Carlton Elementary School

2421 Carlton Avenue

School District

Union Elementary
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:25
Type

public

School Map for Union Elementary 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 February 12, 2019

High achieving school which can lead to some competition between students/families. Hard to pin all of that on the school - as it often comes from home. There are some high quality teachers here who are some of the best I've come across. Some great community nights - Multicultural Night, Dance Fest, Basket Bingo, etc that really bring the teachers/students/families together. Great neighborhood school, overall.
Submitted by parent on June 14, 2018

Excellent. Great office staff, principal and amazing PTA!
Submitted by parent on May 04, 2018

I see a huge improvement ever since the new principal came in, more structure was introduced and she's friendly, understanding and effective. The students need to be more accountable for homework not being completed though, but I feel that's the parents' responsibility.
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2017

Some teachers yell if the kids could not complete the task correctly instead of helping and encouraging. They don't even try to solve the bullying problems. Principal is very nice and kind but should watch closely on the behavior of teacher towards students inside the class.
Submitted by parent on October 31, 2015

Im a parent of students there and also a resident who lives nearby. Up until about 1.5 years ago its been a decent school and has always had a close nit parent community. Unfortunately the school jumped in too soon on the recent Common Core changes and the myopic focus on test scores, before the new curriculum and teacher training was really ready. This has led to our children being experimented on with different learning methods and a lot of frustration by Parents who are bearing the brunt of the massive homework overload. Teachers are in constant out-of-class training trying to figure how how to make the Core work. There is also a myopic focus on getting "technology" in to the class room for the sake of looking like they are doing something with it. The lack of honest (or any) communication on this whole effort doesn't help and the Principal, while friendly and caring, seems to be towing the district line, focusing on test scores and positive PR. The high number of full days off and reduced days the kids are not in school needs to be considered by working parents who need to pay for after school child care and have limited flexibility.The home and school club is mainly a fundraising organization and does not look at traditional PTA type issues like education quality and addressing parent concerns, tending to keep it friendly with the administration, which is unfortunate given the financial leverage they have.If they can get a focus back on just letting teachers teach kids full time, 5 days a week in the classroom and doing the job they way they know how, then this will be a great little school once again.
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2014

I've been quite pleased with the quality of the teachers and overall leadership of the school. I have noticed a disconnected in the principal leadership as others have suggested. But what I see as a bigger problem is some very disconnected parenting. People are busy and have jobs, they need to in order to stay in this area, but only a small percentage of parents actually volunteer and contribute to the school. The vast majority rarely set foot on school grounds, dropping their kids at the curb as they race off, ignoring the right turn only sign on the way out as they turn left. While probably not an isolation, the sheer volume of necessary daily goods stacked on the lost and found cart is a sign that some parents just don't care. That worries me. I've also found that while its wonderful that a lot of parents grew up in this area and are long-time friends, there is certainly an atmosphere of exclusivity that wrongly alienates a lot of good people. This cliquey behavior sets a bad precedent for the children who otherwise have no concept of class and superiority. Overall, the locals could be more welcoming to newcomers in the community and all parents could be more involved.
Submitted by parent on November 08, 2013

I agree with the latest review I was also at the Principal coffee morning and I was very impressed. I really feel she has genuine compassion for the school, it's students and it's teachers.
Submitted by parent on November 08, 2013

This is an amazing school. I attended a principal coffee today and it was informative and well organized. The focus was on Common Core standards and there is a clear plan in place in terms of teacher training at the school site. In addition there are great programs and a friendly climate.
Submitted by parent on September 02, 2013

I have been a part of this school community for almost 5 years. We value the experience that our children are receiving at Carlton. The teachers, principal and office staff are completely approachable and truly care about our children's well being and academic success.. Carlton also has a wonderful community. Parent volunteers spend hours at the school to help enrich Carlton's programs. I cannot say enough about our experience at Carlton so far. We could not be more pleased.
Submitted by parent on May 27, 2013

This is the second school which my son has been in (after a move from Campbell) and I am extremely pleased. I cannot say enough good things, from the outstanding teachers to the great administration. My son has never done better, nor liked school so much as he does now. The administration seems to be very progressive in their methods with high focus on results. I would recommend this school to any who are sincerely interested in their children receiving the best possible education and development.
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2013

I have been an involved parent at Carlton for 7 years now. I have also taught elementary school for over 16 years. Yes, our school has a newer principal with a different leadership style. In my 16 years of education I have had 5 principals. Each one of them brought something new to our school. It is sometimes hard for parents and teachers to adjust to the changes and it takes time to be open minded about the new ideas. I believe Carlton still has a tremendous staff that is being led by a good leader. When I have had a concern or an opinion, I have always felt I could express these feeling to the principal. In the end, I am pleased that my children are learning, happy and have had wonderful teachers.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2013

I must totally agree with the previous reviewer regarding the new principal. I'd like to see the district solicit in-depth feedback from parents and teachers, and take necessary action before the wonderful culture and quality of this school is lost.
Submitted by parent on May 16, 2013

It's important to remember that Carlton Avenue school has been under new leadership since August 2011. The school has an actively involved parent community. Most teachers are top-notch. So the very good test scores and other positive attributes of the school mostly reflect legacy programs and leadership, and not the current reigning leader. I would like to see the Union School district solicit in-depth feedback from parents and teachers specifically regarding the current leadership at Carlton Avenue School. It has been two years in this top-level role. Word around the community and from our family's personal experience suggests that the current leadership is failing; it seems essential to investigate further and see where there is room for improvement. The general district survey does not allow for comments and does not get specific enough to provide the district with any helpful insight. On a side note, there are bright spots: The ever-smiling and helpful front office administrative assistant and the PE coach are two wonderful and caring individuals.
Submitted by parent on May 03, 2013

The community is great and the school works well for most students. I have noticed that students that are below grade level receive extra help and students that are above grade level are pushed. However there are many students that are just average and trying to get extra help for a student that is average or struggling in one subject is impossible. The teachers focus on that they are meeting the academic level, but I believe we should be helping these kids achieve as well. If you have a student that behaves well and gets okay grades the school lets them be mediocre.
Submitted by other on March 27, 2013

my school is super cool everyone is loving and caring over all great school. I mean like best school ever!
Submitted by parent on September 17, 2012

Although we enrolled in 4th grade, we were thrilled with the superb educational opportunities from this, our local public, school. The teachers were far more educated about teaching the whole child. My "out of the box" son is appreciated instead of benched every day. The administration is unified and consistent. All staff is great at communication. Our previous private school could not and would not provide advanced curriculum and Carlton had many programs already in place. I wish my daughter had benefitted from this school. In addition to the staff, the parents and school community is welcoming and full of parent involvement. Carlton is a fantastic educational community!
Submitted by parent on September 07, 2012

My children attended Carlton from Kinder through 5. They, and I, LOVED their experience there! Carlton, and the Principal, foster a safe, nurturing environment where all students are encouraged to grow to their full potential. My son is well above grade level in all subjects but was offered many advanced and excelerated options so was never bored. The school is a 'Bully Free Zone' and takes that very seriously with Monthly Anti-Bullying classes for each grade level as well as lots of playground supervision. There is tutoring in Math and Reading in all grades as well as before school help for those that are below grade level. I am shocked that anyone would rate Carlton anything less than "Excellent" and can only assume that there was some extreme situation with their child that they didn't like but I never once had any of my questions or concerns disregarded by teachers, staff or the Principal.
Submitted by teacher on September 06, 2012

Carlton is a great school with a caring community. The teachers are dedicated and very involved with their students. The new principal is hands on and has maintained excellent programs and implemented many new ones.
Submitted by teacher on August 12, 2012

I used to work here. The teachers were excellent, the leadership was perfect, the parents helpful, secretary couldn't have been better, students were fantastic...great people all around. Wonderful community.
Submitted by parent on June 21, 2012

I agree with the other reviewer that "bright students are being pushed to conform" and would apply that especially to active young boys. I saw bright, intelligent, creative, imaginative boys being put on behavior improvement plans (w/entire days spent in the principal's office); one day those boys will shine in ways that aren't yet appreciated.