Partnership Elementary School

Walking into Partnership was a surprise. The place looks like a landfill or a scene from some post-apocalyptic movie. Recyclable materials seem to be spilling out nto the halls, due to some fuudraising endeavor. I will say that the staff spends a great deal of time teaching the three R's. Mind you that they are REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE, not READING, WRITING and ARITHMETIC. Oh well, I guess the world does need janitors.
—Submitted by a parent

Wow, I am sooo happy I did not listen to the reviews on this site. I did indeed come on the site prior to the school year and had grave reservations about sending my child there. I even agreed with a few of the posted comments as well after my first visit. BUT I took my child up there and it was over. My child has the BEST 5th grade team ever! They challenge my child and know him very well. He is engaged and loved having a locker. The parents are invited to the school anytime and it is in general, a happy place for all. Is any school perfect? No, but Partnership was the perfect choice for my child and if I had to do it all over again, all of my kids would have attended this school - no reservations! Come and see for yourself. The teachers are the best ever!!
—Submitted by a parent

Partnership starts out great in the lower grades. All of that ends once you reach 3rd grade, then quality and competency of the staff/faculty drop greatly. Our children are constantly ignored so the teachers can focus on individuals with behavior problems and/or low performance. If your child can meet the miminum standard at grade level, then do not expect them to go beyond that while at Partnership because flying below the radar is acceptable. The senior partners are all but useless and worry more about fundraising than actually educating the children in their care.
—Submitted by a parent

I think Partnership USED to be a great school; however, I do believe since the school leadership changed, so have the standards. My daughter who is several grade levels above her peers was constantly looked over so the teachers could focus on the low performing students and behavior problems. If you have a child with behavior problems, this would be a great school for you. If you would like your child to thrive academically, I wouldn't recommend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

I attended first through fifth grade at Partnership and was one of the first students when the school opened. Teachers catered to every need of students that lagged behind the rest of the class and neglected academically gifted students. The school won awards for raising the test scores of academically challenged students while average or above average students were ignored. A close friend of mine could not even read in the fifth grade. The school was underpopulated and having trouble attracting new students so they clung to their current students and prevented them from leaving the school. The only good thing that came from attending Partnership was the ability to choose almost any middle school I wanted since Partnership didn't feed into any specific middle school. It's been eight years since I've been there and the school may have changed dramatically in that time period. Elementary school is supposed to make your kids love learning but I have only bad memories. I know I won't be sending my future children here.

One of my children attended this school throughout her elementary school career; we were set to follow that same path with our other children. We appreciated the small size of the school and the academic calendar (modified schedule). My eldest child had a great first and fifth grade experience, and mediocre staff in between. A change in school leadership (principal and asst principal), however, sent this school down a bad road. Despite a great group of children from throughout the district and some strong faculty members, very inadequate leadership meant many children, parents and many faculty members were unsupported. A couple years back, more than 1/2 of the teaching staff were looking elsewhere in the system for new positions. Children -- of all backgrounds -- are met with low behavioral and academic expectations. Because of the inability of a teacher to manage her classroom and for leadership to set school-wide behavioral expectations, I felt, at times, my younger daughter (who enrolled for K) was physically unsafe within the classroom and on the playground. School leadership inaction did little to change this perception. This school of choice is a bad choice for now.
—Submitted by a parent

This school works very hard to make sure to meet the individual needs of each and every student. We put the kids needs first all the time. This is a unique school, with an especially loving and dedicated staff.
—Submitted by a teacher

My wife and I have backgrounds in education and jumped on the opportunity to apply to PE. Granted, the school is 100 years old and space is limited but the partnership forged between parent, child and teacher makes up for it. One more thought...don't read too much into the EOG statistics. Partnership doesn't try to teach the EOG test... they teach reasoning skills which assists the pupil for a lifetime.
—Submitted by a parent

Partnership is a wonderful, close-knit school community; something that seems to be missing in many schools in this county of constant student re-assignment. My son is in his second year at Partnership and we are thankful every day that we made this decision. It is true that it is small and noisy, but the excellent teachers are able to lead the students into many self-directed and peer teaching activities. I feel that this type of learning at the elementary level is crucial in this time of advanced technology. These students will be prepared to be independent thinkers in society. We love it here!
—Submitted by a parent

Partnership is a great school for all the reasons mentioned below. However, it's also very small, and very noisy, and there are no dedicated classrooms for art, science, music, or any other specials. As a parent considering Parntership, you have to decide whether or not you are willing to trade the noise, chaos, and small classrooms, for a bigger school with lots of 'specials' and extracurricular activities. You also need to consider whether your child is a self-directed learner who works well in noisy, slightly-understaffed conditions. Also bear in mind that although the calss sizes are small--and this is a bonus--there is only one teacher/class and no assistant, so kids are relied upon to work well on their own. Parntership is a very caring school and very close-knit, but it's not for everyone.
—Submitted by a parent

My second child is currently at Partnership, my son previously attended is now in Middle School. One of the previous posts from 2006 mentions that there is no base. There is a base, though it is a small one. The school is based in a historical neighborhood which does not allow trailers on campus; therefore the number of students is limited. The community of parents is very tight, teachers truly care about their students, they foster an environment that chilren feel safe to step outside of their safety zones to attempt new things. My daughter has bloomed, Partnership has made a huge difference in our family.
—Submitted by a parent

I am truly thankful for such a wonderful and family oriented school. I know that my son is learning by the he carries himself and the many things he brings home to share. I wouldn't trade this school for anything in this world.
—Submitted by a parent

My family has been at Partnership since it opened. Three children have been educated here, including one now headed to high school. It's a true school community; a wonderful, collaborative environment where parents play an integral part. Parents are required to volunteer. Partnership's the only public school in Wake County that's completely a school of choice. There is no 'base' or assigned population. Everyone has applied to get in and wants to be here. The teachers are a very dedicated; many National Board certified. They want to be teachers. They invest a lot of their own time and resources to make learning an interactive, thoughtful and engaging process. They help struggling children succeed & challenge gifted ones. Our principals, called 'senior partners,' are very hands-on and accessible. The PTA is very active. Cultural arts brings traveling theatre groups, musicians. Field trips are outstanding: including one soon to the 'Nutcracker' ballet.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has been at Partnership for 2 years. We love it. The staff is very good and the parent involvment is great! We have a strong PTA. I feel that this school is like a private school with out the cost! Wake co. needs more schools like this. The mod. schedule is great to.
—Submitted by Dawn M., a parent