Amherst Elementary School

My daughter is finishing up her first year at Amherst as a kindergartner and I could not be more pleased with her teacher, the principal and the rest of the staff. She has been placed in 2 different accelerated programs to keep her challenged and I love that they were willing to take the time to make sure she was excelling where ever possible.
--Submitted by a parent

While we absolutely love the facility and most of the teachers, I have to agree that the Principal is not the easiest person to work with. I have had 4 children go through the school, all of them students who excel. My issues with the principal began early with one of my children being bullied and her lack of effort to stop it. I have had one teacher there who was not concerned with my child's progress and decided in the first grading term that he wasn't worth her efforts. That became another issue between us. All of the other teachers we've had have been great and very concerned about the children and they are the reason I haven't removed my children from the school.
--Submitted by a parent

Amherst is by far the greatest school that we have had a child in. We have 5 children from ages 5 to 22. I just wish we had a school as effective when our 22 yr old was in elementary. We have experienced every setting from small county to big city schools. Amherst is a wonderful place that empowers the children to be the best they can. The on-site after school program is second to none as well. Wow! What a school!
--Submitted by a parent

Amherst is a wonderful school. The staff is caring and they present material in exciting ways. They have great test scores and an amazing facility. The school itself is new, clean, and beautiful!
--Submitted by a parent

I have 3 children currently in Amherst & we have been there since the 2nd year they opened. We have had nothing but great experiences with all of the teachers and staff. They are genuine in their desire to teach & help the children. I couldn't ask for a better elementary school.
--Submitted by a parent

Are these parents crazy? My wife and I have had children in Ridgeway now Amherst for a combined 16 years. I have never felt I'm not welcome or that the teachers and staff don't care about my children. You know honestly some people will never be satisfied with anything and probably these parents that are complaining are the same ones that always sit on their hands during the school year.
--Submitted by a parent

My son is going into 3rd grade and I have to say he is very proud of his school and working through a few mishaps when he first started we have been pleased overall each year. The only aspects I find that I feel could improve is that I wish kids were able to have more fun in school. At Amherst I notice that the TCAP scores are little ABOVE avg. which says a lot. I hope that the pressures of curriculum do not get in the way of the children also having fun and that they enjoy school! Special days like field day, the last days of school etc.. are days that they can get out of the building and have Fun! Incentives!! Ms. Lee is a true professional and keeps order which is a great but compared to area schools their is opportunity for morale boosting activities. Fun Days!
--Submitted by a parent

Despite the fact that Amherst is a brand new building with some great teachers and parents, it's not the ideal place for children to learn and grow. Children are not encouraged to be themselves here; they are expected to be miniature adults. Gym is not about exercise and fun, instead, it's a 30-minute lecture course. The principal shouldn't be working with kids... she should be the warden of a prison! Mind you, I'm the parent of a child who excels in school. I'd hate to see how parents whose kids are struggling at Amherst feel.
--Submitted by a parent

My children have recently transfered from another knox county school and I am terribly dissatisfied with the overall lack of enthusiasm the staff has for learning. The school is 4 years old and is state of the art. Other school would love to have one of the 3 workrooms, beautiful gym and library. We came from a school that did far more work in a much smaller space. I hope the school gets more colorful and starts looks looking like an elemtary school and not a community center.
--Submitted by a parent

Amherst is a truly amazing school!! My daughter is in 1st grade and she loves it. Mrs. Fagan is a skilled and dedicated teacher. Ms. Lee always greets her at the door with a smile and calls her by her first name. She starts the day smiling and leaves happy. She seems far ahead of a lot of children her age at other schools. Her entire class can already tell time to 15 minutes. They can also do elapsed time. The standards and expectations at Amherst are very high. The teachers work to ensure each child reaches his or her potential. It is an amazing school that is filled with caring and skilled teachers!
--Submitted by a parent