Arnold Elementary School

The school seems to teach for the statewide test that are given. My daughter had lessons on the same topics for months at a time. The Leadership is there to say no more than to help the kids grow. There is not a real sense of community. Through online learning during the pandemic it as obvious teachers were not teaching. Her teacher meet with the students for a short time and then assigned them graded homework that it was up to the parents to teach and help the student with. Bottom line before the pandemic and after the pandemic, the school seems more interested in their ranking than actually teaching the students for the long term and providing a strong foundation for them to succeed in a highly ranked university.

I’m a parent of a kids in the Annapolis lower school. The school administration is a mess! The principal should be replaced. The student standardized test scores dropped significantly because of the elementary school principal making the curriculum less challenging especially in math over the years and not retaining many qualified longstanding teachers. Many of the new teachers hired do not have college degrees or formal teaching experience. Also, parents are constantly solicited for funds to provide expensive gifts (e.g., designer bags, vacations, large checks) for personal use to lower school leadership with the implication that their child will receive preferential treatment. Parents are tired of it and all talk about it.

I had three kids at SJE and each had good years and bad years. The quality of the teachers is extremely inconsistent. One year, it feels like your kid’s teacher is the best and then the next year, it’s poor instruction, poor classroom management and disorganization. There’s no social emotional curriculum and it’s sorely needed. There’s kids having all sorts of problems that go unaddressed - learning difficulties, bullying, - and it just gets ignored for years. The middle school has overcrowded classrooms (there are no lockers and full backpacks on the floor) and no electives to offer. The discipline policy is inconsistent and negative. We didn’t really connect with other families and the kids don’t have good opportunities to bond. We switched to public school and feel like it was the best move we ever made.

Very good. I feel my child is safe when at school, that the teachers and administration genuinely care.