Dallas Elementary School

I was a student there and now I am a teacher in the same school. it is still filled with fun, and excitement. Such great things happening everyday. Vote yes for DES
--Submitted by a teacher

I am a parent of children that attend Dallas Elementary School. Educationally I find the school to be above average, as my children are well prepared for the advancement to the next grade each year. We have had good experiences with teachers and administration alike. However, I do take issue with certain poloicies. As a responsible parent I make it a top priority to have my children innoculated and receive medical attention whenever necessary. It has come to my attention that certain IRRESPONSIBLE parents DO NOT innoculate or even innsure their children. My understanding is that a parent can sign away innoculations simply by stating that it is for religious reasons. As a responsible parent I am currently researching the laws that govern these policies, as I would like to see them changed. These parents need to be held responsible for their poor decisions. I have great sympathy for these children.
--Submitted by a parent

I have children that attend this school, for the most part the curriculum is good, maybe too advanced as the children are pushed sometimes beyond their ability. There is however too much emphasis placed on standarized testing, because of state funding obtained based on score levels. The bullying is bad and unfortunatly reaches to the parents, what I mean by this is that there is a clique in the PTO that bully as much if not more then any child in the school. If you are not one of them or not liked by certian members you are cut out of everything that the PTO runs. Mr. Traver is there primarily for the children and in my opinion does a good job, he does however allow certian PTO members too much access and controll.
--Submitted by a parent

As a parent of a child in this school district, I'll say that the curriculum is good for the most part. As with many schools these days, fun projects for the kids take a back seat to standardized test scores. Mr. Travers, the current Dallas principal can be dismissive to parents at times which is unacceptable in any administrative position. Parents that are not able to be in the school frequently are not valued. The PTA is effective, although there are cliques inside the PTA. Bullying is so bad that my child began to hate school and does not want to attend the middle school here.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is a friendly, comfortable school for children. The program for grading, however, is flawed. For many subjects, students are identified as at a beginning, developing or proficient level. The problem is, teachers give students the same markings, dependent on where the teachers are at in covering the material. If you child is proficient, they are marked developing if the class hasn't completed covering it yet. As a result, the report card tells you more about where the teacher is at in the lesson plan rather than where your child is at. If your child is proficient in all skills at the beginning of the semester, that isn't recognized and there are no opportunities for them to move ahead.There are regular grades given for reading and spelling, but science and math are graded according to the system mentioned above.I have removed my child from this school for this reason.
--Submitted by a parent

I can't compare this school to others outside Luzerne County, but as compared to other schools we have here, I'd say this school was top notch. The principal's main concern is not the teachers nor the parents, but the students. My daughter is in 3rd grade and ahead of the class in math, and instead of giving her busy work, her teacher gives her more challenging math problems to keep her interested and to keep her brain stimulated. The teachers are all approachable, friendly, and work hard to make the classroom a positive experience. The only negative I can think of is that some important subjects do not receive report card grades. This includes math, science and social studies. I think it makes students less likely to try their hardest when they are rewarded with anything other than a 'check'.
--Submitted by a parent