Big Shanty Elementary School

My child has been going to the school since kindergarten. I think in any school the first 2 years are pretty easy since they're just learning about school, everything went great there. But once the years progressed, and he had a little bit more struggling to learn, the teachers became more less patient with him.And didn't really have the tools they needed to deal with adhd student. The school safety, I don't know what's wrong these kids making threats to the whole school or to certain kids like my child. It's sad because it's just an elementary school and kids are already threatening to kill one another. And actually having a weapon like scissors on them after making a threat. I am just so glad that this school year is almost over and my kid will be moving soon.I will not be sending them to the middle school with all these bad kids. I really think this school has gone down since years prior. I will say some teachers are great.But there's some teachers who have zero patience for a high ADHD student.

As a parent of a child with special needs, our experience at Chalker Elementary has been disappointing. While the school may appear welcoming on the surface, we encountered serious issues regarding special education support and communication. Our child’s IEP was not consistently followed, services were delayed or missed, and we found it difficult to get clear answers from staff. Inclusion was lacking, and we often felt our child was treated as a burden rather than a valued and included individual. When we tried to advocate for improvements, the response was defensive rather than collaborative.

I'm a senior at Mount Paran. Though I'm headed to UGA in the fall, I'm going to miss this school and my friends I've grown up with. I played many sports in middle and high school including football & I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. Every coach helped me personally and prayed for me if I needed. They were tough but encouraged me to reach my max potential. The teachers I will miss the most - so many that took the time to work with me when classes were challenging, and who always "knew" me and all I was up to & talking to me about how our game went. Middle school Bible really impacted my faith which I still carry with me. I learned the guitar after school in the MAC in middle school too. Since it's a little smaller school, I know everyone and they know me which is something I think is not everywhere. This school was my 2nd home and safe place and I'm thankful my parents made the choice to send me here.

So personally I am writing this review as I went to fbcs for around 6 years and then I left to go to a diffrent school. This schools teaching ability’s are no where near good, it is basically no man left behind. We had 4 lockdowns in the span of a year when I was in fifth grade. The only good teacher was the principal and 1st grade teacher. I would never send my future kid here, when I was bullied nobody cared. I hated this school. I would never reccomend it to anyone, it’s worst than a public school

On the surface, this school appears warm and nurturing. However, what happens behind closed doors has become too concerning to stay silent about.Since May alone, dozens of teachers (40+) have quit. Staff are leaving because of unfair treatment, lack of support, and concerns that management ignores serious issues, even when they are reported through the proper channels. Many employees brought evidence to HR, and nothing was done to protect staff or children.During my time there, I personally witnessed:• Unsafe practices involving children that were not taken seriously when reported• Teachers being pressured to come to work sick• Staff being forced to bring their sick children into the building• Parents not being notified when exposure to illness happened• Extreme understaffing with little to no administrative help• Children not receiving the care or attention they deserved because teachers were stretched beyond capacityAdditionally, I observed clear differences in how employees were treated, especially between Black staff and white staff. Some employees received special support, leniency, or benefits, while others doing the same job were denied basic fairness or respect. Many teachers tried to speak up and instead of improvement, they were ignored, dismissed, or treated differently afterward. This created a hostile and stressful environment that pushed great teachers away.Most of us stayed as long as we could because we loved the children. We tried to advocate, we tried to make change, we tried to protect the kids and keep a healthy workplace. But when leadership refuses to listen, teachers become exhausted and children are the ones who ultimately suffer.As someone who trusted this school with my own children and poured years of work into caring for others, it is painful to say this but based on everything I experienced, I do not recommend this center. Children deserve safe, ethical care, and teachers deserve respect, support, and fair treatment. No family should only see the “happy front” while the truth remains hidden.Many former staff will continue to speak up because transparency matters. Our only goal is for children to be genuinely cared for, not just marketed as a business.We tried to protect kids and hold the school accountable. We were ignored. Eventually, the only way to protect ourselves and warn parents was to leave and speak out.If a school won’t listen to teachers trying to protect children, families need to pay attention.

This school has been such a huge part of our lives for the past three years. My son just finished his Kindergarten year here and is starting first grade, and I honestly couldn’t be more proud of how far he’s come.The Montessori approach has been amazing for him. I’ve seen him grow so much, not just academically but as a person. He learned to read, started writing in cursive, and really got a solid understanding of math concepts, all at his own pace. But what I love even more is how confident, independent, and respectful he’s become. He’s developed such a love for learning, and I truly credit that to the environment this school has created.One of the things that made me feel so comfortable early on was how safe and nurturing the school feels. The teachers are kind, patient, and clearly love what they do. I always felt like my son was in good hands.Communication with the staff has also been great. Any time I had a question or concern, they were always quick to respond and happy to talk things through. It really feels like a partnership.I’m so grateful we found this school and that my son had the chance to experience these early years in such a thoughtful and caring environment. Highly recommend to any parent looking for something more than just a traditional classroom.