Northside Elementary School

Northside has been a very nice place for my three kids, they all have special needs and the staff has done a wonderful job with them, as parents we do stay very involved with their education, it makes a difference when teachers know you are also involved with them to bring out the best in your child.
--Submitted by a parent

I moved to Ann Arbor for the public schools and diversity. Northside meets all of my expectations: wonderful diversity, great leadership, excellent teachers.
--Submitted by a parent

Ann Arbor Schools are some of the best in the state, and Northside is pretty typical. It does have some of the highest diversity of Ann Arbor schools, since many University of Michigan Grad students - from around the world - send their kids here. Both of our kids have gone to Northside, and they've had a great experience. Our oldest is now at Clague Middle School, and getting all 'A's, so her preparation for middle school was excellent. The teachers always greet us, the principal is experienced, involved, and approachable. While many parents are actively involved, we often have families who don't like the diversity and don't get involved at the school. The only problem we've found is discipline problems in some classrooms and sometimes at lunch, and staff turnover. These are problems at all elementaries.
--Submitted by a parent

We will be transferring to Logan Elementary next fall. My daughter was one of 51 kids in her class. There are two teachers but I feel that the kids are left to figure things out on their own a lot. I also have a lot of safety concerns with Northside. there is no fence around the playground which is right next to a parking lot. On the other side of the playground is a public restroom. I've seen kids leave the playground during recess go into the parking lot and get in a car. (I'm assuming it was her parent) she sat and talked for a while and then ran back and got in line when it was time to go it, without any staff noticing. If they did they didn't care. I've also seen high school age kids cut through the playground during recess without being stopped.
--Submitted by a parent

The general feeling of Northside is a rather unwelcoming, gloomy environment. Teachers rarely greet parents, no art is displayed for the children, bulletin boards are bare and rarely does the staff attend any of the family events. The lunchroom supervisors seem inexperienced and lax. We pulled our son out of Northside after the first year. We felt he never received the extra help he needed in mathematics and fell through the cracks. His classroom was overcrowded and he did not seem to flourish. His teacher seemed very standoffish and a stickler for discipline. I felt very uneasy dropping him in the morning and wondering what other issue would crop up by the afternoon.
--Submitted by a parent

While some older reviews complain of spotty teacher quality and an uninterested principal, this is clearly not the case any more. The PTO is active and very involved. The current principal also regularly demonstrates her commitment to the children's success.
--Submitted by a parent

My son attends this school (K) Under Title I, he went in one day and came out reading books from cover to cover the same day.
--Submitted by a parent

Northside is a great school. Its diverse, has strong parent involvement, and has great teachers. I have two children in the school, and each has had a good experience every year. The Title 1 program is also an great -- offering students small-group tutoring on reading, writing and math.
--Submitted by a parent

Northside is a great school with diverse students and strong parent involvement. I have two children in grades 1 and 4, and they have both had good experiences. The Title 1 program is also a great help, offering small-group tutoring in reading, writing and math.
--Submitted by a parent

My experience with Northside was not good. My son was assigned to go to first grade there (2004 - 2005). The grade was over-crowded, my child changed classrooms in the morning and afternoon to have 2 different teachers. I was not impressed with the afternoon teacher and I agree with the other parents about inconsistent quality in teachers.
--Submitted by a parent