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Charter School
Portland Public Schools
Emerson School
#2 in Best Public Elementary Schools in Multnomah County
  • A-
    Overall Grade
  • Public, Charter
  • K-5
  • Portland, OR
  • 14 reviews
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    Emerson School Reviews

    14 reviews
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    Great teachers that enjoy teaching and aren't in it for a paycheck. Project based learning. Students as a class decide on a subject to study with lots of field study and local business support.
    Emerson makes the most of its limited resources and is very supportive of all students.
    Unlike many Portland Public Schools, Emerson has physical education every day as well as recess, once or twice a day.
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    Very accepting community that has worked hard in recent years on diversity and inclusion.
    All are very dedicated to the project approach to learning and seem to enjoy learning about chosen topics just as much as their students.
    The school is in downtown Portland and uses a public park playground. The primary concerns of most parents are vagrants in the area. The staff surveys the playground before students play and they have at least two staff members outside with students at all times.

    As for bullying, the school's class meetings and positive discipline approach resolve most conflicts and teach students how to handle conflicts well.
    Again because it is a small school and they do so much learning in the classroom extracurriculurs are not that important to me as the parent. I get those elsewhere. But they have comics clubs, mad science, mine craft. Probably even more for the older kids. and Art 4 life is great after and before care.
    The school is small so obviously it doesn't have the large scale facilities of a large school. But I feel they have everything they need.
    This school has fantastic academics. Always rated high with test scores, but more importantly the kids learn by project method and approach. It's an intrinsic love of learning fostered through field study and the kids choosing the main theme of the semester. For example this fall was rocks for the kindergartners. They picked the subject and went on several field studies about rocks, to Mt. St. Helens, the geology museum, the fossil cartel. They did science experiments on rocks, they read about rocks, and they answered their deepest questions about rocks. That is the kind of learning you get in this school. Learning for the human soul.
    There is a fair and equitable lottery.
    Kids are so accepting and from all different socio economic background. Teachers foster diversity and inclusion. There is a real attempt to reach out to everyone.
    This small charter school has everything you would want for your child. A project approach in the classroom, teachers that stay with the kids for two years, mixed blended classrooms and children progressing at their own pace. The field studies are amazing and the love of learning that the kids pick up is fantastic. Hundreds of families try to lottery into this school in Portland and it is recognized as one of the best elementary schools in town.
    Again this is a small school so many of those large school resources of a nurse is not necessary. But I feel like my child is very safe at school. The school also has positive discipline!
    This is a k-5 elementary small charter school. There are not those kids of sports facilities available but we love the morning movement and recess.
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