Sunnyside

To rate this school poorly based on the current administration is a disservice to the educators who teach here. The teachers are top notch. From Pre-K to 5th grade, my children have had exceptional teachers at TC Martin. In their home rooms, art, music, science, P.E., library, technology, counseling, speech, special education, instructional assistants, nutrition services, school nurse, even the majority of building services, there are amazing adults engaging with my children on a daily basis and I will give credit where credit is due. I've had children at TC Martin for every grade, and high praise is given to the educators at TC Martin that care about the work they are doing every single day. The parent involvement at TC Martin is extremely high and the community is very nice with lots of ways to be involved at the school. The newly renovated building is beautiful. The playgrounds do need attention as well as the parking situation because there is never enough parking for school events.Does the new administration need a wake-up call? Absolutely! Should parents be notified about incidents involving students that are not their children? Absolutely not! We are not entitled to know about everything that happens at the school that does not involve our children specifically. To expect that is unrealistic and ridiculous. Should the current administration address parent concerns? Yes. With THOSE parents who have concerns that are THEIR concerns. Is the school unsafe? No. There are so many amazing teachers ensuring the safety of the students. The class sizes are relatively small compared to the rest of the school district. (this may change with redistricting next year, but currently class size is not an issue). Does the current administration provide teachers with the support they need? No. The current principal seems to work against teachers and blames them when things go wrong, when in fact, the principal is in charge, so it is her responsibility. Does the school provide students with disabilities the support and accommodations they require? No, and that is on the current administration not the teachers. Does that mean this is a 1-star school as the two previous posters are suggesting? No. It means that the school administration needs to step up and elevate their contribution to the school community to the same level as what the teachers consistently contribute. The educational experience is stellar at TC Martin due to the teachers.

Options for private schools in our county are very limited, as are available spots in those schools. SMB parents, teachers, and staff have been warm and welcoming from the start, but this school claims to offer rigorous academics, and we have found it to be largely hit or miss in that regard. There are, as in any school, teachers who go above and beyond, and some who seem either checked out, or don't communicate well with parents about learning objectives and how well students are meeting goals. Our children have come home with test scores and undergone assessments with no information to help parents understand what scores meant for that child's performance. We've also been rushed through too-brief parent-teacher conferences. It is, at times, incredibly frustrating. Obviously, we want to support our child's learning experience and be sure they are meeting expectations. To make the experience even more disheartening (often disheartening), parents are frequently treated as a meal ticket. Nearly every piece of communication from the school is a request for money, and this is on top of volunteer requirements, paying tuition, and other expenses (uniform, etc.).