GreatSchools Rating
Teacher quality
Principal leadership
Parent involvement
As a teacher I have definitely noticed a severe decline over the past ten years. It is complete chaos in the lunchroom and school yard. The school used to be a nice, positive learning environment. Since the most recent principal arrived in 2008 Finletter is now one of the worst performing schools in the district. In 2000 there were 1400 students that attended Finletter. Now there are fewer than 900. It is a shame to see a once great school become so bad in the past four years.
I thought Finletter was a good school but now I am starting to think dfferent.Teachers at Finletter do not take responsibility for their classroom they are to busy helping teachers who bring their kids to school.I understand day care is exspensive,but the children that attends thomas finletter are being affected by this.When brought to assistant principle attention and also calling the board of education nothing still has been done. Teachers do not have time to help a student but have time to babysit co-workers kids on the clock,well I think there is something wrong with this picture.
I taught at this school and left because the staff environment was so unprofessional. Tragically the students are not very well behaved at all. Most classrooms are total chaos. I was willing to stay and work hard to make my classroom a fun, safe, learning experience but the administration did not want me there as I complained that I did not agree with the procedures that the school was using with students and staff.
Thomas k. Finletter is no longer the 'good' school it once was. When michael rosenberg left, every principal that followed, paled in comparison. Contrary to what's said, parents are not supported as they should be. The supervision in the lunchroom and schoolyard at this school is sorely lacking and there are 'at risk' students who are not properly monitored. This school's only redeeming quality is the little school house where the teachers are more consistent and on the ball! The environment there is no longer conducive for learning, which is why I removed my son.
This school is located in a once, nice quiet neighborhood in the city of Philadelphia. Within the past several years it has begun to go down the tubes. I would rate their academic programs a 4, their extracurricular activities a 4 and the level of parent involvement a 5. This I rate in a 1-10 basis.
I don't understand how this school is still able to operate! The little school house has to be the safest area, if you want to call it safe. My child is in the third grade. I can safely say the best school years were the first two. Due to learning difficulties the first grade had to be repeated and my child had the same teacher. Mrs. Leno, the teacher and Mrs. Lewis, the resource rooom director are the only positive forces from this school. The principal was so concerned about statistics that she wanted to promote my child when they weren't academically ready. All to meet statistics. All I can say is this school is definitely a reflection of how terrible the Philadelphia School District is! With the support of the teacher and resource personnel, my child is now doing fantastic in the New Jersey school system!
My daughter had an excellent experience with the school in kindergarten(2000), and we, as her parents,were happy. The next two years were not pleasant. My daughter had great grades, however there were three different teachers in her class, she had to deal with safety issues at the school due to lack of staff during recess, or Lunchtime. My daughter did not have any support from her teacher in fending off disruptive children, and we, as parents, were not getting responses to our complaints, or attempt at scheduling meetings to deal with this. The new principal is trying her best, but after three years, we're tainted by our previous experience.
I have two daughters who have been attending this school since October 2002,one in the 1st grade and the other in the 3rd. This was there first experience in a public school and it has been my worst nightmare. The children of the school are not being protected due to the lack of security at the school. As parents, we educate our children to the best of our knowledge and we also reiterate what the they are tought by their teachers. This is hard to do when our teachers aren't doing their jobs. Principals of schools are leaders and teachers are a reflection of their leadership. The School District of Philadelphia needs to clean these mirrors.
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The Community Rating is the school’s average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.
6100 North Front St
Philadelphia,
PA 19120
Phone: (215) 276-5282
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