Desert Meadows Elementary School

My son loved Meadows from k - 3rd grade ('07 - '12). His teachers were wonderful. Our family was very involved in the Parent Teacher Student Association. Meadows teachers are exceptionally involved - but then they don't get much parental help - so pick up that slack. Most outstanding Bully issues need to be put squarely in Laveen Elementary District's (LED) and the district's voters laps. Student supplies and extra school staffing were drastically cut when LED budget overrides were voted no on a year ago. Lost by just a handful of votes. Adding to the resulting classroom crowding pressure is the lack of administrative continuity. LED assigns Desert Meadows and Mr. Pries a NEW vice principal EVERY SINGLE YEAR. Some were experienced, some raw VP trainees. They do their best but the kids and parent do not know them. It is a Vice Principals job to handle student discipline issues. Principals manage teachers and are spokesmen for the school community. Don't get me wrong its a good school - but it is not perfect. It could be great. I challenge each Meadows parent to volunteer in a classroom, the cafeteria or recess yard just 3 hours of time each year.
--Submitted by a parent

We are very glad that this is our daughter's last year at Desert Meadows. She has endured a lot of bullying while attending this school. The teachers have done little to stop it when we have complained and the principal does not return phone calls or emails but has someone else handle the problem, which is usually the assistant principal. It is amazing what you hear from other parents when you attend a sports event or any other program. There are a lot of parents who agree there is a bully problem, communication problem between teacher's and parents, and while the office staff is okay, the principal needs a stricter review of his performance. Bullying in any form should have a zero tolerance and teachers need to be sending students to the office, the office needs to be calling parents, and students need to be picked up and taken home if they are going to be continually disruptive and negative in classrooms. Some kids do want to learn even if they are not honors students.
--Submitted by a parent

My son has attented this school for 2 years and it has been a nightmare with all of the bulling, he is more advanced than the other kids and he has been harrasased by the other students since he was in 2nd grade and the teachers. The principal tries to put a stop to it but only for a short period of time and then it goes right back to the bulling. This school has made my son not want to go to school.
--Submitted by a parent

This is my kids' second year at Desert Meadows, and it's been a good school for us. They are currently in 7th grade and 2nd grade. All the teachers they've had have been really good. Ms. Zachary in 2nd grade is great! My 7th grader is in the honors program and is doing really well. The office staff is just okay. Anytime I've tried to contact the principal via e-mail or phone, I get a response from someone else or, more often, no response at all. But other than that, I would recommend this school.
--Submitted by a parent

Bar far one horrible school for my Kinder!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!! I have never had such a bad experience in a public school as I had. School Started August 9 and my child just went downhill since the first day of School Who treats Kinder as if they are in boot camp!!!!!!! I know I volunteered for the first 2 weeks, and teachers if they do not like your kid you better make sure that the teachers are not roomates because they will tag team your child!!!!!!!!!! I would not send a sack of Scorpions to Desert Meadow. Tried to get help with the Vice prinicpal and the Principal and was treated so badly and Talked down to. I cried. Got my daughter out as soon as I could. Get yours out too!!!!!
--Submitted by a parent

Desert Meadows has been a mixed bag for our son who attends there. He has a had very inexperienced teacher who was difficult to work with, rigid in classroom approaches, difficult to work with as a parent, and lacking in student empathy. This person also was extremely difficult to communicate with through any means, email, phone calls or in person. However, Mr. Priess, the principal, offset a good deal of our negativity with his support and his efforts to resolve the challenges with that teacher. During the new school year that just started,our son's new teacher is experienced, dedicated and very focused on results and communication with families. Our son is succeeding above our expectations, and enjoys going to school. We are very pleased that such efforts went into taking a negative experience and transforming it into a positive outcome. For parents who are less than pleased, we would suggest speaking directly with the principal. Also, the new assistant principal, Ms. Epacs, has also gone above and beyond this year in making our son's experience a positive one. Desert Meadows certainly is moving in the right direction, though there is room to grow.
--Submitted by a parent

I am sorry to see such negative comments about this school. I have had two children here since it opened five years ago. It has had its ups and downs but the principal has been consistent with his goals for the school since the beginning. The school does not tolerate dangerous behavior, which I really appreciate. My children have always had good teachers who care and spend extra time with them after school. I am a very happy Desert Meadows parent.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is HORRIBLE!! I moved to the area in the middle of the school year last year. My son was enrolled in 3rd grade at the time, I went to enroll him and they set me free on the campus while school was in session to go see his "new classroom" which ended up not being the correct one. My son would come home ever day crying because he was being bullied by peers and older children at the school. He said his teacher cussed a lot and yelled at the class. I had SEVERAL issues with the front office staff, they are very rude and seem more interested in gossiping in the office together instead of taking care of the parents/students in the office. I ended up taking my son out of that school and enrolling him somewhere else. When I tried to get his paperwork from the school the same front office staff would not fax the info to the new school and told me I was going to have to wait until she was ready to send it. It was a bad experience all around.
--Submitted by a parent

Desert Meadows is a work in progess. BUT, Ms. Warren, my son's kindergarten teacher is the best. She cares about the kids and teaches them well above what a K-class should be. I know my son is getting a great education with her.
--Submitted by a parent

I am very disappointed in DM. My four year old kindergartner was placed in the wrong classroom all day and was reported absent by his original teacher. When I arrived at the school to pick up my child, NO had a clue where he was, because according to there records he never came to school. My child was found a hour after school was dismissed in what seemed to be a first grade classroom. DM offered no formal apologize for the terrible and terrifying error and has been very insensitive to the hole situation.
--Submitted by a parent