Ellis Elementary School

Send your kids here if you hate them this school will only cares about the teachers, I heard about a kid attempting in the school bathroom the kids avoid school counselors because all the school counselors do is tell the parents like it was the parents hating the kids and, one time I ate the chicken nuggets and it was uncooked, And coming from someone who was here them don't take action for when the spanish speaking classes start fights and blame the kids English-speaking kids for it and some how provoking it, I remember sitting at lunch and some boys from the Spanish speaking class started a fight with the other class and it was the English-speaking class that stop the fight before the teachers did.

This school has been a fantastic place for our gifted child! The academics run at least one full year ahead, and the children are also grouped based on in-class assessments in core subjects, which has given our child an opportunity to learn with other kids who operate at the same pace. She is challenged, engaged, and most importantly, feels like a part of a community of like-minded learners. At her old school, she consistently complained of being bored and wanted to "stay home sick," or otherwise be excused from going as often as possible. Now, we have offer her emotional support for those days when she is genuinely too sick to attend! She hates missing out on what the class is learning, and loves all of her teachers. Her main classroom teacher has over ten years of teaching experience and really understands young gifted learners. Being a part of the school has also helped us learn how to support her intellectually, socially, and emotionally as we navigate the world of accelerated learning. I know that there were leadership issues before we started, but the interim director has been absolutely wonderful, and we regularly see the school founder and other school leadership at events and on campus. This marvelous gem of a school has been a gift to the community.

In our experience, the curriculum and overall rigor have not met expectations, and there is a lack of standards and oversight from the administration to ensure a strong academic foundation. While the student-teacher ratio looks appealing, it doesnt translate into a richer learning environment. Another issue that’s difficult to ignore is the level of turnover among lower elementary teachers. My child has 5 lead teachers in the 2.5 years she has been in lower elementary at MSD. We’ve also noticed a broader pattern of families choosing to leave in lower el, sometimes in the middle of the year. In our child’s current class, only about half of the students are expected to return next year, which clearly shows low satisfaction among families. Ultimately, we’ve made the decision to enroll our children elsewhere next year. I share all of this in the hope that the school’s leadership and Board take a close, thoughtful look at these trends and consider meaningful improvements, including holding current lower elementary administrators accountable for their shortcomings.

The school and its entire staff from the principal to the maintenance staff are amazing. The principal welcomes everyone personally. I feel like they make an effort to know the child in order to help them thrive. They dont just make you feel like they care, they actually do.