James K. Polk Elementary School

My son has attended Polk for 2 years. We have had a wonderful experience! He has completed K and 1st grade. He has had a great foundation for learning developed. The teachers have been positive and creative. He loves school! We are sad to be moving but grateful for the time he had at Polk. I highly recommend this school. The administration is great, office staff are wonderful and the PTA is very involved.
--Submitted by a parent

well , my son is in 3 grade , all the time i need to send notes to help my son with the test, they never send home works and study guides. this school is the worst for parents with other lenguage.
--Submitted by a parent

we recently moved to virginia from the south and my children had been in christian schools all their lives. that being said, we have had a wonderful experience at james k. polk elementary. having never went to public schools myself but having worked in them, i did not have good expectations honestly. however, the principal and staff proved me VERY wrong! they have been extremely caring and concerned for my children's adjustment to the new social environment as well as their academic adjustment. my 5th grader and 2nd grader have adjusted extremely well, and i am very grateful and actually sad it's time to transition my 5th grader - i wish we had another year at least!( my biggest concern is the lack of an ethnically diverse pta board; that is the one thing that bothered me... Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Carter, Mrs. Thornton, Mrs. Bryant and Ms. Wieder - thank you!
--Submitted by a parent

Polk is a great school! The teachers are very smart and have high standards for the children. My child is in the 2nd grade and has attended polk since Kindergarten. She is smart, well adjusted, and seems to enjoy learning. She has had 3 wonderful teachers. Thank you Ms. Liverpool, Ms. Drasheff, and Ms. Ochs for your outstanding dedication. Mr. Brown, the ex-principal, was outstanding as well. As a parent, I was sorry to see him go.
--Submitted by a parent

Polk School leadership has gone DOWN dramatically since they installed a new principal for the 2010 school year. The new principal is lazy, and the school lacks the discipline of the students and teachers that had made Polk a wonderful school for the previous 10 years.
--Submitted by a parent

My granddaughter attended Polk for her K year 2008-2009. She had Ms. Liverpool who is fantastic. Being ahead of her grade level, my child tended to visit her neighbors and have discussions. Ms. Liverpool and her assistant were able to contain this problem and my child finished the year with 102 of 103 correct on the PALS testing. The office personnel are most helpful. Ms. Whitfield, the guidance counselor, and Jean Studech, the nurse are on top of every situation. In fact, the nurse let me know of a voice problem my child had before I even noticed it! You cannot beat this school. All who work there are truly amazing.
--Submitted by a parent

Awesome School and the fith grade teach Mrs. Peaches is a very special teacher. The city of Alexandria should be proud to have her as a teach in their district!!

James K Polk is a great school! The staff, administration and teachers are energetic, enthusiastic, and supportive. The parent involvment is the best of any school we've been enrolled in. The community at Polk is very tight-knit. It is overall a place to grow close, lasting friendships, for children and parents alike. We feel very fortunate to be part of this community. There is a good variety of extra cirricular activities. After school, the PTA organizes foreign language classes and dance classes. The band, orchestra and chorus progrms are accessible to all. The city offers after care in the school staffed by a great group called Compagna. I would suggest anyone looking to move to this area to definitely look into this neighborhood! It is a great place to raise kids and enjoy neighbors!
--Submitted by a parent

Attended here in 1968-69. Mrs. Feldman's class. It's gotten a new upgraded facade since then. Lots of new equipment and supplies. Used to live in a townhouse on Taney. Pleasant memories.
--Submitted by Joe Barney, a former student