Dickinson Narrows

Kirkbride is a wonderful neighborhood school and if your family lives in catchment is a great opportunity! The teachers, principal and staff are all full of energy and genuinely care about the students. Walking through the halls, there are lots of murals, artwork and classroom displays. There is a well-stocked school library and an active HSA. In our experience, teachers have been very good about communicating with families through ClassDojo, report card conferences and APTT meetings. Based on the work that comes home, there are lots of opportunities for learning differentiation in the classroom and students are being taught solid skills in creative ways.

Principal: 0/10Teachers: 5/10Staff: 7/10Security: 0/10Facilities: 5/10Principal:Lack of leadership: The principal is failing to meet basic expectations of leadership.Missing qualities: The role requires clarity, consistency, respect, honesty, responsibility, fairness, kindness, self-control, hard work, trustworthiness, and patience, yet these are not being shown.No accountability: There is a clear lack of action and responsibility in addressing serious ongoing issues.Teachers:Confusing lessons: Instruction at times is unclear and lacks purpose.Poor alignment: Teaching students to count calories in reading class does not match core learning goals.Unbalanced curriculum: There was little to no meaningful recognition of Black History Month, while other topics received more focus.Staff:Weak hiring standards: It appears that hiring expectations are too low.Lack of supervision: Individuals, including parents, seem able to walk through the building without proper monitoring.Security:Ineffective control: There is little to no control over who enters or moves through the school.Safety concerns: This creates an unsafe environment for students and staff.Facilities:Heating failure: The building had no heat for four consecutive weeks during winter.Unsafe conditions: Pre-K students were sleeping on the floor before proper corrections were made after the 2026 pipe burst.Cold exposure: Students were made to take school photos outside in 32-degree weather without proper clothing.Unsanitary environment: Students were eating in the cafeteria shortly after it had been flooded.Conclusion:Ongoing problems: There are many serious issues that continue to be ignored.Lack of action: The principal has not taken the necessary steps to fix these problems.Need for change: The school requires leadership that takes issues seriously and acts immediately.Final concern: Without major improvement, replacing leadership should be strongly considered.And let me not forget every morning like clock work the staff will be smoking their cigarettes and vape every 20 mins, where students can see them. Hate for my kids to see that every single day of the school year like clock work.