Pioneer Elementary School

My daughter got an excellent education at this school. She has Mrs. Riley, Mrs. Wisneski, and Mrs. Reade. They were very caring and great teachers. My daughter loved going to school there.
--Submitted by a parent

My first year here I was horrified with the quality teacher we had for our son in second grade. Mrs. Wisneski. She was terrible. So many of the children that we saw in her class we saw repeat second grade a long with our son. There were several occasions where I would sneak in and take a look, and she would be at her desk reading, and the class would be in straight up chaos. Moving forward, I made the decision to hold my son back because I felt he learned nothing from her, so we had him in Mrs Christine Kunz's class... And let me tell you what a breath of fresh air she was. She is strong, assertive, and her authoritativeness worked wonders for my son. He went from reading at almost a first grade level, to an almost 6th grade level. His math, writing, and testing improved so much. And for that, I could never be grateful enough. If you have a child that needs to go to second grade, Fight for this woman. She knows how to work with children, and her method pays off. I am so glad! This year we are getting a new principal that wont be split with Pine Grove. So I hope to see more changes. I would have given 5 stars for teacher quality, But the first year was a drag like I said.
--Submitted by a parent

I am surprised about the comment posted on 3/29/07. Pioneer is very safe, and everyone is so so welcoming. Smiles and waves and laughs greet us everyday! My oldest is now in 6th grade, and he has been there since Kindergarten, so I feel it's safe to say that it's been that way for us from day one. I do wish we could have a few teacher changes, because my son has suffered a bit from those that do not demand respect or know how to keep control of their classrooms. Overall, I love Pioneer Elementary!
--Submitted by a parent

Sean must be the old principle. They have a new one and she is awful! The teachers are mixed - two good, two bad so far. If you expect any type of accomodation or assistance in any situation that is not streamlined to be exactly like Johnny Doe, Good Luck! The school is average, but our experience there has been negative.
--Submitted by a parent

The Principal, Sean, does an outstanding job. In addition to his administrative duties he teaches also with excellent results. (Four students in one class exceeded a 4.0 average.)
--Submitted by an administrator

I feel the school is not safe and there is not enough supervision. I am not a supportive parent because the staff and other parents are very cold, impersonal, and there just isnt a welcoming envirement to want to get involved.
--Submitted by a parent

Pioneer Elementary's API score of 829 is the highest of any school in Amador County. For the second year in a row, Pioneer Elementary has been selected by the California Business for Education Excellence (CBEE) Foundation and Just for Kids-California (JFTK-CA) as one of 304 public schools in California to receive the title of 2006 Honor Roll school. Schools receiving this distinction from California s business community have demonstrated consistent high student academic achievement and have made significant progress toward closing achievement gaps among all their students. Pioneer definitely falls into this category.
--Submitted by a parent

The parents are not assisting in the education of their children. Whether they can't or don't is upon them. They have their own priorities. Although, I feel most parents think it's up to the school to teach.
--Submitted by a parent

This school has some great teachers, but a few very mediocre teachers. The classrooms are not peaceful quiet places to learn and concentrate in. The teachers don't have enough control of the classroom. Overall I have not been impressed, my child has been lost in the shuffle!
--Submitted by a parent

Sean is a very well intentioned principal, but the performance of the students is suffering.
--Submitted by a parent