Boyd Elementary School

Adams Elementary was great when my kid started. In the last 2 years, everything has gone down hill. The school does not have enough teachers for the students. Each grade has 2 classes of about 18-20 kids with the exception of 4th grade where there is only one teacher. Because of this, the students that are independent learners are in a classroom with 5th graders and the one 4th grade class is large and most of the kids require attention that they are not receiving. Many of the children have behavioral issues and when visiting you will see many sitting by the office as they have had to be removed from the class. The staff does what they can to help all the kids but do not have the capacity to provide the necessary attention that is required. Parents of children at this school tend to not hold their children accountable for their actions and instead will call and yell at the teachers and administration. My child has fallen so far behind because they are being bullied by other children and struggles to keep up in class because they are not getting the help necessary.

My experiences at this school have been positive from the front door entrance spreading throughout classrooms, hallways and playgrounds. People make a school feel safe and comfortable. That is exactly what happens at this school.

I have a child who has attended Edison for half of a semester in the 22-23 school year. As well as a part of the 23-24 school year, however after the incident that I had with the current principal I will be pulling my child. I have never seen a more vindictive and petty individual that runs a school. I understand her having issues with parents but to have an issue with a child is ridiculous and un-called for. My child may have picked up a few things from this school but beyond that. There are fights between 4th graders and kindergartners, they do not protect the little ones the way that they should. They do not listen to parents, mostly because they don’t have too!! I’m over Edison and can say that I have it all I had!

St. Bernard’s Catholic School has been an extremely positive experience.We came from OPS. We had supportive teachers and administrators but felt there was something missing from our kid’s attachment to the education. Schools and neighborhoods no longer have the community cohesiveness with commuting and city-wide enrollment. We decided to find a grade school that could bring that to our kids’ lives. We found that after touring St. Bernard's and being enrolled a few months. Our kids have participated in musical programs, sports teams, holiday events, drop in after care and fundraisers. While our kids are still navigating friendships and mentors, there has been no better opportunity to grow than through the involvement we have found. At the elementary level the participation and opportunities has quadrupled!OPS is heavily dependent on tech. instruction. While not a bad in theory, it creates an environment that compromises problem solving and creative thinking. St. Bernard's reduces the reliance on technology (i.e., tablets) and puts the computing back to the students. I saw many times my kids doing multiple choice or dragging an answer a box on tablets that would give a score. Lots of flashing lights and music playing. It creates a disconnect for both the student and parent's ability to participate. We now are working more frequently with worksheets and packets. Our kids show their work. Parents are more able to review before kids submit for grading. In smaller classes their teachers have time to be great communicators and feel invested in our kid’s education. We will always appreciate the efforts of the OPS teachers that have larger classes but there is no denying the impact of a direct and uninterrupted relationship in the class.I would encourage parents that feels like the current school their kids are in isn’t what they were expecting to tour one of the Catholic schools and see if you feel comfortable, especially St. Bernard’s! Some parents don't want to pay for school with an available public system. Some parents want separated education and religion. Some parents might think a Catholic school is a gated community and only Catholics are accepted. I get all of that! Behind all those reasons to NOT go to a Catholic school like St. Bernard’s, there exists a warm, welcoming, encouraging, spiritual and active school.