Fernbank Elementary School

I have two children at this school and disagree with a lot of the positive comments. I have not been impressed with the standard of teaching and feel like my kindergartner is not being challenged at all! No homework and a lot of worksheets that are way too easy. As with all schools it depends what teachers you get but on the whole there is an over reliance on TV in the classrooms. And I'm not talking about educational programs! Also there is not enough focus on reading and there are children who still cannot read in second grade.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is not as good as adverised. Poor leadership is the main reason. The teacher quality is average to slightly above average. The students and the parents deserve better leadership. It seems there must be a politically correct agenda that keeps the leadership in place. We removed our children with haste. Let the buyer (parent) beware.
--Submitted by a parent

Our family is very happy with Fernbank. We have two children at the school and now have had four different teachers. One was "fair to middlin"; the other three have been exceptional. One of the school's strengths is the principal, who hires good people and supports them. His door is open to everyone; he will always listen to individual parents, but he will do what is right for all the children and the school as a whole. He is great. We love that the school offers PE, art, science, and Spanish to every student. We appreciate the school's diversity, something most outsiders probably aren't aware of. We applaud the many involved and committed parents, which is another real strength. Our only complaint is the physical facilities - the school is generally falling apart. But even there, after the recent SPLOST vote, FB is in line for a brand new building in a couple of years. In sum, there are a lot of reasons that so many families outside the district are eager to send their children to Fernbank.
--Submitted by a parent

Every single adult at Fernbank does his/her job passionately and with the students foremost in mind. Although we are a large elementary school, there is a very palpable feeling of community-- we are a little village. The kids all know each other and the parent body is incredibly involved and present. Any day of the week, there are a dozen parents on site helping out and a couple more dozen at home/work who have also pitched in for the day's activities. I cannot stress enough what outstanding leadership our principal provides. He works tirelessly for the good of the school community and does not play favorites. Realizing that one size does not fit all, if he can make an accomodation that will help one child but not hurt any other child, he will do so. If a request will result in anyone else being affected, he will not do it. How can one not respect that fairness? Our International Baccalaureate program provides the kids a solid education and a selfless foundation-- looking at the world as a whole, seeking to help out concretely from your own front yard on out, and respecting differences while celebrating commonalities. Our family LOVES Fernbank and are SO SATISFIED!
--Submitted by a parent

Fernbank is a fantastic school with very involved parents and a fairly diverse population of students. Love Fernbank! My daughter was fortunate to have attended this Elementary School.
--Submitted by a parent

We are currently on second child to receive a wonderfult education from Fernbank. The teachers are great at individual and group education and take time to know each child - gifted or not. Our oldest went on to a very challenging academic environment and was very well prepared by Fernbank!
--Submitted by a parent

I have two kids at Fernbank and they love it, I love it, and I believe they are learning a lot. I compare my kids (what parent doesn't) to friends' kids in private schools. I see no advantage to private school given the reading and math levels at which our respective kids operate. Moreover, the kids seem to really enjoy school. Fernbank operates within the confines of the DeKalb County School Board and its requirements as well as those of the state, so there are things that must be taught in a particular order. So, the ability of these great teachers to do their job is hindered a bit by the need to comply with the state requirements, but that is true at every school. Overall, I think any parent looking for a good educational opportunity for their child would be crazy to skip Fernbank. I saw somebody else in a review mention "social engineering" and have no idea of what they are talking about. My wife and I have very different political views and we are both actually happy with the lessons and structure.
--Submitted by a parent

Of course, ITBS ranks student performance according to percentiles so a student in the 85th percentile scored equal to or better than 85 percent of all students across the nation who took the test. We have been at Fernbank for 5 years and it has been an extraordinary experience. I can tell you that we would have been very pleased with any of the 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade teachers. They are that deep in terms of high quality teachers. They have a dedicated science teacher to boot who is phenomenal. Really.
--Submitted by a parent

Look at ITBS scores, which compare kids nationally. FB 1st grade scores are high 90 s, by 5th grade they re down to the mid 80 s, meaning FB takes smart kids and dumbs them down 15%. Demand DCSS repost ITBS scores to website. CRCT obscures what a poor education our kids are receiving. CRCT passing bar is set well below national NAEP bar: 15 pts math, 35 pts reading! Accept only a national, norm-referenced test. FB academics weak, particularly math & science. IB program is just an adjective list, no world history/geography taught, Spanish only foreign language. Gifted program=Magic School Bus videos, busy work, law only requires 4 hrs/wk. Overcrowded. Over 800 kids in a building designed for 400. Only a third of teachers are good, as another parent noted VIP kids consistently get the good teachers. FB is a star in DeKalb b/c of neighborhood, DCSS=huge mess. Compare FB nationally via ITBS, it s no good. Internationally, Americans at very bottom. College competition is global. Will FB kids ever recoup the lost 15%?
--Submitted by a parent

Great teachers, challenging curriculum, and unbelievable parental support. I love that my daughter is challenged, has made great friends and is learning in such a great environment. The teachers are great and the administration top-notch.
--Submitted by a parent