Benjamin Franklin Elementary School

My daughter started in the Spanish Language Immersion Kinder class this year. The teachers and administration are wonderful. The school makes every effort to make sure all parents have a chance to get involved and be informed! Genuinely care about the students and success of the Immersion program. There is tons of parent involvement and awesome after-school programs. So far, we are very happy with the school and we look forward to many more exciting years!
--Submitted by a parent

Fake is the farthest from the truth to describe what this school represents. This is my second year at Franklin and next year my middle child will enter Kinder. I absolutely love this school! The new Principal is excellent, the teachers are hard working and well-qualified, and the parent community involvement is outstanding. The immersion program is the cherry on top of the cake! The parents are so involved, establishing after school programs, an organic garden, music program, etc. Yes, there's a lot of fundraising going on but that's necessary for a public school. Yes, public education is free but it doesn't provide all the enrichment and extras that the PTA and the parents do for ALL of the children and the teachers at Franklin. So far, my daughter is excelling in the Spanish program. I am truly pleased and this school is the real deal, 100% GENUINE!!! I highly recommend it. And for those who commented negatively and not constructively, my suggestion to you is to get out if you're not happy. There are plenty of parents who are dying to get into this school and this program.
--Submitted by a parent

Yes the principal, who was much loved, has moved to another school, but has been replaced with a new, really open, forward thinking one who will be a huge asset in the coming years. The after school enrichment continues to get even better with classes in the target languages. Contrary to the belief of the parent that posted on Nov 19th. the teachers and many parents care a great deal about ALL the students in the language program or not. Yes money is now raised by a school foundation, thankfully, and those that can generously donate large amounts of money so that ALL the children in the school can benefit. Last year many children received after school classes for free if they could not afford it which enriched their lives no end. Perhaps the parents that do not like the changes could perhaps learn to be thankful for all the wonderful things that the school and other parents are giving to their children and not focus on the negative aspect of everything which only reflects badly on them and leaves a lasting negative impact on their children.
--Submitted by a parent

The principal has moved to another school. He was Franklin and built this immersion school to love kids and families. But, evrything will be ok because the MOST EXCELLENT teachers remain!
--Submitted by a parent

this school is the worst school in the whole wide world trust me nobody should go here notice how most of the good comments are from the language immersion i hate the school, the principal, and the teachers they dont even care about their students all they care about is moneyeverything about this school is fake so there this most valid review here if i could i would put it 0 stars

Teachers and parents are active and involved. The kids are cared for in a nurturing academic environment. 90/10 language immersion program!
--Submitted by a parent

I had two children go through this school and one excelled and the other needed special help in reading. The teacher and the principal went out of their way to make sure she got that help. The RSP teacher was wonderful! She got goals and the teaching to help her meet those goals. Everyone here tried to make sure that both my children succeeded by always assessing to make sure they made progress. They both now are top students in middle and high schools. They are prepared for college. Thank you Franklin School!
--Submitted by a parent

I am the principal at Franklin Elementary School. I am touched by the kind comments many parents have made about our school. In all honesty, Franklin School is a good school, but still strives to improve. If you go to the schools website: franklingusd.net , you can find more information about Franklin. Yes, 57-70% of students in various subgroups are proficient. However, our focus is on those 30% to 40% who are not reached grade level standards. We continue to develop our instructional methods to reach these students. Still, I am proud of the growth in our students, professionalism in our staff, and support from our parents. Thank you! -Stephen Williams

My daughter is in the German Immersion first grade class and she loves going to school. What I love most in this school is the diversity, we are a Latino family and feel so fortunate to be able to give our daughter the gift of learning a third language. The parents teachers and staff at BF give 110% to make an already exceptional school even better. With after school activities such as chorus, garden club, art class, drama for upper grades ect. & If you are a parent who likes to be involved this school makes it easy evenif you work a fifty hour week like I do.
--Submitted by a parent

I have two children in this school, one is in the sixth grade and has been here since kinder. She hasn't had such a bad time because she is mostly proficient in every subject, but my little one is not as advanced and I feel is being left behind. She wasn't prepared from kinder to go on to the first grade, nor the first grade to the second. The school focuses on the more advanced ones and doesn't pay attention to those that really need help. This may be a blue ribbon school, but I believe that is because they focus so much on the star scores, preparing the kids weeks in advance for the tests and not focusing on their basic studies. We will be moving soon to a better district, where our little one has a better chance for a good education.
--Submitted by a parent