R B McAllister Elementary School

What a wonderful school. I have 3 children attending and everyone has loved every minute. What a shame when people use the internet to vent their emosions. This school has been here a long, long time and through every generation they have held the childrens best interest as their only concern. Staff is very genuine and easy to talk to, student to teacher ratio is perfect and the families are very involved. It takes a village to raise a child and that is what r brown is all about. Every school has its ups and downs but R Brown has consistantly given children a quality eduacation for years and strives to continue to do so well into the future!
—Submitted by a parent

My son has been attending this school for two years now and is currently in the first grade. We have been nothing but happy with the school and it's staff, including the principal. We are FAR from "rich" and aren't extremely social people so aren't in any "cliques" as stated by previous posters and we and our son have had a very positive experience during the time he's attended there. The classes are challenging and the staff is very polite, friendly and have quickly addressed any concerns we might have. Same goes for the principal. The only thing I agree with in the other ratings is that I have found several of the parents to be somewhat "snooty" and not very friendly with those they perceive as 'less than' them. But as for the school and it's staff, I really have no complaints.
—Submitted by a parent

It might require more of a challenge to the teachers, but not every kid learns in the same way so it would be a big help to expand your teaching skills to help every child achieve success. If a child is struggling it should be the teacher's job to find a teaching method that helps them instead of letting them fall through the cracks. I believe this school should have more resources, such as tutors and one on one help. They should also be more constructive after conferences and recognize the differences in learning styles that kids have. Yes, this is a nice small school and yes, some of the teachers are great, but there are also a lot of problems here if your child has ANY kind of special needs. I'm not referring to special education, I'm referring to different needs or extra help. There are a lot of nice people at this school but my child's needs are consistently being brushed aside and he is allowed to keep struggling.
—Submitted by a parent

I have worked at R. Brown for a number of years serving ALL children who enter my classroom. I don't believe that I cater to any student or parent. I choose to stay at R. Brown because of our small community and my love for our school. I feel blessed to work with an innovative group of women who continually strive to be better each year. I wake up each day eager to teach your children; I do this with the knowledge that I may be considered undesirable. I hope that one day you see what I see in our little school.
—Submitted by a teacher

The previous review is spot on. In addition: - The principal is only in this position as a stepping stone to a county or city school administrative position. He doesn't care about students or parents. He sends his elementary-aged child to a Charlotte school rather than attending his school. - Parents in the clique get the choice teachers. There seems to be one undesirable teacher per grade (except kindergarten).
—Submitted by a parent

This school has issues. It's basically a legacy school where the staff and parents cater to one select group of students and the others students get the shaft. This school doesn't meet their test scores, passes students who don't even pass their EOGs, and the parent involvement consists of a small clique of snooty, rude people who don't care about OTHER people's kids. The principal has a pie job, he does not handle things effectively, because he doesn't HAVE to. They ignore parent concerns. If you're part of the legacy and rich you will breeze through with your brats. Other children are ignored while the teachers look the other way. And Mrs. Vandagriff needs to stop yelling at students, tt is not acceptable. Most other normal parents I know do not like this school. The ones who like it have always been in the tight clique around here. I got news for them. ALL kids matter, not just yours.
—Submitted by a parent