Argonne Elementary School

Great teachers, great and newer facility, great parental involvement. Wonderful after-school options (we love the Y run one). The Russian language teaching is also a nice bonus (not immersion at all); however the grant funding for that may end this school year (2011-12). The only other hesitation, keeping this from a 5 star review, is that the old principal left in summer of 2011 and the new one has not been embraced by the teachers and parents (and vice versa). That said, we parents have been told that she will be transferring out this summer of 2012, so a 3rd principal in 3 years should be starting Fall 2012. Fingers crossed, if it is a good fit than this is an incredible school.
--Submitted by a parent

Our son started kindergarten here this year. We feel very fortunate to have this public school option. The teachers are outstanding and with a new engaged principal we hope the school continues to improve. The PTO is very active and creatively raises lots of funds to supplement horrendous budget cuts - kids get art, music, Russian language, PE and they fund reading specialists and class size reductions in the upper grades. The school building is among the nicest in the city and our son heads off to school excited and happy every day. The challenges these schools are facing are unprecedented but this school works hard to make sure the kids don't feel it. This public has it all: expansive library, large school yard, computer lab, clean well-lit art-covered walls and an experienced and caring faculty. The year around school year is not for everyone though so people should look carefully at the commitment of 5 extra weeks of classroom time but that extra length allows for lots of field trips and extracurriculars fit into the year in a way you don't usually see with the state mandated testing being the number one focus. We are happy to have gotten in; most families feel the same.
--Submitted by a parent

I love my public school! I love Argonne! We feel so fortunate to have gotten a spot for our daughter at Argonne. She has loved it from her first day! The teachers are very dedicated. Parents are involved in every aspect of the school. Students benefit from the year round calendar and enjoy the many enrichment programs at the school. The building, relatively new, is bright, clean, and filled with beautiful student art work. Argonne is a happy, vibrant, and high achieving school.
--Submitted by a parent

Argonne is a great school! It has a very diverse student body but is unified in its approach to doing what is best for our children. There exists a strong partnership between the parents/families and the teachers/staff. Parents are very involved as volunteers, fundraisers, field trip chaperones, classroom helpers, Art in Action leaders, and in taking care of the school such as with the Greening Committee. Teachers are caring, responsive, and attentive to their students' needs. We feel so fortunate to have gotten our two children into Argonne--definitely one of the top schools in San Francisco!
--Submitted by a parent

I love the unique year round school calendar. It's the only year round public elementary in San Francisco. I love how involved the parents are. I think that we have an excellent teaching staff who really care about the kids.
--Submitted by a parent

The teachers really care about giving these kids a great education. Also love the year round school schedule, it helps the kids retain important knowledge that they would have otherwise lost. This allows teachers more time to work on new material and less time on review.

A very good school overall, with very strong teaching. However, in my opinion, the principal is a liability. I have to doubt her motivation. She lacks tact and communication abilities. My child just completed kindergarden, and he loves Argonne. On the last day of school, we bought him Argonne sweatshirt in the office, then went to talk to the principal about an issue. Out of the blue, the principal told me to take my child to a different school. My child -who is a really good student and was named a student of the week once during the year- was really upset hearing this. Lots of crying afterwards. Needless to say, we are puzzled and upset by this.
--Submitted by a parent

Amazing school! Great teachers. Beautiful facility. One of the most beautiful public schools in the city! I am so thankful to be at this school.
--Submitted by a parent

Great teachers,friendly atmosphere,safe for children,my child loves this school
--Submitted by a parent

Argonne overall has some great things going on for it. Many involved parents. Facilities are newer, great library. Kids act like kids, no inappropriate behavior / dress, and no cliques and definitely no gang influences. Kids are happy to be there each day. It feels like 1950's America, but more diverse. Academically, the school is really two schools. Teachers in K-3 are newer, coming in over last decade, and responsible for turning this school around. Some of the K-3's are among the best teachers in the city, including private schools. Teachers in 4-5 are uniformly mediocre - not bad but not stellar like the K-3's, burnt out, no love for the kids, no passion for the job, no inspiration. Luckily by 4th grade the kids are already on the right path, so overall they do pretty well.
--Submitted by a parent