Siler City Elementary

So far it has been a good experience

my children have attended this school for 2 years now. We enrolled them in the dual language course here. We are very pleased with the teachers and the program. The program out performed area schools and state in EOG's. We were very pleased because we had heard how well other school like Silk Hope were doing, and to think our schools dual language program children out-performed them made us feel very happy with our decision to enroll them here. The program of dual language has since moved into the middle school and by all accounts the children are continuing to do well. The entire school next year will be dual language and we are enrolling our youngest here to begin kindergarten.

SCE is the place to be! I am PROUD to say that I have two children at SCE and I have taught English as a Second Language at SCE for 13 years. Presently, I co-teach with 6 content area teachers for whom I have GREAT admiration and trust. Our symbiotic relationship enables me to glean best practices, a priceless resource, from observing my content colleagues' pedagogy, all the while planting seeds that we will nourish into effective instruction for English language learners (ELLs). Four times yearly, I have an ENTIRE DAY to plan and share tangible resources and instructional ideas with my valued colleagues. Moreover, we brainstorm causes for discipline issues in an effort to be proactive. I have learned so much from my SCE colleagues and I am pleased to say that my children have too! My 5 year old daughter has harvested a love for school like none other and my 9 year old son reads on or above grade level in Spanish and English! My goals for my children are that they will know the value of an education, love the art of reading, appreciate the uniqueness of others, and develop a good self-esteem. SCE is a valuable partner in these endeavors and we are well on our way!

SCE puts on a great facade for parents and the community, but as a staff member, it is evident that SCE has many shortcomings. SCE does have wonderful, dedicated teachers. Unfortunately, many teachers do not trust other teachers with their students. This creates an environment in which teachers do not share resources, curriculum across grade levels is inconsistent, morale is low, and paranoia is high. Discipline at the school is a problem for many teachers. Student expectations are unclear, and teachers receive little support from administration in both extreme and everyday discipline situations. Pressure on the school to succeed on EOG tests places a specific disadvantage on low achieving students at SCE. During retest, administrators mandate that students with the best chance of passing be placed into small groups (4 or 5) to be tutored by experienced teachers, and the lowest scoring students are placed into large groups to review with less experienced teachers. Essentially, students who need the most help at this school receive the least. Bottom line: the teachers work here because they are passionate about teaching, but politics get in the way of this school's success.

This school is one of the best schools around. The principal is the Regional Principal of the Year. The teachers are happy and very competent. I highly recommend this school!