Florence Elementary School

The Majority of the school staff are very RUDE in the front office. The do not make you feel welcomed and treat you with little respect. I have not seen a lot of parent involvement with this School as they make comments about keeping the attendance numbers up to get better funding etc. The principal is LAZY and very unprofessional. The teacher my child has right now has poor communication skills with returning calls or emails when I have inquired updates regarding my child. The Prime Time Staff is great and are very professional and approachable and treat you with respect. The school staff should treat all of the parents good as our children attending their school pays their bills and keeps lots of food on the table for them. I only gave them 1 STAR as their was not a button for Negative Star! Oh and to boot the location is terrible located in the middle of a industrial area. Their is a Smog shop across the street and all Commercial Properties surrounding this school. I'm not sure how they even have lasted this long with the lack of service and bad attitude. Yes I'm a very disgruntled parent and look forward to move my child to a different school that is a better fit!
—Submitted by a parent

What stand out for this school is the prime time. Ms. Trei is wonderful, and her yourng team works very hard. The kids never get board because there are so many activities after school (in prime time). Teachers are great too. I am not sure why this school rated so low.
—Submitted by a parent

Teachers are wonderful here. Ms. Mckenzie, Mrs Holcomb and Mrs.Miller are fantastic and really love the kids and school. Makes a big difference
—Submitted by a parent

I am a single father and when it came time to enroll my preschooler I was scared, nervous and very naive. The ladies at Florence,( especially Mrs. Estill the principle) were so educational and supportive. My son is now going to the 6th grade and has graduated out of Florence. I am grateful to have had my son surrounded by the dedicated educators for 7 years.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended this school in K and 1st grade, and struggled throughout. I think the teachers are good, and doing the best they can under the circumstances, but its evident that they are stressed and need some help. They also don't seem to have much room for individual teaching styles or creativity. There is a substantial amount of homework every night, and not much of it is very engaging, it was a 1-2 hour struggle to get through homework every night. For 1st grade, this is too much. It wore my daughter out and made her dread school. Its clear that the goal is to do well on testing. Parents are not very involved at this school, and there is no PTA to speak of. No extracurricular or after school programs that I'm aware of either. We changed schools for 2nd grade and the positive transformation with my daughters learning was amazing and immediate. I hope that SD Unified solves it budget issues so that schools, and teachers and students, can get the support they need. I think Florence has a lot of potential for improvement.
—Submitted by a parent

The administration in this school is terrible. Communication between the school and parents are bad, and then they are blaming the parents, of course. I would make English language necessary to work for a school. Seriously how do you get a job in this country without knowing its language? Anyway, if you speak Spanish, it's a good school, but if you don't there will be a lot of miss communication...
—Submitted by a parent

My child's teacher (Ms. Fox) did a great job (Kindergarten). My child learned so much during this year, it is amazing! The teachers are great, easy to communicate, however I'm disappointed with the Principle not trying to solve basic problems, like parking, or there is no crosswalk of front of the school, no sign or paint that there is a school, so cars are "flying" on that street, it is very dangerous. I thought it is mandatory to have the right signs and paint where there is a school.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers are outstanding ,doing thier best in a district thats been hammered by budget cuts.My daughter loves going to school everyday and she loves it because the teachers care.
—Submitted by a parent

The sense of community that the school creates and expresses through its attention to the arts and understanding of cultural and social diversity is inspiring to me as a humane educator and community arts graduate student.

We have had our daughter in this school since kinder. I fought very hard to get her into this school because it had such a great reputation. Now in the 1st grade (with a great teacher Ms. Mackenzie) & using a dual grade teaching program (1st & 2nd grades together) we have been plucked from this teacher midyear and without any involvement with the affected parents. I am very disappointed in the lack of parent acknowledgment with the school and do not feel the principle is using the student needs and attributes to the best of their ability. Needless to say we are currently looking for a new school.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school. I have a soon-to-be first grader and had a wonderful experience with kindergarten. His teacher is really positive, easy to communicate with, and has high expectations. We're really happy with Florence!
—Submitted by a parent

We love this little neighborhood school. It has a nice family atmosphere and Ms. Estill is dedicated to giving our kids every opportunity to be their best. We appreciate the cultural wealth and diversity of the students and faculty and all of the friends we have made there. What a blessing!
—Submitted by a parent

Testing is one standardized measure of a school's success. Testing prep is a large part of the school year. However, there are many enrichment opportunities offered as well. Given the fact that it is an urban school, with all the related issues, it's a great little school. People who have left are bringing their kids back and acknowledging the 'mistake' of leaving.
—Submitted by a parent

This is an excellent little school! Yes they do spend a lot of time trying to teach the standards. Yes, there is lots of homework. It is in process of becoming an IBO school. Children are treated as individuals. The principal is caring and does a great job. She has clearly stated standards and asks they be respected. I don't think this is 'authoritarian' as another reviewer put it.
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent little school. Moving against many odds, such as low parent involvement due to the fact that many parents work multiple jobs and are not native English speakers, the school has risen to a level of excellence. In 2006 won a Title I achievement award. The newly formed Foundation is making great efforts to bring parent involvement to the forefront with programming support.
—Submitted by a parent

Under Principal Estill, the school is run in an authoritarian manner. Expect hours of homework (per night) in lower elementary grades, punishment for minor 'infractions,' and a constant push for better test scores at the expense of broader kinds of learning.
—Submitted by a parent

After several years at Florence, I would warn off all parents. The principle, Ms. Estelle, comes across polite and friendly. Her teachers, are anything but. I have found each to be authoritarian, and sorely lacking in warmth. They actively and subtly discourage parents from participating. I hardly ever saw another parent.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had a mixed experience with the Florence Child Developmen Center (Pre-K). Some teachers I like, they seem patient and good with the kids, others much less so.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter, who is currently in 4th grade, has attented Florence since the 1st grade. I researched elementary schools prior to enrolling her and Florence had impressive test scores and ratings. I am very pleased to say that those scores were not just numbers on a paper. Florence heald true to thier scores and my daughter's education has been enriched by the attentiveness of the teachers. All-in-all, the experience has been very good and I would definately recommend this school. There are only about 150 - 170 students and the staff knows you and your child by name.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has only attended the school for 3 weeks. He is in Kindergarten. His teacher so far, seems outstanding. Very patient. Not like the kindergarten teacher where he transferred from here in San Diego. My son immediately made mention how his new teacher doesnt yell at him like his old one did. Im hopeing to see some things come home regarding the schoo's sports and extra curricular activities soon. Ive yet to see any. In addition, I must also comment on how efficient and personal the adminstrative/school office was and has been to date.
—Submitted by a parent