Public | PK-5 | 527 students |
PHONE: (253) 530-1100
Community Rating
Based on 9 ratings
Community Rating by Year
- Teacher quality
- Principal leadership
- Parent involvement
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.
We had two kids in the school. One child hashad cream-of-the-crop teachers; the other had more mediocre teachers with one we thought was in the wrong career and one that we liked quite well. Teachers here are given lots of discretion which generally works well for most classes; no micro-management here. This can be a problem however when a family has an issue with a teacher. I doubt that teachers in any school are properly managed, however; the system works against effective management of teachers. Many parents are very involved, though that seems to be changing with the recession. Finally, most of the teachers are not themselves comfortable with math beyond the basics. The teaching of math is muddled and confuing (at least in our experience). Kids need a lot of parental support to advance properly in math, and sometimes in core writing skills as well. Reading is the big focus here. Science program was great, even with changes in teaching staff. The school district is rigid; as everywhere, education is more about the district and it's employees than it is about the consumers (ie: the children). Though lip-service is given, they seem better at stone-walling than listening.
It often appears a core group of teachers are in charge of the school and its structure. Extra money is allocated to a few select classes, cirriculum is trumped by extra activities in certain grades (i.e. 4th grade play) and although the school rates well there are educational indicators that our students are lacking instruction in critical subjects (spelling, social studies, science). Our children are happy at school but perhaps unprepared for their next step in education. In a community of highly educated adults it seems we should set the bar higher.
Artondale is a wonderful school which has very involved parents and a great staff. There are great teachers and marginal teachers. My three children have had both types and we feel they are getting a good education. Our biggest complaint is that thee WA state curriculum is weak in the younger grades and doesn't address gifted children. The school counselor and principal are very warm and supportive. The school feels more like a family than a public institution.
School has select teachers who are very good, classes are too big. If a child is ahead there is little done to address the sitruation and there is little available for them as far as the G/T program goes. We were disappointed in the lack of effort to help us assess the curriculum of future grades in order to figure out ways to help our child academically.
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