Westside Career Center

Cody Elementary presents itself as warm, child-centered, and collaborative but this image is paper-thin. Beneath the surface lies a deeply dysfunctional culture defined by emotional neglect, professional isolation, and unchecked disrespect.Teachers who walk into Cody expecting a supportive team or even basic collegial courtesy are often met with silence, exclusion, and passive hostility. Staff interactions are frequently cold and transactional. Simple kindnesses, like saying good morning or offering help, are rare. Some teaching teams operate more like social cliques than collaborative units. Information is hoarded rather than shared, and new staff are often left to figure things out on their own while their “partners” look the other way.There is an unspoken hierarchy at Cody; if you don’t conform to the existing culture, if you’re too compassionate, too conscientious, too emotionally attuned, you become a target for subtle forms of mistreatment. It’s not always loud or overt. It’s the quiet cruelty of being consistently left out of conversations, ignored in meetings, and treated like an outsider.Even more troubling is the behavior of certain support staff. There are individuals in this building who speak to both colleagues and students with open disrespect. Yelling at children, condescending tones, and public reprimands are not rare occurrences; they're routine. And they are tolerated. Leadership has yet to demonstrate that emotional safety, especially for children, is a priority that goes beyond empty slogans.While there are a few genuinely kind individuals in the building staff who bring light and care to their roles, the toxicity of the overall culture overshadows these moments. Instead of fostering connection and trust, Cody has created a work environment that breeds isolation, anxiety, and burnout. It is emotionally unsafe for anyone with sensitivity, empathy, or trauma-informed values.If you’re a parent, ask yourself: What kind of energy are my children absorbing from the adults around them?If you’re an educator: Prepare to navigate the job alone, unless you’re willing to emotionally disappear into the culture of silence.Cody Elementary looks safe on the outside. But what happens behind the scenes tells a very different story.

Norris is an amazing elementary school. I have three special needs children and we have been to several Millard schools. Overall Norris and its staff have always gone above and beyond to support my children and to support the families of children like mine. The staff is supportive, they have a lot of supports in place for my neurodivergent kiddos and continue to work on and develop supports. Many other peers of my children are disadvantaged and Norris does a great job at helping kiddos succeed in school despite struggling economically or with disabilities. As all schools do, there is teasing and bullying that occurs but Norris did an amazing job with supporting students who are being bullied. The staff are always open to suggestions. The entire school is full of educators who love what they do and genuinely care for their students. They go above and beyond. I highly recommend Norris elementary. It is located in an area that is more diverse than other areas of millard and not as affluent, but I think this gives them an advantage because despite being in a “lower income” area then many other millard schools with higher ratings, the school works hard to provide ALL of their students with a quality education without leaving other students behind due to income, race, or disability.

We love Catlin! We opted our kids into this school because it feels like family. The principal and staff are stellar! My kids are thriving and asked if we can move into the neighborhood to be closer to friends and the school. Can’t say enough good things about Catlin!

I had 2 children go to this school. The teachers at Oak Valley are fantastic. You can tell they enjoy what they do & try their best to meet the needs of each of their students. The class sizes are smaller & the building is really nice. Truely a gem among OPS

Blumfield Elementary School is the best school in the Omaha that I would recommend to all the parents in the vicinity.They focus on communication, comprehension, socialism, development that helped my kid to grow.Their fun and learn, joyous teacher and support staff is a big A+.

Fantastic school in the heart of Omaha. Stellar new building that allows flexibility with teaching and learning. The teaching staff is superb, from support staff all the way to administration. You can’t find a better school for your child in Omaha.