Alvarado Elementary School

My child started Alvarado in the middle of 1st gr. (he's now starting 3rd) when we moved to the city, and we have had a fantastic experience so far. The principal is caring, thoughtful and always striving to make the school experience the best it can be for the kids. He is available to parents, and displays a great attitude with the kids. The teachers are very good, and deal exceptionally well with a diverse school population. What really sets Alvarado apart in my view is the parent involvement and the super-active PTA. Parents are encouraged to volunteer, whether it's in the classroom (the science teacher may ask for parent volunteers to help out in the classroom 1x week) or at one of the many social events and fundraisers. Overall, Alvarado is a strong school in both the English pathway and Spanish Immersion program.
—Submitted by a parent

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It's hit-or-miss whether or not you get a decent teacher. In some grade levels, it's a definite miss. The school is not well trained on how to engage students with high energy levels, especially for boys who don't need academic help, because they're left at their desks by themselves while the teachers focus on students who have trouble academically. Feedback is sometimes met with defensiveness, and occasionally even anger. We put Alvarado at the top of our list because we heard great things about it; unfortunately we were disappointed time and time again.
—Submitted by a parent

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My daughter was promoted from the 5th grade this past spring and I have no complaints for the 6 years she spent at Alvarado. The school has a VERY strong PTA which raised over $250k last year for great programs at Alvarado. I enjoyed not only the diversity of the school, but the celebration of diversity in everyday school life. The school grounds are very nice and in a traditional San Francisco school house style, except for the two bungalows out back. This school embraces progressive ideas about education and the environment. It has an awesome arts program with an in-house art teacher and afterschool clubs that add to the regular curriculum. The school has solar panels and a garden in its yards. And regular community events. I feel that my daughter was well prepared for middle school and is currently enrolled in the honors courses at her new school.
—Submitted by a parent

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despite its position in a relatively upscale neghborhood, Alvarado is one of the most genuinely diverse schools in the city. And more crucially, its very active PTA believes that it is most important to provide help for those students at the bottom of the achievement curve, particularly english learners.
—Submitted by a parent

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