Heritage Elementary School

We love our teachers at Heritage. As with most schools, you have a few that are questionable but Heritage also has some superstars teaching our students. Our interim principal is doing a great job under unusual circumstances and is somewhat more efficient in handling student issues than the outgoing principal was. However, I do not completely agree with the previous post. Douglas County has some awesome teachers but their hands are tied behind their backs and the schools are having issues because of bad decisions being made by the Douglas County Board of Education. Do your homework, talk to people in the community, search the net, attend a board meeting BEFORE you enroll your child(ren) in any Douglas County School.
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderful teachers and programs. Douglas county has great schools and this is the best! I have 5 children and they have all loved Heritage. We have a great principle and friendly staff. Not only have my children done well in academics, they have also learned responsibility in a secure environment.
—Submitted by a parent

Heritage is a wonderful school. The past 2 years the atmosphere and general feeling has taken such an upswing. We finally have a principal who encourages parental interaction and welcomes feedback. Is he ever going to please every family? No. We don't live in a perfect world. I have 2 children, one in fifth and one in third. One high level (close to GT) and one on an IEP, this school does a great job servicing both of them. The front office staff are wonderful. The EA's care about the kids and many will go out of their way and above and beyond what is required of their job. I am proud to have my children attend Heritage.
—Submitted by a parent

After four years at this school, we have finally decided that enough is enough. My children are not getting a good education here. The teachers for the most part are decent. However, there is such a lack of communication at this school, I can hardly believe it. I have no idea what my children are learning and I AM a very involved parent. The math curriculum is absolutely horrible and will not prepare my kids for the future. If the goal is to confuse children, then they are doing a magnificent job. When the new principal came we thought that the school would turn around. However, we figured out his true agenda when we had a meeting with him. My kids will not be indoctrinated anymore.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children at Heritage. One is in second grade the other in Kindergarten. I have been extremely grateful for the wonderful teachers that my second grader has had the last 2 years and for my other childs Kindie teacher. They are so compassionate and caring. They are always in need of parent volunteers and welcome the parents to participate in all activies involving the school. The new principal has really made a difference in the school and the kids love him. We are very happy with the school and we have one more child that will be attending in the years to come.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had a great experience with Heritage and also feel the negative reviews are either outdated or from parents that will never be happy with any school. The new principal is fantastic and has really stepped it up in the face of the DCSD budget crisis. The school is thriving and so are the kids that attend.
—Submitted by a parent

I have read some of the bad reviews here and they are either old and irrelevant or they are from a small faction of parents that seem to never be satisfied with this school. This school has strived (especially in the last 2 years) to put forward the best. They were just recognized for exceeding the District and state average on all 13 CSAP tests. Heritage was 1 of 8 elementary schools to achieve this. There are 46 elementary schools in the district. I feel pretty proud of what Heritage is accomplishing. No, not all the teachers are great, fantastic and made form fairy dust, but that is such a small amount in comparison to the larger group. I think if your child attends here, they will easily receive an above average experience, make good friends and be pushed academically.
—Submitted by a parent

Have only come across 5-6 good teachers in the seven years that I have had children going to this school. The PE teacher is neglectful and abusive. The best thing about Heritage is that it filters into a very good middle school and high school. If you can sweat out the 6-7 years of incompetence by most of the teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

I have mixed emotions about this school and have a feeling that things are going to sway in a bad direction once all of the upcoming cuts in staff and activities come down the pike. First and foremost, there is already a lack of communication on the part of the teachers and staff. They seem to not want parent involvement except when it comes to money which I think is unfortunate. Children need to see that their parents care enough to be involved and teachers are obviously overwhelmed so I would think that allowing parents to help would be a blessing. Once your children are in school you almost feel as though they are in lock down! I understand safety but come on. These are our children! It is so sad that important positions are being eliminated or people are being replaced. Miss Waldman, Mr. Redford, possibly Mr. Mass. : (
—Submitted by a parent

I have had nothing but positive interactions with the teachers and staff. I love the front office. The new principal is very proactive and has a vested interest in making Heritage the best. I have been impressed at the level of communication I have received from teachers, as well as the focused attention my child has received. This year she was in second grade and her teacher has helped us navigate the unfamiliar world of ADHD. Together with her teacher and the Assistant Principal, I feel we have gained some effective (non-medicated) strategies for home and school. I have been really impressed with how her teacher (and the Principal) have respected and encouraged alternative learning techniques. I am looking forward to many more years at Heritage. Thank you Mr. McQueen, the teachers and staff!
—Submitted by a parent

My kids have attended this school since it opended. If you want your child to attend a military school Heritage is a good choice. I understand that schools need rules in order to run smoothly, but this school has so many rules that my son dreads going. The playground rules are so ridiculous that is makes it hard for the kids to play . The teachers for the most part are great, but the Education Assistants are very rude and show little respect towards the kids. For a school that pushes respect towards others, maybe the EA's need a class on respect. My son has expressed that he would like to change schools, but has established many friends, so he is willing to suffer it out since he has only 2 years left at this school. My advise check around first.
—Submitted by a parent

The past 5 years at Heritage have been less than stellar, to say the least. The leadership, or lack there of, being the number one concern for most parents. Thankfully, the previous principal resigned at the end of 2009 school year and things are turning around. I have been extremely impressed with the new principal and slowly but surely the staff is following his lead with more positive attitudes and easier to work with. The teachers have thankfully been the light in the darkness with the previous leadership and continue to do so with the new administration. Despite the leadership in the past, my children have all excelled with each teacher they've had, and continue to do so with the new principal in charge. Heritage has TREMENDOUS potential and its nice to see that its headed in the right direction!
—Submitted by a parent

This school has great teachers, horrible staff. I can't stand the way the staff operates. They have so many rules and regulations that it actually discourages parents from being involved because it's such a hassle to even set foot at the school. The staff has no common sense whatsoever. They only operate by the rules and regulaitons mentality. Keep the teachers. Fire the entire staff!
—Submitted by a parent

We just moved away after three years at Heritage. I wouldn't recommend it. This is a very negative environment where the parents are cliquish and the teachers are bullies. Bad parents garner entirely too much control over the school and teachers are allowed to teach in the same school where their kids attend. This presents a conflict of interest where the teacher/parents have too much control and their kids are given special and preferential treatment. In conclusion, watch this school very closely, be involved as much as possible. When your child comes home complaining about being bullied, whether it be by teachers or parents, believe them!
—Submitted by a parent

I haven't been impressed with the leadership at this school especially when it comes to safety and discipline. There needs to be a consistent school-wide program that addresses the issues of bullying and intimidation on the playground, bus and outside of the classroom in general. This school definitely overlooks a lot of what is really going on relationally between children.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers are wonderful at least from K-3, however, the state scores for our 4- 6 th graders is concerning. Quite frankly the Principal is ineffective in parent involvement and communication.
—Submitted by a parent

We've moved around a lot and I think it is a really good school. The curriculum for K and 1st are where I think they should be and the teachers have been great. Although, I feel that the 6th grade teachers need more experience and a more challenging curriculum, to prepare them for the demanding 7 th grade year. The administration office is very friendly, but can get too defensive at times and can treat the older students too childish. It would be five stars if the school had been planned with more room in mind. It is the tiniest school I've ever seen! The parking lot is way too small. And for goodness sake let the kids play dodgeball!
—Submitted by a parent

This school does a great job communicating with the parents, and provides a lot of opportunity for parents to be involved. It also demands academic excellence from the children. School is a large part of your children's lives. No matter what school your children attend, you must be involved in their lives and listen to them.
—Submitted by a parent

We've been disappointed for many reasons here. If you have children that attend or plan on attending,get involved as much as possible and listen to the kids. They usually know more than anyone else.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school. The programs are very student oriented and our children are making tremendous strides. The faculty has been great and very concerned about individual goals.
—Submitted by a parent