Maplewood Elementary School in Austin, Texas

“I love the diversity and the great teachers!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Great teachers, great kids, great parents, great volunteers, great staff!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The teachers and staff are phenomenal. They love the kids and the kids love them right back. Always willing to go the extra. I love this school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“It's a community school where parents and teachers really care about the students and get involved on so many levels”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Maplewood is more than a school. It's a community, and a conscientious one at that!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Maplewood is the school that time forgot--but totally in a good way. You walk into the halls and immediately feel at home. It's institutional, but in a completely retro 50s sort of way. Like if Mad Men took place in a school, Maplewood would be that school. Better yet, the community that has been created there feels like that as well. As schools should be, it's relatively small. All the teachers know all the kids and all the kids pretty much know one another. Most come directly from the surrounding neighborhood as do many of the teachers. I am in the halls and library frequently and have yet to see or hear any inappropriate speech or behavior. It's not that anything special is happening, but there does seem to be a level of respect for one another that I don't hear about from other schools. I love that my older child knows and plays with kids of all ages. My younger child is almost like a mascot and will feel right at home when it's his time to attend. Teacher quality is off the charts with many long-term, highly experienced teachers. (With Texas at a 3 year average retention rate for teachers, we feel particularly lucky there.) We even have school gardens that the kids plant, tend, harvest and eat during a few special cafeteria lunches. We feel incredibly lucky to be part of such a vibrant, caring, urban school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“It's a great community school with thoughtful and caring teachers. My kids really enjoyed going there.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My kids came from an 'exemplary' school in another nearby district. I will be the first to admit that I had extreme reservations about whether Maplewood would work for our family given it's TAKS results. I was really worried that I might be putting my children in a 'lower ranked' school. What we quickly realized was that these labels based on one test on one day of the year mean absolutely nothing! Maplewood has been a breath of fresh air for my family. It is a school that serves a very diverse population without leaving any segment of that population behind. The kids who are ahead are challenged, the kids who struggle are given the help they need. There is a wildlife habitat on site, gardens the kids tend and eat from, kids learn how the solar panels work for the school. After school classes in robotics, french, yoga, ballet folk,etc.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Many of the teachers at Maplewood are saints and good teachers as well. Some of them (like Dr. Walker) are absolutely superb. The school is struggling, however, with inadequate resources and does a good job with what it has. It is an excellent example of how even committed teachers and parents can't always swim upstream in a system that penalizes minority students rather than compensates for their diffiiculties.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Maplewood is a great little school... committed parents, excellent teachers, and a wonderfully diverse group of students. I feel like my child is appreciated and supported and learning SO much every day. The after school program is terrific - classes in drama, science, magic, computers... also classes for parents - all free! This is a school where your child will recieve individual attention and be part of a diverse and vibrant community.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Maplewood is an urban oasis of a school. Though it's had a lot of turnover due to poor leadership over the past 2 years, it has really evened out this year. The staff is excellent! Everyone who works at Maplewood truly cares about each child's success. The new assistant principal is a gem, and art/music/PE classes are back to just one class of students at a time due to increased enrollment this year, so no more classes of 30 kindergardeners! :) The diversity is amazing. It's a very authentic representation of Texas's population. This school has many master teachers, involved parents, and alliances with other schools, churches, and community organizations. Students are fortunate if they're able to attend this small public school with a private-school attitude about hands-on, real-world, student-centered education.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Maplewood Elementary School is a 'Green' School with a focus on science, technology and the environment. Science and technology education begins at Maplewood in Kindergarten with Kinder teacher Dr. Pauline Walker, who lead the school in science and technology education. The school boasts excellent science clubs, including a robotics classes and science activities for Kinder - 6 grades. The school is a nationally certified Natural Wildlife Habitat and features dozens of rain barrels for water collection, a pond and gardening programs for the kids. Maplewood has onsite solar panels and is one of 30 schools in the state powered in part by the sun. The campus has a Wellness Team made up of parents, community members, teachers, staff and students. The Wellness Team works with the school to ensure kids are exposed to healthier food and activity choices. Maplewood is training the scientists and environmentalists of the future!”
This review was posted by a teacher.

“'Increase the Peace' is the school motto and 'Peace Makers' are highlighted every week. One could argue that the school atmosphere is somewhat chaotic. Some 'systems' are not well thought out such as dropping children off and picking them up. Parent involvement is low but those parents wo are involved try to make up for those who are not. There is a caring atmosphere at the school. Music, PE and Art are made up of a class and a half so there are over 30 students in those classses. There is a good after school program which many students take advantage of.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This school is a great example of what an involved neighborhood, vocal parents and committed teachers can contribute to student success. It is richly and successfully diverse, and has a total community feel. You can count on the teachers here to develop relationships with your child and place appropriate challenges before him/her. Maplewood is also one of few remaining elementaries in Austin that offers 6th grade (a privilege we fought for) and has two top-notch 6th grade teachers on par with the teachers provided in Austin's magnet junior highs. We're working hard now to build more after school opportunities.”
This review was posted by a parent.