William Ramsay Elementary School

My 1st grade son loves Polk. He enjoys going to school each day and has made great progress this year on reading and math. Has a great, diverse group of friends. So far we've been really happy with the school.

This is a failed experiment in woke nonsense. They care more about attendance and gender identity questions than anything else. Neither of my kids teachers were certified in Virginia. They are going elsewhere this year. This is a great school if you don’t speak any English and have no intention to learn it.

We had to leave. The leadership was so poor from K-5, so I only hope things are better under the new principal. My child was bullied (physically and verbally) all years (except during Covid) with no effective response. Learning became a bore based on what leadership pushes the teachers to teach. The teachers were amazing but their hands are tied on how much they can do. There were no extracurriculars at all and my child was bored. Any activities that were provided, not consistently, are not fun anyway if you are bullied and don’t feel connected.

My son attended SWT for three years, Kindergarten through 2nd grade. The school is very divided by the haves and have-nots. The needs of the kids who have less means are prioritized, which makes sense. Many are immigrants and refugees, which create a rich cultural community. However, the school is stretched to its limit - teachers are maxed out and it’s obvious. Many students don’t know English and special needs students are in the classrooms. It’s too easy for students of means to get lost, my son was one. I was relieved to relocate out of state and into a public school district that was in much less distress. If we hadn’t moved, we’d have moved to private school. My son was miserable and has faired much better in a school that has capacity for him. Lastly, the word “bullying” is used so flippantly at SWT. Kids have no problem solving skills and don’t learn to work things out. The volume of tattling is insane.

As a parent of two students at Parklawn Elementary School, I would like to kindly request more attention to the management of school buses and student safety during transportation. I live in Skyline Towers Apartments (5601 Seminary Rd, Falls Church, VA 22041), and I have noticed that when students enter and exit the buses- particularly # PL04, there is often a lack of discipline, overcrowding, and sometimes even five students sitting in one seat. On several occasions, students sometimes stand inside the bus, which raises serious safety concerns.As a concerned parent, I sincerely hope this issue can be prioritized, not only to ensure proper use of the buses but also to protect the safety and comfort of all students.That being said, I would also like to express my gratitude to Parklawn Elementary’s wonderful management and staff. From the smooth registration process with Ms. Doris, to Ms. Khalida’s timely communication with my wife, and the dedication of the great teachers, we truly appreciate the support and care shown to our children.