Valentine Hills Elementary School

Wilshire Park Elementary and the St. Anthony–New Brighton School District have been a huge disappointment. The principal is rarely present, and most kids don’t even know who she is. Communication is poor, with concerns ignored, and issues are often blamed on teachers rather than addressed by administration. The district’s “Effective Instruction” program has been a failure, creating confusion and stifling teachers. It’s a good idea in theory but the implementation has been a disaster. Behavioral issues go unchecked, with disruptive students receiving no consequences, leaving well-behaved students to suffer in chaotic classrooms. The entire district is in decline, with dropping academic performance, high teacher turnover, and families leaving for better options. We are seriously considering pulling our child from the school. Wilshire Park no longer provides a safe, supportive, or effective learning environment—I strongly recommend looking elsewhere for both students and educators.

DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU ARE NOT RICH OR WHITE. As a former student, the racism and small sexism here is CRAZY. You could be called a slave in front of the teachers and the student would get trouble for interrupting class or they'd just sit there and smile (real story). Overall people here are rude. For learning, they didn't offer proper support and often taught way to quick to catch up with. School fights weren't treated properly if they occurred. If you did report anything to the teachers or principal, a measly in school suspension would happen and your parents wouldn't be informed. Teachers are lazy, kids are bullies, don't go here.

The teachers are what makes this school amazing. The teacher retention is truly remarkable, but what is even more remarkable is the joy and true enthusiasm these veteran teachers bring to the classroom year after year. They truly believe in making a difference, and they succeed. Most of the teachers have masters degrees or more and if you know Catholic education, you know they are not teaching there for the money. I did not plan on sending my children here for elementary school, but after seeing the close family connections that were already being built when my son went to preschool at St. Os, I knew that this was a place that could be a home base for our whole family. There are so many opportunities to volunteer in the school which makes it feel like I know what is going on in my kids' lives. Many, many parents take advantage of the opportunity to volunteer. The volunteer culture creates buy in from many families and creates fertile ground to grow a strong community. The principal at this school is an amazing human who truly cares about the students and families at the school. She supports teachers and has done a lot of work to make sure the social and emotional needs of students are being cared for at our school.