Bagby Elementary School

I agree the teacher experience at Bagby is excellent. However, the administration and leadership is lacking. Discipline and guidance around pick-up and drop-off, while improved this year, remains subpar compared to other schools my children have attended. Programs such as "walk and roll" are given lip service only. Two attempts to contact those in charge of the program, including the principal, have been left unanswered. Leadership, specifically the principal, does not take responsibility for the experience of each child. The "buck" is passed and excuses are given. If you want your child to benefit from all the school has to offer, I suggest you make yourself intimately involved with administration. Your child will easily get overlooked otherwise. The principal appears to being concerned with addressing the bare minimum. Hopefully, the excellent teachers will not be alienated by the poor leadership.
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderful community. Teachers are superb. Safe, happy environment. Principal has strong leadership skills. Academic and enrichment programs are fantastic.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is just finishing her kindergarten year at Bagby. She has an amazing experience. The teachers go well above and beyond. There is constant communication with the teachers and parents. The parent involement is huge. The front office is warm and helpful. We are very fortunate to be part of the Bagby family.
—Submitted by a parent

My children attend Bagby and I have been very pleased with the school. The teachers, with just a few exceptions, are fantastic, and the parent participation is high. The Home & School Club is very well run and has made greater effort in the last year to be more inclusive. While the school administration has in the past been regarded by many as somewhat stand-offish and abrasive, they are, in my opinion, improving in their responsiveness to parents, though there is room for improvement. Test scores, for what they're worth, are also consistently the highest in the district. I give the school very high marks.
—Submitted by a parent

My twin daughters have attended Bagby for Kinder and 1st grade. Both years they have had exceptional teachers. The school community is wonderful. There is very high parent participation and so many ways to be involved. We feel so incredibly fortunate to have Bagby as our home school. We look forward to the years ahead.
—Submitted by a parent

Amazing hardly descibes this school. From the administration to the teachers and support staff, they consistently deliver. The leadership is passionate about ALL students, and the success of each child is kept in constant view. My entire family feels very lucky to be part of this community.
—Submitted by a parent

Overall, this school is better than average. As previously noted, the leadership can be very cliquish, inconsistant, and lacking in ability to work 'with' the parents. There is much improvement that is yet to be realized but in comparison with other schools in the area, this school is above par. The teachers are wonderful for the most part and parents are very involved in the classrooms and in general. The play areas need some attention especially the main wooden barrier which is bound to cause serious injuries due to loose boards and erroding wood with sharp wooden spikes sticking out everywhere.
—Submitted by a parent

Great families!! Most of the teachers are fantastic. Leadership is lacking, abrasive, and intimidating. The school health aide needs some lessons in compassion.
—Submitted by a parent

I love Bagby and better yet so does my son!
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent & volunteer at Bagby school. The teachers at Bagby are wonderful. I think our current leadership (i.e. the principal and Home & School Club members) are a little abrasive with the families and parents in the ways that they communicate with them. This may be why there is such a last minute 'rush' to find volunteers for many of the big events. I have noticed that there is a also very pessimistic attitude amongst the Home & School Club members and Principal (a kind of clique') if you will. This can be intimidating to other moms who may want to be involved.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a former student of Bagby and my two children now go there. I love this school. The teachers have all been wonderful. Very hands-on with the children, encourage parent involvement and volunteering in the classroom, open to frequent communication with the parents for progress reports, etc. The school with the help of many parents and grandparent volunteers has an endless amount of workshops for the kids, homework center, music classes, choir, art classes, etc. Last year, they started a walking club during lunch which had the kids very excited about and provided a great exercise for them. With Bagby turning 50 this year, I'm very proud to have my kids experience this school.
—Submitted by a parent

Bagby has been a very positive experience for our entire family. Although the school seems large in size 500+, the environment is such that you feel the school was a perfect match for your child. The range of students in each class vary a great deal, but the teachers are good at teaching to everyone's ability. The level of parent involvement is very high and it shows with all the extra-curricular activities made available for the students.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a fabulous school! This school includes music, art and sports in the lessons. The teachers are wonderful. There are lots of parents who dedicate many hours to make an even better place for the students.
—Submitted by a parent

I could not recommend Bagby more. The school goes beyond teaching children to really caring about the children's emotional as well as educational well being. I have not had a better experience with a school, its staff or its events. Bravo.
—Submitted by Kim Carney, a parent

Teach to the test. Do not promote excellence. Limited opportunities for bright kids, and the slower more needy children are just pushed to the next grade whether they have the skills or not. High parent participation. Fun school wide activities.
—Submitted by a staff

My son is graduating from 5th grade this year and we have been very impressed with the teachers, the academic programs, and the after school activities. My son had the opportunity to play in the band, take enrichment classes in science, art and drama after school, and participate in the GATE program which included an opera performance in 4th grade and 5th grade. The 5th grade opera was directed by San Jose Opera. His strength is in math but the school really helped him develop creative writing skills as well as kept him challenged in math and science. The parents are very involved in this school which means the teachers have lots of help and supplies are paid for by the Home and School club. I highly recommend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is in the 1st grade, and I cannot say enough good about her teacher, Mrs. Hayes. She is caring, dedicated, loving, firm, fair, the list goes on. The schools shows a great deal of spirit and I am so pleased my daughter has the opportunity to attend a school with great teachers, leadership and community involvement. When you hear so much about the decline of the public school system, it's a blessing to see a school like ours and feel a real sense of pride in our children and the people who educate them.
—Submitted by Linda Rogers, a parent

Bagby has what it takes: a caring and proactive principal, skilled and enthusiastic teachers, and extremely dedicated and involved parents. The volunteerism at this school is phenomenal! There are many extracurricular activities and special activities for the students (choir, band, GATE classes, enrichment programs and workshops, field day, to name just a few of the many). We are extremely pleased with our children's education at Bagby.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school. My son has had his issues, but has been treated fairly. The principal and school psychologist have gone out of their way to provide services and compassion for us. The teachers have been willing to give the extra mile. The principal has established her leadership with me... and a parent of a special needs child is the best source of that information.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is wonderful. The teachers really go out of their way to make a difference, spending personal time, effort, and sometimes even money, to make a difference in their students' lives. This school is better than our child's private school was. Especially Mrs. Katz Kindergarten class. It is a kind of a 'local's only' secret that this school is so great. I agree that the principal and the administration need a little charm school training, but the rest of the staff is incredible.
—Submitted by anon ymous, a parent