Shannon Plaza

I have 2 kids at the school and another who will be joining next year. 1 in dual language, 1 not. Is it perfect? No, of course not, but in not being perfect it is the school I want for my kids. Learning that everything may not go to plan, truly connecting and working with folks of many different backgrounds, thinking of what’s good for everyone instead of what’s only good for you, and learning about the different perspectives and cultures of families in our neighborhood are all wonderful things Lakewood offers. Teachers care a lot and the principal and AP could not be better. The parent community is open and welcoming and there are many ways to engage in helping the school. Breakfast and lunch is free to all (lunch is actually good!) and the community schools team brings in resources from all over the city. Tier 2 and 3 kids get great services on both sides. Wish DPS would budget for a better playground (we’re due!!!) but besides that the kids are happy, confident, and kind. We love being Bulldogs!

We love our school! Forest View is such a welcoming and supportive school and community. I LOVE that so many countries are represented and celebrated. The teachers are engaged and motivated. The PTA and parent community is strong and works hard to support the school. We could have chosen to send our kids to private school and I'm so glad we chose Forest View instead.

Our family toured many schools before moving to Durham and we were immediately impressed with the warmth and transparency that met us at Southwest. Many years later, we are more impressed than when we started. As our family begins graduating away from Southwest we are thankful for academically and emotionally strong children built in partnership with Southwest, lasting family friends and an elementary school experience that has left us seen and heard as parents. Southwest for helped my neurodivergent child thrive, and didn’t give up on my other child with dyslexia. As parents we were welcomed to attend field trips, class celebrations and walk our kids to class every morning before the pledge. As a bi-cultural family, we were drawn to the wide racial and cultural representation at Southwest and have loved seeing school wide celebrations like parades and talent shows for Hispanic heritage month and black history month. Thank you teachers for growing my children, responding when I reach out, and truly caring for my kids. Mr. Rotosky, Ms. Fuga and Ms. Flores, I see that you know my kids by name, are approachable and engaged, and set a culture of high expectations and high celebration. We love Southwest!

My vhild is in upper elementary. The prior teacher was a certified and experienced teacher. The new teacher is now going through the training, has 0 experience, and my child is not learning to properly work with the materials. Parents were informed about this at the last minute, and due to the unrealistic restrictions, we couldn't break contract.My child is not receiving the education we are paying for.

The facade is beautiful and the teachers are wonderful. Administration is shockingly cruel, will bully, label and turn a beautiful experience ugly and painful for the child and family.

Be careful sending your child to this school. They have changed the curriculum and are pushing ideologies on super young children. They are reading books about gender identity and trying to normalize boys being girls and girls being boys. They are getting away from educating and making it a social experiement on rich kids. They don’t tell the parents what they are doing. In middle school they are telling boys they can use tampons to make it all inclusive. In the lower school they are reading books about how a boy can transition to a girl at a early age. They need to get back to what they are known for and that’s excelling at actual learning objectives. I don’t think parents and donors realize what is actually happening at this school.