Charlotte Patterson Elementary School

We were part of this school community for three and a half years, beginning in kindergarten, and made the difficult decision to withdraw before the end of the school year. That alone should signal how meaningful this choice was for our family.There are several genuinely wonderful teachers here, as well as kind, engaged families who care deeply about their children and the school. For a long time, those strengths carried the experience.However, under newer leadership, the culture has shifted in ways that were concerning for us. While the school outwardly emphasizes values like critical thinking, individuality, and character, our experience did not consistently reflect those ideals in practice.In both social and academic settings, we observed that groupthink and conformity were often reinforced, while independent thought and nuanced perspectives were not always supported. Over time, it became clear that the students who most closely aligned with dominant group dynamics tended to be elevated, even when those dynamics did not reflect the values the school claims to prioritize.Academically, the experience can be inconsistent and highly dependent on teacher assignment. Some educators deliver strong, engaging instruction, while others fall short of the rigor and differentiation one would expect from a program of this type. This variability makes outcomes less predictable than they should be.Between both our children, we have longstanding experience with both schools in the district that offer this program, which gives us a broader point of comparison. That perspective made the cultural and academic inconsistencies here more apparent over time.We are grateful for the relationships we built during our time there and for the educators who truly do exceptional work. At the same time, we ultimately felt that a different environment was necessary to better support our child’s growth, well-being, and ability to remain confident in their own voice.

The administration's response was slow and inadequate, demonstrating a lack of empathy for the victim. The so-called "anti-bullying" policies were not enforced, allowing the aggressors to continue their harmful behavior without consequences. It's disheartening to see a school that claims to prioritize the well-being of its students fail so miserably in providing a safe and supportive environment!!!

This school is an absolute joke! The principal Mrs whitlark doesn’t care about the safety or well being of the students she has made that very clear! The amount of bullying at this school is toxic these kids need to feel supported by their teachers and principal and not be mocked for stepping forward. We want our children to feel safe and valued while getting a proper education. This school does not support a positive learning experience. They have had threats of violence with a weapon and yet that child remains on campus? Physical altercations and verbal abuse by their peers is not ok, when I brought this to the principal she simply said “I can’t control how kids talk in their home” that’s a great thought but this is happening on school grounds during class, lunch and recess. I’ve removed my kids and will never recommend this school to anyone.

We are entering our 3rd year at CTA Freedom and we are more impressed every year. The administration and staff are very dedicated to providing a positive, driven and forward thinking learning environment. As a parent and volunteer, I am extremely happy with the entire experience. Parent engagement is great and the PTO provides lots of exciting events, enrichment and teacher appreciation opportunities. It is a newer school and the classrooms and technology are fantastic including 1:1 devices and brand new Smart Boards in every classroom. It is a more accelerated and focused program, which we chose as it is a great fit for our student. I also work in the district as a substitute teacher and this is hands down my favorite campus to work at. The administration is very supportive, present and involved, and every classroom I have worked in has been organized, and well structured. The school offers a DLI Spanish option, Art Masterpiece program taught by trained volunteers, and is introducing a new Career Literacy pilot class which will incorporate research and design.

We started at another CUSD school just north of Ryan and left within a week. From the minute you walk on campus, you feel like a part of the Royal family. Mr. Durham is gracious, understanding and partners with families. My children started to love school again, after coming to Ryan. Great atmosphere!

We had a horrible experience with our child, who has special needs. It was, without question, the worst experience we’ve ever had with a school.Since starting there, he has developed more behavioral and emotional challenges than he had before enrolling. Instead of seeing progress and support, we saw regression.Several school incidents were not reported to us the same day. In one case, an incident that should have been communicated immediately was only shared with us two days later. At the same time, the school contacted protective services without first having a transparent and collaborative conversation with us.We were also given referrals that led nowhere and provided no real support for our child.Overall, this was an extremely disappointing and distressing experience. I would never recommend this school to another family, especially one with a child who has special needs.

Mr. Morgan(Principal) along with the teachers and staff make Carlson Elementary an incredible school! Not only has my child succeeded in the CTA program, he has learned more than I could have ever imagined. The school focuses on creating both educated and kind students. The parental involvement is high which makes a lot of events really awesome. I love how close knit this school is and the fact the teachers and staff from different grade levels know the kids names from other classrooms. It really is like a big family! I am so happy we found Carlson Elementary and would be hard pressed to go anywhere else!