David D Jones Elementary School

The teachers work really hard to help students recover from the effects of COVID. Motivating students to become independent learners. Restoring a natural love for learning, social skills and a desire to accept normal school academics. The focus on teaching standards with Montessori methods allowed my student to settle into his own learning style. We love Erwin Montessori School.

I previously worked at Foust and, unfortunately, found the experience deeply concerning. Staff morale was notably low, and there was a general lack of support and respect both among colleagues and between staff and students. Leadership appeared disconnected from the student body, often unaware of individual children's needs or even their names.One incident that stood out involved a student who experienced a personal accident and was not provided any assistance by the administration. The child remained in soiled clothing for the remainder of the day, which I believe reflected a lack of empathy and proper protocols.The overall environment was marked by staff burnout, which negatively impacted both instruction and student engagement. Additionally, the curriculum did not align well with age-appropriate standards and was not effectively designed to promote learning and development.Based on my experience, I would recommend exploring alternative educational options that prioritize student wellbeing and a supportive school culture.

This is the first and only year my children will be going to the school. Myself and my children's father have been co-parenting for over 11 years and through these times I have never dealt with a school with such horrible and ineffective ways to interact and teach our children. From report cards saying that they have A/C but no comments and what they need to improve on two report cards with an a saying that they need Improvement yet not saying what they needed Improvement on all the way down to my son being bullied and then him being given disciplinary action for sticking up for himself. The general consensus I've gotten when I've spoken to any of the teachers was that my children are awesome to be around and a pleasure to work with yet the information that I needed was never given to me i.e. what they needed improvement on. I was merely told that the Benchmark testings were coming up and that was more important than school work and to focus on studying for that. However I witnessed my children studying putting these tests above other studies and educational assignments and yet my son failed them all. The weeks following those test scores their father and I received progress reports announcing how well they were both doing and grades to prove it. These tests did not reflect anything that they were learning these tests Mary reflected how to take a test and on top of that it confused my child in certain aspects of their learning. One of the worst days was finding out my son was being bullied. He had things stolen from him 3 times in one day and the teacher seeing my son trying to stick up for himself told him he was going to get silent lunch instead of actually addressing the issue or asking him questions about it she used her authority instead of compassion. The school needs more than just to improve test scores the school needs to retrain teachers to care about what students are actually going through.

Our school benefits from a truly special parent community and an incredibly dedicated PTA. The support network among families is strong, and the teachers are committed and caring. However, the administration has become a significant source of concern.The principal is frequently unavailable and often unresponsive to parent communication, with concerns sometimes going unanswered for weeks. There is a noticeable lack of consistent presence on campus, and decisions are often communicated one way and then executed differently, leading to confusion and mistrust.Oversight from the parish leadership is minimal, as the priest who oversees the school is rarely engaged in daily operations. This absence of active, accountable leadership has created an environment where teachers, though capable and passionate, appear hesitant to speak up or challenge the status quo.As a result, we’ve seen a troubling pattern of strong educators leaving, with their roles often filled by parents lacking formal teaching qualifications. This is not only unfair to students but also undermines the standards we expect from a school committed to excellence.We hope this feedback is taken seriously, as the heart of the school—its teachers, students, and families—deserve leadership that matches their dedication.