Whitman Elementary School

1120 South 39th Street

School District

Tacoma
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
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 other on June 02, 2023

Concering 1st Grade.Learning: Report cards are based off digital scores, and students are hardly not monitored/left alone when using i-Ready computers. I-Ready is recommended for 13yrs+, however is given to children as young as 5 years old, and use this as a crutch to distract children during critical engagement time.Teaching: Teachers spend most time on computer, data "mining", and meeting with each other, rather than engaging with students.Social Emotional Support: Teachers and administration staff are typically unapproachable. And are dismissive, gaslight, and deflect any accountability.Special Education: Always misses scheduled IEP appointments by calling in sick, doesn't make up for scheduled missed days.Safety: No accountability for boys who are overly-aggressive towards girls. Constant bullying, fat-shaming, and physical violence.Family Engagement: Attempted to block my personal familial engagement during specific family-entertainment hours like paint-night, picture-taking, by leaving me in the dark about specific and important dates/information.
Submitted by parent on September 13, 2022

Horrible school. We have been attending here for 5 years multiple kids and the principal is a nightmare. Teachers are extremely rude towards parents as well as children. There are only a few good teachers left. Went to seek help from principal Tracy Allen, found out that she is not friendly towards parents and her way is the only way, too bad if you don’t like it, is how she solves problems. PTA is strongly encouraged but teachers and faculty are not welcoming and do not like change. Do not send your kids here
Submitted by parent on May 01, 2018

I could not be happier with this school. Admittedly, I have been pleasantly surprised after reading the ratings here when purchasing a home in this area. The staff and faculty are friendly and supportive, while upholding appropriate boundaries and structure. I am pleased with my son’s academic and social progress. In addition, this school appears to celebrate and appreciate diversity. I get a strong sense of community whenever I step through the doors of Whitman Elementary.
Submitted by parent on June 22, 2012

I'm very very dissapointed in Whitman. I've had a problem with one teacher, and especially the principal. He doesn't even excuse the child when two adults are having a conversation and blames the child for everything even speaking about his own personal opinion making the child feel belittled, making them out to be a lier and feeling that they have no self esteem.. I've had problems with one parent threatening me as well as their child bulling my child and nothing was done about this issue. As well as catching the teacher pulling my child by his hood to correct him, I've went to the district as well. The principal reused to move my child to another class while saying to me infront of my child that I'm full of excuses and for that reason only, he's refuses to move my child. In the end I had to leave my child in the same class. When I address the bulling it was lead to be my childs fault. I thought the school is suppose to have our children in thier best interest, well they are not, it's their staff who is in their interest. My child WILL NOT BE RETURNING
Submitted by parent on May 04, 2012

i am extremely dissapointed in Whitman's staff. my child struggled with what i can only determine as a personality conflict with the teacher. We spoke many times to the teacher who was unwilling to accept any fault in the issue, we spoke to the principal who is uninterested in working with parents, rather he trys to make it the childs fault so that his staff looks good. The lack of communication between staff and parents is frustrating at best and the school is highly unorganized.