Parmer Lane Elementary School

It used to be gray 3 years ago. Today, the noticeable lack of stability among the staff, including the office staff and the principal. This instability has continued to affect the school environment, and it seems to have worsened over time. This year, for example, my child’s classroom teacher resigned at the end of August, and the position has remained unfilled since then. As a result, my child has had multiple substitute teachers with no consistent leadership in the classroom. There has been zero communication with families about the ongoing situation.As a parent of a child with special needs, I reached out to the school principal with my concerns, but it took a week to receive a response, which was merely an apology for the inconvenience. While I appreciate the acknowledgment, the lack of follow-up or any substantive action is deeply concerning.More recently, I learned of a serious incident involving a Special Education employee. When I picked my child up from after-school care—provided by a third-party organization on school premises—the after-school program leader shared a troubling report. She had witnessed a school Special Education staff member speaking to my child in a demeaning and disrespectful manner, even physically forcing him as a form of punishment. According to the leader, the SPED employee instructed the after-school staff to "make him do things, not ask him," and to isolate him so he could "learn." This behavior is unacceptable and deeply concerning, especially in an environment that should prioritize the safety and dignity of every child.I emailed the principal immediately about this alarming situation, and while I did receive a response stating that an investigation would take place, I have not heard anything further since then. The lack of transparency and follow-through on such a serious issue is simply not acceptable.

This school helped kids learn a lot, but its been bad (at least in 2025, currently). They make the children run laps nonstop sometimes, plus they make them have silent lunch, even though lunch is one of the only times they get to talk freely with each other. The lunch monitors make the kids go outside after their lunch, and make them run laps, also wasting one of the only times they get to talk and have free time. Their excuse is: "Oh, we expect more of 5th graders because they're the leaders of the school." Also, whenever one student does something bad during lunch, like face the opposite side of their food, the WHOLE 5th grade gets in trouble, and they can't talk for the rest of lunch. Their excuse for this is that "5th grade is a team". Like what? Your punishing them all for something small, and something 1 person did? Some of the staff just seem really controlling. But either way, I think this school is good to send your kid to.

in 3 days the school has made us feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. I chose this school as it was well rated and I was seeking structure from an honest school l

We have been part of AIS for over ten years and have seen the school evolve in many ways, most of them positive. One of its most enduring strengths is the small class sizes, which create a more personalized and supportive learning environment for each student.The elementary program is led by some of the most engaging educators we’ve encountered, with three teachers supporting instruction across the three languages. This structure not only strengthens language exposure but also keeps students actively engaged throughout the day.The admissions process, which includes an evaluation of both the student and their family, helps foster a strong and engaged community. This intentional approach contributes to the overall positive atmosphere of the school. A great example of this community feel is International Week, when students from preschool through 8th grade study and present on a different country. Each class explores aspects such as music, food, dress, art, and culture, and families are invited to participate, making it a meaningful and memorable experience.While the goal of students graduating in 5th or 8th grade as trilingual is admirable, in practice the amount of time dedicated to Spanish can limit opportunities for achieving true fluency for many students. This is especially notable given that the Spanish teachers are among the school’s greatest strengths and bring tremendous value to the program.As our family looks ahead to eventually graduating the school, we know it will be bittersweet. AIS does an excellent job of ensuring that students feel academically prepared transition to high school. One area to be mindful of, however, is subject-specific vocabulary, particularly in math and science, which are taught in French throughout middle school. Since local high schools do not offer instruction in French, this can present an adjustment as students transition to English-based coursework.