Bailey Middle School

My son actually loves this school! He says the teachers are fantastic and he's in all AP Classes. He also loves the Lamas Team and being on the orchestra!
--Submitted by a parent

My child is a seventh grader at Bailey and we are equally as thrilled this year, as we were last year. Our sixth grade team of teachers were outstanding in every way and we are finding seventh grade equally as wonderful, if not even better. My child loves every teacher and the teachers find a way of relating to the students and making each student feel counted. My child is striving academically, thanks to this great group of hard working teachers. I can't say enough! Bailey is a great school and we feel lucky to call it our own! I can just say,"Keep up the Great work Bailey!" Go Broncos!
--Submitted by a parent

Bailey Middle School scores high with 6th grade students and parents. It's the passion and caring of the 6th grade teams that brings parents and students to Bailey, but once they enter the 7th and 8th grade teams it leaves them running and screaming for the door. All too often do I hear stories of passionless teachers, snide and insulting comments made to students by teachers, teachers not standing up for students being bullied, and countless scenarios in which the adults "in charge" undermine the success of an individual. I think the Principal at this school has a strong vision and mission for her students, but has a few on the payroll that are not getting the message. Why do we keep teachers that don t set the example, or guide our youth with passion? Why keep teachers when they have preformed as immaturely as the students they teach? While I do believe that my child is receiving a good education, I know that once we entered the upper grades the caring and passion was lost, and we were repeatedly told "We are preparing them for High School." Come on Bailey Middle... Really?
--Submitted by a parent

Allow me to preface my statement: Yes, I am a person of color and no, I do not find racism in all situartions. I am a graduate of Marquette University and my husband is a college graduate as well. We are new to this school. The demographic at this school, per Great Schools is 75% white, 14% Afrcan American and 9% Hispanic. However, this demographic is not representative in the cheerleading or basketball teams. In fact, at this time, there are no children of color on the cheerleading team. From the photos I've seen of past teams, there is a huge lack of children of color represented in the photos. I have yet to see what will happen with the spring sports, band, and chorus. I did note that there were several African American boys on the football team, although again, the team was majority white. I find it hard to believe that there are not more children of color that can qualify for cheerleading or basketball. Not sure what is going on here but it is quite concerning.
--Submitted by a parent

Academics are probably similar to other middle schools in the district, but the biggest problem at Bailey is the way the asst. principals routinely scream at the kids. (I do mean scream; one AP loses her voice every week or two from screaming.) If one student breaks a rule, all 100 or more in the group are yelled at and are punished with "silent lunch" or other restrictions. The kids learn that they will be punished and yelled at whether they do right or wrong. The principal and her boss have been alerted to this unprofessional way of treating students, but it continues. We left Bailey after 2 years of hoping it would improve and being continually disappointed. Several other honor roll students also left the school, in favor of private or charter schools.
--Submitted by a parent

Bullying is an issue. CMS elementary schools do not grade students on behavior -- only on academics. Therefore, Bailey is fed a bunch of rowdy and unruly students. At Bailey their main tool for discipline in class seems to be yelling and reprimanding. I would certainly look into private schools as a back up. I recommend McKinney Academy which is adding 6th grade in Fall 2010 and will add a grade each year. The other private schools are academically strong like McKinney but don't seem to have the positive classroom management methods, and may not be as nurturing and encouraging. Realtors will tell you all about the charter schools, but it's next to impossible to get into them. CMS needs to research which states have had the most success with their classroom management and to adopt those methods. Colorado (after what it learned from Columbine) would be a good place to start. I am giving Bailey three stars because I see the teachers and PTA trying to make it a good school. However, it is being fed with CMS kids that have never been graded on behavior and have been yelled at and harshly reprimanded since kindergarten no wonder there s bullying.
--Submitted by a parent

Very Unhappy with Bailey Middle! Parents have no voice in children's education there. School is run by the iron fist of the Principle, who appears to not even take the teacher's opinions into account when making decisions. Teachers have little to no control over students and lack maturity, often screaming at classes to try to gain control. This was our two oldest first experience in public school and the filth they and stories they reported to us is shocking.
--Submitted by a parent

Bullying is over the top, and supported by the administrative staff. We have pulled our children out after one month, and placed them in private schools. No wonder CMS is one of the worst school districts in the country.
--Submitted by a parent

I am very dissatisfied with the administration at this school. I am new to the area, and have heard that changes are being made overall in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, but I think Bailey is the worst of the worst. If you are looking at a home in this area, do yourself a favor and check out the local private schools. I am not exaggerating when I say it could save your child's life. Local kids will bully your child for being from out of town and administrators will not back your child up and will do everything in their considerable power to have your student removed and not the bully.
--Submitted by a parent

The faculty and staff really care about the students.