Three Oaks Elementary School

It’s been horrible! Worst mistake I made for my kids. And if your child cries because they did bad on a test don’t be surprised if DCF is called on you. Another fun experience Three Oaks has for the parents. We didn’t get mad about that as they are only making sure the kids are safe but considering it was over a failed test we were surprised! And kindergarteners get grades at this school- very fast paced!

Teachers and Administration are awesome. They truly care about their students and are great at communication. They challenge the students while also making it fun to learn.

Given all of the positive reviews of Three Oaks Elementary School and its "A" school grade, we were optimistic when our twins were assigned to this school for kindergarten. However, in hindsight, there were warning signs even before the school year started. When I called to request that our twins be placed in the same classroom, (it is law that the parent decides whether to have twins placed together or separated), the school front office administrator was rude, abrupt, and disagreeable. It ended up taking THREE phone calls to get my request honored. In addition, in about 4 months time, our twins had three different kindergarten teachers. Furthermore, the homework demands were unreasonable, at times being 6 worksheet pages, sight word review, and reading for ONE night. When I provided the teacher(s) with the National Education Association and National PTA's standpoint, based on evidence-based RESEARCH, that kindergarten students should NOT BE ASSIGNED homework given it has not shown to forward children's education goals and can be DETRIMENTAL, I received basically a virtual shrug. In addition, this same teacher told me, in the interest of time, to just flip through the pages of their sight word notebook rather than actually read to them. I was astonished. Furthermore, for the entire time our twins attended Three Oaks, there was not a single piece of original work that came home - rather, it was a deluge of worksheets and template-based assignments. It truly was as if a copy machine was at the head of the classroom rather than a human teacher.While our twins were succeeding on paper - they both had all A's and were always well-behaved, we transferred them to San Carlos Park Elementary after about four months given we knew that they were being under served at Three Oaks. I am relieved to write that they are now receiving an developmentally-appropriate, enriching education at their new school. And they are thriving!After having navigated Lee County schools for our 4 children for the past 8 years, my advice to parents is not always adhere to the popular route. Some of regular favorites, such as Three Oaks, seem to be resting on their laurels, and in doing so, are doing a disservice to their students. However, some of the lesser recognized Title 1 schools are addressing issues head-on, have change makers at their helms, and deserve a chance.

My daughter has been going here since K and is in the 2nd grade this year. My youngest daughter starts K this year. I have had a wonderful experience with this school which is why it is so hard to get into this school. The teachers that we have had really are excellent. The kids have homework every night even in K. I like that you can reach the principal, Dr. Parks, very easily. She doesn't hide from the parents. She is very friendly and outgoing. And she returns phone calls! The kids really seem to like her. This past year there was a new Asst. Principal and he is as friendly as Dr. Parks. The teachers are very receptive to parent's concerns if you had any. I took a big involvement in my daughter's learning so I stayed on top of it and in constant communication. Realistically, the teachers can only do so much. Some kids just need extra help. My daughter needed a bit of extra help. We worked with her constantly and she was able to move on to 2nd grade. They will hold your child back if they are not ready. There are tests through out the entire year that gauge where your child is at learning wise. It is a hard school. Not easy, but I am very pleased!