Austell Intermediate School

Response to post on Jan 21, 2013 rated 1 star...My child is a first year student at this newly. A school & PTA are only as strong as the parents. With nearly 600 students only a few parents volunteer & are truly involved. Are you a PTA member, have you volunteered or reached out to the PTA? The PTA @ the school is a new growing PTA & needs the support of more parents. I have a 3rd grader, this is the 2nd year here (come from private school) & the teachers, staff & administration have been very receptive and responsive. My child is learning, performs well & is involved in activities including the Target (gifted) program. I have also showed my support and volunteer. I wanted to move my child to another school in the district that is thought to be great, but CCSD does not offer school choice unless your school is a low performer and this school performs. Not as well as some of the higher rated schools, but those schools also have more parents that are involved. Teachers, staff & administration tend to be more excited & involved when parents are as well. I ve taken on the attitude of the best way to get your child into a great school is to make the one you are in great .
—Submitted by a parent

My child is a first year student at this newly named school (2012-2013). Since day one, although everyone is nice, I have been nothing but disappointed. From the prinicipal on down no one is accountable for their actions. (with the exception of the nurse who is a jewel). The PTA is a joke. There is poor communication. Notification that is sent home is last minute- 1 day in advance usually. I am not proud of the blue ribbon award. This means that the school went from sub par to close to par. I will be actively looking for a new school for the fall. I do not recommend this school. I had to lower my expectations to keep from pulling out my hair.
—Submitted by a parent

Under-rated by Great Schools. Deserves no < 8. Teachers & students do a great job. Students perform @ or above average on county and state test consistently. The area where the school lacks is parent/community involvement. Teachers & administration care, but need the parents help. This was the principal's first year & I can say he was visible. I have 1 child that attended 2010-11 school for 1st time & I was pleased w/ extra curricular and "special" class that were offered. The teachers were approachable and helpful. The next year 2011-12 my next child attended, but some of the activities were missing due to one teacher retiring, another let go due to budget cuts and parents not stepping in to fill gaps. There is an active PTA, but it is a small core group of really involved parents who can not carry the entire school. Parents have to understand they really can make a difference in their local school. The school has seen changes the last 4 yrs and it will see more change next year with the addition of K-1st grades and a new name. Administration, faculty, staff & parents, community leaders & businesses have ban together to make this a fun yet challenging learning environment. PTA!
—Submitted by a parent

I am very pleased with the progress that this school has made. I was a bit apprehensive when my gifted child was to attend here, but it seems that they are really making strives to make sure that the higher achiever is not too bored in class. More work needs to be done, but definitely a step in the right direction.
—Submitted by a parent

This school not only excells academically but also has a good heart : 1/2 of the Clarkdale Elementary students were moved to Austell Intermediate and were welcome with open arms. Now that's what I call a School of Excellence!
—Submitted by a parent

All 4 of my children have gone there, and I have been very pleased with both yeacher involvement with students, as well as Principal involvement with parents. Great work guys!!
—Submitted by a parent

My grandchildren attend Austell Intermediate School. It is a top notch school with high expectations for learning. The administrators are always visible and friendly. The assistant principal, Dr. Johnson, is first class.
—Submitted by a parent

it is sad that this school has such a poor rating form great schools.com, thr mandatory testing that is required for schools is only a small part of what the school really is. these test results dont explain how many children are ESL etc. It just gives an unfair number based on a bottom line result. The teachers at this school are warm and welcoming. There is great structure and you have to remember that we as parents have to give as much and more than these teachers that work hard everyday for our children, We have to provide a solid foundation for our children so that when they attend school they are ready to focus and succeed. I think Austell is a wonderful school and I am proud my daughter attends.
—Submitted by a parent

I feel that this is a great school. The teachers are caring and they work really hard to ensure the students are learning. They spend alot of time planning and spending time after school. As a parent, we need to spend more time at the school. I volunteer and I don't see our faces. I see faces of other parents and we make up majority of the student population. We need to be more visible!!! Don't you love the Asst. Principal Dr. Johnson...She is awesome. Yes, my son has been in the office and she kept it real. She doesn't tell you what you want to hear, she tells you what you need to do. I think Mr. Terza is a good guy. He has lead the school in the right direction and they are doing well on the CRCT.
—Submitted by a parent

This is an excellent school. Mr. Terza has really done well. The teachers are awesome. My twin boys have attended Austell for six years. It is so sad that they will not be attending there next year. They will be moving on to middle school. Great school!
—Submitted by a parent

Over time things are getting better. The teachers care and the admin is helpful. The school can use a few more extracurricular activities for sure. We are so happy to see that discipline is so much less of a problem than it has been in years past. Thanks for all the hard work.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my daughter's second year here, and I must say that it is progressively getting better. Mr. Terza is really listening to what the parents have to say and doing his best to make the environment a great place to learn. My daughter and I are enjoying our time here and all the good things to come!
—Submitted by a parent

This is the 6th year my boys have attended Austell. They have always made excellent scores on the CRCT. Mr. Terza and the staff are dedicated to the children. A lot of the children get out of hand which is a preanting issue.
—Submitted by a parent

So many of these reviews are old. Austell has a new principal since most of them. My grandson attended Austell and I was impressed with the level of commitment from the teachers and the principal. I don't think this can be an easy school to teach at but most teachers work very hard.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has been at Austell Intermediate since 2nd grade & is now in the 5th. I am very dissappointed with the principal and staff. The children are not being challenged. The tutoring programs are horrible & there is little or no homework & my son has never had to do any reports or research on any topics. Thank God we are moving to a great area this summer. This school will not succeed because the principal is too busy being in denial instead of fixing the problems that parents address as concerns. Don't make the mistake of sending your children there.
—Submitted by a parent

Austell is not a good school for any child. The children are not taught anything, the teachers are having to be more concerned with the ill behaving students that cause disruption from learning. My niece and nephew were attending Austell and did not like it at all. The teachers, for the most part, tried to make Austell a good learning environment, but one person can only do so much when there are 10-15 kids out of a class of 25 that do nothing but yell, argue and disrupt the children who do want to learn. Now they are in a different public school, and after only 1 week there, are loving it more than they ever did Austell.
—Submitted by a parent

My son had attended Austell elementary this past fall. We were apprehensive about putting him in school there beacause of the school's low scores. However, we were hopeful and took the plunge. I can only say that our experience there was about what we had expected, only worse. Despite Austell's struggle for improvement,t hey are failing those children miserably. The emphasis is so much on work and scores, that there is little or no time for recreation and socialization. Children need this in order to motivate them to learn. In Austell's defense, the reading labs were a good decision, but as for the rest of the school experience, we weren't happy, my child was not happy, even the teachers didn't seem happy. We have moved to a new public school that chooses to mix learning with fun. My son is excelling and loves going to school again.
—Submitted by a parent

My experience at Austell has been, and continues to be be very positive. Dr. Kitchens was great until she retired and Mrs. Jackson has been equally as good. The front office is always friendly and helpful thanks to Mrs. Bates. My son has gotten good grades, learned so much, and loves school thanks to Mrs. Dennison (K), Mr Kuzner(1st), and Ms. Adcock(2nd)!
—Submitted by a parent

Overall the school has been a great school for my son in his fist three years of attending Austell Elementary however each year has been basically the same no better, no worse. I'm looking for things to better here in the coming year. His teachers have been wonderful!
—Submitted by a parent

This school has consistently low test scores. The principal told me an ITBS score of 16 for first graders was better than they should be. GO figure. The school has a diverse student body, but this is not reflected on the teaching staff. The lack of role models contribute to the discipline problem. The teachers have low expectations and assign minimal homework. The principal told a complaining parent of a 5th grader, homework is given at the teachers discretion. Parents who show up to volunteer in the classrooms aren't utilized. The principal was fired in 2004, so maybe the school will improve. Fortunately, NCLB gave parents a choice to transfer to a better school. We left!
—Submitted by a parent