cultures at the more successful schools...

My daughter had a great year in 6th grade and I was very confident in the school. I loved all the 6th grade teacher except for one who at parent teacher conferences was not very parent inviting or friendly. The 6th grade teacher so far from my experience were so much more compassionate and understanding. They were better at communicating and grading homework on time in a polite way. 7th grade now that has turned the tables for me. There is one teacher who seems privileged and that is putting it lightly. There is no consideration for who may be involved in things. When it comes for grading thing there is even one teacher who has a helper and has taken 2 weeks to grade something and when my daughter asked about it the teacher was very snotty in person and in email because I read it too that she would get to it when she can and that my daughter probably didn’t turn it in. I went back into her emails and verified she did. This will be a long year for her and I personally cannot wait to get her out of this school now. I might change my mind for 8th grade but we will see.