GPS Traditional Academy

I agree that current administration isn't what it used to be. The principal doesn't seem to be involved in day-to-day matters, or have the poise, professionalism, and friendliness, that former principal Blanchard had. Blanchard was superb. Overall the school is decent, especially the teachers. They are great! But the school has not lived up to the hype you hear about. Having spent 7 years at Neely, my child has learned almost no history, has learned zero geography, other than 3rd grade has written almost no full page papers at all, and has only used a computer to take reading tests. Precious time is wasted learning how to break down words in a sentence under the Spalding program that could be better served elsewhere. Knowing how many vowels and consonants there are in a sentence isn't going to help my child in any job. Learning how to write a persuasive letter, or create a powerpoint presentation on the computer would been a better use of time.
--Submitted by a parent

I have 2 children, but only one attended Neely K-6th. Previous administration was great, but the current principal lacks warmth and hasn't been able to build positive relationships with parents. She also hasn't been able to handle concerns in a timely and effective manner. There is absolutely zero school spirit. While reading and math are Neely's strong points, the other subjects aren't any different than any other school. Writing is almost non-existent at this school, with 3rd grade being the only time they write on a regular basis. My older child's love for learning was squashed at this school. He began to hate school (even though he's a straight A honor student). My younger daughter disliked her kindergarten class, so I decided to enroll her elsewhere. It was the best decision I could have made. Don't be swayed by the "10" rating in great schools. Please talk with other parents who have kids currently enrolled in the school and decide based on the information you gather.
--Submitted by a parent

So glad we enrolled our child at this school (after leaving another school which was unsatisfactory in our eyes). Excitement to do homework as soon as we get home and wanting to go to school on the weekends must be good signs. The front office staff is organized, friendly and knows students by name. Love how challenging the curriculum is and that my child's teacher is so encouraging, observant and aware. Could not be happier.
--Submitted by a parent

I have 2 children who attend Neely. We have been there for 5 years and could not be happier with this school. It is a rigorous curriculum. Our kids are always being challenged, but they love this school. Highly recommend.
--Submitted by a parent

GPS GIVE EVERY CHILD AN EXCELLENT START AT LIFE. GOING FAR ABOVE THE BASICS. THE TEACHERS AND STAFF ARE EXCEPTIONAL.

Our second child went to K, 1, & 2 grade here. first two years were great but grade 2 was a nightmare. He was subjected to heavy bullying & we have met with the school principal 5 times between August to December. We were extremely disappointed with the lack of discipline in the classroom & a very noisy learning environment. The grade 2 teacher was very cold & lacked teaching skills to inspire students.She was very impatient, intimidating & screaming & yelling while dealing with kids.the teacher was very hostile during our in-class observation &was demeaning the students all the time.Things got very tense & our child started to regress emotionally.. The principal is very incompetent & lacks compassion . We finally removed our child from the school in spring as the bullying from peers & his grade 2 teacher was not resolved. Our older child went to this very school when Mrs.Nance was the principal & thrived under her friendly & loving care. The class rooms are crowded now & focus is more on the ranking & less on the holistic growth of the child. very disappointing to see Mrs. Nance's hardwork tainted currently due to very ineffective & incompetent leadership.not worth the hype.
--Submitted by a parent

I'm a former student of Neely and am now going into sophomore year of high school. I'm not sure if it was the school or the parenting I received that let me become a straight A honor student, maybe a combination of both, but this school must have helped somewhat. The math was challenging, in my days Mrs. Gordon had a program in which students could learn new objectives at their own pace, as well as the regular curriculum. The spelling program helps students remember rules to spell words. Overall, a pretty good elementary school, although I don't have anything to compare it to. The only thing I can say that was bad, was the ability to give a child a "no" in their PRIDE folder, just for talking. I know that it's trying to teach students discipline, but sometimes I felt it was unjust, especially once when I was given a "no" for laughing, or when people would use appropriate humor in the daily writing journal they had. And ultimately I would like to impart on you the reader, wisdom from a fifteen year old; it's not the teacher's or code that make a school great, it's the students.

My children have gone to Neely for the past 5 years and we love it! I really like the advanced curriculum, the traditional approach, the high amount of parental involvement, the extra curricular options (two of my kids are in school orchestra), and opportunities for advanced placement classes (math and writing). All four of my kids have done very well and I would recommend Neely to anyone.
--Submitted by a parent

Overall I think Neely is a good school, however it has not lived up to the excessive hype. We were sold so hard by the reviews here and by the school orientation that the reality has been pretty disappointing. First of all, there is a good deal of bullying here and more than a few disciplinary issues. Of course this happens everywhere and there are policies in place to deal with it. But the principal saying that there are "less" issues here than at other area schools is not productive and does not project a desire to improve. Also, the school is quite old and the facilities are showing their age. I know the district is trying to deal with major budget issues but when things break or get to the end of their useful life they are not repaired or replaced. Finally, the academics at this school are not as challenging as I was led to believe. Neely is still a step up from the majority of GPS, but there is still much room for improvement.
--Submitted by a parent

My children have gone to this school for two years and those two years have been quite dissapointing. Yeah they are doing well in school and are being taught what they need to know but what ever happened to the days when teachers enjoyed their jobs. All the teachers that I have met seem to be miserable and they seem to treat our children as a name and a number than a valued human being. I have also heard alot of bulling and name calling going on in the school, but Oh well, deal with it, was the words from one teacher. I am dissapointed and will not be taking my children there next year.
--Submitted by a parent