Hanawalt Elementary School

did not have a good experience at this school

Was a wonderful school for our children in a small classroom environment.

My child entered as a 3 year old preschooler. The preschool experience was awesome. Mrs. Fischer embodies Montessori principles and has such a great relationship with her students. The school is highly sought after and based off our preschool experience, I could see why. The school is predominantly white, which was a surprise. I have noticed more diversity this year but based off the review of a former student of color, I’m curious how their experience is going. The transition to lower elementary- has been a very different experience. I can’t say my child is being properly supported and from what I’m hearing from other parents, we are not alone. There are serious concerns around math & reading progress. An adjacent concern is what is happening on an administrative level. There is a lot of teacher turn over, there is not a lot of transparency or direct communication, and there is an overall sense that outside of classroom parent helpers, the administration and some teachers don’t want parents in their classrooms and if they do, it’s very prescriptive on when. These are huge red flags. The number of concerned parents is growing and they are getting more vocal. The school will have a new principal coming in and the hope is that the overall chaotic climate will resolve. In its current state, I wouldn’t recommend the school but I’m hopeful with strong leadership things will change.

My husband and I have four children who attend Bergman Academy. Therefore my experience spans the breadth of the school in terms of teaching staff, varied learning styles/needs (of my children) and the social emotional differences between a young child and a preteen. Bergman has been a wonderful choice for our family. I have found the teachers to be one of the most valuable assets of the school. They are responsive and make the extra effort to meet the needs of each child. I have felt that my opinions and perspective of my child's learning needs matter and the partnership between home and school has been extraordinary (especially for my kids that need specific types of support to make school successful). Given the small class size, I truly feel each of my children are well known and uniquely valued not only by their current teacher but by teachers and staff across the school. The curriculum is relevant, cohesive from grade to grade and I am continually impressed by the way the staff collaborates with one another in creative ways to teach with cross-curricular projects and opportunities for learning that extend into the community and beyond the classroom. As my children have gotten older there is a clear effort to build the student's autonomy and accountability for their work. And the way Bergman builds social and emotional learning into the day in organic ways is neat to hear... mentoring between older and younger students, community mindedness through partnerships with a nearby retirement community and the utilization of our natural setting in ways that keep our kids learning in bigger and deeper ways. The sole reason I chose to write this review is because we moved to Des Moines from a large city across the country. Reviews on schools were one way I worked to understand the options my husband and I had for education in a place where we had no network. Bergman Academy has been a key factor in our overall adjustment to moving to Des Moines. The education and the community are both things I feel grateful for often.