Palomino Primary School in Phoenix, Arizona

“High emphasis on test scores, programs that are very boring and didactic. Imagination and creative play, all sense of individuality is squashed.”
This review was posted by a other.

“My daughter was being taught things in Kindergarten that she'd known since she was 3. She was one of 4 students in her class who could speak English, and the teacher had to explain everything in English and Spanish. When I enrolled her in the school, I gave them a month to change my mind, and after that month, my daughter knew the sound of 2 letters, and could pick out a pattern. I took her out of this school, and I am so happy I did.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This school has shown a great deal of improvement. It is like night and day from several years ago. It offers a great deal for the community. The teachers are excellent. Everyone there is very dedicated. My son is very happy there.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Some very strong teachers, but very weak administration. Way too much emphasis on fixing problems created by poverty and not enough on teaching.”
This review was posted by a teacher.

“This school uses a reading program, SRA. It involves the repetition of words over and over again, without meaningful content--'This is a book. What is it? A book. This is a book.' etc. My child quickly moved to higher levels because he is English-speaking, I feel sorry for students who are not English-speaking at this school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The teachers are very dedicated and talented, unfortunately the administration is disorganized, and shows an extreme disdain for parents, teachers, and students. Communication is horrible--I never know what is happening from day to day. At first I thought this was the teacher's fault, but it became clear that she had no idea what was going on, either. My son's kindergarten teacher was extraordinary.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I agree with the parent who complained Palomino is only for Spanish-speaking kids. The fac t it is the onlky uniformed sc hool in the district illiustraters this. Why should all k,ids wear blank polo shirts. Thed little kids I know want to wear Disney-themed and Winnie the Pooh TEE SHIRTS---what is wrong w/ that? I'm sorry if they all wear uniforms in Mexico, but this is America---and we believe in diversity and casual wear. I wore t-shirts & levis 50 yrs ago in Phoenix schools---and no one objected.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I was very disappointed with this school. We are taking our daughter out of this school!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My child is in first grade and this school year has been horrible for her. She was placed on the wrong bus on the first day of school, along with other students & the staff was totally disorganized and could not tell me where she was. They have some extracurricular activities but they charge $1 for attendance. The school is predominantly Hispanic and those children are favored and given special attention. Needless to say, there is a language barrier & communication problem.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My daughter attended Palomino last year, and was enrolled for this year. This year's enrollment plans have changed, as I am increasingly frustrated with the astounding lack of orginizational skills, lack of information or communication b/t parents and school employees, Palomino's vehement adversion to planning, not to mention a complete lack of integration. My daughter, who is very social, had a difficult time making friends, due to (what I believe to be) discrimination. It seems being fluent in English is a social and educational liability here. I do not feel that the education offered here is of the same par as with other schools (which is a shame for everyone involved). The staff seems devoted and well intentioned, but orginizational skills are pitiful, and focus is dilluted.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“There is not enough supervision and support on the playground. Children do not feel safe here.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“New principal and some changing academic programs.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This school has complete disorganization and lack of discipline. Although the teachers care about the kids, the curriculum is very watered down. They need to get some structure and organization. They seemed to be getting better for awhile, but this year has been awful.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I have been very impressed with the dedication and expertise of the teachers here. They are very well trained, they work very hard and care a lot about the kids in this school. Unfortunately, there has been an administration change this year. The new principal is not nearly as visible and present on campus as past administrators have been. She is extremely inconsistent. Many of us as parents do not trust her to follow through on things she says she will do. I have seen a noticeable change in the staff morale this year. I will most likely enroll my children in another school next year.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I was a student at Palomino the very first year it was built (1975) and my daughter started first grade there more than ten years ago. Despite my history there, I just disenrolled my 8 year old son from Palomino because, as a minority (english speaking) student, his need for attention in reading couldn't be met because of all the needs of the spanish-speaking community. I wouldn't say that they're necessarily 'slacking' as a school; it's just that the community is mainly spanish-speaking and they're doing the best they can to help the masses. However, if your child speaks english in the home and if he/she struggles anywhere else, I would recommend looking into a charter school or other local elementary school. And if your student attends there and is not making straight A's, he/she will not make it in junior high; I felt this shock of transferring to a typical school in Phoenix over twenty years ago when I thought I was an 'A-Student' after attending Palomino for 6 years. Unless you and your child speak primarily Spanish, find another school. Sooner or later your child will suffer from their low-expectation curriculum.”
This review was posted by a .

“I recently found out that 900 of the 1200 students at Palomino are ESL (English as a Second Language) students. This may account for the school failing in SAT reading comprehension scores. Recently, the principal has decided to do away with studying Science and Social Studies. I do not recommend sending your child to this school.”
This review was posted by a .

“I believe that the children that speak english would have a greater advantage to learn, but they don't. The main focus seemsto be on teaching the spanish children english.”
This review was posted by a .