W. J. Cooper Elementary School

Cooper is a great school. We have really felt that our children have had an outstanding school experience at Cooper. The teachers, staff and PTA are great!
--Submitted by a parent

This is my only daughter second year at Cooper and we have been very satisfied. Both her first and now second grade teachers have been awesome and been able when Ive had concerns regarding my daughter's progress. The school personnel and administration are top rate and open. I am glad we relocated to have our daughter in a more diverse and highly rated school district.
--Submitted by a parent

I've got 2 kids at this school and my oldest has attended 2 other schools in gwinnett. Cooper is great, the teachers are wonderful, staff is great and the pta rocks!!!
--Submitted by a parent

We have one child and she has only gone to Cooper, so I have no basis for comparison, but I think Cooper is as good as any public school, and better than many. I was disappointed to learn that my child in third grade has seen her specials dwindle down to only P.E. and Music. P.E. is 4 times per week, Music is once. It seems to me that there are lots of specials that she could benefit from; but as a parent, I know very, very little about what goes on in the classroom from curriculum to discipline. I think my daughter's teacher is very good, but I still feel very much in the dark about my daughter's life at school.
--Submitted by a parent

This is my child's first year at Cooper and we could not be happier. The administration and staff really seem invested in the quality of education that the children receive. I feel that my child's teacher has done a wonderful job keeping him engaged and motivated. The communication between the school and parents seem to be very effective and My child appears to be thriving! Thank YOU!
--Submitted by a parent

New year... New administration....It will never be a world class school until the administration starts to think like the private sector. My daughter's 1st grade teacher was the best ever! Just Average this year. And for those of us who do have 'time to volunteer', we enjoy volunteering!! Sorry that all parents cannot, but that's not our problem. We don't interrupt classes, I often assist w/ learning. They need more volunteers, not less.
--Submitted by a parent

My child will be going into 1st grae this Fall and I am hoping that this year will be a rewarding as her Kindegarten year. I thoroughly enjoyed her teachers and felt they genuinely wanted every child in the classroom to succeed. I honestly hope the new Principal, Dr. Bishop, can keep Cooper on track and exceed the expectations that have been set.
--Submitted by a parent

My child is soon to be a third grader at Cooper. Her Kindergarden teacher was awful but her first and second grade teachers were the best! Dr. Eperson was everything that I wanted in a Principal! He was not going to put up with any childs disrespect and he didn't want the lonely moms just walking in and disrupting the classrooms just because it was a slow day at home. If you had a reason for wanting to volunteer at your childs class, you were more than welcomed by the administration but if you were just there to check in there is a time and a place for that and it is not during school hours. Many of the children in my daughters classes had both parents that worked and they always felt sad that there parent was unable to come. He was only trying to be fair to all students.
--Submitted by a parent

I disagree with the last parent on many things they mentioned. I have a third grade child at Cooper and we are enjoying the school tremendously. There are some teachers below average, but we have been very pleased with all of the teachers our son had and our friends have many compliments about other great teachers as well. Administration needs work, but show me a school that doesn't. I think the county is asking the kids to behave more like adults than children, and the administration and teachers are feeling the pressure. We love Cooper!
--Submitted by a parent

Most of the other reviews have mentioned the principal being cold. This is a vast understatement. Parents are treated as intruders and are absolutely not allowed into any classroom without announcing their presence. Although I agree that the school must control the handful of parents that may abuse this privilege and upset classrooms, there is no excuse for making all parents feel unwelcome; and allowing all teachers feel that secure from the parents. I have two children at Cooper, my oldest is in 5th grade and we have been there since the charter year of this school. Most teachers are average, a couple rate above, and many more rate below. If I could just have one year where the teacher wasn't on maternity leave and/or working on their Master's Degree, I would count it as a better year! The most promising event is Principal Epperson is retiring this year!
--Submitted by a parent