Doug Jamerson Elementary School

I know this school has a rating of 6/10 for scores, but I believe that the scores are misleading, and not the only consideration for choosing a school. My son left another magnet school after kindergarten to attend this school, and we have never looked back. My son has Asperger's Syndrome, and the support and acceptance for children with autism at this school is amazing. Although my son attends general education classes, he is assigned a paraprofessional to help him with his day, and an autism classroom where he goes when things get to be too much. The teachers are caring and competent, and willing to work with children and parents to find the right fit for the child. The engineering curriculum is awesome, with the kids building, planning and using math and engineering principles from kindergarten onward. The principal truly cares about the school and the children, and the staff are involved. The kids are held to high standards of cooperation, education and behavior. The gifted classes are held off-site at a middle school, the only negative that I can think of, but the gifted teachers are wonderful as well. I am so glad my son attends this school.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter completed her first year (kindergarten) last year at Jamerson and is heading into first grade in two weeks. When I enrolled her at Jamerson, I had had a choice of five magnets and three fundamentals in Pinellas county--several of them quite popular and hard to get into--and I am SO happy we chose Jamerson over the others. I cannot encourage other parents enough to tour this school and seriously consider them as a choice. It is such a happy school with a very caring staff and a wonderful, balanced focus on discipline, nurturing and education. You can feel the happy, positive environment everywhere you go. The academic and social strides my daughter made throughout the school year were absolutely unbelievable and she just loves it there. I truly believe any parent who wants to do the best they possibly can by their children will make Jamerson their number one choice.
--Submitted by a parent

Jamerson Elementary is a lovely school. Its teachers and support staff are 2nd to none. From Kindergarden through 5th Grade the children are challenged to think out of the box. The teachers succeed at making learning fun. Whether a child is gifted, average or has special needs the Jamerson staff consistently goes above the call of duty to do everything in their power to help a child flourish. A better education could not be bought!
--Submitted by a parent

Take the time to tour this school! You won't regret it! It was by far my favorite of all of the magnet/fundamental schools I toured. Keep in mind with the test scores that they have an autism program at the school, and those grades are factored in to the test scores for the entire school.
--Submitted by a parent

Jamerson Elementary has a strong foundation of well-educated teachers, which is equally supported by a fair and highly regarded Principal and Asst Principle. As a magnet school they stand firm on discipline, while promoting an aggressive and well rounded agenda of good education. They have continued to add additional after school activities that makes DLJ that much more attractive. DLJ is also supported by a strong PTA.
--Submitted by a parent

Doug Jamerson Elementary School Our Magnet school is the best kept secret in Pinellas County! From learning engineering concepts in kindergarten via fairy tales, to teaching children to explore "how" the world works around them ... this is an FANTASTIC school! The faculty are amazing, patient, dedicated and loving. They offer programs to meet children where they are at ... from gifted work to offering help for struggling students. The school truly is like a huge family ... and deciding to send my children there is the best decision I've made. You have to tour the school for yourself to see how truly awesome the school is. You'll be amazed at how engaged and happy the children are with their work. It's a positive environment that fosters excellent learning and personal growth from its students. A++++
--Submitted by a parent

Amazing school with dedicated, creative, and caring teachers. Two years here and we continue to be impressed with what we see. The principal is dedicated to making this school succeed, the PTA is extremely active, and the teachers are first-class. We feel lucky to have found this school in Pinellas County. We highly recommend it. So does our daughter who is absolutely in love with her school.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter started Jamerson Elementary for Kindergarten last year and she really loves it! She is involved in the Drama Club this year and is doing quite well. I think the staff is top notch with the children and they really seem sincere! We are members of the PTA and enjoy the activities. We give Jamerson Elementary a thumbs up!!! Get involved in with your childs school and you will be amazed at the results!
--Submitted by a parent

I am glad we finally found this school. I love the focus on Engineering and Math that they have which is well integrated in their other subjects. They encourage the children to do their best all the time. My son loves all of his classes which is great since he had issues in his other school with PE and writing. The teachers are highly educated and the parents are involved. It is a great school.
--Submitted by a parent

I couldn't be happier with Jamerson! And I can't wait to see how the faculty works to make this next year even better! The teachers are caring, creative and highly educated and won't settle for just average with any student! They devote their entire lives to making our children's experiences in the K-5 years challenging, satisfying and memorable! The curriculum is top notch and so forward thinking that I believe this school will be a model for other county school systems throughout the country soon! Keep it up Jamerson!
--Submitted by a parent