9538 Easter Way, San Diego, CA 92121

Unfortunately, our family did not have a positive experience at Doyle Elementary. The front office staff often came across as unfriendly and unwelcoming. On several occasions when I went to the office with questions, I felt that the responses were very blunt and sometimes rude rather than helpful.I also volunteered frequently during recess and lunch, which gave me the opportunity to observe how younger students, especially TK and kindergarten students, were supervised. I was uncomfortable with the way some staff members spoke to the children. I personally witnessed adults raising their voices and speaking to young children in ways that I felt were unnecessarily harsh or intimidating.Unfortunately, we also did not have a good experience with my child’s classroom environment. My child frequently came home reporting that the teacher yelled at students and that the classroom sometimes felt stressful. I repeatedly asked whether I could volunteer inside the classroom so I could better understand the classroom environment, but I was told that having parents present would change the children’s routine and behavior, so I was not given that opportunity.From our experience, the classroom management approach seemed to focus heavily on consequences, such as red tickets or not receiving stickers, rather than positive reinforcement and encouragement. For young children, I personally would have preferred a warmer and more supportive approach that emphasized encouragement, emotional safety, and positive behavior.Ultimately, we decided that this school was not the right environment for our child. We were fortunate to move our child to another school through the Choice program, and the difference in our child’s emotional comfort and overall school experience has been significant. I am very happy that we made the change.