Jefferson Elementary School

Don't let the test scores fool you- Jefferson Elementary is absolutely the worst of the 6 schools my children have attended- terrible leadership from the principal-- does not encourage parent involvement, allows no creativity from the teachers, etc. Teacher treatens children with silent lunch daily for the slightest issues, to the point where my child is always worried about not showing all of her work on homework. In the U.S., we keep our edge because of creativity, and this school will have none of that. However, they are probably great at creating robots.
—Submitted by a parent

Teachers - awesome, work with you to help child succeed, caring, understanding. Front desk staff - horrible, rude. Bus system - inconsistant, school does not call if child will be late or bus breaks down. Acedemically this school excels, but professionally, their staff is well below standards.
—Submitted by a parent

Our kids are in the 4th and 5th grade and this is our first year at Jefferson. My only regret is that we didn't move here when they were younger. This is a GREAT school with excellent teachers and excellent leadership. Despite the high scores of this school - they go so far beyond just getting kids ready for EOG's....they are preparing them for the future and their focus goes beyond standardized tests. We are so happy with Jefferson--it's as good as any private school if not better. Our kids come home and tell us how much they love it and how much their teachers care!!!
—Submitted by a parent

My son started at Jefferson in Nov of last year, we had moved from out of state. Shortly after he started his teacher called me in for a conference and said that he was behind, more than likely because of the difference in standards in his other school. Anyhow about a month later she called me back and in said that not only had he caught up, but she was putting him in the accelerated reading and math program. I had no idea there was an AP class for kindergarten. The quality of teachers at this school is AMAZING. Im so thankful she was able to take the time to help him. He is now in his first grade year and is LOVING it. He has yet another great teacher. Im looking forward to sending my other two children to Jefferson!
—Submitted by a parent

This is an outstanding school with the highest standards. It is a diverse school with 35% minority and four classes for children with disabilities. The school has held the highest honor as an Honors School of Excellence for 12 straight years. The only school in the county that can make this claim. Th teachers are outstanding and just last night, my daughters 2nd grade teacher said would have a hard time ever leaving because the small class size allows her to teach deeply. JES has a large percentage of gifted students. Regarding our Principal, she is an honorable advocate for our students. It is not her job to make parents feel good about themselves but it is her job to care for the quality of education our children receive. With Great teachers, administrators, students and parents Jefferson Elementary will continue its high level of education. It's a fun place to learn. Mother of 2nd grader, 4th grader, PTA board member and full-time, business owning working mom.
—Submitted by a parent

Having had 3 children go through this school, I am saddened to read some of the negative reviews posted on this site. Our family has had only positve experiences with each grade level; we have had teachers who genuinely care and who have delivered appropriate, personalized, and creative instruction. I believe that striving for excellence is the norm for this school, rather than the exception.
—Submitted by a parent

I do not have any biological children of my own and within the last 18 months have taken on 3 children , two of which are at jefferson. the oldest one is highly adhd along with several other conditions and the second one has autism. As far as my nephew with adhd, the employees there have worked very hard with me to ease him into a new enviroment and i have had several emails and phonecalls with several members of their staff. and for my autistic nephew, the school has been awesome with him. when he first came to live with us he barely spoke and now he can say (and know what he means) short sentences and he can read and identify shapes and colors. I am really impressed with this school and its staff. they are doing a great job!

All experiences are different; each student is unique. Try not to judge another parent's point of view -- A dissatisfied parent's opinion is just as valid as the opinion of a satisfied parent. The comments below sound honest, and without contempt. That being said, I would also like to point out that the "I personally couldn't care less..." parent is off base, unfair, and hypocritical in his/her assumption -- These are not "problem parents". If an EC child is capable of keeping up with the mainstream curriculum, then there is no reason why he/she cannot be mainstreamed. No child left behind means NO child left behind. Each child regardless of his/her circumstance deserves the best our school system can offer. If there is a problem, take the pretentious attitude to a private school. Two thumbs up for Jefferson teachers..
—Submitted by a parent

I'd encourage parents considering Jefferson to read these reviews carefully. It appears to me that there are 1-2 'problem parents' with an axe to grind against the principal. She isn't warm and fuzzy but I assure you that if you have a legitimate gripe she is responsive. With that said, some teachers are better than others at this school (as would be true for any school). I'm not sure what anyone expects the principal to do to resolve that. I personally couldn't care less what kind of experience the EC kids have. They are not and should not be the main focus at Jefferson.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children at Jefferson Elementary and I am completely satisfied. This school consistantly achieves Honor School of Excellance (10 years in a row) and meets growth standards. My children are safe, happy, and learning. I believe that your child's education is what the parents and child make of it. I know it is easier to blame someone, but if there are about 700 students meeting and clearly exceeding parent, school, district, and state expectations annually, then you might try looking within. The teachers at this school have demonstrated year after year that they are performing above standard and I am pleased that my children have the opportunity to grow and learn within this enviroment. I think of the old saying, 'If it is not broker, then don't fix it.'
—Submitted by a parent

The leadership at this school is lacking considerably especially if you have a child that doesn't fit into their sterotypical box of kids that can test well, which by the way is ALL that matters to them. I have a very high functioning child with autism and he was never allowed to be mainstreamed which goes against what Sam Dempsey and IDEA states. The teachers try to do what is best for the EC kids but they have no support for the principal at all. I agree she is completely unapproachable and arrogant to say the least. We will not send our child back to Jefferson.
—Submitted by a parent

The school would be fine, except for the leadership. The pricipal isn't very nice and really doesn't seem to act as thought she needs to respect you as a parent. This makes dealing with the school in general very difficult. The administration just says and does nothing except act as though they didn't notice her disrespect openly. My wife and I are very disappointed.
—Submitted by a parent

NOTICE- If you have a special ed kid, consider a different school! I have a special ed (autistic spectrum) son that I fought to get in this school and it was a mistake. The principal is unapproachable and not concerned with the special ed dept. She has an attitude that makes me feel like those kids are just a pain in her rear. My son was our first so we didn't know what to expect each year and what was normal for the reg ed kids. Our other child is 2yrs behind him and each year I learn about all the field trips and special activities that he was not included in, even though at the time we made it clear we could chaperone for every event. He is VERY high functioning, so there was no excuse for him not being included. The teaches are not great either.....
—Submitted by a parent

My children (2) are always being threatened to get held back and academiclly they are at grade level??? im a little confused, every conference and meeting i have gone to all i hear is how they need medication to focus. I refuse to put my children on medication. They do not need it at home. The 1st grade teacher is constantly yelling at my son and cutting him down. I just transffered them there because i heard it was a great school...Im not so sure anymore. The teachers gossip about the children in their classes, and talk about 'how bad their home lives must be' if they want to know they should ask. Its completely childish, and unprofessional. if it wasnt so close to the end of the year i would put them in another school QUICKLY!
—Submitted by a parent

I don't agree with the assessment of the principal or the school in the 2004 post. That's not to say that our child's path has been easy--- we have one who is repeating first grade. But I have personally found the principal to be approachable and frankly I wish I'd spoken with her earlier. The problems we've encountered aren't with the school--- like any school children need to be matched up with teachers who can help children succeed and parents should talk a lot with teachers about what can be done. We have as much reason to be upset as anyone, and I don't blame the school. Talk to the principal and guidance staff-- that's all I can say.
—Submitted by a parent

This is an excellent school and would always recommend it. My son was in this school for pre-k and 1st grade before we moved to Virginia(Fairfax county). Fairfax county is one of the richest counties in the country but I have not been impressed with the quality of education(elementary). We are moving back to Winston-Salem and my son will definitely go back to Jefferson. The principal and her staff are excellent and professional.
—Submitted by Braima Dabo, a parent

This is an excellent school! It is not true that it did not meet it's academic school board requirements. Those requirements are set up for the entire county.
—Submitted by a parent

School Grade F. Very disappointed with education my two children received. Principal is prejudiced and acts like a female bully. Many of the teachers are unprepared and lack structure. School did not meet academic school board goals 2 years in a row and is required to come up with a plan to somehow increase it's academic acheivements to NC standards. Good parent involement, but that is what keeps this school going, it's not the administration or the the teachers efforts. Very poorly run school. There are many other better schools to send your child to for a proper education than Jefferson Elementary.
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent school and excellent teachers. Was disappointed that the ex-principal left.
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent school, wonderful teachers! My son was disapointed that the special science class was removed.
—Submitted by a parent