St Anthony School

The school has a room for improvement in its efficiency, effectiveness, and communication. We almost always find out of school events within a few days prior, if not a day prior to the events. What should be a five minute inquiry with the front office turns out to thirty minutes with no resolution. I believe most of the teachers are trying their best, but the inefficiency of the system keeps weighing them down.

I'm a parent of a Walker Wildcat, and I volunteer in the school's Media Center, and we love this school. The teachers and staff are involved, and the school is one of First Lady Michelle Obama's Turnaround Arts Schools. The Magnet program offers a wonderful, FREE (because it's public school) performing arts program that my child looks forward to every day. The school is in a poor area, so we don't get much in the way of property taxes, but everyone is dedicated and working toward improvement. Instead of looking at a "1" rating and looking elsewhere, I'd encourage parents to come be part of the solution and help make Walker the best school in Broward County. For what it's worth, we researched other schools nearby, too. One in particular, a top-performing school in the area, also has a lot of rich, privileged students, and boy, the ones in my kid's after school martial arts class sure were entitled little people. Not exactly the peer group we were looking for, despite its high Great Schools rating.

Here is what I wish I would have known; it's a public school, period ( before being a Montessori school). So your main question to answer as a parent if you are wondering if you should send your kid to VSY is the following: If VSY didn't exist/ wasn't an option, would you send your kid to a public elementary school anyway? If your answer is yes, then go to VSY because its probably the best public school around. But if you wouldn't send your kid to a public school, but you are thinking about making an exception for VSY, because of what you've heard from other parents, because of the "Montessori," then don't. Go private and you won't regret it. VSY is 100% a public school, not Montessori..coming from a genuine Montessori background, I can say it truly isn't. No comparison. They use some Montessori material for some lessons, but the philosophy isn't Montessori inside the classrooms. Also, your kid will have homework, lots of it; think 24 pages per week for a 2nd grader, because the school teaches to the test.

I’ve had some many problems at this school. For the whole thing I will NEVER refer this school to any parent. They don’t have all together. The kids are terrible and there is a lot of bullying going on. I’ve NEVER seen the principal. They never answer the phone when you call. We as a people as a whole have to do better. When my grandkids were in public schools they made the A honor role every semester, when they get to this school their grades dropped tremendously!!!!

My daughter is currently in Bethany Christian for prek-3 and my husband and I couldn't be happier. She is learning so much, and the teachers are very nurturing as well as the community. The security is exceptional, with the world today this school makes me feel secure in my decision to send my daughter to Bethany. Looking forward to see all their new expansion projects and for my daughters to be part of it.