Pearsontown Elementary

4915 Barbee Road

School District

Durham Public
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:14
Type

public

School Map for Durham Public School District

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 January 18, 2025

We are very thankful for the wonderful teachers, the great leadership of Pearsontown Elementary! Pearsontown provides an exceptional learning environment with dedicated teachers who genuinely care about student success. The curriculum is robust and the staff demonstrates a commitment to individual student growth! Our boys love spending their time in this school, learning and enjoying every moment of their educational journey.
Submitted by parent on March 25, 2023

This is an A school for academics only. This is their only focus. They do not do enough to provide a safe environment for children to learn. Leadership and teachers allow bullying of students. I do not recommend this school for that reason.
Submitted by parent on September 01, 2022

would say that school improved but the past years, the school was chaotic
Submitted by parent on January 10, 2020

I am very thankful for the leadership, teachers, the beauty of the school, and a great experience with all three of my boys here.
Submitted by parent on January 09, 2020

Fantastic! Have two girls that have been there since Kindergarten. Now they are in 3rd and 5th, and both have thrived in their love of learning.
Submitted by parent on June 14, 2019

Our child has completed kindergarten and first grade. The experience has been very good. We has a better experience in first grade than kindergarten though the difficulties in kindergarten were a combination of some dry academic approaches and a rough adjustment from pre-K. We are very positive on Pearsontown overall.
Submitted by parent on February 01, 2018

Bullying has not be adequately handled. Leadership is this area is lacking.
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2018

We have had two great years at Pearsontown so far!
Submitted by parent on October 24, 2017

This is our 4th year at Pearsontown and we have had a very good experience thus far. I agree that its all about the teachers you get and there is a spectrum, but all of the teachers we have had have all cared very much about our son's experience and were very adept at teaching. Not all of them have been the most professional, buttoned up teachers I've ever met, but for what is most important, teaching my child, they have all excelled. That said my son has one of the best teachers I have ever seen this year. She is truly inspirational. He is currently in 3rd grade and feels connected to his school and his teacher. Mr. Teal, the principal is very inclusive and excited to be there. All schools will have pros and cons, and for us, thus far we have found many more pros. We feel lucky for our daughter to start Kindergarten there in the summer. It is an inclusive community, but like anywhere else, you have to show your interest and get involved. We love it here.
Submitted by parent on August 25, 2015

My two kids were at Pearsontown for 3 long years. There are some great teachers and some teachers that really should not be teachers. How the kids are challenged depends on the teacher you are lucky to get. The biggest issue came when my son was in 5th grade. If there is a situation where the parent needs to get involved it is not handled professionally at all. One time a teacher called my husband at work and was highly emotional over a situation that occurred between my son and another child. She had my son with her and began making insulting comments about him to my husband in his presence. What adult does this and teacher at that? This should've been a teachable moment and handled much differently and taught my son nothing to witness something like that. It was actually very damaging to him emotionally. This should've been handled in a private meeting between the parents, teacher and principal. We did get a meeting with the Principal and although I do like him, he basically told us that his main focus at that time was preparing his school for the EOGs. Wow. I also have witnessed teachers screaming at kids and seen kids reduced to tears at times. It's a VERY loud and sometimes hostile environment. The kids are treated as if they are in military school. So glad I got out before my youngest started kindergarten there!
Submitted by parent on September 13, 2014

Our son is in 1st grade, and we are continuously impressed with the teachers, staff and quality of education he is receiving. Concerned about the challenge level of Durham schools? Please tour this school. The teaching staff sincerely cares for their students even with the challenges they face from the state (budget & common core). What most impresses me is that my child is spelling words I didn't see until 3rd grade. He is reading above level with comprehension questions (oral and written), and his writing journal includes (already!) how to formulate a response with a beginning, middle and end. For the criticisms, no school is perfect. Funds for the classroom don't go far. Parents band together to get supplies. Expect that everywhere. NC schools are in budget crisis. In the end, we are glad we didn't move to Wake and dealing with their overcrowding. We are happy we chose Pearsontown over charters he got slots in, and we know fundamentally that our son is experiencing more of a real-world representation in his classroom and school. If we can raise him to think inclusively and understand the world as a non-homogeneous community, then we've done something right.
Submitted by parent on January 10, 2014

My daughter has moved through the DPS system from Pearsontown to Rogers-Herr to Hillside New Tech, so I can speak with hindsight. This was a good school at the time. I hope is still is. We loved the year-round schedule, and she had great, experienced teachers. Overall it was a good experience, and I think she was challenged.
Submitted by teacher on October 17, 2013

I have been teaching at this school for over five years. I've stayed for a number of reasons. One, because the of the diversity of our school ( all aspects of diversity). Two, because of my fellow teachers! Parents complained about us acting as if it's a social arena instead of teaching, well, yes we also teach, push, challenge and inspire the students. You want a school where teachers socialize it means were having fun! I think some people who write reviews on this site should think first: what's it like to be a teacher? Have you spent days in the class volunteering and wearing our shoes? If you want to write a review about an institution write to our local government and ask why teachers haven't received a cost of living raise in 8 yrs, why there aren't enough books for students, why we don't have time to dig deeper into objectives, and why they don't praise us instead of defining us by a seven page evaluation of data! (Our principal does praise us!) I love Pearsontown, I love the staff, I love our new principal, Mr Teal, and the staff! You are amazing, and wonderful! I'd write more but just like education has become there are limits!! 1200 of them.
Submitted by parent on October 16, 2013

There are a handful of quality teachers, and the rest are just there to get a paycheck. This school has lost all the qualities of a good educational institution. The teachers used to care about their students, but now they all just walk around talking to each other, and not actually teaching students anything. It's become a social arena for teachers, instead of an educational institution of higher learning for elementary students.
Submitted by parent on September 02, 2013

pearsontown, just wasn't for us they have many bullying issues that are not going to get fixed anytime soon. After all my sons best friend was getting bullied just because he was australian.
Submitted by teacher on February 28, 2012

I I LOVE THIS SCHOOL!! This is the BEST school in Durham!!! The quality of education at our school is amazing. We strive to meet the needs of ALL of our students at Pearsontown. We have excellent teachers and teacher assistants. The MAIN focus for teachers and teacher assistants at Pearsontown is the STUDENTS. If you are considering this school, please send your child(ren). We would LOVE to have them join our Panda family!
Submitted by teacher on February 27, 2012

I love my school and I love my students. If I could not work at Pearsontown, I would not be a teacher. I have had offers for much more money based on my prior experiences. The reason Pearsontown has AIG students in classes with only certified teachers is based on a North Carolina General Statute. But there are students who are not identified as "AIG" who are also in class with certified teachers. Change is difficult, but it is everywhere. Just remember "poly" is latin for many and ticks are those little blood suckers... thus politics are simply many little blood suckers. They have nothing to do with children or their education if we all remember that and to everything we can possibly do to help our future generation!!!!
Submitted by teacher on February 27, 2012

Hard working teachers, teaching assistants and staff are the people you will find at Pearsontown Elementary School. This year has been a challenging one for everyone one at Pearsontown, all the staff and the parents. Each day I come to work excited to be with my students, I seek advise from colleagues and look for fun innovative lessons and activities. Despite some of the challenges we have faced this year, I am proud to be a teacher at Pearsontown and plan to spend as many years as I possibly can at this school. I feel so very blessed to be a part of this school. It is my hope that we can stop posting so many negative things and start focusing on all the wonderful things that happen at Pearsontown. Change is in your hands and mine and I plan on making to best of my year.
Submitted by parent on February 26, 2012

Pearsontown is not what it seems.It is not one of the top schools in DPS. The current principal is not bad. It could be worse. She is an advocate of at risk kids and provides tutoring before and afterschool as well as intervention. I also like how child care services are provided for select students in several classrooms during intersession and afterschool.This is a savings for some due to the fact that this not through DPS Community Education which is extremely costly. No other school offers. Test scores are high when you have AIG students clustered in one class per grade level and a select student population are accepted in. Not fair. Some of the teachers, assistants, and staff are obnoxious and unprofessional. Some talk to the kids unappropriately and if the teacher do not like your child or parents the child is targeted or belittled. The school is very old and needs to be renovated. I think more parents are speaking out about Pearsontown now because fingers are being pointed . I encourage all parents to speak out and let your voices be heard. The community should be aware of the fact that there are other schools better than Pearsontown. Think twice before enrolling your child.
Submitted by parent on February 26, 2012

The reputation of Pearsontown changed before the current principal arrived. The last principal left a chaotic mess at the school while revamping some of the programs. Stop pointing fingers at each other and try to solve the problem. Maybe the current principal could adjust her leadership style. However, some of the teachers need to come off their thrones of glory and look in the mirror. Grow up and act like professionals. My child comes home almost daily sharing information about what is going on at the school. Stop talking in front of the children, they are listening. It makes you wonder, if all of this dialog is happening in front of the children who is teaching and monitoring them. This is a very sad situation. Teachers and staff, if you are not happy why not look for a job elsewhere. I want my chld to be educated, not taught to gossip. Parents, teachers, administration and community lets bring Pearsontown back to the stop.