Vestavia Hills Elementary School East

We have been here for three years. My oldest son has gone through K, 1, and 2nd here. My second son has gone through K and 1st here. The PTA/community is so caring and proactive. The teachers are awesome and hardworking. The principal Dr. Mark Richardson is awesome. My boys love and respect him. I'm sad that we have to move away, and I hope we can find a comparable school where we're going.
—Submitted by a parent

Just moved to Vestavia from Tennessee. Our kids were in private schools in TN...... Vestavia is far superior in many ways to both public and private education in TN. We could not be happier.
—Submitted by a parent

VHEE is an exceptional school! It is a very caring school environment with dedicated faculty and administration. There is a tremendous amount of parent involvement in the school. It provides a very strong academic program and nurtures children to become caring individuals.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our first year at VHEE. We have been very pleased. Our child came from another school where he was being labeled by the teachers. We were nervous about approaching the guidance councilor for fear that she would not hear us. I am happy to say that she took us seriously and paired our son with a wonderful teacher who is dedicated, warm, and really seems to understand children. My son trusts teachers again and has said for the first time in his life, 'Mom, I love my school.'
—Submitted by a parent

We moved to Vestavia three years ago from another local school system. Our son was struggling in reading and not getting the help he needed. Having two school systems to compare to, Vestavia is the best choice we could have made. There are so many opportunities for children to succeed here, and I've never seen such parent involvement anywhere. The school is large, but it doesn't feel large with a very LOW teacher/student ratio. I volunteer to help out at lunch frequently, and the cafeteria is NOT in any way 'chaotic.' The teachers are all wonderful and genuinely care for our children. They have been willing and accomodating at every curve in the road. My son who is now in middle school and on honor roll. Our twins are in second grade here and reading well above their grade level. We couldn't be happier.
—Submitted by a parent

The school's education is fairly good, but not if your child does not reap the benefits of it. Some of the teachers there do not understand that it is more than one way to learn. So they just assume that your child is 'struggling' and they aren't as smart as the rest. Teachers also don't have enough patience for students that learn out of 'the norm.' It seems like the only way of disciplining the child is to sit them out for recess. This could be because they didnt finish their work, or for just taping someone on their shoulder, or even for someone else pushing them. It can be frustrating because I send my child there to learn, but this is also where relationships and images and so on start building. I want the teacher to have my child's best interest at heart and it seems that she doesn't.
—Submitted by a parent

We have had two children go through k through 3rd grade here. This school has many problems starting with the head administration.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our first year at this school and so far I am not satisfied at all. We have had numerous problems with getting things resolved and setting up meetings with teacher and principal. Many of my questions and concerns are never addressed and my child has gotten in trouble seemingly for every little thing he does. I am very unhappy with this school. I am shocked that I am having so many problems and thought this would be a better school for my child, but turned out that it is not.
—Submitted by a parent

We were very disappointed in VHEE. It is probably a good school for children who fit the mold, however, our bright but distractible Kindergartner had a tough time. After speaking with the teacher and guidance counselor numerous times, I felt as if our daughter's 'problem' was ours to solve with no assistance from the faculty. No accommodations were made for different children's learning styles and the teacher was highly critical. The student body is large, lunchroom is noisy and chaotic, playground is busy. Punishments were used, such as not allowing her to go to recess or have snack if she had not finished rather than finding a creative solution. We are moving to a Montessori school next year as we realized we could not get any individualized instruction at VHEE. A distractible child (ADD or otherwise) or one sensitive to large noisy places may have difficulties here.
—Submitted by a parent

I couldn't imagine a better learning environment for my children. The teachers have been incredibly knowledgeable, very well prepared, patient, kind, and friendly. The administration has been very accommodating and understanding. The parental involvement at this school is unlike any I have ever seen. My children have felt safe and protected in a rich learning environment. They have made many friends, and so have I. I cannot possibly express how highly I think of this school.
—Submitted by a parent

VHEE has provided an excellent early education to my two children. We are entering our 7th consecutive year of having a child at this school. The supportive atmosphere and teacher quality remind me of my own elementary education in the very best ways. The principal is quite outstanding and has the full support of the faculty and parents. Parental involvement is very high, and VHEE encourages active participation. The music and arts programs are outstanding, with highly skilled teachers. With so many schools cutting back in this area, it was good to see the music and arts programs still doing well. The teachers that my children have had have all been outstanding with one exception (no longer in the system). VHEE provides a good entry into the excellent Vestavia Hills system, and prepares its students well for the move to 'Central' and fourth grade.
—Submitted by a parent

Very weak special education provided for children 'on the borderline'. Weak academics, more fluff than substance. In spite of published strong reviews of school system, found the structure, lack of inclusion, etc. to ultimately not provide resources and services for high functioning delayed children. Little input/interaction from therapists.
—Submitted by a parent