Clyde F Brown Elementary School

While I have generally had positive experiences with the education and classroom routines at the school, I strongly believe that there is significant room for improvement in accommodating cultural diversity and addressing unconscious biases towards the growing diverse community. Personally, I have visited the school on multiple occasions and have consistently felt unwelcome and ignored by the school's principal. Despite making rounds to almost all parent tables during events, the principal conveniently falls short at ours. This lack of acknowledgment raises concerns about whether my child, who enjoys the classroom environment, is receiving fair treatment. I worry that the school management is not adequately trained to address the increasing diversity and chooses to ignore the issue altogether.

During early COVID times we enrolled our two boys in Woodside because my husband and I both work outside the home. It was intended to be a temporary change from our local public school because we and they needed in person learning 5 days a week and a solid plan for remote teaching if needed. Now 6 years later, our oldest is in high school and our youngest just entered middle school. Both boys thrived in the tight knit community and small class sizes and our oldest has had a seamless transition into a very different/ larger high school. The opportunities for travel, learning outside a traditional classroom, and mastering the nuances of self motivation/ executive function skills were outstanding. In addition, they have the opportunity to work with younger students and have classroom responsibilities as a way to foster community strength. The teachers care about the whole student and provide the right amount of nurturing and academic rigor while emphasizing kindness and empathy. As parents, my husband and I could not be more satisfied with the school. Leadership is thoughtful and intentional with their policies. For example, during COVID they had solid protocols for safety and the school stayed in session from fall 2020 on without any gaps in education. They have been transparent about any changes to policies and challenges that they face as a small school. I have always felt heard and respected by leadership and teachers- they welcome parent involvement and feedback. I would highly recommend Woodside- it has been an integral part of shaping my boys into intelligent and empathetic individuals with strong critical thinking and diverse interests.