Cherokee Trail Elementary School

I think Cherokee Trail is a great school and I am proud to work there. We have great students, supportive families, and hard-working, experienced staff. I also think that our current principal is excellent. She is definitely not a pushover, but I see on a daily basis that she makes decisions with the best interests of students and her staff at heart. She truly cares about and knows each student at our school.
—Submitted by a teacher

Myy kids love this school. Like any school you always are going to find something you don't like. My only thing about the grounds of the school is I don't like is how open the school is to the roads and open space. No fences bothers me in todays world. In the school I wish the library had more books. My kids teachers are great and my kids love them. I have a 2nd & 3rd grader who use to go to a school with a bunch of awards but I have to tell you this school and its teachers are just as good if not better. They are kind and care about my kids. I have nothing bad to say about the staffthey have been professional to me and caring to my kids. We love the aftercare team too!
—Submitted by a parent

I agree with the last post. I have had 3 children at Cherokee Trail, my youngest is in her final 2 years. My oldest struggled his way through, no fault of the teachers. However, they did give him a good basic education and he ended up in AP classes at Chap. My middle child was a struggling reader. They worked with her and now reading is one of her strengths. My youngest is consistently in the top 25% of the advanced placement students, and every teacher she has had went out of their way to provide challenging material to keep her ahead of the curve. Yes, there is a focus on education, but I don't think that is necessarily the teachers decision. The feds, state, and district are constantly pushing for higher scores, so the result is less time for other things. IMHO
—Submitted by a parent

Our oldest son started at Cherokee Trail in 1999. Our youngest is there now. It's true that there have been many changes through the years; some good and some bad, but it isn't fair to just bash the current principle and call it day. Yes, Regina was amazing, and Drew Francis did an awesome job. Change is hard, but I have learned to take it a year at a time. Every school has teachers that are amazing, and teachers that should have persued a different career. Unfortunately, you can't have the "perfect" teacher every year. You can, however, stay involved and keep the lines of communication open to ensure your child gets the best education he can...no matter what school they attend. Yes, our class sizes are increasing. We have a huge community, budget cuts, and a district that decides what the cut off is for class sizes. It just makes me want to help in the classroom as much as I can. I love Cherokee Trail. It may not be "perfect", but it is my neighborhood school and has been a part of our family for many years. There are many people there that give it their all each and every day!
—Submitted by a parent

Can I just copy the previous review posted? I agree with everything that parent said. The vice principal Drew was fantastic but they did not keep him around. The current principal is unfriendly and does not make an effort to get to know parents and students. When I told her we were thinking about switching schools she could care less. My son had 27 students in his class last year and there is only 20 where he goes now. There also seems to be a discipline problem and the school ignores it most of the time. Moving him to another school was the right decision.
—Submitted by a parent

SO sad that this school has gone DOWNHILL since Regina left. The current principal is negative and unfriendly. The past vice principal, Drew, was also amazing and should have been given the principal position when Regina left. The current vice principal contributes something... but it's very unclear what that might be. Some teachers are amazing, Mr. Major is probably the best teacher in that school. Others are truly horrible and, unfortunately, outnumber the amazing teachers. Moving my kids was the best thing I did for their education!
—Submitted by a parent

I am disappointed with this school. They are too focused on the curriculum and not focused on the kids. I think the expectations are too high for my first grader. I wish the goal was a well rounded child and not just academics. I understand its school, but in first grade I would like to see the school nuture my child has a whole and let her develop completely.
—Submitted by a parent

Cherokee Trail works very hard at trying to make sure everyone in the school receives a good education while also emphasizing personal accountability with the students. The school has a very friendly and personal environment.

I absolutely love this school and the principal! She is a wonderful asset to the school district and really seems to care about the kids. She listens to the parents and my family just adores her. The teachers seem to care and love parent involvment. I wish there were more principals like this one for every school out there!
—Submitted by a parent

Cherokee Trial is a wonderful school. The principal and new assistant principal are great. They really care about the kids and are dedicated to give them the support and motivation they need to achieve.
—Submitted by a parent

I would say that Cherokee is a wonderful school. All of the staff is very involved with the students and they are are always willing to listen to the parents about what they can improve on. Parent involvement is very important to the staff at cherokee.
—Submitted by a parent