Lincoln Elementary School

Great teachers and strong parent involvement combine to create a very positive school atmosphere. It helps, of course, that a number of affluent households in the area (of which are not one) have one parent available to get involved in school activities, fundraisers, etc. Our son has attended for the last three years and has benefited tremendously from being around generally great kids from good homes. We moved out of the uncertainty of the city in search of a good school district and we found it here. Best move we ever made.
—Submitted by a parent

Lincoln Elementary is an amazing place. My daughter is thriving, enjoying the fun and exciting curriculum that includes music and PE. Chorus and band are phenomenal. The reading and speech therapists make a positive impact. Finally, the principal holds the school together with her strong leadership.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has been tested by a private source outside the school every year and is a grade behind in reading and writing. The staff is giving good grades and telling me it's fine. I'm very disappointed that we are unable to get our basic needs met. This school has many great extracurricular activities that enrich the environment.
—Submitted by a parent

The school has a new principal this year, which has invigorated the staff and the parent community. Our wonderful school has gotten even better.
—Submitted by a parent

Lincoln Elementary is a wonderful school with great teachers and a friendly community spirit.
—Submitted by a parent

What a great school with many activities for the students and families. The parent and staff involvement is wonderful. Very inclusive. We are a new Lincoln family so we are anxious to get to know the school even better. We definitely had a great first year at Lincoln. Kudos to staff and parents.
—Submitted by a parent

Art program from district is a disappointment. It does not encourage any creativity or imagination from the students. All the art pieces look the same. It misses the whole point of doing art! PE is great! Principal lacks interpersonal skills. And the teachers do not welcome parent involvement in the classroom makes you wonder how far they will go in working with you. If fact, it's quite odd that a public school will try to exclude parents from helping out in the classroom. There are certainly better schools around.
—Submitted by a parent

Lincoln is a fantastic school in a great neighborhood! The leadership and staff is professional and works towards the good of our children. Academically, the school is getting stronger - a plus for the entire community. The PTA and Father's Club couldn't be better, raising necessary funds and planning great events. The school has very supportive parents. Sometimes, unfortunately, individuals' enthusiasm can be misguided.
—Submitted by a parent

Unfortunately this very good school is headed downhill. The new principal is doing an exceptionally poor job and she is alienating everyone: students, parents and staff. She has no people skills, is a terrible communicator, and an even worse manager. Parent participation has fallen and attendance at school functions has dropped noticeably. Lack of response to many complaints from all quarters is leading to desperation in the school community as a whole. If you do not read about a change in leadership at this school, avoid it like the plague.
—Submitted by a parent

The school has very good teachers, a great neighborhood setting, and a great neighborhood & community feel to it. Thanks to BCE community fund -- the school offers music, art, libarian, and upgraded computer lab. Last year's principal just retired. She was very involved and enthusiastic, supervises all drop offs and pick ups and directs traffic, and knew all the kids' names. Everyone is excited about the new principal that starts this year as well. Extracurricular activities are very good but have limited space. Many parents are very involved. The school hosts a number of social events/fund-raisers that are very kid oriented, fun, and well-attended; they really draw out the great sense of community around the school.
—Submitted by a parent

Our experience at Lincoln has been very positive. The staff is excellent, concerned and attempts to work with parents regarding any issue of concern. I believe it's the parent involvement that makes the school a better place for children. The parents at Lincoln are a great resource and work with the school to meet the needs that are of high priority to the children: environment, field trips, library, computing etc... Another plus is that children are offered a very well rounded education with PE every day, music/instruments offered at the 4th grade and a full time librarian. All this is funded by the Burlingame Community for Education (BCE) -- parent involvement makes this organization a sucess.
—Submitted by a parent

We've liked a lot of things about Lincoln. The younger teachers are bright, motivated and eager to show what they can do. The long-time teachers have a sure hand in the classroom and still care. The student body is diverse in a good way; lots of exposure to other cultures, but a general commitment to learning and good conduct. Could Lincoln do even more? Yes it could. It could start foreign languages in 3rd grade. It could push kids faster in math. It could offer science workshops that really got kids excited about lab work and discovery. Some of this may evolve in a good way, year by year. Lincoln's principal, Mary Meissner, wants to run a great school. Parents are actively involved and generally constructive. It's just a matter of stretching goals and not settling into easy routines.
—Submitted by a parent

Lincoln is a great school! The principal is the finest you will find anywhere. She knows all the kids by name by the first week of school. She is very hands on, stands out in front of the school and the kids love her. There are many programs to get involved in. My son has learned a lot so far and I believe this is a gerat school
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent school in academics, art, sports, and great teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

My two oldest sons went all the way through Lincoln and each had a great experience. They each learn differently, have different interests in school and one had a slight learning disability. I felt Lincoln did their best to accomodate all children and identify issues (both bad and good) that affected all children in the school. The only reason that my third child is not attending Lincoln is because we moved out of the area; otherwise, we'd have one in kindergarten there.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a terrific school - the parents are highly involved and supprtive, the principal knows almost all of the kids by name. Great values in a great neighborhood.
—Submitted by a parent