Valdez Elementary School

Valdez Elementary is one of the most progressive, energetic schools in the DPS system. My child is thriving there, and has made enormous progress in learning Spanish. The teachers are inspired and devoted, and families are dedicated to making this exceptional school work.
—Submitted by a parent

Compared to other schools don't know, but the culture at the school seem to lack substance. The way the no child left behind is implemented in this school is leaving the English speaking children out in the cold. Bilingual program is the worst I have ever seen. My child was bilingual before now she will not speak two languages, I believe its because of the way it set up at this school. 15 minutes of sitting out in the hall way to have someone read in a 2nd language is not what I imagined their bilingual program to be.
—Submitted by a parent

I have a problem with some of the staff at Valdez I have children and siblings that go to this school. One of my kids that happens to be my little brother has been Bullyed for their weight and teased cause our mother passed as for my little sister she gets made fun of. So when I go and talk to the staff all I get is that they will talk to the kids and call the parents. Things don't change they keep happening. I've have asked for a conference between the other parents and my self they just say we don't do that here but they do it in Jr high and high school to help fix the issue. It's sad that when a parent is asking for help there is none. Whether wait for a TRAGEDY to say there should have been more done.
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderful school!! I have three children here and am happier each yr. with the consistent progression of every part of this school!
—Submitted by a parent

the teachers are the best they always let me know how my kids are doing and let me know tips on how to help keep learning at the level at home if they have concerns or questions they always let me know asap they are always on top of my childrens learning i trust them completely with my kids learning and well being!!!
—Submitted by a parent

It combines Dual-Language (Spanish and English) and Montessori curricula, helping Spanish-speaking students get a head start toward academic excellence, and English-speaking students get an enriching immersion experience in a second language.
—Submitted by a parent

The youngest children are in Montessori dual Spanish-English program that encourages creativity and self discipline and celebrates the diversity of the neighborhood.

My son attended first grade here after transferring from out of state. The caliber of the teachers and prinicpal is fantastic! My son's understanding of spanish has skyrocketed and he has excelled in literacy. At the beginning of the year I will say they were disorganized, but that quickly got fixed. I always felt the teachers were accesible and always took a minute with me to discuss my son's progress. I encourage parents to send their kids to this school!!!
—Submitted by a parent

The Principal lacks leadership skills! I do think the PK teachers and paras are excellent, however, I am not in favor of Montessori. I do not like the fact that there is less structure in the PK_K grades because of Montessori. My child gets easily bored with this method.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been at this school for 2 years and is already speaking and understanding Spanish and doind very well in her English skills as well. She has made many new friends and really enjoys learning from her teachers. I am extremely pleased with the high level of quality and care that these teachers put into their work with all our children.
—Submitted by a parent

Our 4 year old has been enrolled in Valdez since last fall. She has made many friends and looks forward to going to school every day. It is so rewarding to see how much she has grown socially and academically in such a short period of time. We will be sending our 3 year old there in the fall as well. I've been very impressed by the enthusiasm, professionalism and dedication of the teachers. Being a bi-lingual, bi-cultural school presents many challenges, but the leadership is good, and with the growing involvement of parents, I believe the experience at Valdez will only get better!
—Submitted by a parent

We love Valdez, our daughter now teaches us new Spanish words daily
—Submitted by a parent

We are so impressed with Valdez! We enrolled our three year old solely because of the dual language program. We now love the Montessori program; the knowledge, caring and dedication of the teachers; the vision, implementation, and communication of the principal and assistant principal; and the nice families and kids. I have worked in DPS as a literacy specialist and have worked with many teachers and principals in the NorthWest area. These teachers and principals are top notch!
—Submitted by a parent

My wife and I have been VERY happy with Valdez. We have a 3 year old ECE student and a Kindergartener. This is our second year there and we have been impressed with the care of the teachers, the vision of the administration and the involvement by parent.
—Submitted by a parent

The dual-language Montessori preschool program at Valdez is fabulous -- dedicated, savvy teachers, a strong curriculum, and a good parent community. This is the second year of the program, and it just gets better and better. The first grade dual-language program is in its first year and will expand each year to higher grades. It should also be very strong as the teachers gain more experience each year. My daughter's skills in reading, writing, and math have grown dramatically this year, and her Spanish skills are also very good. I'm excited to have her stay in this program throughout elementary school and become fully bilingual.
—Submitted by a parent

We are quite pleased with the Dual Language Monetessori ECE-K program. OUr son has really flourished under this learning style and it is such a bonus that he is becoming so well versed in Spanish as well. The teachers are very committed as are the principal and assistant principal. We hope the changes and improvements continue as our son progresses. I would have given 5 stars except I am not supportive of the uniform policy. We plan to enroll our younger child in the Fall
—Submitted by a parent

We have been Thrilled with Valdez. Our daughter is in her second year there- in the dual language Montessori program- and we couldn't be happier with all she has learned. We love it so much, we sent our 3 year old son there for preschool. The teachers and aides are committed and loving- it is a wonderful environment for all.
—Submitted by a parent

fantastic dual language Montessori program!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has only been at this school for a week now but we can't help but be excited about this place. I hope more parents will submit their reviews of this school because they are doing great things. She is in their dual language montessori program and so far she is loving it (and already starting to use some spanish after just one week). The teachers and staff are so excited about this school you can't help but get behind them. This is the 2nd year for this dual language program and they are hoping to expand it another grade level each year. This school is a great asset to our community and I think anyone looking at schools should look past historical data that is presented on some of these web sites and go out and tour the school to gain real knowledge of the program and offerings.
—Submitted by a parent