Clayton Downing Middle School

I am on this website researching schools because we are relocating to another state. My child has attended McA for 4 years and I am heartbroken he will not get to attend the last 2 at this school. It is like a family - teachers and staff are committed to help the kids learn to be good people and give them skills for life, not only academics. We will miss this school family terribly.

I don't recommend it to anyone if I was asked. The principal and the vb lie to turn facts around. They use their authority the worst way they can. The last thing they think about is children.

Our family transferred to this school at the beginning of the 23-24 school year. We transferred specifically for the Spanish Immersion Program and we've been very satisfied with the program, coming from another dual-language program in the Dallas area. The Spanish teachers are all native speakers and my Hispanic in-laws are always impressed with the Spanish work my kids come home with. I feel the teachers genuinely care for the students and work hard to form relationships with them. I always feel well-informed of events and the PTA does a great job garnering parent support for the school. The principal has an open-door policy and is extremely supportive of the teachers. Overall, I am so happy with the school!

Súper buena, orgullosa de tener a mi hija allí

All 3 of my kids have gone to Heritage since kindergarten (2017) and are extremely prepared for middle school. I’ve heard from middle school teachers that they know which kids are from Heritage (in a positive way) due to their preparation and behavior. In addition to being prepared, my kids loved most of their teachers and made friends. The PTA provides ample opportunity to volunteer & join a community as well as engage the students in fun activities or educational programs. Heritage has an outdoor garden that is being utilized more recently with the kids which is different than any other campus. It’s a great space for parents to eat lunch with their kids too. Have my kids gotten along with every teacher all the time? No. Are there some disagreements with administration? Yes. Do they run into “mean kid” issues? Absolutely. It’s life. I teach my kids both emotionally resiliency and how to be part of the solution through engagement and volunteering at school . I strongly encourage other parents to advocate appropriately for their kids and utilize the counselors more with issues affecting student learning. Life is hard, teaching kids of varying backgrounds is hard, being a parent is hard - this is the time for growth to prepare for life. Heritage did a great job and as a parent, I provided the necessary support for ultimate success. Their job is not to parent my kids, I take credit for that.

Our child has had nothing but loving caring teachers that adjust to our specific needs. We have had a lot of learning opportunities with our child and ourselves. The school has an incredible amount of opportunities to be involved as a parent and activities to have your child show off their love for the school, teachers, and friends. We couldn’t have asked for anything more.