Forest North Elementary School

I agree with the 2 only honest parents on here who talk about the bullying! It looks like to me that they probably have some staff members writing their own reviews to make this school look better than what it really is, as does alot of other businesses in Austin. I am going to just say that my daughter has never had a problem with another student until we moved here to this area. She has done fine this whole school year until now. A student threatened my daughter, and I took the situation to the principal. Apparently, nothing got resolved and the problem got worse. We come from a school system that took "bullying" very seriously, and enforced punishment which is something that Forest North needs to learn! The kid that wasn't even involved (but who told me what was going on) got poor and unprofessional treatment from her own teacher who put her down (belittled her) several times in 1 day, and made this little girl feel bad. I DO NOT recommend this school to ANY parent. Apparently, they don't take it serious when one kid challenges another to a fist fight! This is a situation that the cops will handle, and possibly an attorney! It's that serious! My kids teacher is amazing overall!
—Submitted by a parent

We ended up moving my daughter to this school after the neighborhood school scored so poorly on the TAKS test two years in a row! I had some reservation about moving her to a school I knew nothing about but I have since come 360. I LOVE Forest North. The teachers, staff and parents are so dedicated to the students. A few weeks back I started looking at one of the Charter schools for pure curiosity sake and after meeting with their teachers and leadership I am so glad my daughter is at Forest North. Next year we'll have another Kindergartener starting and I feel 125% confident that she will love it as much as her sister does.
—Submitted by a parent

We moved to Austin from Houston and I was so nervous about enrolling my daughter at Forest North due to some of the reviews. My husband and I decided to go ahead and put my daughter in this school despite the reviews and see for ourselves. This was the best decision we ever made!! My daughter made sommany friends and thanks to her teachers especially her 4th grade teacher Ms. Guerra, my daughter has flourished so much. Her grades have gone up and she has gotten so much better with her shyness. The school has offered her so much help with her classes and staying focused on her schooling, that she got her very first honor roll in the 5th grade. I will definately be putting my son at this school for PRe-K. Great Job Forest North and Thank you again!
—Submitted by a parent

I am going to add to the recent comment made about Forest North. To the rating of one star. I am a member of the PTA and deal with the school, (because of my son) on a daily basis. The school has many things for student and parent involvement. They have running club in the mornings, library family night once a month, and the Assistant Principal has put in grants for that and for parent math boxes to check out. Many other things. I have delt with the assistant principal directly she has been great to the students and staff. the principal has always givin me a smile, my son has to get his behavior paper signed every day by her, and he has said nothing but good things about her. All public schools have standard teaching materials, however the teachers at this school have been very creative.
—Submitted by a parent

This is the worst school situation I could have anticipated for my daughter. The kinder classes are more focused on ideas and concepts than academics. Personally, I send my daughter to school for a traditional academic education, to include reading-counting-writing-math and social skills. Not to fluff the staff's ego. The teachers are substandard, the principle is a dictator who rules her staff and the students with fear. The staff doesn't even respect her. If I knew then, what I know now, I would have moved intentionally to another district and specifically a different school. If you want your child to be forced into a cookie-cutter mold, with no room for individuality, acceleration and no focus on true academics beyond a TAKS test, then this school will be a perfect match.
—Submitted by a parent

I liked the attention from the administration office, really promptly and focus. I also like the security system that they have. Also the extra activities are really interesting and encourage the selve confidence of the kids. Although I think they can improve the organization of schedules because is a little complicated to follow. The PTA really good with their ideas and participation. Also the cafeteria services really well organized and administrated.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has now graduated from Forest North. The principal is motivated and has a hands-on approach. The school needs to be more discerning about the quality of teachers. It would also benefit the school overall if it recognized students based on their performance and merit rather than being swayed by the influence of parents. Some parents are in the forefront of school activities and that is indeed commendable. But should that parental involvement translate as an eagle pride certificate for their child or several photographs of the same students in the yearbook? This is where I think the administration could step in and ensure a level of fairness while at the same time acknowledging parents' involvement in other ways. I am ofcourse not suggesting this bias creeps in every time. Overall this schools has improved over the years and Mrs. Josselet (Grade 1), PE, Art, and Music teachers are excellent.
—Submitted by a parent

I am pulling my daughter out of this school as soon as the year is over. The school staff are unorganized and do not listen to parent concerns. There is a lack of consistency also. It's a shame that the few wonderful teachers at this school have to follow such poor leadership.
—Submitted by a parent

My Sons are studying at Forest North Elementary School. I took right decision to put my kids in this school. I appreciate Mary Patterson the Principal her hard work for studyies. We are very happy about my kids. Really, Great school and very systematic. thanks Dora. karuturi
—Submitted by a parent

My Daughter is In Forest North and we are very happy that we took the decision of putting her in this school. I really appreciate Mary Patterson the Principal for her commitment to the school and she is very active and friendly. My daughter likes this school and all the students are given equal opportunity and importance.
—Submitted by Sudhakar Karumuri, a parent

I too have been at Forest North for 3 years and am very happy with the school overall. The teachers and leadership are excellent. I have not seen the turnover rate the previous parent talked about, rather the school is growing so fast they keep adding more teachers and classes. My child's teacher has been there for 16 years. The art, PE and music program are very good although, I would like to see more academic programs. We just had a terrific performance of 'Frog and Toad: All Year Round' in which the students had singing, speaking and choreographed parts. My biggest concern at this time, is lack of space for existing students - how may portables can you have before the district says enough. However, I think this is a district wide concern.
—Submitted by a parent

While the school is old (25+ years) I see that the staff maintains the facility as stewards! They make do with the increasing population with prudent use of portables, placing the computer lab in the library, coverting art room to music, etc. The principal has impressed me with concern for the children's safety during the road construction.
—Submitted by a parent

Great staff, lots of parent participatiion,love it
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderfully well rounded program, enormous parental volunteerism, awesome principal,
—Submitted by a parent

great positive attitude towards students
—Submitted by a parent

It's our 3rd year at Forest North. We've had ups and downs. I think I can say now that overall we do not recommend the school. I agree that the principle is the main problem. She is just too subborn and has a rough demeanor. There are some good teachers, but the turnover rate is very high. It really varies from class to class, but the instruction is heading downhill overall. I work with my kids at home a lot and don't think they are learning much at school. I feel like I'm home schooling most of the time. The PE and Art programs are very good. We like the office staff too.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a wonderful school! This is the fourth year that my children have been here and they love it. They make really good grades and we always have the staff to support us through good times and especially through trying times. The area near and around the school are nice and safe. You have plenty of stores near by and the community is very supportive when it comes to donations or events. There are several big events every year. One being the 'Fall Festival,' and the 'Spring Carnival.' Both are great events that work as fund raisers as well as fun for the staff, students, and families. The PTA is great, too. Many choices are offerend on the lunch menu. Too many good things to mention all! Good Luck on your search!
—Submitted by Carly, a parent

We were very disappointed with Forest North. The school is very poorly managed. Special education services are weak and difficult to obtain. The school has a serious problem with bullying and is taking no steps to correct the problem. We moved from another RRISD school and were shocked at how diffent the quality was. I could not believe the outdated methods of discipline used. The principal discourages parent involvement. Parents are never allowed in the classroom. If you live in the Forest North district, I would seriously consider private school.
—Submitted by a parent

We were not happy with Forest North. The principal is not an effective leader and does not address issues with professionalism. She discourages parent involvement, except for a few parents she selects. Special education programs are weak and services are very difficult to obtain. Several classrooms are poorly managed and bullying is a big problem at this school. Outdated and demeaning forms of discipline are used, focusing on shaming and exclusion. For example, if a child is noisy in the cafeteria he/she is placed in a chair, facing the wall without their lunch. Childen are often sent to the back of the classroom, excluded from activities for minor issues. No one works with children to teach them social and acedemic skills. Students that have acedemic difficulty are not assisted. You won't know there's a problem until the report cards comes out and then nothing is done. Don't expect much if your child can't teach himself.
—Submitted by a parent

In most ways, this school is excellent. There are a lot of extra curricular activities, parents are encouraged to be involved, and music/art/sports seem adequate. When it comes to special education, the staff is not as informed as they should be. They are also resistant to changing classifications and services. The verdict is still out in this department. I will have to see how well they work with my special needs child now that we have a full medical diagnoses to back up the concerns I have had for 2 years now.
—Submitted by a parent