Endeavor Elementary School

Top notch school as to be expected in this area. The children are excelling, parents are involved, and teachers care about success at this school!
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children at Endeavor and we love it. The discipline at this school is structured and enforced with care for the well being of all. Life has plenty of rules and I prefer my children learn those rules early in life. The new Vice Principal is OUTSTANDING and does a wonderful job each and every day to provide an environment conducive to learning and fostering self esteem. Most of the teachers are excellent. Accelerated reading and math programs are available to each teacher, but not all take advantage of them. Volunteer opportunities are available overall though not every teacher wants all parents involved in their classroom on a weekly basis. Endeavor is doing very well and I expect to see them continue to support their very adequate math and science programs even further in upcoming years.
—Submitted by a parent

I have one child who has been at Endeavor for four years now. We have been very pleased with the school. I really do not understand the complaints about "the rules" and the lack of parental volunteer opportunities. In life, we have rules. They ensure order and safety and without a set of behavioral guidelines, teachers cannot do their jobs properly. We have never found the rules to be overly strict or unfairly enforced. Secondly, I have taken many opportunities to volunteer, whether it be reading to the class helping with class functions or just making copies and helping the teachers. The bottom line is no school is perfect, but this really is one of the best in the area. My son has been involved with four regular education teachers, one special needs teacher and numerous support staff and they have all been very friendly and helpful. I have always had excellent communication with the teachers and staff and they have been a very big part of his academic success. Bottom Line: You will get out of this school what you put in! Excellent school!!!
—Submitted by a parent

I totally agree with the comments about the school missing the mark with math and science. My son is in 1st grade and the teacher constantly complaint about everything and anything he does, I swear sometimes he is in bootcamp. I am confuse about the claim of each child will progress as they go but in first grade the teacher press the kids to test on third and fourth grade reading material. My son was reading before he went to endeavor and doing math on a first grade level, but the teacher is so bent on AR, the rest of areas go lacking. We asked his teacher to come to school on several occassions to help out with class activities and was told we can't, funny when there motto is parents and teachers working together. We are really considering home schooling our kids or sending them to private school.
—Submitted by a parent

I am discouraged to see others label this school as 'teacher centric' versus 'student centric' in a negative light. I am a substitute in the Huntsville area for all 3 districts. Endeavor has been the best school that I have subbed for because of its rules, procedures, and positive teachers. I have dealt with more discipline problems in Madison city schools because the students are not taught to be responsible for their actions and issues are simply swept under the rug to maintain an 'image'. As an educator, I believe that 80 percent of my ability to teach is the ability to manage a classroom. This is the single most important factor in student learning. I would say that Endeavor is well managed versus teacher centric. And the 4th and 5th graders do get a mandatory 30 minutes of PE a day. They are not being disserviced by not having recess.

My son is in the fifth grade and each class actually has 26 students per teacher which was a huge concern. This is his first year and is slowly adjusting. Another policy that I would have liked to know before moving here would be no regular Recess in 4th and 5th grade. It is on a reward basis in which if the accomplish their reading goals they get a recess on Friday for a reward. I think kids at that age still need that fun time after lunch. Other than that I haven't noticed many extracurricular activities. It is a beautiful school and well maintained. The teachers are online and check emails through out the day and typically respond If your child is in a smaller hands on school(as mine was) it can be quite an adjustment. My son was well liked but this school seems difficult for friends.
—Submitted by a parent

My child is forced to read a fluency passage every night to meet a benchmark of 40 words a minute. She is given a test grade on it. Sometimes she makes it and sometimes she does not. She cries and cries and just wants to read her AR books. We save those for the weekend. The teacher says she is forced to do that by the reading coach. My sister has a child at Central in the same system and they do not do that there. We are thinking about selling our house and moving to the other side of the county. I never see the principal but the new assistant is a very nice to my child and me.
—Submitted by a parent

Our child has been going here for four years. I must agree with the numerous posts regarding it being teacher-centric. They have created so many 'rules', it's gotten to the point of ridiculousness. There is a lack of communication between the staff and parents. Our child is a straight-A student, and while I can say I'm proud of that, I still see no challenges to develop math and science skills. There is a huge effort at this school to encourage the kids to reach their AR (Reading) goals. And while it is nice to have parties, rewards and prizes for acheiving the reading goals, there is no effort to do the same for those acheiving high scores in math or science. I just think it's a shame that the focus can't be better managed. And this is one of the better schools in the area...
—Submitted by a parent

This is my child's second year at Endeavor and I have been very happy with the school and the faculty and staff I had encountered. The students seem to thrive under the 'rules'. I have been impressed with how the children are taught to be orderly and responsible. There are many opportunities for parents to get involved if they try. There are volunteer needs at the school every day of the week - especially with tutoring and working in the clinic. The school may have a lot of students, but it has a small school feel to it.
—Submitted by a parent

2005/2006 School Year at Endeavor for my 2nd Grader: - Poorly Administered - Poor Leadership - Chaos - Teachercentric instead of Studentcentric - Test Score Driven instead of instruction driven - Pathetic Communication between Faculty and Parents - Disorganized - Clean, Neat, and Polished
—Submitted by a parent

I had two children in Endeavor this year, one a special needs student. My other has been there since 1st, and is going into 3rd. We haven't had a single bad experience. I have no doubt that there will be many differing opinions with such a large school, but the teachers have always been approachable and concerned with any of our concerns. I am able to email our teachers, always with a prompt response, and we appreciate the school newsletters. I haven't had the circumstance to have to communicate with the principal, but was able to witness her in action with a concerned parent in the front lobby one afternoon and was impressed with how she handled herself and resolved the problem. Though I feel there should be more volunteer opportunities, I am looking forward to the next 7 years.
—Submitted by a parent

I have one child that attended Endeavor from the year it opened and one who is still there. It is a very good school overall. As with all schools there are teachers ranging from OK to fantastic. I like the fact that rules are in place and the children are required to abide by them. The only complaint I have about Endeavor is the lack of recess time for fourth and fifth grades. Kids need time outside to burn off excess energy and have time to socialize. I don't believe that recess should be linked to Accelerated Reader (AR) scores. My daughter doesn't get recess if her AR score is not on target for the week.
—Submitted by a parent

Endeavor treats the kids like adults. They are punished constantly and never rewarded.
—Submitted by a parent

I currently have 2 children at Endeavor. I am very pleased with program they have there. The school is very clean and is staffed with the best teachers I have seen around. The principal of this school is wonderful. She makes sure that all of the teachers receive continued training to maintain there qualifications in the classroom. She is also wonderful with the kids. The administrative staff is down to earth and wonderful and treats everyone the way they should be treated. When you walk into the school, all you see are smiles of employees welcoming you to there school. Thank you Endeavor for everything! I give you an A+
—Submitted by a parent

I am the parent of a current student at Endeavor Elementary School and I am extremely pleased with the programs offered and the challenges given to my child. She is constantly learning new ways to think about things as well as reading far beyond her grade level thanks to the Alabama Reading Initiative Program so fully supported by the faculty and staff. I am always being asked to be involved and am kept up to date with what is going on at the school. Any time I've ever needed to talk to a teacher, staff member, or even a bus driver they've never failed to come through for me. I love Endeavor Elementary and can't wait for my son to start next year!
—Submitted by a parent

We recently moved to the area and heard positive things about the academic standards of area schools. At Endeavor, however, our child has not been challenged academically. The facilities are very nice and clean, but our child has learned very little new material. On our initial visit we were told the children are taught at the pace at which they are learning and advanced as needed. That philosophy is not actually carried out by the teaching staff. We are looking for alternatives - either home school or private school. It's a shame we can't get a good education from public school.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two students at Endeavor and I am happy. The admin staff is strict but its the structure that is needed to educate the number of kids they have. The more involved as a parent, the better it is. Over the years we have some great teachers and some that were just okay... That's expected. The facilities are top notch. My only complaint would be the 'junk' food (chips, cookies) that are available in the cafeteria and that kids sometimes have to ask for the vegetables.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children that attend endeavor and I am very pleased with the school. My children started out being in special needs classes and I am happy to say both of them have excelled so much that they no longer need the special classes. It is a wonderful school and I have no complaints. If anything should be said on a negative note--the school lunch is never enough for my growing children. So, maybe bigger portions if anything. It should never be about the way the principal or the teachers only. No kids = no class.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has forgotten about teaching the students but more concerned about running a tight ship and making sure the students obey their rules. The teachers are too obsessed with a child's behavior that they pay little attaention to teaching. For the most part what my child knows was taught to him/her by myself or my husband. The principal should worry more about requiring the teacher to teach and stop worring about how quiet they can keep the students.
—Submitted by a parent

Endeavor is not so much 'teacher-centered' as it is well-managed. It is a very large school with many students, and there have to be lots of rules and structure for it to run well--the rules are not meaningless; they are meant to keep order and ensure a proper learning environment. The teachers at Endeavor do an excellent job. I have heard few complaints about them and have had few complaints myself. The school is well-rounded; with library visits, art, music, physical education, and recess time all implemented into the student's day. The school also has a high level of parent involvement, which is essential to a school's success. The building is clean and wonderfully maintained. I'm very happy that my children attend Endeavor, and would recommend it to anyone.
—Submitted by a parent