404 E Craven Ave
Waco, TX 76705

My child loves this school. He attended West HS and we were mistreated the entire time as a new family (we adopted my son in middle school) and they really had no care in the world for my sons mental health. We transferred him to Connally and to say we have been accepted and loved in a understatement. The school is amazing and the teachers LOVE what they do.

The teachers that teach the core classes are dedicated to their students and profession. The SPED teachers are wonderful to work with. For managing adolescents, the administration is doing well. They do show concern and care for all their students. When you take in the bigger picture, community governance and management, TEA state management and Federal government management then you can connect the dots as to why they have low academic ratings. Parental involvement is minimal due to the socioeconomic area and parents work schedules. Once there is adequate beneficial changes at the higher levels of government, this school certainly has a chance to excell. The US education system needs a critical over hall.

The teachers and staff show care and concern for their students collectively. But due to the high ratio of teacher to students, their isn't enough one on one interaction with the teacher and student. This however isn't just an issue at this public school. It is one that is evident at a majority of US public schools. The fact that they play non educational cartoons during meal times in the cafeteria is another problem. Screen time is an issue with children and adults. While screens can serve as a behavior deterrent in the cafeteria, the quality of the content should be critically considered. Is it enhancing the children's overall educational experience? Furthermore how developmentally appropriate is the content the children are viewing? With additional support and a major adjustment in how education is implemented in the United States, this school has a good chance of receiving 5 stars.

Overall the elementary is a good school as far as Texas public schools go. The education system is broken. Taking this into consideration when looking into the F rating they receive doesn't just reflect on the school, it also reflects on TEA, the Federal government, and the local community. With the overhall of education system, and trained great teachers at the school, they could easily be a 5 star.