William S. Talbot Elementary School

A distinct school! Great teachers, great academic structure, excellent coordination. This all in one place: W. Talbot Elementary School.
—Submitted by a parent

We recently moved out of state, but our daughter attended Talbot from grade 2 through 5. She had a wonderful experience with teachers who engaged the students and really seemed to care. We also enjoyed occasionally meeting up with other families at nearby parks after school. LOVED the Halloween Carnival!!! We miss this great neighborhood school.
—Submitted by a parent

My son did not adjust to kindergarten very well. But with the help and cooperation of Ms. Skipper, Mr T. and the principal we made some real progress and a good understanding of the issues/problems he was having. I really appreciated the time and effort that was made to help him. I knocked off a star because I do agree with prior poster concerning EDEP. I did not like my son there and honestly did not feel that Ms. Amanda was very kind. My son already had issues in his classroom and him having to stay after school I think most likely exacerbated the problem. Overall I felt this was a very good school, with good staff and students.
—Submitted by a parent

After we moved here,our youngest child started Talbot. He has an excellent teacher,has made friends,and is doing great academically-learning more than we would have imagined. Talbot is full of positive people and effective teachers, and the vast majority of parents I have spoken to couldn't be happier with the academics.That said, there are some concerns. First, the After School program (EDEP) is a joke. Parents are caught between a rock and a hard place; they work and have to pick their kids up after work, and don't want them riding buses to other after school alternatives which ride them all over town.Here your kid is just one of the many, and ALL ages (K-5th) are lumped in activities together, leading to little ones picking up on much too mature behaviors, and even getting bullied. Parent concerns fall on deaf ears, and many parents feel the same way but feel stuck. A word of caution in case you need after school care-EXPLORE OTHER OPTIONS. Also, while the PTA is active, it seems cliquish, and unfairly meets when most parents are working (8 am!)-neither my wife or I have yet to be able to make any of the meetings. Otherwise the school is solid and A+ in our book.
—Submitted by a parent

I like the teachers here really care about every kids, really care about the students are studying not just have fun. My daughter went to 2nd grade in Ms. Winnermark class, she is so great a teacher, she is like a mother who has every kids in her hearts, and know every things about each kids, when you talk to her, she can give you the most valueble advice.
—Submitted by a parent

Talbot is a hidden pearl in the Gainesville area. It's a great school with high academics and teachers' involvement in the students' progress. The school is safe and good behaviour is a must. The enrichment or gifte program is very good with very excelent teachers. I just wish it could be longer in the lower grades. I'm very happy with Talbot and the parent involvement is excellent.
—Submitted by a parent

We sent our son to Talbot after he had attended a small, private school for several years. I had friends who were very pleased with Talbot, but I knew that I would not be as pleased with this school as I had been with the private school. Or so I thought. I have been extremely impressed with the caring attention that the teachers give the students and the warm feeling at the school. All staff throughout the school have been pleasant and helpful. I recommend this school highly.
—Submitted by a parent

I absolutely adore this school! The teachers are wonderful, the staff is always happy and helpful, and the principal is available. There are plenty of involved parents and the PTO raises a lot of money each year. I'm very happy with this school!
—Submitted by a parent

This school rates very poorly if you have a child with a learning disability. You have to keep on the faculty to ensure they are meeting your child's needs in an IEP. I was also very unimpressed with the principal.
—Submitted by a parent

There are some great teachers and some really lousy teachers. My daughter had one of the lousy ones. We're still trying to undo the damage that 2 months with this teacher has done.
—Submitted by a parent

I am sure it is a fine school unless your child has Autism.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended Talbot from K-4 and we have since moved to another southern state. You don't know what you have until you move to another area. We came from the North East where schools are ranked much higher and Talbot was not a disappointment. We wish we could move back and return to this school for our younger child.
—Submitted by a parent

Unfortunately this school is becoming very average. Talbot was a very special place to be at one time, unfortunately, most of what was special has now become mediocre like many of the other florida schools. Communication has become very poor from the school to the parents.
—Submitted by a parent

Talbot is the best public educational institution at the K-12 level that I have ever experienced and my education was mostly public education. I am thrilled with my childrens' education. Bob Tucker
—Submitted by a parent

I am a travel nurse and my kids went to this school. This was the first time they went to another school in another state. This school was wonderful from the teachers to the counselors.
—Submitted by a parent

We moved from NE of US. At the beginning, I really doub about the public education systom in Florida. However, everything in Talbot suprised me. The principle and teachers are great. Highly recommended.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had several children which attended this school. Both were in enrichment programs which were quite good until 5th grade. The reading and writing programs become quite weak. In hindsight I would have removed them from this program if I had known the lack of substance. I think better writing skills would have been addressed by their homeroom teachers. Although, this has been mentioned over the years by many parents, nothing seems to change about enrichment in this area for 5th grade. The enrichment math class is strong and the teacher is quite good. However, the enrichment math class at times lacks structure and the teacher does not seem to have a structured daily plan. This can be both good and bad. The principal at this school is quite receptive to parents and overall, it was a good learning experience for my children.
—Submitted by a parent

Talbot is a great school if your child is a motivated, above average student. However, if your child has attention problems of any kind, I would ask you to consider a smaller, more attentive program. Talbot can be very competitive and impersonal for an ADHD child. My son struggled there for three years before I finally realized on my own that he had profound ADHD. He's now in a private school and flourishing. Talbot's after school program under Ms. Roundtree was very good and I thought the principal, Dr. Colvin, was very easy to talk to/work with.
—Submitted by a parent

Great academic school....Not the friendliest of principal and guidance teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has a great computer lab in which the student's lessons are individualized, and it really has given the children improved understanding of what was taught in class.
—Submitted by a teacher