Spalding Drive Elementary School

I toured this school and was very impressed! I thought I was going to put my child in private school for kindergarden but decided to tour the school since it was in my neighborhood and a charter school. Wow! It is a absolute neighborhood school! Very small classes and the kids wear uniforms. I was very impressed with the curriculum, the teachers, etc. It's like a hidden gem in the neighborhood!!

The school including the leadership, staff and teachers is great. The school dramatically shrank in size after the additional school was opened in 2009. The balance and emphasis on both core fundamentals and technology is very good. If your student qualifies for TAG there is a very great program as well. It is a very neighborhood oriented school with an active PTA and parents.
--Submitted by a parent

Spalding Drive is an amazing neighborhood school with excellent teachers and staff members. We are proud to have the 2010-11 Fulton County Elementary Teacher of the Year at our school. I have 2 students who have thrived at SDC due to the leadership and education they have gotten here. I, like most parents have had issues along the way and have chosen to address them with the administration. In doing so, I have always felt that I was heard and the needs of my children have been met. I highly recommend this school!
--Submitted by a parent

Some of the best teachers, one of the worst principals. You get out of the school what you put into it. Spalding Drive Charter is not the school for you if you don't plan on spending a good amount of time volunteering & generally being an advocate for your children. The tragic flaw of this potentially great school is it's principal...
--Submitted by a parent

my kids love this school and they feel loved by there teachers. if one looks hard enough you will always find a problem to complain about. consider this; are you the type of parent that is in the school volunteering, talking with the teachers asking questions, attending the activities....or are you home belly aching about it? get involved!
--Submitted by a parent

I must comment that most of the reviews you see both positive and negative of schools on this site are posted anonymously. So the fact that the author of the Jan 5th posting does not share their name is neither here nor there. Given the current state of education in this country we all must be willing to hear where our schools can and should improve. I must agree that the administrative team at Spalding is overly driven by test scores and unfortunately while this may help a school to impress the Fulton County Board of Education it does nothing to further the development of our children. Principles have a duty to their community and if they aren't willing to improve in light of what their community offers both positively and negatively than they have failed in their responsibilities. Spalding Drive as many schools has much work to do when it comes to understanding what students and parents need and deserve on their road to education.
--Submitted by a parent

Hi all, If you are considering Spalding Drive as your choice for an elementary school please do the right thing and research it for yourself & your child. Go to the school, take a tour, actually meet parents, the admin team and base your decision on actual information. It's never a good thing to base an opinion on one person's negative experience as there is always more to the story... yes, I am referring to the comment from Jan 5. It's awfully brave to gripe, attack, and lash out on the school principal & admin team when you aren't required to sign your name. Chances are that this parent had an issue but never spoke directly to the person they are frustrated with. So please do the research for yourself! Please feel free to contact the school- ask for me- Amy, PTA President, and I will be happy to talk to you about Spalding Drive or get you in touch with other parents/staff/faculty to give you a complete picture. FYI- I have 2 kids at Spalding- long before I was PTA President I was & continue to be an involved parent. Please make up your own mind about our wonderful, neighborhood school!
--Submitted by a parent

My child attends Spalding Drive and I'm happy with his progress. The school's test scores and stats are lower compared to some neighboring schools in the area, but the teachers and staff are extremely nice and its a family environment. My child is always excited about going to school and sharing all the learning at home. There are numerous opportunities to volunteer time at the school and help the kids. The technology focus of the school is a great asset as well. We as parents need to do our share of ehnacing our kids education at home, and not just rely on the schools, no matter their ratings.
--Submitted by a parent

For the most part, teachers are great but they are stifled by the principal. She is not a 'kid person' and her goals are all focused on her achievement and not that of the kids. It is unfortunate because there are a lot of great teachers and parents there. Unfortunately, the principal's adminstration of the school outweighs the great staff. She needs to go if the school is going to succeed. PS: notice all the dates of the positive reviews- the principal gave a directive for the teachers and staff to boost her ratings....
--Submitted by a parent

I have four children at this school and we could not be happier. This is our sixth year and every year has been such a positive experience. My husband and I have lived in the neighborhood for over sixteen years and have seen this school transform into the wonderful school that it is today. We are so glad to be a part of the Spalding family and community.
--Submitted by a parent