Penn Elementary School

My children have had great experiences at this school. Despite the fact that one is special needs and the other is gifted both have done very well at Penn. The teachers and principle have been very responsive to any concerns and have always treated myself and my children with the greatest respect. I don't see any issue with academics or staff.
--Submitted by a parent

My Child went to Penn Elementary from grades K thru 6. I also have been disappointed that my child was not learning academic concepts at Penn. During 5th and 6th grades my child always had home work that required hours of help. This tells me that my child was not being taught in the classroom. The student to teacher ratio is appalling with the 6th grade year being 33 to 1. I don't care how good a teacher is you can not reach every student with so many. I felt the teachers focused more on who they could teach and if they couldn't help some students they passed them on to the next grade anyway. Of course my child enjoyed the teachers and enjoys school but when there is 8 hours of school and 2 hours of homework for a 5th and 6th grader something is not being taught during the day. Sometimes I feel Penn was a day care center and it was my responsibility to teach my child. I completely agree with the previous 2 ratings!!
--Submitted by a parent

Very dissapointed in the academic's of penn elementary. It lacks an enviroment for learning with it's poor leadership, communication and structure. Any communication that did occurr was always initiated by the parent. When followup did occurr it was not done in a timely manner. If concerns were addressed and your view was different than that of the schools, be prepared for a roller coaster ride. Our student has been removed from this environment by the recommendations of professionals from several departments. Too all parents - speak up for your child, you know your child best.
--Submitted by a parent

Staff is very friendly and welcoming, but academics leave something to be desired. My child is not learning the academic concepts I would expect and we have to work more at home to compensate for what is not being presented in school. Classroom is sparse and students have more free time than structured learning experiences. Lack of communication from teacher and there is very little follow through. Toys are allowed at school and present a distraction to academics, in my opinion. School is lacking in visual appeal and there needs to be more student work displayed in the hallway. My child really enjoys attending school here, but I definitely would like to see more of an academic focus. Due to the competitiveness of employment within the ICCSD, I would have expected a lot more from Penn Elementary School.
--Submitted by a parent

Both of my children have or are going to this school very friendly staff that keeps us uptodate and if any concerns will contact you!
--Submitted by a parent

I'm really surprised that anyone would rate Penn lower than a 5. We have two children in Penn and we are very pleased with the teaching and administrative staff. They are excellent!
--Submitted by a parent

Our family is very happy with Penn Elementary. The teachers and principle are caring and take action when needed to help a child with any issues that may be present. They have helped our child grow in amazing ways when they were having social difficulty. We will be sending all of our children to Penn!
--Submitted by a parent

Penn Elementary is a caring and supportive school for the 400+ students there. The teachers work hard to provide excellent academic instruction under the guided leadership of its principal. Penn's PTO is very involved at the school and has raised enough money to recently install $50,000 in new playground equipment. The principal is constantly trying to work collaboratively with staff, teachers and parents to find new ways to improve the lives of the students at Penn. My daughter loves going to school there!
--Submitted by a parent

I've found that Penn Elementary is probably the worst school I've ever encountered. They lack in professionalism, and are very unorganized.
--Submitted by a parent