St. Bernadette School

Northeast school is not ready for diversity especially young black boys. They don't listen to parents and concerns if the parents are African-American and even the staff is complaining of a racist work environment. The school doesn't hire African American teachers and the school is half or more 50% of African American students. The staff put on a face to play the role but, the staff don't care about the African American students that they label and make out to be a problem. Staff say horrible things about children and families. This is one of the worst districts for hiring people of color and they like to hire people they know and relatives.

This has been a great school for my son so far. He currently is going into 2nd grade. The class sizes are reasonable, the teachers have been really helpful, and the administration is great so far! I loved having Mr. Sheldon as the principal because you knew if you needed to contact him at any time, he would be there. It helped make me feel safe and secure knowing that my questions would get answered no matter what.

I cannot recommend this school. The community is an insular one--good luck breaking in--and the kids who are not the super athletic types will fall by the side. All four of my children attended, and the first one had a great experience, but then again, he was an athlete and an outgoing boy. He received plenty of attention. Then my youngest three sons went here and were bullied and ignored. It got so bad that we transferred them out mid-year, and we were glad to take the financial hit. Complaints to the school about the bullying did nothing. The school says they practice a "Choose Kind" philosophy, but don't be fooled, as these are mean people. Finally, the school is lacking academically. When my younger children transferred, they were behind. My son had practically all A's at CK, but was behind in math and Spanish in high school. He caught up, thankfully, but he was not happy with his preparation. The principal dragged her feet in dealing with the bullying problems and had little to say about revamping the curriculum to meet contemporary needs.

We have enjoyed being part of the QM community for the past 5 years. The school families are wonderful and truly look out for one another. At the younger grades I felt my children were engaged and challenged academically. However, as they grew older I began to notice that the level of academics and teaching was subpar; a direct result of teacher quality. Don't get me wrong the staff is very helpful and embody the catholic faith-just not qualified to teach academic subjects at a level that I expect. Additionally, the new principal has been less than impressive. He has been overly concerned with enrollment numbers. By focusing on attracting new families, he has neglected current families. This has alienated many of the families that give their time and energy to help the school community and various programs. Oh, but he brought back football...so there's that? Maybe if there were more concern expressed with ensuring a quality academic education we would have stayed.