Emerson Elementary School

4803 Lawton Avenue

School District

Oakland Unified
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:16
Type

public

School Map for Oakland Unified 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 December 04, 2024

Emerson is a gem of a school. The gifted teachers and staff (many with long tenure) are at the core of this. They clearly support and like each other, are dedicated to the students, and are happy to be there. Principal Stibbins is a sturdy and approachable leader with clear priorities, and a “Whole Child” approach. An example - he holds monthly assemblies where students are recognized for academic progress or for embodying a school value. The “cheetah champions” run between rows of their cheering peers and then high-five the principal. A treasured ritual.Many families walk and bike from the neighborhood; it's a wonderful thing to have so many school friends in close proximity. The diverse community of families at this school is down-to-earth and welcoming. Enrichment opportunities - library, art, dance, garden, music, Restorative Justice circles. The PTA is very involved and funds a LOT, including field trips and teacher support and enrichment and community events. There are two excellent aftercare options. And in summer 2025, the campus will get new playgrounds from the Eat. Play. Learn. Foundation! In talking with others (or in looking at this site), you may have heard the pervasive concept of “there are only a few good schools in Oakland.” That’s absolutely not true - but unfortunately it is very effective at scaring many away from choosing their neighborhood school. Best thing you can do for your school search? Talk with current parents at the school; current is important since a lot can change in a short amount of time at a school. And ignore testing data, which has very little to do with the quality of education and much more to do with other socio-economic factors that are out of the school's control. There is so much value to going to your neighborhood school. The diversity of a population (and your family's exposure to that diversity) is solidly a benefit and not a drawback.
Submitted by parent on March 17, 2022

Bullying is rampant at this school. Kids curse each other out and many kids use racial slurs. In general, the older boys have already begun macho postering and are overtly aggressive when playing games.
Submitted by parent on December 15, 2020

Emerson Elementary is a welcoming, loving school full of super dedicated teachers, a fantastic and consistent leader, and an active parent community. Our kids are curious, joyful, and brilliant in a million unique ways. They come from a wide variety of countries, economic and racial backgrounds, and are better off for the friendships they form.
Submitted by parent on December 15, 2020

I have a child in 1st Grade at Emerson and I am impressed every day with her teachers. The last year of distance learning has been challenging and they have adapted amazingly. It is a supportive environment where kids can thrive.
Submitted by parent on February 22, 2020

Horrible. I hate that my child attended this school. He still talks about how bad this was.
Submitted by other on May 04, 2019

Excellent! I am a product of this school. Graduating class of 1977. 6th grade, Dr. C. McDonald. Principal, Lucille P. Martin. I later came back as a Volunteer Coordinator and Receptionist while my children attended. I worked with my Godparents, Mr. And Mrs Lamar Parker on contributing to make Emerson the Great School it is today. Now I have a Grandson in 1st grade attending Emerson.
Submitted by parent on April 10, 2019

I love this school and I abhor this website. I can't believe we allow this ranking system, based solely on test scores and therefore socio-economic status, to tell us what school is "good". Love how I get ads for private schools on this site. Way to further dismantle public education, greatschools.org. Shame on you.
Submitted by other on May 12, 2018

My son is currently in Kindergarten at Emerson. I am very impressed with the Principal and with the kinds of varied events and activities the school holds to engage students and parents, and to help fundraise. I went to the an event just last week, “Go with the Glow” and this event was catering to Moms (and Mom figures) and Sons. It was fun, it was beautiful, it was well coordinated, there was food, games, a good time to be had by all who attended. At the end of the event, the students came out with roses for each of the Mom figure they brought with them to the event. I was really touched by the idea, and the staff participation. This is a school that is obviously loved by the people work there and attend the school.
Submitted by parent on January 08, 2016

My son is currently in kindergarten at Emerson. I have been consistently impressed with both kindergarten teachers. Ms. Campos approaches the classroom with a sense of calm control. Within weeks my son was bringing home school play having me do writer's workshop and make up math problems for him to do! Recently another parent said to me, "Emerson kids love science!" It's true! Friday mornings my son gets really excited about going to science with Ms. Walsh, who has a great understanding of how to relate to kids and get them interested in science. Emerson still has a long way to go in terms of closing the achievement gap, but Principal Palin is committed to working with ALL constituencies and the PTO is working hard to both build community and raise money for some of the extra programming not funded by OUSD (community garden, choral music, ceramics). My strongest hope for Emerson is to grow into a school that represents the diversity that is Oakland and provides opportunities for all of Oakland's children.
Submitted by parent on May 28, 2015

I'm not sure how my school rated 4 stars in the past, but it is far from it now. Our 2nd grade student's teacher quit abruptly last year. LAST YEAR! And Emerson failed to replace her. Instead to cover themselves, they blame the children, the parents, the economy, the school district. All of these tactics do nothing harm out child's self esteem & divert attention from the real problem. Emerson doesn't think that our child is worth a 2nd grade education. If Oakland has a very high drop out rate, I know where it begins. It starts with Elementary schools that think it's o.k. to shuffle my child from class to class without a permanent teacher. At one point I'd even settle for a sub, but we aren't even worth that. Instead my 2nd grader can expect to go to a kintergarten class, a 3rd grade class, anything but a full-time stable teacher. The damage done to my child has been done. If you send my child to babysit a kintergarten class, then at least pay us the minimum wage for the child labor!!! Or at least hold back your own salary until you do your job. I'm angry because this is unethical, immoral, and neglectful. Many of us parents come here to offer support, but you don't hear us. Don't bring your kid here unless you want them to become a statistic!
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2014

My son is in his second year at Emerson and is completely thriving. I can't say enough about the wonderful TK and kinder teachers. They are an amazing group of young women who work so hard for their students and really go the extra mile. I have been pleased to see the dramatic growth in parent engagement and believe that this, combined with a principle Hatzkys leadership, is setting the stage for higher expectations on all sides and a growing demand for excellence from all. We're thrilled to be a part of the process to turn Emerson into a school that supports, and delivers success for all of its diverse children.
Submitted by parent on April 07, 2014

My child attends Emerson Elementary as a Kindergartener, and he is thriving! HE has developed a love of reading and books and is excelling in Math. We love his teacher Ms. Aiello and Principal Hatzke, and our family feels that our input is valued and welcome. We have enjoyed working with other members of the Emerson community and PTO, and look forward to engaging with more families.
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2014

My daughter is learning and thriving in kindergarten at Emerson. Ms. Aiello is a great teacher who is always available for a quick conversation at pick up to discuss what's going on. For example, at the beginning of the year my daughter got very stressed out by line-up, and was bringing up worries about line-up at bed time. When we came to Ms. Aiello, she came up with a strategy that immediately ended my daughter's anxiety. I'm so impressed by what I see in all the kindergarten classrooms: calm, professional, and caring teachers who make learning exciting. My daughter's favorite subject is writer's workshop, and she's writing short stories about her life at school and at home. My daughter is making great friends, and the kindergarten and TK teachers are very focused on fostering a welcoming and inclusive school environment. The parent involvement is growing by leaps and bounds, with a lot of parent led projects -- school beautification, math enrichment, community building, and more. Also, my daughter loves the weekly choral music class with Ms. Grissell. We're so happy to be at our neighborhood school.
Submitted by parent on December 03, 2013

Hello, We have a kindergartner in Ms Aiello's class and we couldn't be happier. He was very apprehensive about leaving his pre-school to come to Emerson, but now all he talks about is how much he loves school,his teacher and Mrs. Verna's aftercare program. We chose Emerson because we were impressed with the diversity and nurturing community it offers.The Principals vision for the school is progressive, the teaching staff is committed and the PTO is awesome. That's a perfect combination for educational growth and success.
Submitted by parent on October 28, 2013

Emerson has great teachers and excellent community involvement. Staff are open to ideas and input from parents and the community.
Submitted by parent on October 22, 2013

We have three children who've attended EMERSON ELEMENTARY since 2011 to present :) Our eldest has been flourishing in the inclusion (autism) program and our twins were enrolled in last year's TK program. As a parent IAM grateful for the academic-literacy program Emerson participates and MORE SO appreciative of the inclusion program :) We <3 Ms Dunn and her team ! Our FAMILY has always felt like FAMILY @ EMERSON :) The office staff are professional and polite , especially Ms K and Linda who volunteer :) THIS school IS an awesome SCHOOL... We personally recommended Emerson to our family members and friends, they too AGREED and expressed gratitude to us for the referral... all our children are HAPPY and thriving socially & academically. Sincerely, <3 proud parents.
Submitted by parent on October 22, 2013

To me Emerson is a wonderful school. The children there are a delight to be around and the staff at Emerson go above and beyond the call of duty to make Emerson special. Yes Emerson still need work, but what school dosent. This is my sons second year there and he will be there for the next 3 years.
Submitted by parent on August 15, 2013

I made the decision to enroll my son in the TK program at Emerson Elementary--site unseen--which is a 20-minute commute for our family. As it was a pilot program, there wasn't a lot of information going in and all the parents were nervous and didn't really know what to expect. I can tell you that we were all pleasantly surprised. What we got was an amazing teacher (Danielle Erwin) who is passionate about educating young minds. Ms. Erwin does a good job blending play and instruction. I have absolutely no regrets about enrolling my son in TK and the Emerson community is great. All of the parents are incredibly passionate, and contribute in their own ways! Emerson TK Parent Alumni
Submitted by parent on August 06, 2013

My child has attended this school for the last three years and we are very happy there. My son is super bright and has thrived with support from great teachers and friends. Our family has had an overall wonderful experience. Emerson is a vibrant and dynamic place. Principal Haztke has a solid vision for a holistic approach to education. She has been a champion for the kids at Emerson and the school has improved in many ways under her leadership (including test scores). The parent group is making a huge impact at the school by organizing tons of fun community events for families and kids, and fundraising to support many new programs. We have music and art instruction, lots of field trips, gardening and nutrition support, poetry, and community service. The kids are thriving, the teachers are getting the support they need, and there is excellent targeted intervention and support for students who need it. The support staff from office to after school is fantastic. The campus is a giant lovely place for kids not only to learn but engage with and enjoy their days at school. Emerson may be the best kept secret in Oakland! Shhhhh.
Submitted by parent on July 30, 2013

Can't recommend them highly enough. Ms. Erwin was my daughter's teacher. Between her and principal Hatzke, my daughter thrived as a transitional kindergartener there. We are sad to leave Emerson so my children can attend the same school in the fall. It was an eye opening experience. And our neighborhood school will in the hills will no doubt benefit from my experience here.