Shawnee Elementary School

This is a great school and I'm surprised by the poor ratings here. A lot of them seem to deal with the principal and special needs department. Well, I guess I would say that on the other side of the coin if you don't have a special needs child or don't need to deal with the principal (I'll leave that alone as to why you might be dealing with them so much??!!?) then this school is great. Teachers are awesome we have had so far and the different special events they do at the school (Art event, Fun Run, etc.) are really good. Oh and I was at the Fun Run 2 weeks ago and the principal was there so I can confirm she does show up to some things, heh-he. I also know they have addressed a lot of the safety concerns in some of the old reviews here. It's not Fort Knox by any stretch but it's getting better. And my child is really learning a lot which is the most important thing! Look at the test scores and stats.
--Submitted by a parent

I would say there's alot of people who work there that seems like they don't like kids!!!
--Submitted by a parent

Some excellent teachers work at this school but the weak leadership from the principal undermines their efforts. Securityis lacking, parents are allowed to walk in at anytime. The kindergarten pod should be lockedand only accessible with a passkey. Rude, unhelpfull Office staff create a cold environment. Principal rarely ventures out of her office.
--Submitted by a parent

School safety is a main concern at this point. I have been witness to the madness of dismissal and it is a wonder a child hasn't been kidnapped or seriously injured. I would think the principal would be more open to ideas on fixing the problems instead of her 'moving along' attitude and her 'hands are tied' approach. Very sad that the safety of of children ties her hands.
--Submitted by a parent

I have been in this school since it's inception. The teachers are great but the Principal is so impersonal and unapproachable that it puts a cloud over our school and gives it a bad reputation. She, along with other staff, shows no love for these kids. They are too busy 'running a business' instead of getting involved with the kids and parents. Sad, sad, sad. She should not be at the elementary level. We need a fun-loving, outgoing Principal. I am positive we would get more volunteers if it were not for the Principal.
--Submitted by a parent

I completely agree with the October 24th post. Another school function and the principal is no where to be found!! I volunteer at the school and can honestly say that I can count on one hand how many times I have seen the Principal at all--and my child has been attending Shawnee since it opened. The complaints about the yelling and disrespect toward the students from the Lunch Ladies is unbelievable!! I know parents that have complained and nothing was done so they have personally gone up to talk to them and still there have been no changes!!This is sad--but I guess I should be thankful that the teachers are awesome!!
--Submitted by a parent

I have been at Shawnee since it has opened and have 2 more years to go. I agree at the begining Shawnee had gotten off to a slow star with many things, but It has come a long way. We now have several childern in our school with special needs and they get all the help needed buy some very wonderful teachers. If you have opinions or would just like to know more come to one of our PTO meetings.
--Submitted by a parent

Teachers are great, but as for the office staff and principal, huge dissappointment. They do not have your childs best interest in mind they only have their own. As all the other posts stated security is very poor as well. Chippewa Valley District has incredible schools but not his one.
--Submitted by a parent

This is not the school to consider if you have a special needs child. The principal is worthless (for lack of a better word) and does NOTHING to make sure the teachers or staff follow through with plans for helping the children. We finally pulled our child out of this school after 8 meetings in the course of 6 months to get him the assistance that he needed. We recently had another meeting with the Superintendent of Chippewa Valley to make sure he knew how disappointed and frustrated we were. I would highly recommend finding another school in the district for any child. Shawnee is NOT the place for any child who needs assistance.
--Submitted by a parent

I am very happy with this school. My daughter loves going to school, and has had great teachers. I have not had problems with the principal. The parents can be unfriendly, yes, but I feel that each person needs to take responsibility for this themselves. Also with parent involvement, I feel you can be as involved as you want to be. Safety is an issue, however.
--Submitted by a parent