Tampa Palms Elementary? (how much, middle school, military)

[Pragmaticus]

What's your opinion?

Wife has a job offer there and wodering if we switch our son to there. Currently, he is in Deer Park Elementary that we like.

Checked the great school thing and looks good but wanted to hear from people who have their kids there.

Thanks.

BTW, I beleive half of the success is parents effort-just trying to see the general opinion of the CDer

[annaegel]

My experience is a bit outdated. My older daughter is now 15 in Freedom High School. We moved down here 6 years ago from NJ and she finished her 3rd grade down here in Tampa Palms Elementary. When my daughter finished 4th grade there, I switched her to Learning Gate Community School. Not so much for the academics, but there is a big problem with snobbery and meanness that the principal encourages. Several of my neighbors are teachers and once worked with this principal. Both said the same thing about the principal, she encourages the snobbery. I have a neighbor whose daughter goes to Tampa Palms Elementary and feels the same way. She said she is not impressed with the school and really does not like the principal. I had looked into having my younger daughter switch from Learning Gate to getting school choice with Chiles Elementary. From what my teacher neighbors say, that principal discourages snobbery. When kids form a clique, the next year, she will split them up to go to different classes. Which breaks up the clique and discourages meanness.

If you are looking solely at academics, iTampa Palms Elemenary is an okay school. Yes it is "A" rated, but there are probably better schools out there. They definitely teach for the FCAT. That is there primary focus, though the principal denies it.

I ended up keeping my younger daughter in Learning Gate and then switching her to Liberty middle school when she finished elementary. If you have any specific questions, feel free to contact me.

[Pragmaticus]

Very helpful! Thanks for the insight

[Pragmaticus]

Update for people who want to go there..

My wife thinks that place is like a military place, lol. I told her that I am OK with heavy discipline but she thinks that's too much. The kids have no way to interact with each other.

They have to be quite in the class room, which is OK but even outside walking to the lunch. Before they speak while outside somebody would shout "bubble in the mouth," and everybody would shut up. I am all for military style discipline but not sure how much is too much.

But the snobbery? My wife is not seeing it too much...

BTW, she works there now.....