680 Vanderpool St
Troy, MI 48083

One of the best school we’ve seen.

This used to be a good school from what I was told. Unfortunately my child has not had a very good experience. The education is average IMO but certain teachers try to push their own agendas on kids and the bullying is out of control.

Wattles Elementary maintains solid academic standards and has a few individual teachers who demonstrate genuine commitment in their classrooms. However, our experience revealed systemic shortcomings in social-emotional support, student safety and surveillance engagement during recess, equitable intervention practices, and authentic family partnership.When concerns related to behavioral regulation and student well-being were raised, responses leaned heavily on policy citation rather than restorative problem-solving or proactive collaboration. Communication often lacked transparency, timeliness, and follow-through. Support structures did not feel consistently implemented or meaningfully individualized.Front office interactions were, at times, cold dismissive and unprofessional. The tone set at the point of entry matters. Families should feel welcomed, respected, and supported when engaging with school staff especially particularly when navigating concerns about their children.Additionally, parent engagement structures, including the PTO, did not consistently feel inclusive or transparent. Opportunities for involvement appeared concentrated within a limited group, which can unintentionally create barriers to broader family participation. A school community thrives when leadership actively fosters openness and equitable access to involvement.Academic performance cannot be prioritized at the expense of emotional safety, physical safety and equitable support. Schools are responsible for educating and supporting the whole child. When families advocating for transparent communication, accommodations or preventative supports encounter procedural barriers or repeated escalation requirements, trust erodes.After sustained efforts to collaborate, we have chosen to transition to a different educational environment better aligned with our child’s needs. Which is sad as our child has been there since Kindergarten. Families should not have to escalate concerns repeatedly in order to feel heard. Equity must be demonstrated in practice not only referenced in policy language.

This was by far the biggest disappointment of my child’s educational career thus far. He attended in 2021-2022 for 1 year & it was a nightmare. From having no access inside the school & never seeing his classroom, there was zero parent/family engagement & his teacher was the very WORST. This is that 1 teacher our whole family will never forget! She was old, ready to retire, lacked energy & a genuine “boy hater”. I tried to contact the Director Erin many times throughout that year via phone, voicemail & email and she never responded. This was not worth the $900 a month for preschool & after this experience my son developed horrible separation anxiety & did not develop a curiosity or love of school. So sad, I wish I went into the school & demanded a class/teacher change but I was too afraid to cause problems so early in his schooling. I will never make that mistake again :( I hope Erin Keyser improved her communication skills with parents but this should be the top priority of a preschool director aside from the children. Be very careful to ask all the questions you have and stay on top of everything at this preschool. It was a horrible year for my son & so sad to think back on now that he is