Walker Station Elementary School

I have to agree with the other reviews. I have been very disappointed in the education my son is receiving. I was told that the purpose of the school is to perform well on the TAKS test or now STAAR. My son's teacher has successfully made him feel stupid and now he begs me to change his school. The principle's respond was the same that they are preparing the children to take the test. Now after seeing the same worksheets come home everyday I have had enough and searching for a school that will teach my child not train him to take a test so that it makes the school look good. If you are looking for an education for your child this is not the place. If you are looking for a good score on a standardized test go ahead.
--Submitted by a parent

Please remember that the ratings mentioned only have to do with TAKS test scores. If parents feel comfortable that this is an acceptable indicator of a good school, then your child will do well here. Our daughter's 5th grade teacher would raise her voice almost to the point of yelling and tell the children that they better pay attention if they wanted to pass the TAKS test. We were able to meet with the teacher to address this issue, but her response was that children simply need to learn to step-up and perform because performance is required for success in life. Our child's experience was not all bad at WSE, but we are grateful to have that experience behind us and to have her in a more appropriate educational environment for 6th grade.
--Submitted by a parent

This elementary school is ranked #1 in the Greater Houston Area and #3 in the state of Texas. These rankings tell the true story of this exceptional school. Yes, the expectations of the teachers and students are set VERY HIGH. It is a fast paced school that prepares your child for middle school and his future academic and social needs.

Walker station is a great school. However we had a slightly sour experience with my son's 2nd grade teacher over his low grades on a class project that he had worked very hard for. He lost marks on presentation as he was too nervous to talk loudly, clearly and demonstrate his extensive knowledge on the topic. He got no positive reinforcement whatsoever for the project, making him rather upset and further lowering his self-confidence. We as parents, found the grading extremely unfair and harsh. Although we are trying to let go of the matter since 2nd grade marks prove nothing and surely not representative of student success in academic and professional avenues. However, if something like this happens again, I'm afraid I'll have to encroach on the matter further to ensure my kid's sense of self.
--Submitted by a parent

The current principal has only one year under her belt. She looks good on paper but thinks that Taks is what made Walker Station Elementary it's reputation. If you read previous positive reviews they emphasis -yet she is concerned about developing the children's character through extracurricular activities. Parental involvement is fantastic. Parents hold children, teachers and administration accountable for progress, not just for their own children, but for others, too. There is a real 'We are Walker Station' sense of pride at the school. The teachers are very accessible to parents. PTO is supportive and tries to find ways to help support instruction, with structured art programs, for example. PTO is working on adding a science lab in the near future. The new principal doesn't have a handle on the teachers, who it seems no longer understand that it is a collaborative effort between the school, teachers, parents, and positive energy PTO
--Submitted by a parent

I think parents needs to determine what type of education they want for their child. Walker Station is a wonderful school for some students. However, I do suspect that the reviewer from March 25th is most likely an employee of the school. If you want a school that focuses on critical thinking and conceptual learning then there are better alternatives to WSE. When the focus is the TAKS test, individualized learning goes to the wasteside. Some of our children's teachers was consistently rude, uncaring, and burned out as experienced by our child and us at parent-teacher conferences. I know this can happen anywhere, but parents should remember that they are the taxpayers and that education is more than worksheets and standardized tests.
--Submitted by a parent

My son was 2 years in this school, he learned a lot. Now he is in the middle school, he is excellent in every subject. Because of the school system he is learning a lot.
--Submitted by a parent

I have to say that I am relieved to see that another family shared their unsatisfactory experience with this school. If you have a cookie cutter child that will sit and fill in the bubbles on a state test, then this is the school for you. I know that many teachers are themselves frustrated with the TAKS test, but we could no longer let our child sit through days of nothing but worksheets with no emphasis on innovation or individuality in learning. We removed our child, and she is much happier.
--Submitted by a parent

After dealing with teachers and administrators we decided to not reenroll our daughter at WSE this year. There is such a heavy emphasis on the TAKS test, and our child spent four months working on TAKS packets at school. Her 4th grade class only read one book the whole year, and there was no science lab due to lack of space. This is not an education that creates depth of learning. WSE appears great on paper because of the TAKS test scores, but children are not taught how to think.
--Submitted by a parent

Excellent and caring teachers and administrators + parents who work their buns off making sure teachers have what they need to get the job done
--Submitted by a parent