Choosing a school is a massive undertaking. As a stay home parent, I had to choose a group of adults to spend an enormous portion of my child's time with. The time, which up until that point, was filled by ME. I liked nearly everything about Whittier. Warm, welcoming, very well-mannered and polite kids. High expectations from the staff, kids that consistently meet those expectations, and character education that provides a moral base- something rarely seen in a public school. We might have chosen a parochial school for the strong morals and values, but Whittier manages to do that, and do it WELL. Discipline is consistent, firm and fair. Test scores are high across the board, low-income families, minority, dis-advantaged, ALL kids are scoring well. Whittier has a very active PTO, providing all of the extra things that seem be disappearing with budget cuts. I have yet to ever enter the building without seeing at least a half-dozen parents there; working with kids one on one, helping in the classroom, working on special projects, doing on-going fund raising Whittier is a great school- just visit. Schedule a tour and just watch the magic of education at Whittier.
—Submitted by a parent

Whittier has a private school feel w/ the desire and drive to be the best in the area.Whittier teachers and students proved just that this year, by receiving the prestigious National Blue Ribbon School award ! I The principal & teachers knows each student by name and truly gets to know the families in order to provide the best possible learning environment. The parent organization is determined to bring families together to make Whittier very school-family oriented. This school is absolutely the best! Best teachers, staff & students. I'm so proud to be a Whittier parent!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter currently attends Whittier School. She has loved Whitter from the moment she stepped her foot inside of the door. The Staff and Teachers are all extreemly caring and attentive of the kids in the school. Communication between myself and my daughters current teachers is great, I know what she is learning, where she is excelling and where she can use some extra help on a regular basis. I have and will continue to recommend Whittier to other parents.
—Submitted by a parent

Whittier has to be one of the best elementary schools in MPS. Proven by parent involvement, family oriented activities/programs, test scores and winning the National Blue Ribbon Award. I've had 2 kids go from K4 to 5th grd and they both are now thriving in other schools. Great PTO and sports programs that are all about "the kid". They always gave extra help, there are always parents helping in the hallways. The teachers push the kids, challenge them academically and have a character education program to stress good behavior and morals. So for that parent who thought Whittier is run like a prison, because they may have made your child behave and do well, then Whittier isn't for you. Ask Burdick about the 6th graders who come to their school. I bet they can point out the Whittier kids by their behavior and their education level. If you want a good, well run elementary school, Whittier is the place! You won't regret it.
—Submitted by a parent

I am so happy to have my two children attend this school. The teachers are creative and caring. I transferred my children to Whittier from another school in MPS. For once they love school and never want to miss a day. My children love the challenging academics. Whittier has a great atmosphere for learning perhaps because it is smaller. I love hearing all the stories about what they learned at school. I would definitely recommend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

As an educator myself, I (with my spouse) put a great deal of time and effort into selecting an elementary school for my son. After reading a wealth of statistics related to consistency of teaching staff, attendance rates, parent involvement, and test scores, my family selected Whittier and what a wonderful choice we made! Whittier is a safe school with high standards, virtually no teacher turnover (the staff your child meets as a kindergartener will likely be the exact same staff cheering your child on through 5th grade), and - here's a breath of fresh air - high moral character. Because classrooms are filled with well behaved children, teachers are able to spend their time actually TEACHING, with time left over for fun! Whittier has very high parent involvement, which means that enthusiastic parent volunteers work with teachers to assure that a wide range of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities are available to round out every child's education. I cannot say enough positive things about this school.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is run like a prison for children. The principal is the head warden. My child was traumatized by attending this school. The teachers are cruel. All the staff yells at the children regularly. I saw kids crying everyday. You can do better. We did. Don't just look at the test scores when choosing a school for your child. The culture of a school is vital.
—Submitted by a parent

As an educator myself, I am thrilled that my husband and I discovered Whittier Elementary School for our son! We recently moved, and yet continue to drive our son back to Whittier because it is simply the best place for him to learn. The school is small (one classroom for each grade), and each staff member seems to know each child in the building by name - how comforting. We are pleased by how our son has been challenged with individualized lessons in mathematics, to help him continue to progress above grade level. Standardized test scores aren't everything in my opinion - but they are consistently outstanding at Whittier. The school's character education program is also wonderful; the children are well behaved and genuinely care for one another in what feels like a family environment. Parent-teacher conferences are well attended, and staff turnover is very rare. A great school!
—Submitted by a parent

Whittier is truly a shining diamond in the rough. This school exceeds MPS standards and expectations. This school gives you the sense of a neighborhood suburban school with its friendly atmosphere and hig parental involvement. The teachers and staff expect nothing than the best work and behavior from its students. The school has many different activities for the students of all ages and encourages them to pariticipate in the activities. The school's communication with home is superior! I am proud to say my child is here and that it is an MPS school
—Submitted by a parent

Whittier has high expectations for excellence. The staff expects students to behave, have good manners and do their very best. But even with all these expectations, the teachers love these children. They know each of their names, their siblings, their families and their personalities. It is a very close knit atmosphere. I love this school. If you have an opportunity to send your child to Whittier, do not pass it by.
—Submitted by a parent

The quality of the academic program and test results exceed other schools in the Milwaukee School District and often nearby suburban elementary schools. It is small with a very stable staff who work well together. Although small, they offer many after school sports opportunities, knitting and a great 'daycare' program. Parent/Teacher conf. are almost 100% attended, and all school functions require you to get there early for a good seat. Best school in the city and highly recommended. Technology is used in all classrooms. The students are polite and well behaved - due to the strong parental involvement, general atmosphere of the building and an emphasis on good behavior.
—Submitted by Michelle Lenski, a parent

We spent 4 years at Whittier and enjoyed it very much. We only left because of a job relocation. Whittier is a small school with high parent involvement. Lots of after school activities and a very caring staff. I would highly recommend this school to anyone looking for an elementary school in the city of Milwaukee.
—Submitted by a parent

Whittier is a wonderful school! It is a very small school so the children get the attention needed to succeed. They have many after school programs for the children, cooking, knitting, piano and many sports. My son loves this school!
—Submitted by Angela Schermer, a parent

Whittier has a real private school feel for being a MPS school. It only runs from K4 (1/2 days)to 5th grade and I think that's partially why it feels so 'safe'. I would highly recommend it to anyone especially those who must live in the city of Milwaukee.
—Submitted by Michele S, a parent