East Silver Spring Elementary School

We love ESS! Our two children attend--the oldest is in 3rd grade and the youngest is in kindergarten. We love the low student to teacher ratio, and the fact that the school was newly renovated and expanded two years ago. No pods/temporary classrooms due to overcrowding here! Our 3rd grader has had accelerated reading and math since kindergarten, and is now at a 5th grade math level. (This is compared to statewide/nationwide standards, by the way, not due to artificial grade inflation.) We love the diversity of the school! It gives our children an enriching educational experience where they can learn about other cultures and other socio-economic groups first-hand. Plus, the community is welcoming and inclusive.
—Submitted by a parent

My son goes to school here and is in a class of 16 children with two teachers. The amount of individual attention he gets is amazing, and is better than most private schools in the area.
—Submitted by a parent

Because it supports the learning of all its students by setting high expectations and working to achieve them.

ESS is fantastic! It is a Title I school, which means that it gets extra funding. The class sizes are at an average of 13 to 1. The Administration is supportive and nurturing. Our son is in the middle of 1st grade. I can't wait for our youngest to start kindergarten in 2010. We are so lucky to have this school in our backyard. The staff and the specialty teachers are attentive and engaged.
—Submitted by a parent

ESS is a small primary school in a quiet Downtown Silver Spring neighborhood. Excellent administrators and teachers have taken ESS from an under-performer to a school with steady academic improvement. It is a school on the right track. ESS is scheduled to expand to 5th grade in the next few years.
—Submitted by a parent

ESS has a very diverse population and excellent staff. The teachers are dedicated and hard working. Parent involvement could be better. Many of the parents are first generation immigrants from Africa and Latin America. It is difficult to get them to actively engage in school activities. That said, the parents do feel a strong connection to the school and feel it is serving their childrn well.
—Submitted by a parent