James E Shepard Middle School

Expel that boy Adrian Knight, my son told me Adrian kept bullying him for no reason. 4th Grade Godfrey

Just a word of caution if you expect "Montessori", what you'll find instead: so much testing. The current administration is obsessed with testing. Students have a test every Friday and they practice for standardized tests a lot. They also do a lot of worksheets. They have so many worksheet packets that they have to do on their own because the teacher has to teach 2 or 3 grade levels in each class. What this means in practice is that students are given worksheet packets and complete them at their own pace in mostly loud and chaotic classrooms. The packets are graded too, which is too early in 1st and 2nd grade. The AIG program isn't consistent either. In our previous school, kids would get pulled out consistently in small groups. Here, all the groups seem to focus on testing techniques or more worksheets. There is no longer a separate science program at the school because the position was apparently cut. The Spanish class is just more worksheets and cartoons that are shown in English, not Spanish. The teachers are mostly very caring and the classroom assistants are fantastic but there is a high turnover. Curriculum wise, it has been a disappointing experience and we wish we had not been redistricted. The PTA is the saving grace because they are fantastic, truly above and beyond, and provide a lot of enrichment opportunities after school. The parent community really lifts up the school. Overall it's an OK school if you live in the base zone and many students walk or bike. It's also small and that is probably the best thing about the school, though that is changing because enrollment is growing, but I would think twice about accepting a lottery seat there if you expect a Montessori experience. Unless you get one of the very few Montessori trained teachers, and even then, that's not what you'll get because of standardized testing and dps curriculum requirements.

Burnt out teachers and admin that can’t solve problems.

W.G. Pearson Elementary is a fantastic school. I've seen significant growth in my daughter's education in her very first year here. Teachers are warm, welcoming, knowledgeable, and well equipped. There are many ways to get involved as parents, and Principal Dorsey is extremely communicative on this aspect. I'm impressed with the amount of communication I receive from this school about upcoming activities, ways to support and engage, and even individual communication from teachers to help guide my child in the right direction based on what the teacher feels is most relevant to your child. I highly recommend this school!