Spanaway Elementary School

We are new to the district this year and I was apprehensive about enrolling my child in public school to begin with. I must say I was biast in thinking that my child would be over looked and their individual needs would not be met. I was SO WRONG! From day one every staff member at Spanaway Elementary has been professional, attentive and compassionate with my child and other children. When the staff learned that our house had burned down over the summer, many of them donated furniture and household items on their own. Staff also invited us to participate in the schools food and clothing bank. When my child bumped their head at recess, I received a prompt phone call to explain what had happened and spoke to my child during that call. The cirriculum is fair for my childs grade level. I have volunteered in the classroom many times and I want to praise the teachers for an excellent job in giving individual attention in a large classroom setting. This truly takes the cake. All of the previous reviews I have read on this site are negative. I wasn't around at that time, but I feel it's important for parents to know there are some very positive things going on at Spanaway Elementary!
—Submitted by a parent

I agree with the previous post. This Principal has been an issue for years. Really great teachers have left because she is a bully. It appears now that the District has finally gotten the message and she is moving to another school. If the pattern continues there the School Board will have to deal with this Principal and not blame the staff. I am sorry for the students and teachers who had to put up with such a negative environment for such a long time. Let us hope the new Principal will do better for everyone.

The principal at Spanaway Elementary is by far the worst principal I have ever known. She is compassionate only to students that are "trouble makers." Her idea of punishment is to allow the students to sit out of class and play with Legos.. She herself is a practitioner of "bullying", in that she throws her title and weight to terrify young children. The children tend to be bullied by other children and the bulley's seem to be able to continue with their bad behaviors as punishment does not seem to detour their behaviors. It is also known that many of the staff are terrified of her tantrums and "behind the back" behaviors. After more than 15 years behind the helm, it is time for a positive change. The school has been blessed with a new building, now it is time for a new personality. To enter the new building is still a cold and disengaging experience.
—Submitted by a parent

Yesterday I was to pick up my grandson at Spanaway Elementary. My daughter sent her son with a note. I went to the office with my granddaughter in tow to check in and they checked my ID. We waited by the flagpole as instructed to wait for him. When I realized that no more children were coming out I asked some of the teachers there to help. They identified his teacher and asked what happened to him. She was very rude and escaped into her classroom to avoid the drama. I asked to speak to the principal or vice-principal that were both unavailable. Finally someone came to speak to me and my daughter arrived while we were having the conversation. I feel that although they listened to us the teacher will not be disciplined, as I feel that she should be since she was the one that received the note and sent it to the office, fully aware of a change from normal routine.

WOW! I thought I was the only one that felt this way about the school. There are some good teachers at Spanaway, but you are all right. The Principal seems disinterested, unattached if you will. My children still attend the school, but I am hoping to transfer them next year. The playground staff does tend to tell your children they are tattling a little to much. My daughter came home with bruises on her face when I asked her what happened she said a little girl pinched her. She told me she told the playground attendent and they told her she was fine and not to tattle. We will probably use this sight to determine what school to put my children in next year. If you have a choice, look for a better school.
—Submitted by a parent

The principal at Spanaway Elementary is really lazy. So is the office staff. They aren't interested int the strudents at all. My children went there for one year but being in the military we moved on base. I was amazed at how the other school's principal was so involved and interested in the goings on of the school and students.
—Submitted by a parent

This is the worse school ever, the staff is only concerned about themselves and the latest gossip. If you child is getting bullied, don't expect the staff to do anything about it. Other than tell your child not to be a tattle tale. There is no way my child will be returning to this school.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter was being bullied by an older kid, pushing, pinching and dirt thrown in her face. he made threatening gestures toward her. The principal blew it off. Said that he was just a kid. What happened to the zero tolerance policy?!!! My daughter was told that she was tattling and that she didn't need to tell her parents. Very upset. Taking the kids out asap.
—Submitted by a parent

The curriculum is too fast paced. It may effect only a handful of students in each class negatively, but the handful of students are also important and they don't seem to value that. They do have good community involvement.
—Submitted by a parent

The quality of the staff and programs are excellent. The new computers in the library has been great. Even my son's bus driver is kind and caring to every student. I would not move my son from Spanaway Elementary, even given the opportunity to attend Puyallup School District.
—Submitted by a parent

I can tell you this, that spanaway elem is a very good school. It is one of the best schools that my kids have went to. I wood not let them go to any other school then this one. The teachers and staff are wounderful. The principal is a loving caring person for the childern and she does a wounderful job. I wood not let any other principal be with my kids but her.
—Submitted by patricia kelly, a parent

The teachers in this school have policies in their classroom which prohibit students from asking for help. The school and its staff are more concerned about what a student is wearing rather than improving test scores. I dropped some lunch money off at the school for my daughter at 8:00 am and they did not locate her until 1:00 and school is out at 1:40. My children will not be attending this school next year no matter what.
—Submitted by Janise Johnson, a parent