Harry M. Bailey Middle School

My experience here was horrible with my son. The leadership is horrendous. They like to sort people into categories and only like to look at things through one set of lens. They ignore if there could be other reasons and push their own agenda and what they want. Every time I pass the school, my belly tumbles and I have the most depressing surge through my body.

My children have prospered so much since attending this school.

There needs to be a great deal of improvement in their ability to meet the needs of special need students. When there is an accommodation that is made it should not be considered a special favor to the student or the parents. It is a matter of complying with the law, specifically, The American with Disabilities Act. The principal needs to conduct herself in a more Professional and Educated manner when dealing with the Students and Parents. The Principal should set an appropriate example for her staff members with respect to not just what is said, but in the manner in which it is said. There needs to be more respect regarding Confidential Information. Absences need to be recorded Accurately and Promptly. The same Parent Volunteers and Parent Chaperones are always used. They need to give other parents an opportunity to participate. There needs to be a Competitive Hiring Process for Administrators. There needs to be Ethnic Diversity in this School and District Wide to address the vast Diversity of the Student and Parent Population. The School and District need to create a Partnership with the Parents (Home). It needs to be more than just words written on a paper.

This schools is not very parent friendly. I never feel that I know what is going on in the classroom or the school in general, even after many attempts to get involved. Walkways and courtyards are not fully shoveled in the winter for walkers, even after I direct comment from the principal that he was going to make sure it got done. Several times I have shown up for school plays and parents had to wait outside (one time in the freezing cold), until they opened the side door for us. There were very old grandparents and babies waiting outside...20+ minutes. If you want to improve test scores to get yourself off of the list of failing schools in the state start with reaching out to the parents....there is a HUGE school (teacher)-parent disconnect at that school.

I'm now a pharmacy student in Amman,Jordan. In my fourth year. I studied up to second grade in this school and used to live right in front of it. It was really cool, Great memories. and I really miss it :) :)

Montessori - Where children DO what they love and LOVE what they do.