J E Woodard Elementary School

My family had wonderful experiences at the school with our first child who was a smart, well-behaved child. We have been very disatisfied with the principal and my second child's teacher. His third grade teacher who has been around for YEARS is arrogant, doesn't work as a team with a parent, and shows no compassion or concern for a student who is not perfect. My child was a well behaved child but had ADD - with no hyperactivity. She expected my child to perform as the rest of the students and punished him when my child didnt. This teacher also has a ridiculous behavior plan which punishes students for five days if they so much as whisper one sentence to someone in the hallway. She needs training on research based behavior plans and how to deal with students who have attention problems. The principal never addressed the situation effectively.
--Submitted by a parent

I have enjoyed our experience at Woodard. My children have been challenged academically (they do not cater only to the low and challenge the high functioning students). They have fun, interactive activities to get the students involved in the learning process. You can tell by their test scores over the years that they are doing what most in Maury County are not. I have had 3 go through this school and 1 on the way...they have all been adequately prepared with a strong foundation in their education and I have no doubt it is because of the teachers and the school environment. They have more to offer then ANY other public school in the district as far as extra curricular activities go. It is the private school of public schools.
--Submitted by a parent

This school and its faculty are top notch! My daughter attended Woodard for 4 years and had a very positive experience. The academics are incredible which is proved by the schools tests results. Obviously, the teachers are doing something right. As for the extracurricular activities, I have never seen an elementary school that has as much to offer. The schools P.E. teacher is second to none and provides the students with several before & after school activities from which to choose. I feel fortunate that my daughter was able to attend a school of this caliber and believe that she is well prepared for middle school.
--Submitted by a parent

My child attended this school for two years. Although I agree that teachers had a lot of fun activities going on and many seemed to have good intentions, many of the teachers are rigid in their approaches to teaching. Children, for example, switch classes in the 3rd grade and are treated like middle schoolers. Other grades are well-known for their large homework demands. High scores justify any concerns you may have with the education. As for the principal- she is not friendly and always gives you the impression that she is too busy to talk to you. I was very surprised to see a 5 star rating. Very.
--Submitted by a parent

This is a wonderful school for any child to attend. The teachers are very dedicated to their profession. They almost always have something fun going on that is also educational.
--Submitted by a parent

I think the school is a pretty good school, but on the downside I think that the teachers themselves need to be challenged on learning new teaching skills/techniques for the students.
--Submitted by a parent