Burns Park Elementary School

Such a unique community, Burns Park has amazing teachers - the faculty is very responsive and cares about the kids. Programs like the community garden, Walk and Talk program, Burns Park Foreign Language Initiative, Burns Park Players, Burns Park run..the list goes on, all add to the sense of community you feel as a BP family. High test scores (above A2 average) and high parent involvement are more reasons this school gets 5 stars.
--Submitted by a parent

Burns Park School is a good, not great school. Because of the high praise that this school receives by word-of-mouth, I can only surmise that it has been resting on its laurels for quite a few years now. The administration is completely unreceptive to ideas that are not its own. While our children have had some very good (not excellent) teachers, they have also had some wretched ones. The abysmal teachers are protected by the administration under the penumbra of faded excellence. If it weren't for the high level of parent involvement, Burns Park would be an also-ran, slightly below average school.
--Submitted by a parent

Its programs (such as the foreign language initiative), its garden, teachers and staff. My daughter is in kindergarten and reading amazingly well.
--Submitted by a parent

A good school, not a great school, with dissent being stifled. Some good teachers, a well organized school.
--Submitted by a parent

I have mixed feelings about this school. When we moved to this town two years ago we heard absolutely glowing reviews of the school. It is true that the parent involvement is amazing, range of activities that they organize are amazing. The teachers however, are remarkably uninspired and uninspiring for all the hype. The principal is quite helpful and perceptive and spends a lot of time in the classrooms and is a very useful person to talk to. The classroom teachers that my child had the past two years were really very very average. They do not motivate children to do more, they do not inspire creativity or originality and do not seem to really have any ideas for how to inspire the children to be 'life long learners'. Exceptions are art and music teachers who are very good.
--Submitted by a parent

I have two children enrolled at this phenomenal school- great teachers, very responsive to student's individual needs and incredible parental involvement. Indeed, each time I walk my children to the front door, I am so thankful they are enrolled at Burns Park Elementary.
--Submitted by a parent

The administration is very understanding and helpful. the parents are very involved and raise extra money for the school's needs. There are more community outreach programs like lunches with love and races and community service projects than I have seen elsewhere. And the Burns Park Players (community theater, usually musicals) incorporates kids from the school who want to participate into their always great productions. It has its own wonderful park attached complete with a sledding hill. What more could a kid ask for?
--Submitted by a parent

Good school, but there some teachers that are very good and others that are awful. Parents considering this school should do a lot of research. The Principal is fine--unless you actually have a question or a problem. Creativity is not encouraged, and the implementation of the anti-bullying program has resulted in things like the kids not being allowed to play tag, only being allowed to play in groups with a certain number of kids, and not being allowed to use imagination games. There is still plenty of bullying.
--Submitted by a parent

We have been very pleased w/this school. While not perfect, it has much to offer. I've found that the principal and teachers are very responsive--our son happened to get two of the best (anywhere) in his two years here. There's respect for individual difference...an anti-bullying program was instituted on the playground a few years ago. Once a week there are multi-age groupings for Community Circle led by teachers. Parent PTO involvement is very active--you get to choose your speed. The specials are wonderful...gym, art, music, media. The social, o/t, psych, speech teachers are great but shared with other schools so not always onsite. There's a helpful Teacher Consultant and her assistant in the Resource Room. While there is a separate room sponsored by WISD for children w/more severe developmental challenges, it would be a good learning experience if some kids from both groups were able to interact occasionally.
--Submitted by Jill, a parent

What a great school! The friendly teachers and wonderful program has been a joy!
--Submitted by a teacher