Fieldstone Elementary School

We are the parents of two children in this district. We thought that this was supposed to be a really good school district. We are very involved with our children and academics. I am currently looking to pull our children from this district for several reasons! Anytime that we have expressed a concern, our requests have fallen on deaf ears. This district seems to really be a magnet for children that have special needs and learning disablilities. However, my children are suffering because they are not in that catagory, and do not recieve the attention that they need for being smart kids. There are too many disaplinary problems in the class room for the teachers to deal with, and the other children are the ones that pay for it. Our second grader is asking to be sent to a new school for this very reason. Yes I said second grader! Another important point to make is that one time every week our elementary schools have something called "collaboration". The kids are all brought into the gym to walk in cirles, like cattle, so that the teachers can spend 20 minutes meeting with each other. This takes away so much time from the class, and why can't the teachers just stay a little longer?
--Submitted by a parent

This is an Excellent school in a great District. The teachers, principal, and staff really care about the students. My son is struggling with reading and he is now in three separate reading programs to offer him the help he needs. He also had a problem with speech. He was accessed right away and put into a a special learning program and he no longer has an issue. There are also a lot of activities to foster learning and community involvement, or just have fun. We love this school.
--Submitted by a parent

I can not say enough about how great this school is. I have witnessed first hand bullying that has been quickly and effectively addressed. The students are very respectful of all adults on campus which is hard to find these days. I have been able to volunteer and have never felt like I was not allowed to see how the school truly works. The administration is very open to meeting with and helping parents in the shared goal of educating the students not only academically, but with character as well. Due to moving, we have been through 4 schools in 1 1/5 years and this is the best district we have found in MN. Great school, great administration, great teachers, great students!
--Submitted by a parent

Fieldstone Elementary has been a wonderful fit for my son. He has been challenged by all of his teachers and absolutely loves school. He has always been a fairly quiet student and well-mannered and he has nothing but great things to say about this school. My wife has been actively volunteering in the school and has rated it top notch. Fieldstone is just another great school in the district. Don't let one parent's gripes (all of the negative postings were listed on the same day) distract you from a great school district!
--Submitted by a parent

We ignored a negative review on this sight about the STMA School District thinking it was just one parents perspective. However, after the past 1 1/2 years at STMA, my advice to any parent looking at this district is to go somewhere else! The bullying in this district is out of control and is not effectively dealt with by administration or the majority of teachers in a proactive or reactive manner. Yes, they have 'anti-bullying workshops' for students and staff; and thats as far as it goes. Anti-bullying is not truly taught or reinforced any further than the workshop. As if the learning environment itself is not negative enough, teachers/admistration are not open to real parent participation in their childs academic success. If your child has a different learning style (not related to special needs), this district is not willing to do what is necessary to ensure their success.
--Submitted by a parent

I completely agree with the first post submitted on March 7, 2005. After 1 very difficult years at STMA for us, and our children, we also chose to remove our children from this district and they are now thriving: both academically and emotionally at the new school.
--Submitted by a parent

I strongly encourage anyone considering this school district to talk to parents who currently have children enrolled there. You will get a much more accurate picture of the current issues and problems the schools are experiencing from parents or students. In my opinion, persons at the school administrative levels are making a considerable amount of poor decisions regarding discipline, teacher hiring, finances, and education in general. Our children have attended the schools in this district for a couple years. We are deeply disappointed with the follow through on the bullying and education policies and have chosen to remove our children from the school, as are many parents. The administration is either unwilling or unable to effectively address the many long-standing issues brought forth by parents and students and the learning environment is suffering. Please exercise extreme caution when considering this school as a possible choice for your child/ren.
--Submitted by a parent