Joe Stefani School

Worst school my child has ever attended.. My daughter is in a fourth/fifth grade combo class and has went from a child who loved school to hating it and getting in trouble all the time. Her teacher is moody and depending on her mood is the amount of homework the children will get... My daughter frequently comes home with 2 hr+ of homework. In my opinon is too much. The teachers here love to give detention for EVERYTHING!! My daughter got a detention for forgetting to put her name on a paper... seriously?! Oh and if your child needs to use the restroom... you guessed it.. DETENTION!! Upon asking the principal why this is standard she says that they are teaching them responsiblity.. that if the teachers cant use the restroom during class neither should the children and that they are prepping them for middle school but i'm pretty sure in middle school you don't get detention for bathroom breaks unless you make it a habit. And i'm pretty sure a teacher should be able to hold needing to use the restroom better than a 8 year old!! Teacher parent communication here is a joke i've asked (teachers and vice principal) serveral times to be kept upd on my childs progress and still nothing!
--Submitted by a parent

This is our second year at this school. My child is in fourth grade right now and is very frustrated. My child's perception is that the teacher seems to favor girls over boys. He seems to be in trouble all the time for not showing his work and getting detentions for the same reason. He is very discourage and his grades keep getting worse. He has gone from being an excellent student to hating school and not wanting to go.
--Submitted by a parent

We have had 2 very organized, structured teachers (3rd and 4th grades). They are nice, and experienced, but they seem to care only about test preparation instead of what the child is ready to learn. In other words, if your kid is a slow learner, too bad. They are still given the same work as the other students and made to feel stressed that the tests are coming up. Areas that might actually motivate a person to learn, such as art, science, history, and music are virtually ignored because the focus is almost entirely on reading, writing and math skills. There is only so much drill these kids can take. My child is hating school because he has trouble finishing the given amount of work in the same time as other students. As a result, he has recess detention almost daily. The school has the same policy if they don't get the homework done. He is discouraged. We work with him at home, but he still struggles. I wish the teachers at this school would help each student develop their own strengths instead of making everyone feel guilty for not fitting in to their desired statistics. When you go to a conference, the teachers do not ask you anything or listen. Too bad.
--Submitted by a parent

I moved my daughter from private school to Joe Stefani a year ago. I was very nervous about the transition and was not sure what to expect as far a teacher quality. I was EXTREMLY happy with my daughter's fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Parsons! She was a fantasitic teacher who was very honest and straight forward about the areas my daughter needed extra help in. She was also inviting and welcomed my involvement in the class.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter has attended Stefani School her last 2 years and we absolutely loved everything about it. My child was able to learn at an advanced level and never had any problems with her education. I am a very involved parent, I believe that it is up to the parents to take charge of our childrens education. Teachers give our children the tools to learn but we as parents must make sure that they are using them to the best of their abilities and if not then we must get involved and find out the root of the problem and work hand in hand with our children and the educators to make sure they are successful.
--Submitted by a parent

This is an awesome school with great teachers who are very caring and concerned about the education of my daughter. I am shocked to read some of the negative comments posted about Stefani as this certainly has not been my experience. The administration and office staff are also extremely helpful, caring, and concerned about kids. I have nothing but great things to say about this school. Go Stefani Stallions!! The PTC is great too! They provide a lot of funding for additional things the school cannot pay for since funding cuts have really hurt our schools.
--Submitted by a parent

wow..... a brand new school year. and a new principal and what. Nothing the same ol same ol,,,,, what are they doing, does any one seem to notice the kids are not learning, the kids are not learning, the test scores prove it,,, yikes
--Submitted by a parent

wow,,,, its like Franklin school all over,,,, the same uncaring teachers, the same whatever attitude, and who suffers, the kids,,,,,,,,,, too bad they dont do something about the recycled teachers. The teachers just dont care. Unorganized staff, uncaring teachers and a bright, clean, brand new school, Big deal the kids still are not learning.
--Submitted by a parent

My son has attended Stefani for 2 years now. This will be his last year since he's in 5th grade. The teachers all seem to care about tests and how to get the best test scores for the school. I am not really thrilled with that at all & the PTC meetings are a big JOKE. They don't care what U think - it's all a facade.
--Submitted by a parent

a brand new school, great leadership... however the teachers leave a lot to be desired. They dont seem to care about the kids or their education. Test prep and test scores are the main goal. Some of the teachers forget that they are yelling at 8 and 9 year olds. There is potential, however, it seems that as soon as this area starts to get an administrator who actually cares, they are transferred to a 'more $$$$$ area'
--Submitted by a parent