Bradford Heights Elementary School

I felt the teachers were not as helpful to students they perceived as less advantaged. The area around the school, and so the majority of its students, are affluent with, I assume, stay-at-home moms. Unfortunately, the boundaries of the school also cover some less-desirable neighborhoods with single-parent households and working mothers. The students from those neighborhoods are no less able or enthusiastic to learn, but I don't feel that the school supports their education to the same extent. I'm sorry to say that such an attitude exists, especially in a place that's centered around children, but that's the only way I can explain the poor treatment we experienced. I never would have come to that conclusion if I hadn't changed schools half-way through my child's elementary education and had a radically different experience at the new school.

I was also surprised from the start at how little security is enforced. The main doors lead directly to the main hallway. Signs on the doors indicate that all visitors must sign in at the office and wear a visitor sticker, but at no point was I stopped and questioned on those occasions when I was rushing and skipped that process. At the school my children currently attend (in the same district) I cannot even enter the lobby without going through the office, which is always attended, and signing in.

On the up side, the principal is very hands-on and the kids adore him. The teachers were communicative, although politely, not enthusiastically so. The grounds around the school are beautiful and the facility is clean and well-maintained.

The teachers and aides are not only very good at working with children, but it shows how much they care about their students and how much they love their jobs in everything they do. They put so much time and effort into their preparation and the children benefit from their dedication.

The principal is available to the parents and knows the students by name. He dresses like the mascot on Halloween every year and goes to the class rooms and sings Happy Birthday to EACH INDIVIDUAL STUDENT on their special day. He is the perfect Elementary School Principal.

Everyone you come across is friendly and the facility is beautiful. My son is especially fond of the glass block floor on the second floor hallways. (You can see people walking from below.)

We have had a wonderful experience at Bradford Heights with our first child and look forward to continuing the tradition with our second.