Contracted Special Education

I went to this school Kindergarten-9th grade. Elementary was the best part little drama, made so many friends, and felt safe and excited to go to school, but one junior high hit, it was a disaster. 60% of teachers don’t care about bullying or violence, not one did I feel safe going to school, male teachers walked into bathroom multiple times, a TA was texting a student, the principal was horrible, for my experience with the principal is my sister had multiple times she was sick, she was sick for over 2 months, we got doctors notes, the principal sent out a message to my parents threatening them she’s going to call CPS for how many absences my sister has, after that my sister had to do homeschooling. The school had way to much bullying, harassment, violence, and drugs. I’ve gotten searched multiple times just because I was in the bathroom at the wrong time when someone was doing drugs or vaping. I have more experiences, but I generally don’t recommend having you’re kids going here, It’s a bad place at least from my experiences.

Multiple teachers at this school have been so amazing to my son. He is extreme ADHD but respectful. I asked my son’s teacher Ms. Pratt well my son needs to make up schoolwork for a week. We are going to miss on a cruise. And she is not worried about taking his vacation and making it about school. This is a huge burden from him, trying to catch up. And now just able to enjoy our vacation thank you for telling me not just about him but about his mental health.

The principal at Gramercy elementary is very rude. Calls kids cry baby's and raises his voice. And when ever I tried to talk to him he shows no respect. And some of the teachers arts v the same way

The teacher's in this school try as hard as the can, but because years ago the school turned a blind eye to the behavioral problems with the students, it has grown to a level that seems impossible to combat. The students are allowed to swear at each other and at the teachers, if they knock another child down, or punch them in the stomach, they are told no no no we don't do that, and that's it. Elementary students have punched other kids in the face so hard the student started bleeding, the student that punched is still punching and bullying students. These students cuss and say racial slurs to other students, staff is exhausted, they can't discipline the students anymore or they would never be teaching. The parents need to be more involved in this school, the teachers need help. The principal at this school is hardly ever seen, I thought the vice principal was the principal, a lot of the kids also thought the vice was their principal since they never see the actual principal. At other schools we've been at, we knew who the principal was, the kids knew who the principal was, the principal was actively involved. These kids are good kids, but the school at it's core has fallen apart, lost sight of having pride in their school, showing pride in the kids, supporting the teachers, and just letting the kids do whatever. The school has said some of these kids can't be sent home due to home life, well they should have something else in place then, a special room with a behavioral therapist for some time to go over respect etc and then do classwork where they are given praise for doing good/listening. I really hope something changes, I do know it's going to take longer to fix this, then it did for it to start. These kids are worth it, please JMES help our students to thrive.

The teacher has been great, but the administration is horrible. My son is regularly talked down to by the vp and principal. When taking with the principal over the phone, she will interrupt you regularly and then hang up when you ask her not to. Unfortunately the bullying that occurs from the management team does not outweigh the teacher's wonderful and patient approach.