Stowers Elementary School

As a lifelong educator ( teacher, administrator, University staff and most importantly a grandparent) I find this school and staff very professional and accessible. I appreciate all the additional activities provided for family engagement. THe instructional program is varied according to the student's needs.

When my daughter started school here principal Kevin Martin was in charge and he was just great. Amber Cronin leaves much to be desired. She seems to put emphasis on metrics that improve her image and not the school as a whole (attendance, testing, Bucs rallying) I love volunteering but have found her to be very disrespectful to parents and the PTA. Recent security threats at the school have me concerned as protocols are inconsistent and change daily. Principal offers no comfort or assurance to parents. Principal Martin always kept us updated and reassured. A major threat made with zero followup to parents. Students walked between classrooms under an active “lock in”. The lights for the alarms malfunctioning during active lock in without notice to parents about how this was going to be addressed. Im very worried that in a real emergency this current principal Cronin lacks the leadership skills to keep the school safe. My fingers are crossed she finds the promotion she is currently looking for and we get someone new. The school as a whole is not bad. Many experienced and caring teachers work here. Too bad several teachers left when Mr. Martin transferred. I don’t blame them considering his personality and professionalism was night and day compared to what we have now.

The principal is awesome, professional and she really cares about the kids and easy to talk and very respectful, I think she can find better teachers so the school can continue having a better reputation , the teachers in general are so so, they don’t handle bullying seriously and need a better understanding and preparation, they don’t take issues seriously and the dress code for teachers is zero, they wore flip flops and leggings and shorts like they were going to the beach( very disrespectful) I volunteered there and they didn’t say good morning or thank you , super rude, I witness a teacher bossing a mom around and didn’t even say thanks at the end of the event when this lady worked hard and was super polite . I hope the principal find very teachers for the years to come . My kid was bullied and she had zero support from her homeroom teacher , very disappointed and it is concerning how they handled the situation . They are more concerned about the LGTB community than the well being of the students , I explained my kid at 8 years old about same sex couplescause of the books they put at the library for them . It is an elementary school, focus on teaching what’s important, be sensitive about children emotions and act accordingly when a student is being bullied. A lot of improvement needs to happen. Hire better teachers with passion and true dedication and commitment for education, they are shaping the future , our kids deserve better .

I have observed both positive and negative aspects of the school and understand why some parents give it a low rating. If they relocated from northern states, the schools in the south might not meet their expectations. However, if they explored other public schools in Florida, they might have a different perspective. My family moved from Connecticut, and after trying a highly-rated charter school in Florida, I feel that the current school is more caring than that charter school. Regarding the teachers, there have been occasions when my kids had issues with them. However, I addressed this by leaving notes in the binder and communicating with the teacher. At first, I thought I had offended the teacher and that there would be ongoing issues. To my surprise, my son ended up loving that teacher. I understand that there are many teachers with different backgrounds and experiences, and not all of them may be the right fit for everyone. However, I also believe that parental involvement can make a difference. We have been with the school for a year now, and I have a kindergarten and a 3rd grader attending. I do have some complaints, such as the cafeteria food being unappetizing. I initially tried packing homemade meals for my kids, but after realizing that they didn't eat much of it, I gave up and let them eat the school food. In my honest review, I would say they are okay if you compare them to public schools in Connecticut in neighborhoods with home values of over $600k. However, compared to surrounding towns, there may not be a better choice.

After reading the negative reviews, I feel they are left by people more upset about the structure of learning because of state requirements versus what Bevis has to offer while maintaining state expectations and requirements. Majority of teachers are organized, positive, and have great communication with parents. Parent engagement is high and the PTA enthusiastically supports the school and students. I have four children who have attended the school and one with an IEP. The support staff for kids with IEPs is significantly stronger than other public elementary schools and the principal has a very active presence amongst the students. After being with the school for over two years now, we are very happy.