Joe Dan Mills Elementary (Austin, West: transfer, elementary school, living in)

[pdxtech]

For all you folks living in South Austin, can you provide some feedback on the
Joe Dan Mills Elementary? I understand that parts of Circle C and Western
Oaks are served by this elementary school.

In particular, I am looking for information on:
1) Class sizes : Big, small, is it true that they have overflow classes in trailers?
2) Teaching quality of Math, Reading and Writing in Grades K-5
3) Parental involvement in school activities
4) Teaching philosophy : Test based or does it encourage creativity?

I heard that they went from "recognized" to "exemplary" recently in TAKS
scores? Does that mean anything?

[Trainwreck20]

Class sizes : Big, small, is it true that they have overflow classes in trailers?

There are trailers on the property, so I assume that there are still classes in those.

As for the recognized and exemplary, it is difficult to stay at exemplary year in and year out, so many schools will change from one to the other from one year to the next. I would not worry too much about one vs. the other, as long as it stayed in those two rankings.

Can't really help you much, since we do not have kids in there yet (few years to go), but the neighbors with kids there love it.

[atlanta hope]

Seems like it has the best parent reviews on Greatschools.com. Baranoff didn't do so well with their reviews.

[Leif]

My daughter will start K this fall. Our neighbors love Mills and their children all seem very accomplished. We have spoken to teachers who work there in a social environment out of the school and they all seem very engaged and proud of their school. The Exemplary rating is a product of population. Many students were moved to the new elementary in Circle C and many of them came from areas where education is not so important to the famalies.

The campus is not so beautiful with all the "portables" but in the end it's all about the teachers and student body and NOT the buildings. We are very excited about Mills. Our daughter will enter kindergarten with both reading, writing and math skills and my fear is she might be bored. Based on her circle of friends that will also go to Mills they will not be holding the school back. Parents have way more impact on the schools by encouraging their children and driving the quality up with participation.

[SXSWResident]

OK, here you go:

1) Class sizes are on average 20-25 people for 1st-5th grades and 15-20 for Pre-K and K.
2) The teaching quality is excellent. Mills is an exemplary rated school by the Texas Edu. Agency
3) There is a PTA for Mills.
4) Encourages creativity.

I am a student at Mills myself.

[Salsared]

I can tell you the school is like a private school. My son has done very well since transferring there and we have been very happy. The classes are big. My son's class has 29 kids in it. The teachers he's had have been outstanding and while bored at his other school he's much more challenged now. They do not devote a lot of time practicing for TAKS as many schools do, which we loved. Mills is a great school!

[jobert]

Originally Posted by SXSWResident

OK, here you go:

1) Class sizes are on average 20-25 people for 1st-5th grades and 15-20 for Pre-K and K.
2) The teaching quality is excellent. Mills is an exemplary rated school by the Texas Edu. Agency
3) There is a PTA for Mills.
4) Encourages creativity.

I am a student at Mills myself.

You write very well for a 5th grader. Do your parents know what you've been up to?