Bear Branch Elementary School

Bear Branch Elementary is a great school with a great administration. They have been recognized as an exemplary school several times and my kids love it there!
--Submitted by a parent

Great School, Great Teachers. We love it and our children have been given a fine education there. We thank God everyday for the fine work of the teachers and administrators.
--Submitted by a parent

The teachers are wonderful and there is lots of parent involvement (a very active PTO), but the current administration prevents this school from being great. The current principal is much too interested in liberal social issues (everyone is the same, everyone is equal....) than creative and stimulating learning for my taste. For example, she wanted to do away with the honor roll -- so that no child would get their feelings hurt. She wants everyone to be taught the exact same material and has restricted some teachers from doing more creative or advanced topics.
--Submitted by a parent

I can't imagine a better school to send my child to. Wonderful parent involvement, great caring teacher, and I love to extra curricular activities. The school does a great job of keeping parents involved with their children's education. I believe that parent involvement keeps our children and our schools running at their best. After asking about my third grade student's teacher, I found she held a masters and in the summers she pursues her doctorate. Wow, and my son adores her as well.
--Submitted by John C, a parent

Great school, love the small town feel. Wish they had more extra activies for the kids. And lower class count.
--Submitted by a parent

150 words is not enough to express the nightmare that we went through at this school. Our child is still tramatized by what happened. The superintendents are good old boys and if your a female trying to get answers- forget it. Bear Branch is more of a social club than a school. The teachers think they are GOD and frown on any parental involvement, they gossip and do not give two hoots about your child. They are there for the paycheck. Our child had some special needs- ADHD and was treated like a grown felon and was immediatley labeled a problem child by all the gossiping teachers. Our child came home crying every day after school. The whole ordeal was hellish and we would not reccomend BBES to our worst enemy. Beware of Bear Branch Elem.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended kindergarten and first grade at 'the branch' -we loved this school! the teachers and principal are/were beyond compare --my child is now several years beyond grade level due to the effort, organization, and innovation of these teachers. We have moved (job relo.) And the teachers in our new district are so grateful that my daughter is well-prepared. My child is terribly bright. She was always given enrichment activities. I might add, some parents think their child(ren) is/are 'gifted' and become disgruntled when their child isn't able to 'test into' a gifted program, such as the one bear branch has in place. Bad behavior is not gifted-that's a (too often propagated) myth. I loved bear branch elementary. P.S. Home-buyers actually choose homes to be able to send their children to bear branch. L. Fisher
--Submitted by lisa fisher, a parent

My child attended this school for 3 years, I finally had enough and enrolled him in a private school. The principals and teachers are more concerned with discipline then meeting the individual needs of the students. Students who are not special ed or qualify for the gifted program are expected to be quiet statues do their work and be content. They are not willing to modify (in my child's case make it more challenging so he would not be so bored) unless they are required by law as in the case of special ed or 504 children. The last straw came when one of my child's teachers told him he needed to stop practicing his multiplication because he was getting ahead of the class. His teacher admitted this to me during a conference.
--Submitted by a teacher