Ryan Elementary School

I am very impressed with Ryan Elementary School. I believe it to be our community's best kept secret. Both of my children participated in many extra curricular activities (sign up early to get space). The Math and Science focus was very successful in getting both my son and daughter interested in pursuing engineering careers. My son had many school trips to visit NCAR, NOA, etc. They are in Angevine Middle School now getting straight A's (and score excellent on CSAP tests) so I feel their elementary education was quite good. I miss the Ryan parent-teacher community. It felt very tight knit. The teacher's were exceptonal.
—Submitted by a parent

What after school programs? There are hardly any and only a few kids can get in to each one. Only one TAG program (math). Great Books is no longer available. Very hard to schedule meetings. I'm hoping things will improve but this was a wasted year for my kid.
—Submitted by a parent

I love Ryan Elementary! What a sense of community this school has. I love the diversity of the student population and the wonderful staff. My recommendation, get involved at the school! Our new principal is a perfect fit for the the community feel of this school. I'll desperately miss it as my children move to middle school.
—Submitted by a parent

We love Ryan Elementary! This is my 10th year with children at Ryan. We have had nothing but great experiences at the school. The teachers are all so caring and many have been at teaching there for 10+ years. There are some amazing after school programs (most of them are free) as well. Currently there is a web design class. How great is that! The new principal is amazing!
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers, staff and Principal are great. They really get to know the students and the parents. Their focus on math and science really helps the students stay on track with their education.
—Submitted by a parent

I am very pleased with the school. I love my sons teacher Mrs.Chizzick. And I think the principle is so nice and the office staff is great. My son has a done a complete 180% in school. He wasn't sure about school until he meet Mrs. Chizzick. My son is reading and writing and telling time like an expert. I love this school wish I didn't have to leave for a couple of years. My son has learned a lot here.
—Submitted by a parent

We open enrolled into Ryan this year because our neighborhood school did not take into account that different children learn differently. I have been very pleased with our experience at Ryan. The Math and Science focus is exactly what my children need. Be warned though, that some teachers take the Math and Science Focus very seriously while others a small minority) completely ignore it. I feel that there are many people looking out for the interests of my child at Ryan.
—Submitted by a parent

I would like to add our comments concerning this school. I am very disappointed in the quality of education here, and it looks like scores are declining, not improving, but our biggest complaint is the lack of caring staff. The teachers never have a smile on their faces. It's like a job they have to do, but hate. I don't think I have ever heard a kind word spoken to my child, or any other child in the classroom. I consider myself to be a very involved parent, and am trying to be positive, but we are getting frustrated, and are considering another school for next year.
—Submitted by a parent

I agree with a couple of the other parents. Don't let good scores fool you. This school is not the high achieving school that I was led to believe it was. I have enrolled my children in an outside academic tutoring program, and other extra curricular activities to make sure that they gets the education, and the socializing that I thought the school would provide. How disapointing. I moved here for the school, and now am thinking of moving back to my old neighborhood who had lower scores overall, but my own children were doing wonderful. Scores are not everything. Look at each individual child.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is very over rated from what we have experienced. This is not a high quality school. Teachers have not been caring. Thank goodness we changed districts, and are now thrilled with the academic and personal attention our children are receiving. We have two children, one who is above average, and one who has a small learning disability. Neither child was getting what they needed at Ryan, and the teachers didn't care. We are all so much happier. Don't let the ratings fool you. They don't always mean a thing.
—Submitted by a parent

We have been involved with Ryan Elementary for 10 years. When my son first began in kindergarten, it was a great school, now my daughter is in the 3rd grade and it is an amazing school. The academic aspect has always been excellent, but now that they are a Math/Science focus school, my daughter comes home every week trying to recreate the experiments. Ryan has been able to meet and exceed my expectations for both of my children. From extra help in reading to the gifted and talented programs. The clubs and activities that are offered are diverse and the teachers who run them are awesome. If you look at the test scores, please note that 20% of our students are 'english as a second language' students, so the fact that our reading scores are in the high 80's, speaks volumes for the teachers and programs offered at Ryan.
—Submitted by Wendi Gonzales, a parent

My son is in 2nd grade and my niece is in 4th grade at Ryan. We love the school. The diversity in cultures allow the kids to have friends of different ethnic groups which I feel is very important. All students feel comfortable going to the principal at any time and the teachers always make time to speak to or meet with parents for any reason. My son's class has only 16 students so that ratio is wonderful.
—Submitted by Lisa Gomez, a parent