Monarch Elementary

Extremely disappointed in this school. Have always heard great things but since sending my child here it’s been a disaster. No structure in the classroom, the principal does not care about the children and will not give them the help they need, even when they have all the resources available at the school, he just chooses to keep sending children home. Staff communication to parents is horrible. Definitely going to try to switch my child to a new school next year because they will NOT be returning here after summer, also because they have made my child hate school and it’s a battle to get my child to school daily.

Monarch aims for a well-rounded education through a variety of related arts programs and project-based learning. I enjoy the smaller classroom sizes that my child has had this year and have been impressed with weekly communication from the teacher, principal, and PTA for pertinent information about my child, and the school. Mr. Loach is approachable and empathetic, I feel like he and the administrative team care about my child. I am happy to see the school improve with new building projects and programs to enrich my child’s education and social emotional well-being like an outdoor learning center and upgraded playgrounds. As a parent who works in healthcare with persons with disabilities and special needs, I am glad that there has been a focus at Monarch on inclusivity by having a buddy-program, inclusive playground, and offering opportunities like meeting healthcare professionals and learning about how they help others in their communities. My child experienced learning difficulties, but I felt like they were met with a team effort to strategize for their success. My child also experienced one bullying incidence that was immediately resolved when I reached out to the teacher who responded with professionalism as they carefully validated feelings and prioritized my child’s physical and social-emotional well-being through supports and classroom modifications out in place. I’m happy my child is here and feel like they are not just learning the basics, but discovering who they are and how they fit in the world around them.

If you are thinking about working here, don’t. It’s an extremely toxic teaching environment. The students and parents are great. However, administration doesn’t handle teachers that bully other teachers. The administration isn’t in charge of the school, the bullying teachers are.

Overall good experience. My kids have come through with straight As, high performance on standardized tests, have enjoyed their school, have made friends, and learned responsibility while there.

It feels that school cares more about its ratings than what kids really learn.