Jefferson Elementary School

We ve been at Jefferson for 3 years. I am surprised to see that the school still maintains a high rating. Community at Jefferson is good. The PTA carries a heavy burden. We are leaving Jefferson because of gross misrepresentations about their offerings. Started K 09. At that time the school had all of the opportunities claimed, such as PE, Mandarin, poetry. However, many of these programs have disappeared. A majority of the programs that Jefferson claims to have are only offered as afterschool enrichment at a high cost. Afterschool is $460/month, add l for holidays even if you don t attend. You will pay for any add l enrichment classes. Chess, it is an add l $135/sem. If your don t enroll in the summer, you are not guaranteed a spot in afterschool the following year. The cost of the summer program is $995/month, even if you don t attend. If your child is above-grade level, the school does not do anything to provide a challenging experience. In 1st grade, one playground rull was "No Running." Seriously. In 2nd grade, the teacher told us that this is the time when the children must sit still that s what 2nd grade s all about. Common consequence is to be benched at recess.
--Submitted by a parent

When my child entered Jefferson in the 2011 school year I was nervous about the transition from preschool to kindergarten. It was not our first choice in the lottery but we decided to go to this school anyhow and I cannot be happier. This is an excellent school with fantastic teachers and families. Such a good community and the PTA is excellent. I feel like the teachers really know and care about the students and the students care about each other which is one of the most important things to me.
--Submitted by a parent

I am thankful every day that my family is a part of the Jefferson community. The principal (Mary Lou Cranna) and faculty are committed to educating the whole child, so while Jefferson's test scores are excellent and the classrooms focused, there is much more to my son's days at school. There is a concentration on social, physical, and artistic exploration. A focus on healthy eating habits and environmental responsibility. Two beautiful gardens/outdoor classrooms. A public library next to the campus, and Golden Gate Park is a block away. The PTA is active and enthusiastic - in 2010/11, we raised $150,000! I am constantly impressed with the level of parental support in the school - both financially and in the classrooms. It truly does feel as if we'd won the lottery with this school assignment!
--Submitted by a parent

Hello there, first, I would like to introduce myself. I am a former student and now an eighth grader, and this school has shaped how I am. It is a beautifully strong and excelling elementary school, and it was wonderful back when the principal was Ms.Rosen. She was a very strong and excellent principal, and it was sad to see her resign. For my fifth grade year I had Mr.Tam as a principal, and I was upset to see the quality of the school dropping a bit. The year after I left, a very good teacher was let off, and the principal changed once more. I was happy to hear some A+ quality teachers were still left. All teachers were very supporting, and it was a very homey school to me. Parents of students were very involved, and there was a lot of extra curricular activities. I loved it, I still love it,. Fabulous school.

i am a sixth grader and former student of jefferson elementary (class of '10)and i had a great time at jefferson. akk the teachers are supportive and did a very good job of teaching the students on all subjects and including art, poetry, and they have a lot of great plans on field trips. currently, they had a new principal, but im pretty shure that she does a great job at jefferson, although she changes a lot of the original things and activities at jefferson. well, since this school has an average rating of 9/10, they say this is an awesome school and so do i.

They have supportive teachers and an after school program.
--Submitted by a parent

We love the teachers, the staff, the extracurricular activities, the arts, music, poetry, library, science, fieldtrips, and all of the fun activities that bring our community together like potlucks, gardening days, junior olympics, science and math nights etc. etc. An excellent school all around!
--Submitted by a parent

I love the programs, and the community feeling that the parents, teachers, and staff give to the school. I feel that this community cares about it students, and works hard for the best education possible! I feel lucky to have my child in such a wonderful school.
--Submitted by a parent

great school with caring teachers, administrators and parents. we just went through renovations so we totally updated and sparkling!
--Submitted by a parent

Jefferson is a wonderful school! It has great teachers, kind families and terrific students. We love Jefferson!
--Submitted by a parent