Joyce Kilmer School 69

I wouldn't recommend sending your children here

I am very pleased with the Educations my child is receiving at PLA 48! Not only are scholars provided a rigorous education the expectation of success is also present. The staff at PLA 48 are caring and are willing to address any concerns. My scholar is in Kindergarten and started later in the year after arriving from Nigeria!. I must say her teacher went above and beyond to welcome her. She was so excited to share that her teacher had shown Akili and me a very popular preschool program in Nigeria. Thank you PLA 48 for welcoming myself and my daughter into your family.

As a current 8th Grade student in this school, I love it. The style of schooling might not be for everyone but I really enjoy it. I've been here since kindergarten and loved everything from elementary to middle school. I'm mostly leaving this review as I've noticed some very negative reviews from years back when middle school was just developing. Now though the middle school is great with tons of amazing teachers. This school isn't for everybody but I would definitely recommend at least checking it out.

There are not enough words to describe how bad this school is! My experience there was horrifying, I couldn't believe everyday I was there children as young as kindergarten age were flipping out in the hallways. Screaming and yelling, cursing at teachers. And the teachers had no type of control! I had a first grade class and when I tell you it was like nothing I've ever seen. The majority of the kids were not even up to first grade level in reading or math. There was no help for Spanish speaking students, except being taken out of class for about 20 minutes to go work with a speech person. But they needed someone in class with them or at least someone who comes and help them with their classwork. Let's start with the older secretary who works the front desk, she is a piece of work. She told me to put ones down the attendance list even if the student wasn't present. The principal was coming in one day I was coming down the hallway with my class and one of the students let out the line, I stopped the principal to tell her one of my students isn't with the group and she told me she just walked in and can she at least take her coat off! She never found out what I wanted, she just didn't care. They have this room you are suppose to send kids that are misbehaving it's called BAC that's a complete joke. They make you fill out a sheet to send up with the child. It has all these different reasons why the child is being sent there. And then you have to write an extra explanation about what happened. But it's a waste of time because they will find any reason to send the kids back. They don't even want to deal with them. Unbelievable! I saw a young boy roaming the hallway all day once. I couldn't believe it. They run out of printing paper constantly in every printer and don't have on hand for you to reload the machines, except in the office where the secretary guards the printer like a hawk. There are a few good teachers there that I had the pleasure of meeting and working with. They helped me a great deal and it is the grace of God they are there. But their joy is being sucked out of them I'm sure. The time I worked there I would go home mentally and physically tired. The environment is so draining and unpleasant, so how can students really get a quality education when their class is being disrupted constantly. I will not ever work here again

They genuinely do not teach anything here you are expected to learn yourself

Five stars would be perfect. I don't think there's a perfect school out there but SJOA is very close. With a remarkable group of leaders, teachers and staff who are ALL IN on our kids and their well-being, I feel extremely fortunate to have found this educational home for our children. Academic, social and spiritual growth occurs in a welcoming and inclusive environment which I don't think can be said of all schools in the area.

staffs are not being heard. nothings changed, after we reported or want to improve something. they don't know how to keep it professional. too many staffs work there that know each other through relative or friends. the education need to update and improving, most of teachers are lazy.