Marvin Elementary School

Overall I have enjoyed having my children (3) attend this school. I think it has the potential to be a fantastic school but needs to control the turnover, which the school has had a tremendous amount of. The parent involvement is great and the general feel is very positive. Having new teachers and shifting teachers each year is beginning to pose a challenge. We are beginning to feel the brunt of the lack of experience, structure and knowledge a seasoned teacher provides to a classroom/school. I sincerely hope the school establishes stability among it's teachers, consistency from year to year and an established way of measuring and producing results (we have seen how widely it can vary depending on the teacher).
—Submitted by a parent

The parent involvement is extremely high, the principal and the teachers are all very good. My daughter enjoys learning and has advanced very quickly in her math and reading capabilities. Unfortunately there was high turnover at the 1st grade level going into 2008, which was indicative of higher pay in Mecklenburg County. A teacher's dream to work at this school will keep the good teachers who are truly teachers versus young teachers chasing higher pay.
—Submitted by a parent

I couldn't be happier. My son is flourishing & actually loves school since he started going to Marvin Elementary. His teacher is amazing... spends so much time one-on-one with her students as she has a full-time TA. J has improved so much in his reading, writing, math, etc., in just the few months he's been there. We hope he can stay in this school for the remainder of his elementary school years.
—Submitted by a parent

The school has been through some changes in the last couple of years, but has come out even better and stronger. The new administration is highly dedicated and involved with the teachers, students and parents regularly. We are looking forward to another great year!
—Submitted by a parent

I have to agree with the parent writing on April 2006. With a new principal coming in I can only hope things improve.
—Submitted by a parent

We've had childern at Marvin since it opened and were proud to be Marvin parents. Sadly, the founding principal moved on in 11/05 and this school has changed. The new principal is seldom visible to the students and grudgingly available to parents - a stark contrast to her predecessor. We fear the quality of teachers will go down because of the administration. The administration lacks experience and it shows. What's happened to this school is sad. We're now considering private school for our kids!
—Submitted by a parent

My son has attended Marvin Elementary for the past three years and I enjoy it more and more each year. The school has the most enthusiastic principal who is always challenging the kids to beter themselves and parent involvement surpasses my expectations. Music, computer lab and art are one to two times a week class and teachers are of high caliber.
—Submitted by a parent

Great principal! A lot of parent involvement.
—Submitted by a parent

Those looking to relocate to any school in Union County need to be aware of the fact that corporal punishment is alive and well in North Carolina, one of 22 states where it is still legal. In fairness to Marvin elementary, this principal has chosen to not use this form of discipline, but any principal in the county may use a paddle on any student, and parental consent is not required. I think that this speaks volumes for a mindset that exists in a school system, and the presence of corporal punishment suggests a system that is out of date with current strategies and schools of thought when it comes to effective discipline. Again, kudos to this school and its staff for not hitting children, but there is no guarentee that the next principal will feel the same way. The Office of civil rights tracks the number of children hit each year, verify any school.
—Submitted by a parent

We moved to this area from out of state and were concerned about the school system. However, Marvin Elementary has proved to be a school of very high standards. My little girl tells me every day how happy she is to go to school there. The teachers and leadership at the school are incredible. I am so happy to be a part of this school.
—Submitted by a parent

Marvin is led by the most awesome Principal. The students excell in all areas of academics, the school's culture is warm, inviting, the atmosphere comes straight from the top. The only complaint I have about this school, and it stems from a District and County issue, is the severe overcrowding. We are in our third year with this brand new school. It was built to house 750 students. We now have roughly 1240 students, and 26 trailors on site, or as we prefer to call them, 'learning cottages'. Even with the overcrowding, I cannot express how much we enjoy the 'Marvin Experience.' Parents are valued and welcome to interface with all staff. There is two way communication. The staff here at this school is here for the children. We are grateful that they chose to 'Empower' vs 'Overpower' our children. Not all schools in this county are like this. Marvin is best!
—Submitted by a parent