Dunn Elementary School

Dunn is a really good school with a great faculty and great parent involvement. I have one child who has been at Dunn for a few years now and another one will also go to Dunn a few years down the road, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The Principal is very involved and quite responsive to parent inquiries and the Assistant Principal is just the same. We have had great experiences with the teachers and YES, my son learns A LOT. He has really excelled academically due to the quality of teachers and programs. I do not consider the fact that a large percentage of the students come from financially challenged homes. It's a great group of kids.
—Submitted by a parent

Is this school perfect? No. Does this school have challenges? Yes. Any school with 46% of the children classified as economically disadvantaged is going to have challenges. Are you searching for a utopia when it comes to your child s education? Then I encourage you to keep looking. Oakridge and Pantego are close and there is one heck of a charter school just 1.5 miles away on Arkansas Lane. If however, you are like me and see the good in this school, then I encourage you to send your child to Dunn. You will find an energetic and high energy Principal, Mary Helen Burnett, who appreciates Dunn s diversity. She s no stranger to schools with challenges having served 90% of her career in Title 1 schools. She is supported by an excellent Vice Principal, Natalie Dailey, who sends her kids to Arlington schools and is personally vested in AISD s success. How about the teachers? The ones that I have personally met over the years and worked with in PTA and other various school sponsored events seem just as committed to making Dunn a great place as I do. I can name more than 1 teacher in each grade who has made a significant impact in my child s life and has gone above and beyond to create an excellent learning experience for their students. What s the key to making sure your child gets the best out of their educational experience at Dunn, and anywhere for that matter? Get involved. Don t stand on the sidelines. Fill out that volunteer application. Join PTA. I work full time and so does my spouse and we still find time to volunteer, help with fundraisers, support the teachers and administration and help with classroom events because it is important to us. In conclusion, is Dunn the perfect place to send your precious ones? If you plan on dropping them off at the front door every morning at 8:20 and picking them up at 3:20 while using your child s folder as your preferred method for communicating with their teachers, then probably not. If however, you are excited about joining your child on a journey in a school that is diverse, vibrant, fun and surrounded with staff and administration committed to making Dunn the best place it can be, then you have found the right place!
—Submitted by a parent

the teachers there are wonderful!
—Submitted by a parent

My experience with Dunn 2008-2009 was great. I had some minor issues but the interim staff made sure to help and keep me informed. I have two children at Dunn. This year we have new staff. There are some policies that are in place that treat the children horrible. I am a very involved parent therefore I stay on top of my children and staff. It saddens me about the new staff and I am now looking into moving my children to private school. I would advise others do the same if they can afford it or atleast talk to your children to discover more about what is going on with the new administration. I also advising visiting the AISD site and read Campus Impovement Plan for Dunn, you would gain more insight about the school and it's concerns.
—Submitted by a parent

I live close to Miller, but I drive my 4th grade daughter to Dunn every morning! I chose to send my daughter to Dunn because of the teaching faculty and caring staff. Dunn is a great school!
—Submitted by a parent

I don't really agree with some of the reviews here stating that if you have a lower income, they don't want anything to do with you. I definitely have a lower income than most parents there and I was treated fine by most. It really all depends on the individual you are dealing with. This is a great school, I have an autistic son and I have recieved incredible support and so has my son! He is reading full books all because of the great teaching and the huge group of teachers and administrators that are behind him! I love love love our ARD meetings, they are all so supportive and encouraging! I have had some bad experiences here but overall they have been really really good!
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent school for our 5th grader. He is very excited about his strings classes , and really likes all his teachers, especially his math teacher that makes class go easy and fun. Way to go on safety!!! Parent involvement is awesome!!! Our new asst. principal is doing great, and teacher quality is fantastic!!!
—Submitted by Johnny and Milaidy Mamo, a parent

I have 2 children who have attended Dunn during the past 10 years. They have both had an excellent experience overall. The older child always excelled and we were very pleased the way her teachers challenged her. My younger child has struggled with learning from the beginning. We have found the teachers and administration to be very supportive in meeting his needs. His teachers have always been willing to talk with us about our concerns and make adjustments in his accommodations as needed. Parents are kept informed by the weekly PTA newsletter and the schools website calendar. It is easy to become involved if you make an effort to respond to the requests for volunteers seen in that newsletter. PTA plans several events throughout the school year for families to come and enjoy time together. Most of these events are free and provide a great opportunity for parents to meet other parents. The administration has also planned opportunities for parent education at least once a year for the last several years. My only complaint is parents that do not follow the traffic safety plan for picking up and dropping off their children.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 children at Dunn also. My children are like night and day. One is an overachieving teacher's pet. The other is a high energy child who can test even the patience of Job on some days. It's hard to hear that one of your children has trouble focusing and keeping hands to themselves, but so far the teachers have worked closely with us and have been positive and helpful. I noticed that one reviewer stated that only upper income kids seem to be treated well. I find that interesting since there are very few houses (maybe 2 or 3 dozen) that qualify as upper income and most of this school is on free and reduced lunch. We have really enjoyed Dunn and look forward to many more years there.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children that I choose to send to Dunn. By 'choose' I mean that I actually have the option to send my kids to a different school district because I am an educator in that other District. Although the school that I could have sent my children to is identified as an 'Exemplary School,' my husband and I have been so impressed by the teachers and administrators at Dunn that we continue to send both our children. The principal's door is always open to any parent that has a concern and she (and the teachers) make each child's success the number one priority. The PTA offers a ton a special incentives and programs for the students and Dunn families and yes, they require money to operate (hence the wrapping paper sales). Dunn has been a great experience for our entire family and I wouldn't send my kids anywhere else.
—Submitted by a parent

I agree with the previous poster. My son used to go to private school and we took him out to put him in Dunn because of what friends and neighbors had said about Dunn. We love Dunn now and know others that have had the same experience. I know you can't please everyone all the time, but I think Dunn does a great job. If I have any complaints at all it's that not enough parents are involved. The PTA club is small and when I attend a PTA meeting, I'm usually one of only 2 dads.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children at Dunn and their educational experience could not be any different. One child is an over achiever and is treated very well by administration and staff, the other is an above average student, but is constantly at odds with administration and staff for very minor infractions of the never ending rules list. I sincerly hope that the departure of the former Vice Principal will lead to a climate that is more interested in education than discipline for petty infractions. That has not been the case in previous years. Overall, I believe the staff is good, but the leadership has been average at best.
—Submitted by a parent

Dunn Elementary is a fine school if you are of the upper income bracket. These children are treated far nicer than those of lower income families. This is from observation of several years. Some of the teachers there are excellent and do a great job while others should not be in the teaching profession at all. The school is well maintained. The children work hard selling items for the school while receiving little in exchange. All in all, it isn't the worst of the schools, but far from the best. Check the TEAC records for the real truth about school.
—Submitted by Carol, a parent

Grandparent here. My granddaughters attend Dunn. It's been over a year since I have seen Cassidy and Cheyanne. But I rememeber Dunn as a very good school with teachers who truly cared about the children's academics. I was impressed with how well the school looked after the students as well.
—Submitted by V. Leah Walker, a parent

Start with the basics. Recess is somewhat important to 2nd graders. It is a time for them to release energy. 15 minute recess as compared to 30 - 45 minute recess at all other area schools is not a good start. Next, the teaching is very flat. There is no working around a child that might have very slight learning disabilities that doesn't quite qualify for special education. Teacher-parent relationship is very poor. They tend to avoid the parents that are not in the 'elite' list at all cost. This type of behavior goes all the way from the top down. Next year, private school or charter school. No more games in the education department.
—Submitted by Don, a parent

Both of my daughters are currently attending Dunn, my youngest is in Kindergarden, My oldest is in sixth, the school is clean and well maintained, they do have an ok acdemics program, they also have an enormus budget for gift wrap sales. Most of the teachers are friendly and very professional, there are a few that should not be teaching.
—Submitted by Will, a parent

My grandson has been at Dunn for 2 years. It's been a great experience for him and for us as a family. The teachers are incredible and they do a great job of working with the kids at whatever level they are at. My grandson didn't pick up on reading as quick as most and his teacher tried all kinds of methods, and ideas..and was very creative in working with him. She also kept in close contact with us as parents/guardians and kept us informed on her newest idea and what we could do at home to work on his skills and help with the plan. She tried everything! Finally we have success and while my grandson doesn't love reading, he has seen and felt success....and never once has felt bad about his abilities. He was encouraged at all times. I think the district wide school lunch program needs overhauled.
—Submitted by a parent

Overall Dunn has been great for my children as of Fall 2006 all three of my children will attend.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is now in the 2nd grade. Generally, I am satisfied with his learning experience. Was concerned that they did not teach handwriting hand positioning. School administration seems to discourage parent involvement, which is sad. Dunn does have an active program to limit bullying, for conflict resolution, and generally for getting along with each other better. Seem to be working ok.
—Submitted by a parent

Dunn Elementary has been a source of nightmares for my family. If your child doesn't fit into a certain box, the teachers do not want to deal with your child. The principal and vice principal do not help the situation. They definitely are not supportive of the parents. I don't ever want to look back once my children leave.
—Submitted by a parent