Traut Core Elementary School

We have had great experiences with all the teachers except one, who s finally retiring. We have tried to be involved at the school, but the principal has made it impossible. The idea that the school is run by a charter and that parents have input is a farce. The principal makes all the decisions. He uses intimidation and bullying tactics to suppress anyone with a different opinion than his. He has no integrity and does not know the meaning of the word confidentiality. He has poor listening skills and poor leadership skills. The principal is arrogant and does not treat others with respect. Many teachers do not like or trust the principal. These teachers cannot come forward, because they fear that the principal will retaliate against them. The District has been informed of the situation. The principal needs to leave so Traut can become the school it was meant to be and the teachers can be appreciated and praised for the job that they do. I would give the principal 0 stars and the teachers 5 stars. God bless the teachers and staff for continuing to teach with passion under such adverse conditions when they have no leadership to speak of.
--Submitted by a parent

I was initially attracted to this school because of its fine reputation. I now know the previous principal created that fine reputation. During the five years at this school, the culture has changed dramatically and not for the better...the reputation has been degredated. If I had to do it all over again, I would not have chosen this school and now I would not recommend this school to anyone. There are some exceptional teachers at this school and feel badly for those teachers because of the lack of vision, support, and integrety they have to work under. The strain is most apparent. Traut does offer parent involvement, however, the principal is so controlling and only encourages involvement along his thinking. The character qualities the school bases its reputation on is not followed by its principal. There is more evidence to this fact as the Parent Advisory Board turnover is so high. If I could have given no stars to the principal at this school, I would have. I am in agreement with many of the other poor ratings by parents.
--Submitted by a parent

We have 2 children here and they have had poor experiences at Traut. We will be leaving this school. Traut does not provide our children with the type of environment that is condusive to learning. We are dissapointed with Traut and only wish we would have taken our children out of this school sooner.
--Submitted by a parent

No school is perfect for everyone, but when you find the school you fit in...amazing things can happen. We have found Traut to be a great fit for our family. 2 of my 3 children currently attend and I am looking forward to the day my 3rd child can join in the adventure. My children have grown and thrived at Traut. The teachers do more than just the basics. They go above and beyond every single day.
--Submitted by a parent

There are a lot better choices than Traut. There some great teachers there but the poor teachers take away what the good ones do. This schools lacks leadership for the teachers, especially the ones that need some retraining on their teaching skills. Our younger children will not be attending this school in 2013-2014..muitliple concerns.
--Submitted by a parent

Do your research before having your children attend this school. We have found their are many unhappy parents with Traut, especially the leadership. Make sure you ask other parents who have had their children in this school the last 5 years and get their opinion FIRST before committing to anything. By the way, why is the waiting list non-existent at Traut compared to 5 years ago and compared to other very good schools like Bethke or Liberty Commons. We did our research before we made any desicions and were very surprised nearly forty families left Traut 2-3 years ago. That is not normal attrition. Your child is your most precious commodity so seek out other current and former parents' opinion of Traut before making any decision. While there are some good teachers here, the primary lure is the office uses is they tell prospective parents they are a direct line to Kinard (Middle School). The waiting list at Traut speaks for itself. By the way, we have many positive comments for schools that deserve them. Where there is one negative comment, there are at quite a few others that also feel the same. That is a statistical fact.
--Submitted by a parent

Traut Core Knowledge Elementary not only offers a strong Core Knowledge program, they have an amazing Character Education Program! We could not be happier at Traut! The teachers are wonderful, the staff is friendly and the principal is very visible. Traut has a long history of being a successful school. As with any kind of success there are ebbs and flows as students and parents evolve. An awesome opportunity that Traut has to offer that other schools do not is the ability to partner as a parent with the school. It is more than volunteering in a classroom or working with a PTO. Do not miss this type of opportunity to have your voice heard as a parent. Traut also has many extra-curricular activities and classes to offer from Lego Robotics to Guitar lessons. There are also many foreign language classes offered. If you are interested in learning more about Traut visit the school website and contact the office to attend an orientation. Your child(ren) will get the benefits of a private education without the expense or the concerns of a charter school. I look forward to many more years at such an amazing school! Take the negative comments with a grain of salt.
--Submitted by a parent

Traut Core Knowledge Elementary not only offers a strong Core Knowledge program, they have an amazing Character Education Program! We could not be happier at Traut! The teachers are wonderful, the staff is friendly and the principal is very visible. Traut has a long history of being a successful school. As with any kind of success there are ebbs and flows as students and parents evolve. An awesome opportunity that Traut has to offer that other schools do not is the ability to partner as a parent with the school. It is more than volunteering in a classroom or working with a PTO. Do not miss this type of opportunity to have your voice heard as a parent. Traut also has many extra-curricular activities and classes to offer from Lego Robotics to Guitar lessons. There are also many foreign language classes offered. If you are interested in learning more about Traut visit the school website and contact the office to attend an orientation. Your child(ren) will get the benefits of a private education without the expense or the concerns of a charter school. I look forward to many more years at such an amazing school! Take the negative comments with a grain of salt.
--Submitted by a parent

This is not a school that knows how to deal with special needs students or one that falls outside of the box. I agree with other posters that comment on this school being militaristic, which at first I thought would be a good thing for my kids. But the environment is set up in a way that there is no room for movement. When you can see your special needs student's spirit being crushed, it's time to move on to an environment that has the ability to him see for what he can do. This is a middle - upper middle class school, so the students they see and the ones that do well here a "cookie cutter" kids nor do they work well with families of diverse backgrounds. As a single mother, I felt I was stereotype and placed in a box of misconceptions of who they thought I was simply because I was raising my kids on my own.
--Submitted by a parent

We are in our Second Year at Traut Core Knowledge School. With a 1st Grader and a Kindergartner you really get a sense of the joy of learning that is being instilled in our kids. My son asks me on a regular basis if school could be all 7 days. Both my children are thriving at Traut and we couldn't be happier.
--Submitted by a parent