Lincoln Elementary School

Objectively viewed, Lincoln School is a phenomenal school. Before enrolling our son In Kindergarten here, we thoroughly researched the educational options in Salinas for him. We both have graduate degrees, value education, and wanted to locate the best possible educational opportunity, private or public, available to our son. We were cautiously optomistic as the 2011-2012 school year began, as I had observed inimical views of the Dual Immersion pedagogical model from some in the school community, and because we sent our older son to private school. However, looking at all the factors, objectively, we were extremely impressed with the following at Lincoln School: the principal, teachers and staff; the innovation and commitment; the Dual Language Program; the parent involvement; the personal time, energy and financial resources that parents generously donate; the sheer number of hours the principal, teachers, and school volunteers dedicate to the school. We still cannot believe that we are not paying extra tuition for all of the educational value we are getting at Lincoln School. Lincoln School has renewed my vision of what a stellar public education can provide.
—Submitted by a parent

My wife and I chose for our child to attend Lincoln last year so that he could learn Spanish in the Dual Immersion Program. We are one of the many English speaking families taking part in this program. It's a little unclear where other reviewers are getting their information, not to mention how they are obtaining it. Our son is thriving in his Spanish/English studies and we excited for the new year. The enrollment in Dual Immersion has actually gone up with some existing families who were in English kindergarten actually making the switch to Immersion after seeing so many families pleased with the outcomes. We had friends on a wait list trying to enroll their child in Dual Immersion and thanks to all of the interest in the program and success after its first year, the school has added two new Immersion teachers. Even with taking families off the wait list, I understand all the classes are full again with a new list forming. I invite anyone who is genuinely interested in Lincoln to come tour the school. Even if you are not interested in Immersion, Lincoln has a great diverse staff dedicated to helping our youth grow and learn. We are proud to be part of the Lincoln Family.
—Submitted by a parent

We absolutely LOVE this school!!! We toured schools (private and public) throughout the county, but once we found Lincoln, we knew this was the place to be. It's a wonderful old building filled with dedicated teachers and an amazing principal. There are tons of enrichment opportunities...something for every child! We are extremely happy with our decision to attend Lincoln.
—Submitted by a parent

I think it's very important that this website provide information that is accurate, so that parents can make informed decisions based on facts. Lincoln is a great school that is comprised of an English strand and dual immersion strand. Both are thriving and doing well. The administration and teaching staff are considered to be one of the best in our area. The dual immersion program is new and faced some opposition from a few parents that perhaps were not open to the concept and it's benefits. However, the current environment is very positive and cooperative. The dual immersion program is made up of a few Spanish Speaking families, bilingual families and a majority of English speaking families. Most of the English speaking families that have chosen the dual immersion program have little or NO Spanish backgrounds. I would recommend that parents visit the school to see classrooms for English only and dual immersion and make their own decisions based on their impressions and feelings. I'm confident that regardless of the program (English or Dual Immersion), parents will not be disappointed. Lincoln has an old neighborhood charm, small community feel with a welcoming spirit.
—Submitted by a parent

Not sure why my review was removed...but here it is again. When is first re-opened, it was a great school. Unfortunately, it has declined to the low standards of the community and the culture in Salinas. The school has made the decision to turn 1/2 of the school into a spanish only school. They used the excuse of calling it an "IMMERSION" program...but the majority of kids in the spanish only classes cannot speak English, nor can their parents...so where is the IMMERSION when you already speak the language...and ONLY that language. The parents were lied to and sold a bill of goods. This school has a 4/10 ranking for a reason. I value my kid's education above all else, and if you care at least a little bit about your children...you will send them elsewhere.
—Submitted by a parent

We love Lincoln! We researched every educational option for our children even before they entered preschool. We looked at all the private institutions (including Montesorri, RLS, & Santa Catalina) and ISM, all the perceived best public schools (Spreckles, Toro & Mission Park). We sat in the kinder & at least one upper grad class at every campus. We met with principals, directors & even Superintendents (when given the opportunity). We spoke numerous parents who were willing to submit themselves to our relentless questioning about their opinions of their child's school. It was a long & arduous process; however, we couldn't be happier with our final choice. Our children are fortunate enough to be part of the dual language immersion program & there is NO OTHER school/program that can compete with quality education that our children are receiving. Our children will exit elementary school as bilingual, bi-literate & bi-cultural students. DI asside, the school administration & teaching staff welcome parent participation. The sense of community is comparable to the perceived best schools in our county! Hands down, Lincoln is an excellent educational institution.
—Submitted by a parent

I am very pleased that we discovered the Dual Immersion program at Lincoln. For parents that feel his/her child needs a challenge in school, learning a second language is definitely the way to go. I can't speak about the non-Dual Immersion side of this school as I have no experience with it except that I have seen the entire staff including the principal be very involved with school wide fundraising and events. I'm told from other parents at other schools how rare this is. I feel my child is being challenged and is being exposed to science. This year they had chicks hatch in their class and have learned about insects, taken field trips related to science and agriculture, marine biology, and so on. I'm not sure what goes on in other classrooms, but I've been overwhelmingly happy. I invited a guest to one of our parent meetings and she kept commenting on how amazing the parent involvement was and that she is considering having her youngest child attend Lincoln for the DI program even though her older children are at other schools and are too old to enter DI. If you are unclear about DI, I suggest visiting the classrooms and see for yourself.
—Submitted by a parent

I absolutely love Lincoln! This is my daughters first year at Lincoln and it is such a wonderful caring,supportive and growing school. The teachers are the best, very creative in their teaching methods. I wouldn't want my daughter to go anywhere else. Also the extra activities the school does is so sweet and fun!
—Submitted by a parent

Great Schools rating 4 out of 10 is "AMAZING"? "ALL children are thriving"?!? That's just crazy. If school and parent leaders spent less time cat-fighting and more time on educating the children then our son wouldn't be falling behind. He and a ton of kids are in afterschool programs because there are SO MANY KIDS struggling. The scores don't lie.
—Submitted by a parent

We began looking to other schools when we felt our son was academically stymied this year, & came to realize the academics aren't what we want for our kids. I cannot state clearly enough that the teachers ARE fantastic (5-star), but the overall priorities at the school are not ones we share-specifically we don't feel the school goes far enough in math, science & technology. Having said that, I believe I am one of the "bad apples" that have been referred to. I quietly resigned my position on the PTO Board 5 months ago, have not attended a single meeting, nor attempted to interject in any PTO-related business. I haven't engaged in any conflict to speak of and have instead focused on things I find more pressing. I was surprised to hear that I was being "called out" on Greatschools.org of all places. I can only assume that it means either the "good apples" think I am the parent who wrote the one negative comment about the school or it was too irresistible not to sling mud. In either case, I think negative comments about specific people on a school rating site speaks to the current state of affairs and atmosphere one can expect if "good apple" authority looks unfavorably on you.
—Submitted by a parent

My granddaughter attends Lincoln Elementary. This is her second year going there, and she's enrolled in the Spanish immersion program. I'm thankful that she lives in a community that affords her this opportunity, and that the school has been receptive to my daughter's involvement in the various programs and responds to her suggestions. The School teachers are strong and the principal is a good leader. They appear dedicated to providing a loving respectful environment for students to further their education and meet or exceed state and national educational standards.

I am the very fortunate principal of Lincoln Elementary, "The greatest little school in all of the world." This is what welcomes you when you come into our nearly 100 year old building. We reopened 4 years ago with only 85 Kinder and First Grade children. Our Smart Start Preschool added another 50 students and both continue to bring us some extremely devoted and supportive families. The plan was to "grow a school"...and we have! We have grown to 300 in our Kinder through 4th grades and 85 in our preschools. We have 3 Dual Immersion Classes, 10 Structured English Classes and an English only and Spanish Immersion Preschool. Our staff works long hours and weekends to provide the very best education they possibly can for our students. In 2012-2013, we will top over 400 and continue to grow each year. Our hard-working parent group has provided us with field trips, classroom supplies, computers, printers, playground equipment and a beautiful library that we love to show off! In my 30 years in the field of education, I have never been surrounded by more devoted teachers, staff, and especially, families. I am so proud to be a Lincoln Leopard!
—Submitted by a teacher

Our child has been at Lincoln School for two years. Since that time we have seen this school grow like no other, in the midst of some challenging fiscal times. Lincoln School offers the choice of a standard English curriculum or a DLP curriculum in Spanish/English as part of the core school experience. Choices in public education is hard to find and Lincoln does a great job with a diverse, dedicated staff of educators and leadership. Change and moving forward can be tough for some, for those who want a standard 1990's like educational experience Lincoln may not be the school for them. When re-opened Lincoln was dedicated to being a forward thinking, diverse, parent involved campus for children and their families in a neighborhood which is known for its cute homes, clean lawns and friendly neighbors. It has easily achieved this and so much more.
—Submitted by a parent

We made a decision to put our youngest child at Lincoln when it re-opened , after sending our eldest to private school. We have been completely impressed with the faculty, leadership and innovation of the school and school community. Our Lincoln child exited kindergarten ahead of our oldest, exceeding all of the Kindergarten standards. The growth of the school has been steady and strong, as was hoped. As new families join the school community energy enthusiasm and excitement grows. The only negative at the school has been those who are fearful of the growth and are intimidated by intelligence and change. In our opinion Lincoln School is the best possible option for a Salinas child, and it is free! Our hope is that the District, overall, will get fiscal relief in the upcoming years to make striving toward the overall Lincoln School vision attainable for our children.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 kids at Lincoln in the English Only (EO) program and I am a PTO Board Member. In response to the negative reviews posted by 2 parents, I would like to suggest that they visit the Dual Language Program (DLP) before making detrimental and racist remarks about the program. We are currently a K-4 EO and a K-1 DLP school adding a grade each year to each program, not sure how that adds up to more DLP than EO classes. The staff is dedicated and nurturing and ALL students are thriving. Yes, we lack some things, but so do many schools across the state due to budget cuts. The PTO is not a mess. We raised over $25K this year and have purchased playground and sports equipment, computers for the classrooms, academic resources and field trips just to name a few things. We had a few bad apples, but they resigned and we are more united in enriching our children's educational experience and staff support. One anonymous letter was sent to the PTO Board only, hate mail was not sent via the PTO email database nor placed on the PTO Facebook page and those instances should not reflect on the school or staff. Lincoln is an exceptional school, my kids love it and I highly recommend it.
—Submitted by a parent

I love this school!!! Our daughter is thriving there and I can't wait until my son is old enough to attend pre-school there (yes, there is a preschool program on site). We are in the dual immersion program and love the diversity of the classes, the teachers live what they do and I find the parent involvement to be top shelf! The principal is accessible and friendly, the school is a bright and happy place and I wouldn't send my children to ANY other public school in the area!!!
—Submitted by a parent

Lincoln gets a five star rating from me. My rating is based on a combination of three things, students, families, and especially staff. We have a very strong cohesive staff that thrives on working together as a team. Our principal is an excellent leader who guides with fairness and respect. She is accessible to families and staff and strives to find solutions that are fair to all parties concerned. Our students are eager to learn, they work hard, and do their best to meet the high expectations that are in place for them. Although we may have had some bumps in the road where the parent group is concerned they have always been, and remain to be, dedicated to doing what they can to supplement the needs of the school. We were very fortunate to add the "dual immersion" program to our school this year. A program that consists of mainly English speaking students learning the curriculum in Spanish. The goal is for them to be proficient in both languages by the sixth grade (very exciting). As you can tell I am very honored to be a part of the Lincoln Leopard family, a family that shows respect, honors diversity, strives to achieve, and always performs to the best of their ability.
—Submitted by a teacher

I agree the school is 1-star, but disagree about why. It sounds like the Spanish Immersion program is the only reason left to send your child to this school. Those parents are setting up great classrooms for their kids. The rest of the school has NO computer training, almost no science and very little PE-which is mandated by the state! The only other thing Lincoln does well is helping children who need extra help. A lot of teachers have afterschool groups and the kids are doing much better. The Parent Group is a mess, with several "anonymous" letters circulated this year slamming one another and personal hate mail being sent to the entire school via the "confidential" email list & posted on the school's Facebook page-we signed up for updates at the school, not for people bashing each other. Not good modeling for the kids.
—Submitted by a parent

Ok, if you want to go to a school that has the smarts and academics of Einstein, the warmth of a loving Grandmother, the community feel of the home town you grew up in, and the immediate feeling of belonging...then Lincoln Elementary School is the place for you. I have never been involved with such a dedicated group of teachers, parent, and children that are going the distance to achieve in a few years what most schools have taken decades to conquer...highly qualified educators and highly functioning students. Come and be a part of it.
—Submitted by a parent