School #530

The admin doesn’t want any teacher input or anyone (teachers or students) thinking for themselves. They decide everything in a top-down manner while being an admin team entirely unqualified to do so. There are ZERO conversations where teacher input is valued or encouraged. If you voice an opinion you will literally not be asked back to teach there, even if you are a great teacher and they are (always) very short-staffed. (This didn’t even happen to me, but multiple co-workers.) They do many, MANY sketchy things around Special Ed, intervention and ML services. They essentially do not have intervention in a school where most students need it. They are not honest about SpEd and ML services. The admin thinks if you teach the tier 1 curriculum, most students will pick it up despite serving a population with very low proficiency. They also have awful or non-existent curriculum. The math curriculum is outdated and they absolutely do not use Science of Reading. The literacy curriculum is whatever admin came up with at some point. I truly felt guilty working there because of how poorly the students were being served. Also, parents are not allowed in the school. They do not let parents volunteer, or invite them in for any events throughout the year. There is no community aspect to this school. There is no helping your neighbors. There is no support - because admin does not value it or want it. They seem genuinely scared to allow parents to see what the school is really like. Also, the food is awful - barely edible in a way that is offensive to the students attending. They are people, they need real food.

Overall, I like Birch Grove. It is most definitely a like, not a love. I have had a total of 3 students of my own with close ties to other families.First, what works well. The arts program is wonderful and does an amazing job supporting the gifts, or even curiosity, of the youth who take interest in various artistic ventures. Through the productions, the students also learn about dedication and seeing things through and that’s great. My largest complaint with BG is that there is not consistency across the board with the many experiences. The experience of the student can vary greatly dependent on what teacher they get or even the relationship they have with a given teacher and that is very concerning. Too much is left to chance. I have the flexibility of being able to physically present at a rate that many parents do not but it has been the only saving grace at times with advocating for my children. This also translates to my experience managing supports within the school as well. This has been crucial in advocating for a child of mine not getting services in accordance with the set or even reasonable timeline. I have another student who navigated special education services as a breeze. Again, highlighting inconsistencies and process gaps that need be addressed.

Teachers don’t do anything about your problems; they just contact your parents with a whole different story about your problem.

This has been one of our best decisions to send our kids to this school. Throughout the Covid era, the school planned four different levels based on cases, that they would implement to stay open & in person. While kids across the street had 2hrs/day in front of a tablet, SVDP had the kids in person for the full day. The following year, the difference in learning was massive. The school does a great job communicating with parents. There are weekly emails from the teachers on the past week and what's coming up. Additionally, the school has further communication on events or all school learning, so you have a notice as a parent. You as a parent are in the know with what your kids are being taught. The principal knows most parents by name and is always open to having a conversation.They have done a good job with not tolerating bullying and making sure that the kids learn to get along with different people. The strong enforcement of "no phones/tech" (other than school items) has been huge in keeping this to a minimum.