Parkside Elementary School

685 Mercer Street Southeast

School District

Atlanta Public Schools
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:13
Type

public

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on October 13, 2023

Our experience has been very Positive. We have absolutely loved our Elementary School teachers - 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade teachers have been amazing. My child feels safe and cared for. She also has fun and really looks forward to school and learning. The PTA does a great job of including families and Principal Foster, Miss HG and the leadership team do a phenomenal job of running this ship! The teachers and staff are especially supportive of kids that need attention and they have a lot of experience and patience working with kids from various backgrounds and learning levels. It is a very "inclusive" culture.
Submitted by other on June 04, 2023

We have had an excellent experience with this school, the educators and staff! The PTA is very active and works hard to support the amazing principal.
Submitted by parent on August 15, 2022

My kid goes to Parkside since Pre-K and she is in 4th Grade now. We couldn't be happier with the school, Teachers respond quickly to all emails when I have a question, and Great PTA always takes care of school and kids well being. Science Fairs, IB program activities, Teachers certified for Gifted Kids, and parents that collaborate and do not expect the school to do all the work but are involved to help make successful students.
Submitted by parent on February 21, 2022

Do not care about the individual students only numbers. Poor decision makers in charge. The school sends out automated messages with poor grammar and it’s embarrassing.
Submitted by parent on July 12, 2021

Our daughter just finished up her tenure at Parkside - we've been there since pre-k - and she was teary-eyed at leaving. She loved the school, made great friends, had amazing teachers, and many diverse experiences. The school feels like family and the staff and principal care so much about ALL their students! Much love to Parkside!
Submitted by parent on June 07, 2021

This school has the worst communication. Silence from principals and assistant principals and a million emails from PTA and pre recorded messages. The worst is the moms on Facebook who think they’re helping but it comes off as poking there head in other peoples business. Teachers are nice but it’s hard to make progress with poor leadership as the numbers show.
Submitted by parent on March 26, 2021

Parents please reconsider sending your child to Parkside. The communication from school leadership is poor. I have had more than one email completely ignored. The school website is never updated yet we get multiple emails regarding fundraising. Helicopter moms run the FB groups and they just continually ask for donations. Where is the Title 1 funding going? Students are an afterthought and parents concerns are not even a consideration at this school. I was hopeful that this school would be a good fit for my kids but it is clearly not. I would recommend you look at a different neighborhood if considering buying a house in this area.
Submitted by parent on April 23, 2020

We have been very pleased with our experience at the school. We have 2 boys in kindergarten and 2nd grade. The PTA is very involved and the school leadership is top notch.
Submitted by parent on December 06, 2019

Our experience has been amazing. The teachers are great and it has been great to be a part of the community.
Submitted by parent on October 16, 2019

After 5 years at Parkside, I'm glad to have been a part of this family. It's a great school and the staff is solid. We have engaged parents, which is key to any school's success, and our son has received the education and experience we wanted for him.
Submitted by parent on August 27, 2019

We send two kids to Parkside and have been very pleased. Social and emotional learning is emphasized, and our first grader is quickly learning to read. It is also one of the few schools in APS that is truly diverse, which makes for a rich experience for the students and parents alike. The parents are very involved, with a great PTA.
Submitted by parent on April 30, 2019

This is a school that reflects the neighborhoods it serves. It's not perfect, but the learning your child will receive will be deeper than just a score on a test. The teachers are dedicated, PTA is very active, and there are lots of ways to get involved if you'd like.
Submitted by parent on April 30, 2019

We have been very happy with the student teacher ratio at the school. The teachers and staff are all friendly and the PTA active. We could not be happier with Parkside and our ability to support our community by enrolling our child.
Submitted by parent on April 17, 2019

My daughter has now been here for two years, and absolutely loves her school. She has a great diverse mix of friends, and has been excelling academically. Parkside Panda Pride!
Submitted by teacher on June 14, 2017

Parkside is shown as being diverse on school websites, social media, handouts and flyers. What is available online does not necessarily represent the school. We have about 10% of the population being parents who would like to see a different culture. The teachers for the most part care about the students. Behavior is not great at the school. Many helicopter moms and dads are present, so if you are an educator please be prepared to hear about an issue you may be having in your classroom on the Parkside Parent Facebook before you hear it yourself. I would not send my child here as an educator based on the huge divide between the parent groups on whats best for the school. Our goals for the school should be to look to support every child and not cater to specific groups.
Submitted by parent on May 05, 2016

The teachers and staff are always welcoming to parents and children, and my daughter loves going to school here. There is a great community of involved parents who are dedicated to making this school a better place. The more parents get involved, the better the school will be. It is already a good school, so it will just keep getting better and better.
Submitted by parent on May 05, 2016

After mixed results from our first year at Parkside, I was skeptical about what to expect from first grade. I'm pleased to report a much more positive experience all around. Despite some challenges that come from a very diverse population (culturally and economically), we have benefited from a wonderfully supportive staff and engaged parent base. Our son is developing the academic, social and personal skills he'll need to be successful, and we feel very grateful that Parkside is our school. Go Pandas!
Submitted by parent on February 22, 2016

We moved to this neighborhood after all the charter school lottery dates passed. We were led to believe that our kids would get a sub-par education at Parkside. We planned to "stick it out" for the year and possibly enter the charter lotteries the following year. Within a matter of weeks of kindergarten starting, we knew he was in a great place. We realized it was charter school families who often said those negative things, without having any evidence to support their claims. Our sensitive kid got a teacher who encouraged and supported him, and he made friends we adore. The families who choose Parkside are committed to its success, and there is so much energy surrounding the school. Two years later, we have never been given any reason to look elsewhere when we have such a great public school right here. Our son is excelling in math and science and reading on grade level. We love that he attends a diverse school that is representative of our neighborhood and city.
Submitted by parent on November 08, 2015

When my eldest was entering kindergarten, we were overwhelmed by the choices in the neighborhood and assumed we would end up at one of the charter schools eventually. When we started at Parkside, however, we were so impressed with the quality education and the fun and loving atmosphere that we were quickly converted. Over the course of our first year, we happily turned down spots at both the charter schools in the neighborhood and were excited for our second child to start kindergarten at Parkside this year. We really appreciate that Parkside has the resources and talent to teach all of our children (not just our three, but the entire neighborhood) - whether they are excelling and in the gifted program, are passing but need that extra push to excel, or are struggling and need help to reach the grade level milestones. While Parkside is providing my children with an excellent and challenging academic experience, the teachers also understand how important it is to make learning fun. Both of my children love school and learning and we largely attribute this to Parkside's wonderful atmosphere.
Submitted by parent on October 30, 2015

I was firmly in the "if we have to go to Parkside then we are going to move" camp. Then I became educated. There is a huge neighborhood surge of support for Parkside right now, and it is making it the true neighborhood school that everyone wants it to be. A school isn't going to thrive if parents check out and send their kids to private school because they are afraid of some test scores. I can only speak to my experience, and I do have a bright kid without any issues or IEP, etc. I have NOT found that they teach to the bottom - they divide the kids into appropriate learning groups, and each group's homework is appropriate to their level. The teachers are all over identifying gifted students and they seem to have a very dedicated gifted program. The PTA is awesome and very involved - and the administration really seems to listen and respond immediately to any concerns. Communication is great, and my daughter is happy. What else can I say? Oh, also - facilities. Parkside has by FAR the nicest building of any elementary school in our neighborhood. Clean, bright - lots of windows, and bright colors.... things that are important to a kid who has to spend most of the day in the same room.