Deerfield School

I love Deerfield for my kids. The scores are high, and I appreciate the principal's motto of "Forever Fours." Four is the highest score possible in every category of the state testing program, and they shoot for nothing less. More importantly, the teachers are tremendous and make learning fun for the kids. We have absolutely loved our Deerfield experience.
—Submitted by a parent

School is beautiful and office staff and library are really nice. Some tension involved in lunchroom rules, and math program is still related to the awful Investigations. My son's teacher was organized, but a bit impatient.
—Submitted by a parent

This is an excellent school. My children have had high quality teachers who consistently expect the best. The school test scores are evidence of the quality of teaching at this school. We have also been extremely pleased with the preschool at Deerfield that has helped our youngest with her speech development.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son attended Deerfield Elementary when it first opened. He had a wonderful educational experience and made good friends. I believe he had very good teachers and a great principal. Parental involvement was tremendous! It was very difficult to leave when we did.
—Submitted by Holly Toomey, a parent

WE just moved here from WA state. I knew coming in that the schools did not have as quality of an education, but I was shocked to see my 5th and 1st grader stepping back 2-3 grade levels. The biggest thing that I saw was the Math program, I think it is good in concept, my older daughter with dyslexia would have done great in it, but my 'normal' kids felt it was for resource. There is no advanced classes that they can go into- everyone has to do the same thing. I feel like the math especially Dumbed-them- down to a lower level. I moved my kids out to a charter school and have been thrilled with their achievements and fast progress.
—Submitted by a parent

It does not seem safe when your child misses school you are not required to call in or even send a note. There seems to be no monitoring the attendance at all and no organization in the office! Parents are not very involved and let even very young children walk to school by themselves. It seems very naive and irresponsible. I think that the newness of this school contributes to alot of the problems. They are waiting to learn by error unfortunately.
—Submitted by a parent

We are very pleased with the quality of teachers and supportive/administrative staff. With the Investigation Math program that the school district requires (with little parental support), the faculty and staff have done a wonderful job fulfilling their assignment of using this curriculum to teach our children math. We are very satisfied with the quantity and quality of the assemblies at the school. The seven different teachers who have taught our children have gone beyond the call of duty (and paycheck) of a teacher. The lunch room rules may seem extreme, but my children come home in happier moods because they finished their school day with a full tummy. After-school choir, chess-club, drama, tutoring are extracurricular activities that make this school sparkle. Parents volunteer all over the place, from take-home reading to class-room volunteering to teaching yoga classes in PE to monitoring parents in the parking lot to helping special-needs students.
—Submitted by a parent

We've had a very positive experience with the principal. I used to teach in Alpine School District at another elementary school and I can see many areas where the principal has spent extensive time and effort to make things run as smoothly as possible. She appears very dedicated to supporting and helping the teachers and her consideration for the children's safety is top notch. I have no complaints. I think she is doing a wonderful job.
—Submitted by a parent

I think the principal has gone too far with the lunch rules this year. My kids keep telling me that they don't have very much time for lunch recess because the duty guards won't dismiss their table until they have eaten all their lunch and their table is quiet. I also don't like the way parents have to go to the front doors to pick up our kids. My children are old enough to walk to our car by themselves.
—Submitted by a parent

Rules are extravagant and beyond reason. Everyone has to sit at lunch for 25 of the 40 minutes they have even when done eating because the lunch ladies feelings were hurt the kids weren t eating the food. We as parents pay for these lunches. (When did you last pay for a meal and the establishment made you stay and wouldn t let you leave until your plate was clean?) During one of these forced inside times a group of kids were trying to sing happy birthday to a fellow student and the principal came over got right in one of the kids faces and yelled at him for not using and inside voice. Principal seems gone a lot and is on a power trip. Gone from what I have seen 3 of the 5 days a week on a regular basis. (Her brother is superintendent if that tells you anything)
—Submitted by D, a parent