8762 Birchbark Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45249

This school has some meaningful strengths, including a diverse community that celebrates different cultures, strong language access, kind support staff, and very well-maintained facilities. There is before/after school programming offered on site including a child care program but also occasional sports/cooking etc after school activities which provides fun enrichment but also can be convenient for families with working parents. Many of the teachers are wonderful and genuinely seem happy with their careers and jobs although they are not given any freedom to go outside the forced curriculum. However, our experience with the administration and academics has been disappointing. Students are frequently tested, yet parents receive little meaningful feedback about their performance. The walk to read program which has won awards does not support a culture of learning to read books. The school also does not seem committed to differentiated instruction. Even when students are ready for more challenging work, they may be given laptops or computer activities while other students catch up rather than receiving instruction tailored to their needs. There is a perception of favoritism, including a subjective quarterly student award that often seems to go to the same children year after year. Without transparent selection criteria or an effort to recognize a broader range of strengths and growth, the program can leave young elementary aged children feeling that recognition is reserved for a favored group of students.Parent involvement is also difficult for working families because PTO activities largely favor parents available during the day, with few other opportunities to engage with administration or the community. While the PTO is not run by the school, the administrators actively engage with the PTO and present at PTO meetings so many working parents miss out on learning more about the school. The school also relies too heavily on social media (instagram and facebook) for community communication, which raises privacy and accessibility concerns, despite the availability of district sanctioned communication tools. The broader district offers many more opportunities as students get older which is why I would still recommend the school, but the elementary experience would benefit from greater transparency, more individualized academics, and more inclusive environment.