Franklin Elementary School

My children have attended Franklin School for 5 years and have learned a lot from their very qualified teachers. The teachers get the students interested in the subject matters, they give varied book reports, and in the early grades are very firm on students reading and recording their reading time every night. My children score well on tests and homework, and they are given more advanced reading and taught more advanced ways of solving problems so they stay interested. I believe the administration maintains good control over the students, and I have been in the school and watched the children walking quietly and orderly within their lines. During parent-teacher conferences, the teachers are very thorough and address any concerns you have about your child. My daughter is very inspired by the principal and feels honored to be allowed to have lunch with her and other students on occasion. I think both the teachers and administration are doing a great job!
—Submitted by a parent

It provides a wonderful, balanced education. The teachers are marvelous. The staff is efficient and personable; a joy to work with. And the extra-curricular activities are an added bonus to an already fine experience.

My child attended here in the 04 to 05 year for kindergarten. i was very happy with the education she recieved. as well as the teachers she had who took an intrest and were commited to teaching the students and they always answered my concerns when messages were left. overall i was pleased with franklin elementry. we have since moved, so she no longer attends there, dont let these reviews scare you. as with anything my motto is to focas on education and not worry about what others think. many have left negative comments on the staff or principals and i feel they are dedicated and trying hard to do there job, teaching our kids....
—Submitted by a parent

Some of these reviews are written by disgruntled staff members who are no longer working at Immaculate Conception thank goodness. There can be nothing negative said by current employees who love their students and have dedicated their lives to teaching them. Two words people 'Terra Nova'! Please keep in mind that not only are our scores tremendous but our students are well rounded, morally and socially balanced and well educated. Parents both private and public from endless districts vie for seats at Pope John XXIII in Sparta, NJ and Immaculate's students not only aced the exam but were complimented by the principal of Pope John with a gift of a 'smart board' used by the eighth grade. Oh, one more thing.... playground??? Is this a major concern? I don't send my kids to Immaculate to play. Seriously now. What on earth does this have to do with quality education?
—Submitted by a parent

The overall quality of this school is great! Academic Programs are first rate! This school offers a spectacular music program with 2 very devoted and caring music teachers, home economics, art, etc. Parents are very involved!
—Submitted by debbie yodice, a parent

The Franklin school system is top heavy with administration.With 3 highly qualified,well paid administrators in a system with a population of about 600 kids,you'd expect better test reults from the students and much higher morale within the staff.
—Submitted by a former student

i think this school has a great academic program and offers sports,music and arts to our children as well
—Submitted by a parent

Read other reviews, am shocked.Playground old? 8 Months young. Discipline? all time low, it was a neighboring town that made national TV for bullying. Unsupervised? 4 teachers & 2 administrators outside before & after school. PreK-3 students walked to buses by aides. Classifications must be signed off on by parents. ACE program for 5-8 gifted students.Programs prject based so homework isn't traditional. Books are available for every student. ASK! Balanced Literacy has K students reading K-3 students reading above grade level. Everyday Math has 2nd graders doing PI and alegebra work. open door policy to address concerns. BOE and HSA elected volunteer positions. no conflict at all majorit vote rules. Great staff & administration.
—Submitted by a parent

I have many years of experience working within this school. My children have all done or are doing wonderful. Any problems or concerns are quckly addressed with understanding and foresight. Teachers, staff, and administrators go out of their way to care for and educate children. The programs are reviewed regularly and innovative programs are added to improve overall education. Many sports activities and clubs to choose from. HSA a great group who works very hard to add many extras. BOE willingly listens and encourages parents to be involved. My oldest child now 20 & attending college recieved many opportunities based on the educational foundation built at this school. There is always room for improvement, however I am very pleased with the well rounded education my children received here. A great school with great people in decision making positions. No reason to be unhappy if you are truly involved in thbe process.
—Submitted by a parent

I have a hard time qualifying reading negative comments on a website where the comments can be posted anonymously. Is Franklin Elementary a bad school? Not at all. The teaching staff possesses a wealth of knowledge and work to pass that on to the children. Could our test scores be higher? Find me a school that doesn't want higher test scores. Programs are in place that hopefully will produce positive results (higher test scores). Should a school be judged solely on the outcome of state administered tests? Never! Walk through the school and look at the bulletin boards, listen to the band and chorus at concerts, see the school play in the spring, come to the annual 7th/8th science fair to see what the students can do, and see how many students make the honor roll each marking period. All this put together is what makes Franklin Elementary a great school.
—Submitted by a parent

I have read the reviews on our school. What I can't understand is how our teachers get four stars and the BOE and administration get a bad rap. Who do you think hires, interviews and approves these great teachers? They do. If it weren't for the administration our children wouldn't have those wonderful educators. I would like to know those that complained about our test scores researched our school first before they moved into our town. If they did, why are they here, and if they didn't, why not? As far as the BOE being the good old boys, the whole town voted those volunteers in. If they're wives are on the HSA, good for our schools, because those positions are also voted on by the families of our school. So what does that say, To me, that not many other volunteers are out there ready and willing.
—Submitted by a parent

Wait! My children attend this school and all of these are not necessarily accurate reviews. This site was given to me by someone trying to unseat incumbent BOE members. Now I know why! Children are doing fine, the administration is extremely caring and implementing new curriculum like Everyday Math and the students are doing very well with it. The problem is the math is taugh differently than the parents learned, therefore, wrong!? The new language curriculum has kindergarten students reading on 2nd grade level by the end of the year and 1st graders writing letters better than some 7th graders (who had the old curriculum in 1st grade!) Sounds like the only problems are with the parents, the students are doing well! The real estate market is still doing well, YOU can always move!
—Submitted by a teacher

Stay away from this school! It is one of the worst schools in Sussex County! You can learn more by comparing schools or visiting the NJ Department of Education website. The Administration and the Board of Education are terrible. The BOE is mostly made up of 'good ole boys' and do not welcome parental input. They are making decisions based on what the BOE president decides or what the superintendent wants. Parents are frustrated but their concerns fall on deaf ears. The HSA is primarily the wives of the BOE. No conflict of interest here! The teachers are awesome--the old timers have the most stamina. When a teacher does well in our school, the administration tries very hard to 'ruin' them. Good teachers are often moved from grade to grade or placed in study halls vs. having them teach more. Move to another town!
—Submitted by a staff

Ever since my son has attended this school, there has been some kind of conflict, be it academically or on a personal level. I feel that the principal of this school needs to practice their so-called 'zero tolerance' policy. I do not like it when my child comes home on a daily basis telling me he has been bullied or assaulted(1 police report filed to date). He had reported such instances a total of 5 last year. Their child study team was lacking until they hired Meg Gummere. If it weren't for Meg, my son would still not know how to read or count. The child psychologist needs to go back to where she came from, as she is no asset to this school. This school is VERY big on classifying. If your child is classified, GET INVOLVED, contact your doctor and discuss their findings. Get ALL the FACTS!
—Submitted by a parent

In 1995, my 8th grader began attending Franklin School. The school's outstanding Child Study Team helped her finish the year with pride, self assurance and a 10% IQ improvement. Today she is 24, a high school graduate with advanced certificates in child care study earning a decent living and is engaged to be married. My present 8th grader (honor roll since 5th grade) is very successful with the challenges, extracurricular activies and rewards the school offers. My 5th grader enjoys school, a Child Study Team meeting early in the year lead to honor roll achievement. Is there room for improvement with the School? Absolutely. The administration will be the first to admit it. My fair share of letters, phone calls and meetings has always been met with courtesy and prompt response. The music teacher is A+, sports & cheerleading award winners, clubs & counselor are terrific. My children are happy.
—Submitted by D H, a parent

The Administration tends to intimidate parents or teachers who try to get involved by asking questions or making suggestions. Gifted and talented children are left behind without valuable enrichment programs--the middle school kids must share books--the books are left in the classroom so all the children in a particular grade use the same book each period--so very little homework is given in grades 5-8. It is difficult for the kids to study--and on occasion when they have homework, they have nothing to refer to. Moving teachers around often does not give a teacher the opportunity to get comfortable teaching a level, it takes a few years to get the material perfect--see what works and what doesn't! This year, our terrific teachers had to learn 3 new programs including Everyday Math, which is a spiraling program--building on what they didn't learn last year in the old math program. Discipline is a huge problem in this school. At the end of the school day when the children leave the building, it is total chaos--kids are running, screaming, yelling. At neighboring elementary schools, the kids walk out of school quietly and orderly. In the Public school system, parents have the right to decide how their children will be educated--and this school needs to have more of its parents involved.
—Submitted by a teacher

I think that Franklin Elementary School is a good school with good teachers. The children seem to learning and seem to all be well adjusted. As far as shifting a teacher from grade to grade I am all for it because it gives a teacher the chance to expand themselves and it is good to have change in our lives. I am a very involved parent and wish others would come out and enjoy their childs school and activities. I think being involved helps a child and parent to keep up on the schools going ons. I have no negative response to my childs learning. I think that they work hard to bring a child who is struggling up to speed.

Children 1st grade through 8th grade virtually have no reference text books. Lunch is quiet, no talking or socializing. 'Everyday Mathematics' is now the math curiculum, which encourages calculators, and estimation rather than 'doing the math'. Many of the teachers are super teachers and good people. However, the school tends to shuffle the teachers from grade to grade too often. Children are frequently left unattended, especially at dismassial, when they should be boarding busses or leaving for home. The playground is dingy, small, and run down. It's a good town, and a nice area, but, in my opinion, the parents are left with the responsibility of educating their children - without the aid of school text books!