| Date | Who | Comments |
| 3/22/2011 | parent | I am so happy to go to a school where the principal is so involved, not just on the big issues, but even to visit each classroom to see the students at work! The fourth grade teachers have been great, especially in science and math. I am proud that we are part of this school! |
| 3/21/2011 | parent | The teachers, staff, new principal and parents pour their talents and energies into making this school one special place for the kids who attend- and there are extra cirricular events like the math superstar program to the science olympiad and there are many events and activities ranging from the multi-cultural festival to the fun run, art night and much more. My now 4th grader loves going to school and I have to say I love volunteering in the outdoor classroom/garden! |
| 1/26/2011 | parent | The program is excellent, the teacher go the extra mile for the kids, most of the parents are involved, the new principal is great. It lacks of founding like all the public schools but still a great school located in a good neighborhood . |
| 12/14/2010 | parent | There is an amazing 3rd grade teacher who will blow your socks away. He comes up with incredible thoughtful projects that have taught me a thing or two. I couldn't be more thrilled. The new principal seems to be stepping up the game with the whole school to be on par with this teacher. I am thrilled. |
| 12/13/2010 | parent | Mrs. Neely the new principal in 2010 is awesome. She is extremely positive, upbeat, and professional. Her dynamic personality and experience is really affecting the school in many ways and her plans for the future will only make it better. Our kindergarten experience was lack-luster but we are extremely happy with first grade and the quality of education at Oak Grove. So many hands-on activities and enrichment opportunities. It's a great community of dedicated teachers and involved parents. |
| 10/27/2010 | parent | Oak Grove has a dynamic new principal and a team of dedicated parents, teachers and administrators have joined together to form The Oak Grove Foundation---who's mission is to make Oak Grove the most academically and culturally enriching school in Georgia. It's a great time to be at our school and the future will be even more exciting for students. |
| 1/14/2010 | parent | I have children in Grades 1 and 5 and they are both doing very well. In my experience I have found the teachers to be excellent with the capabilities to offer the children a successful school life. |
| 12/28/2009 | parent | Oak Grove is great K-3, but changes dramatically at 4th grade. The teachers are by far very caring and enthusiastic (with a only a few exceptions). The school leadership change in the 2008-9 school year has been to the detriment of the school - the focus seems to be on the management of a school, rather than the cultivation of the strengths of the children at the school. There is exceptional parent involvement, and the children perform accordingly. |
| 10/15/2009 | parent | The school has gone the extra mile in helping my child- it has the village where love and support will spur hime on to greater hights |
| 10/15/2009 | parent | The school is excellent because if its excellent teachers, caring staff, and parent involvement. The school extends beyond just the school day and has done a great job in creating a community environment. |
| 10/14/2009 | parent | Oak Grove E.S. is one of the best elementary school I have heard people talk about. It is the first school year for my daughter there and I have noticed alot of improvements on her in just 2 months of class. She loves it, her teachers and classmates. |
| 10/14/2009 | parent | Oak Grove is full of intelligent, nurturing, creative, enthusiastic, wonderful teachers. They make the school GREAT! |
| 10/9/2009 | parent | Oak Grove E.S. has such an amazing group of teachers and administrative staff who are supportive and nurturing. Couldn't ask for a better school! |
| 10/9/2009 | parent | Oak Grove Elementary is a best kept secret. The community is filled with parents who care about their children's education. The teachers are very dedicated to student learning and create a warm, nurturing environment. We could not ask for a better elementary school for our children. |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | It is a great neighborhood school with lots of parents involved. Technology is what is missing as well as an updated building. 2008 was Oak Groves 50th year anniversary celebration and the building is the same. Could save lots on energy bills just by replacing old windows. Could save lots of energy and time for all the teachers with new technology. The teachers are all wonderful and want the best for the students. They just need updated tools. |
| 9/23/2009 | parent | Oak Grove has the best teachers in the Atlanta area. |
| 4/25/2009 | parent | I am disappointed in the leadership, and teachers in the uppergrades. The focus is not on academics but on behavior and teaching towards the tests. |
| 1/2/2009 | parent | I have had children in OG since 1999 until now. The leadership has definitely deteriorated since Mr. Tippins retired. The school has NOT been the same in terms of leadership. |
| 10/24/2008 | parent | Oak Grove is in need of some team-building among the staff. Let's hope new administration can help with that. There's more to a good school than test scores. |
| 10/1/2008 | parent | One of the best schools in Georgia! |
| 9/4/2008 | parent | Oak grove inconsistent. We have had some excellent teachers and some very frustrating ones. There are not enough creative aspects to the curriculum. music and art once a week, very few after school activities. I am also dissapointed that we do not have a language class, this is the ideal age for children to grasp languages. The envoirnment is safe and the office staff have always been friendly and curteous. I think parents view the test scores and forget to view the all round culture of the school. |
| 6/13/2008 | parent | We have put two children through Oak Grove and have found it to be average. The school does not have a lot of consistency from grade level to grade level and the teachers vary from excellent to so-so. I wish the school would stick with curriculum instead of changing it each year. |
| 5/7/2008 | parent | The best school, teachers and administration, with strong and positive community relationship |
| 2/6/2008 | teacher | I think the administration is very passive aggressive. I have always done everything asked of me yet I have not felt supported as a teacher at this school. The administration definitely has their 'favorites'. |
| 2/3/2008 | parent | My daughter loves it! We have two more kids that will attend this school in the coming years and I won't change it for a private school. Eventhough it is a public school it is like a private school and sometimes better. Teachers are very well educated and care for their students. PTA is huge and all parents are involved in the school activities. |
| 1/18/2008 | parent | Oak grove seems to be doing well as far as DeKalb county public schools. Our experience there has been average. The usual issues with good years and not so good years depending on the teacher your child gets. I wish there was more consistency in that respect. Definitely some room for improvement. There is a lot of emphasis on testing. When you look at the socio-economic make up of the community, are the test scores due to good teaching or well educated family backgrounds? |
| 12/4/2007 | parent | I would say that Oak Grove does rank average to above average for DeKalb County schools. It is definitely not the same as a private education and should not be compared as such. There seems to be a lot of eggs placed in the testing basket. |
| 12/3/2007 | parent | We moved into the Oak Grove school district 3 years ago after visiting several schools in the Atlanta area. We knew right away why Oak Grove had such a great reputation. We met with the principal and not only did she answer all our questions she gave us a personal tour of the school. The secretaries were incredible! Not only were they nice but they offered to watch our younger children while we were on tour. All of the teachers we observed were involved hands on with their students. There were quite a few parent volunteers there the day we visited and now that we are in the community I realize there are always volunteers at the school. The parents work together with the teachers and administration to make Oak Grove the great school that it is. |
| 12/3/2007 | parent | I was shocked to read that anyone could have a mediocre experience at Oak Grove. My children, each with their own very different personalities, contine to excel and flourish at Oak Grove. Our family has enjoyed every aspect of the school and have loved Mrs. Dillard's open door policy. Any time we have had a concern, she has quickly put us at ease. The office staff is always pleasant and helpful. I feel that my family is incredibly lucky to be in such a warm, wonderful environment. |
| 12/3/2007 | parent | What a great feeling from a school. From being greeted at the office by two kind and smiling secretaries, feeling welcomed by teachers, and an administration that has led the school to many awards, it was like walking into a private school. Walking down the halls, I heard teaching going on not the constant sound of disciplining students that is now such a common sound in many schools I've visited. The secretaries had almost every answer to my many questions. The principal actually took time from her day to greet me and my child. The teachers we passed were all smiling. As expensive as the neighborhood is, we bought with the understanding we were getting a private school setting in a public school.We have been extremely pleased with our decision. |
| 11/26/2007 | parent | Oak Grove is not only a wonderful school but a great community. My child loves school and has always had caring wonderful teachers. The front office staff is always smiling and willing to help me with whatever I need. Certainly no one likes to see their children testing the entire month of October however that is not an individual school choice. We have a very active and involved PTA with many activities scheduled throughout the year. If you are looking for a great school and neighborhood for your family, Oak Grove is an excellent choice. |
| 11/26/2007 | parent | My family's experience at Oak Grove has been mediocre. We had heard so many good things about this school, but sadly have been disappointed, mostly in the leadership. The office staff is curt and the teachers seem frazzled. It is my understanding that other DeKalb schools only tested a few weeks in October, not the entire month. There is a lot of pressure on students. Finally this school doesn't seem to see anything through. We were very pleased when our children used Saxon Phonics and Step Up to Writing. Now, only a couple of years later, these programs have been eliminated. When I bring this up to administration I get the runaround and no real reason why. I don't think Oak Grove is worth the price of the houses in the neighborhood. |
| 11/7/2007 | parent | Oak Grove seems to have a very good academic standing. Apparently, this school tries to strive for excellence! Overall, we are satisfied. However, as a whole, the school staff (including teachers, secretaries etc.) could definitely be more courteous!! |
| 10/31/2007 | parent | Oak Grove has many positives (new library addition, no apartments feeding into it) but I was not impressed with the overall quality of education my child received. There doesn't seem to be a lot of consistency amongst the grade levels and testing took the entire month of October! Principal rather indifferent to suggestions. What a disappointment. |
| 10/5/2007 | parent | We moved into this very expensive neighborhood last year (from out of state) specifically for this school. I must say that Oak Grove isn't all it's cracked up to be. Our kids do lots of worksheets and get lots of worksheets for homework. Much too much emphasis on testing which takes up a big chunk of time in the fall and spring. Would like to see teachers that have fresh, new ideas, and less emphasis on worksheets and testing. Secretaries need to be more pleasant and helpful. |
| 10/2/2007 | parent | I have two kids in this school. I am very pleased with all the teachers. My daughter has selective mutism. The principal arranged her with the right teacher. She started talking in two weeks! It is a very relaxed happy learning environment. The kids are challenged to their full potential with very positive attitude. The teahers are highly qualified. |
| 9/19/2007 | parent | Oak Grove has an excellent reputation but I have several serious concerns. Yes the test scores are top notch but my kids have had fairly young, inexperienced teachers who were disorganized. There seem to be some discipline problems in the older grades that affect student learning. When I discuss these issues with the administration, I get lots of smiles, but nothing has been done to change the situation. I feel that Oak Grove has declined over the past few years. |
| 3/28/2007 | parent | My son started kindergarten here and loves it. They have lots of family activities. Started off the school with an ice cream social. Lots of art, music, and pe opportunities. All staff is wonderful and helpful. Another good thing is they offer afterschool program with the local YMCA, the kids get to stay at the school and I don't have to worry about my child getting on the right bus. My only problem is we are moving out of state at the end of the school year. |
| 4/13/2005 | parent | I can't say enough good things about this school. From the first day my daughter arrived to this school, about two months into the school year from Jacksonville, FL, the staff was nothing but kind and resourceful. The advanced academics combines smoothly with a creative, fun and nuturing environment (including a nature trail, PE 3x a wk and music classes) and year-round family activities. Oak Grove has been recognized with a 'National School of Excellence' award and is well deserved. The office staff is always smiling; Ms. Carmen Dillard, the principal is always professional and approachable and takes time to know her kids; and the teachers are amazing. |
| 4/7/2005 | parent | Oak Grove is an excellent all-round school. The principal and teachers are fantastic. They honestly care about the students and the school. We have been very pleased with the school. |
