Carolyn A. Clark Elementary School

My kids have had a great educational and social experience at Cadwallader. Both K teachers are kind, structured, and effective educators. The PTA and many parents are all about building community through the school, which makes for a very familial vibe. The principal is available, receptive to feedback, and involved in the details of every classroom as needed. In amazing to see the lengths the staff goes to to lift every kid to their highest potential.

“The principal, assistants, and office staff are very good, but the special education teacher is quite harsh. I had a negative experience with her regarding my child.”

Wow, where do I start with this one. This school is what your child might call "hit or miss". My son attended from 4th-6th grade. 4th and 5th were excellent, with an amazing teacher. The school had many oddities however. They let the special- ed kids play in the same playground, which of course they have the undeniable right to do, but at the same time as the other students could be a hassle with them potentially getting hurt. My son also told me that they put those children's strollers abnormally close to the swings, and refused to move. Other than that, it was basically the only major problem that the school had. The problems would grow the following year. My son received a passionate teacher in 6th grade and had a good friend group. However, half way in the year, his teacher began slacking in teaching the material. The kids were set to learn about Rome for a month, yet ended up learning about it for a few days. They also had to do five chapters of science in one week. Many of the children's grades were negatively affected due to this. That school year thus ended on a somewhat sad note. My son often reminisced about his time at Norwood the following year at Quimby. Of course this all was many years ago, so I'm sure the school has improved by then. The transition to Quimby, was in itself not what we expected and a whole story on its own. Overall, I'd give this school a 6.5/10.

I moved from another state and I am surprised that the school looks a bit outdated compared with my former state and other schools I saw in the area, like Dolores Huerta. I am also negatively surprised that California in general no longer has a school bus system, there are no lockers at school, and there is no kitchen; food is brought from an external contractor at lunch time and often is not enough for everyone (unless you are vegetarian).However, the teachers are A+++++. I often hear that the high test rates are because of children taking extra classes, BUT my kids take sports instead. They are doing awesome with their grades, and my conclusion is that this is thanks to the teachers.My only complaint is that after paying such high taxes, we don't see this reflected in the school infrastructure and in teachers' salaries. Dolores Huerta, for example, has some beautiful modern facilities, so why Evergreen schools are lagging behind is a mystery. Unlike my former state, here there is no such thing as Advanced Math. If your kids are good at Math, then they are tested and possibly moved to a grade above, but again, no budget means no special program. I believe this is a norm in California (which has a GDP higher than most countries in the world), not a particular thing with Evergreen School District or Tom Matsumoto.Putting aside the budget constraints, I can tell that my kids are receiving the best education in a safe and friendly environment. So mission accomplished!If joining this school, consider donating to their fundraising programs and push the district/government to use our taxes for our children's education. Don't be shy or indifferent. Is our money!