| School Name | Address | Phone | Grades | County | Type | District Name |
| Millbrook Elementary School | 1520 E Millbrook Rd
Raleigh, NC 27609 | (919) 850-8700 | PK-5 | Wake | public | Wake County Schools |
| Ethnic Background | Percent | Year |
| White, non-Hispanic | 17.715 | 2009 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 56.2259 | 2009 |
| Hispanic | 23.3633 | 2009 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.56739 | 2009 |
| Native American or Native Alaskan | 0.12837 | 2009 |
| Date | Who | Comments |
| 11/2/2011 | parent | Test scores also don't tell the whole truth. There are schools that do nothing but teach to the test - ensuring wonderful EOG results - but at the expense of other essential things that build well rounded and capable students. Test scores are one dimension. It's something they are continuing to work on. Test scores are not the most important thing to us when looking at schools - everyone is different though. The Teacher survey results were far more meaningful. |
| 10/29/2011 | parent | I am a proud parent of a 4th grader and 2nd grader at MEMS! We have been involved at the school since 2007 when my 4th grader was in kindergarten. We love the school! Everything in life is what you make of it. Some people will always see things half full. I can't stand when people say read between the lines. All children are special and deserve top notch teachers. ALL STUDENTS!!!! The school is diverse. It is what we love!! The children need to learn from each other and yes other cultures. Our school has one of the highest number of teachers that are nationally board certified and/or have higher level degrees. The teachers at our school are very dedicated. They differentiate for all students. Both of my students have been placed in groups to advance them. I have not ever seen them not being challenged. My son is now an AG student because of the hard work his primary grade teachers placed in him. This school is dedicated to finding what each individual child needs. It is what I love about it!! Our administration is wonderful as well. You can write what your child needs to be successful and they try and accommodate your request. :) It is a Great School! |
| 10/18/2011 | parent | My earlier review was not meant to be spiteful at all! I am really happy that other parents have had wonderful experiences at MEMS. I first posted a review several months ago & it was not posted b/c I specifically named teachers that I felt were an asset to the school--doing so is outside of greatschools guidelines. At that time I re-posted a less specific review. I wish everyone at MEMS nothing but the best, however we had a really negative experience. Felt like it was important to share. Besides, click over to the Test Scores & Stats tab. The numbers don't lie. |
| 10/5/2011 | parent | My son attended Millbrook from 2nd-5th grade. I wanted to respond to the negative post. I never saw teachers texting in morning car pool. What I did see was teachers standing in the rain, heat, cold, etc. making sure my son got to class safely every day. Safety Patrol students opened my door and said "Good morning" and "Have a nice day." The comments about the counselors was also puzzling. I remember seeing banners hanging at the entrance of the school saying that they won NC Counselor of the Year in back to back years. Some of the issues the poster brought up are parenting issues that need to be handled at home. Parents love to blame the school for their lack of parenting skills. The AP at my son's current middle school said she can tell the kids from Millbrook Elementary because they are well behaved and well prepared academically. I ate lunch with my son regularly and went up to school quite a bit. It is amazing how well the students behave. You would never know there is 750+ students on campus. Teachers and administration are caring. We loved Millbrook. why wait until October to do a bad post about the school? That just seems spiteful to me. Address it at the time it happens. |
| 10/5/2011 | parent | We are very very happy with Millbrook Elementary. The leadershp and teachers are great and our kids are doing fantastic with the unique IB learning style. We moved from a 'better rated' school that was not putting forth much effor to challenge our oldest with more difficult material. The AG program seems to be well run and our kids are excelling. The only negatives that I can think of are the start time (early bell at 7:45) and there appears to be less independent project homework than I expect in the 3rd to 5th grades relative to other schools. |
| 10/5/2011 | parent | This is my 10th year at Millbrook Elementary. I would not go anywhere else. This is a school with an excellent professional staff who work hard to differentiate and challenge every child in the classroom. I have found the current administration approaches discipline in a consistent and appropriate manner. My high schooler and my 6th grader were both well prepared for middle school. In fact my 6th grader is taking 7th/8th grade compacted math and has a 99 average. I see the negative post about our school and it saddens me to think that there was such a negative experience. I do know that I've brought issues about students to the guidance counselor before and that she has acted on the concerns. With confidentiality, they are not able to discuss other students with a parent and without personal witness to incidents they are limited in what they are able to do. I would (and do) recommend this school to anyone who is looking for a place where their children can receive a professional caring education |
| 10/5/2011 | parent | My daughter began MES as a kindergartener and is now in second grade. We have been very pleased with all of her teachers both in their ability to teach and challenge her as well as with classroom management. My daughter is achieving at a high level academically at MES. We have been very impressed with MES at every level. |
| 3/3/2010 | parent | Our daughter is in the 2nd grade and we've had difficulty with the school for 2 years now. We're have applied to transfer out of Millbrook and to another local school. We don't feel the benefit of the Magnet program outweighs the negatives we've experienced. We find it hard to properly express how we feel about the school, but in a nutshell, the academic program seems to be catered to specific groups, to the exclusion of those not in those groups (read between the lines). While it's wonderful to be exposed to new cultures, it should not be at the expense of others. But, then again, the school has certain target demographics and the kids need to be kept engaged. Additionally, we have had problems with the quality of teachers and what seems to be a laid-back attitude about classroom violence and exclusionary behavior. |
| 12/4/2009 | parent | My daughter is in kindergarten at Millbrook and we are very happy with the school so far! Her teachers are excellent, the prinicipal is very responsive, and all of our interactions with other staff members have been positive. The curriculum is designed to challenge students at their own levels and encourage their intellectual curiosities. I have been very impressed with the behavior of the children in my daughter's class and in other classes I have observed while volunteering. I think the Postive Behavior Support program the school began using last year is very effective. I am a little perplexed by the previous reviewer's comments about the program. There are many different types of magnet programs in Wake County. Millbrook is an IB PYP magnet program, not a Creative Arts & Science or Gifted & Talented program. They do have specials, including arts, but those are only part of the excellent program. |
| 9/1/2009 | parent | This is my first year experience with Millbrook Elementary. I chose this school based on them being apart of the Magnet Program. I noticed within the first week that even though they offer a variety in subjects. the one class taken more then others is Spanish. I excepted to see more focus on the arts program. Administative Office staff person was rude when addressed about a concern she could not provide information about regarding Express bus transportation. I was told that no one there could tell me what location at East Millbrook my children were supposed to be picked up from. I was told to ask East Millbrook as if the concern was not as issue Millbrook Office staff needs to be aware of. |
| 5/30/2008 | parent | My children attend Millbrook and I have to say that my son who is in 1st grade was really challenged this year by his teacher and he is now reading on a 3rd grade level. The principal is great there but the office in the office are rude and not very friendly at all. I also miss Mr. Flowers, I thought he was a great principal as well. |
| 4/19/2008 | parent | We have two children at Millbrook, and what I have seen in this past year is a huge turnaround at the school. There is a new principal who is excellent. She brings the perfect balance of approachability and structure to the school. She is supportive of parents and students - and a strong believer in the PYP program. I love the way my children approach learning. Older reviews mention various issues with the PTA but from what I've seen, this year things have really changed. It is a whole new group of people who seem to focus on the kids, and they are not trying to make the PTA some money-making enterprise like the last guy. Every month, they have a family event that has activities for parents to participate in WITH the children. The ones we've been to have been great. I would recommend Millbrook to anyone. |
| 3/25/2008 | parent | My child has been attending this school. I love the PYP program! My only criticism is it seems the teachers lack the control over the children that they should have. They seem to work more with behavior in a day than academics and I have witnessed the lack of order and chaos and extreme behavior issues. For that one reason, I may be removing my daughter from the school. I will keep a watch on things. I really do hope things change as I love the program(s) Millbrook has to offer. |
| 3/17/2008 | parent | I absolutely love this school! The teachers and office staff are very friendly and are always willing to help in any way. The PYP in the school is outstanding. The children's work in the hallways shows how the teachers are busy teaching PYP. The test scores from last year were great. I would highly recommend this school! |
| 3/7/2008 | other | I'm a substitute teacher and come to this school fairly often. The main criticisms I see about this school are that the office staff is unfriendly and the school is so strict it's mean. With the first one I unfortunately agree- it's very awkward to walk into the office and just have everyone look blankly at you. The second one, though, I feel like I have to comment on. This school has a lot of really difficult children in it- I assume it's base area is not a good neighborhood. With some of these classes, being soft-spoken and nice will get you run over. People are strict at this school because it's necessary to keep order and keep all the children safe. I wouldn't want to send my child there- but that's because I've witnessed too many serious behavioral issues, not because of strict teachers. |
| 8/30/2006 | parent | I think Millbrook Elementary is a great school. I have two children who have attended. One K - 5th grade and the other K - 3rd until we moved. The teachers and assistants are very nurturing and caring for the most part and thoroughly concerned with the children's academic progress. As with all schools, there are some problems, but as a whole there is a family atmosphere. I disagree with comments about unsmiling staff members. These are hard working people who try to do the best for our children every day. Like everyone, they have their good days and their bad. I find it unfair that this staff is being judged by a few individuals that may not have put their best foot forward. Also, the PTA may be small, but they always try their hardest to provide as much as they can for the students and for the staff! |
| 5/10/2006 | parent | There is little parent involvement in the school. It seems that most of these parents think it is a day care. The principal does nothing to reinfore it and he has not even been present most of this school year. Everytime you come into the school you are not even made to feel welcome because the office staff is more concerned about their lunch time. The PTA is all about making money and socializing. Plus my children are always sick. It is so dusty and moldy in the school. I would highly suggest finding a different school for you children. |
| 3/30/2006 | parent | From having my 2 children in this school for 2 years, I find this school's academic level is very low. More emphasis is put on being socialized to be quiet and obedient. When my 6-year old was crying and fearful of returning to school her Principal banned me from volunteering and visiting in the classrooms after I complained. No one cares, except for 'good' academic statistics and orderly behavior. |
| 11/8/2005 | parent | After reading some of the other parent viewpoints I felt compelled to add my own. This website is called GreatSchools and I am proud to add my comments on a great elementary school. My son attended Millbrook for 4th and 5th and had a wonderful experience! The teachers were caring, very friendly and hard working. The magnet focus greatly enhanced his understanding of the world and with the focus on inquiry and research skills allowed for a smooth and easy transition to middle school, both academically and socially. I found the PTA to be a fun group of dedicated parents. The school was very well run and with the student focus on C.L.A.S.S. and the arts grants the school received, the techology available and the terrific science lab, my son had a wonderfully enriched experience. I found Millbrook to be a great place for kids! |
| 9/1/2005 | parent | My son was in kindergarten and first grade in that school, first year was great. I enrolled him in this magnet school thinking the program was great but the academic level is so low! Teacher and staff are good but parent involvement is not that great! The PTA is a big problem, socialization is more important in that low income zone school! The PTA president billed himself for the newsletter, grant for art are transferred with no request submitted to the full board or parents members. Overall the school did not work for us, the program is mean to attract professional's family and raise the academic level- unfortunately the way it s handle worsen the effect! |
| 8/3/2005 | parent | My daughter will enter second grade at Millbrook this year. She began at Millbrook in kindergarten and has had excellent teachers and teacher assistants. She has been challenged and we hope that challenges will continue. It is our believe as her parents that her education come first and other activities take a 'backseat'...therefore, we both make time to take an active role in the classroom as well as other school activities. We talk to the teacher regularly and expect the best for our child. I do agree with another parent who has written comments- one office staff who is in the front office and deals with the parents regularly is fairly unkind and grumpy on a regular basis. I would love for our children and parents to walk into the office and expect a more cheery greeting or more helpful staff. Otherwise, we have been pleased with Millbrook. |
| 6/17/2005 | parent | My child was in private school before coming to Millbrook. The transition for her was great and she was put into advanced programs because she was ahead when she got there. I enjoyed her teacher and she loved the school. She excelled and I am an avid believer in 'if the parent takes time with the child, the child will be fine'. I invest a lot of time with my daughter and I understand that it is not the teachers place to raise her so school comes easy for my daughter. She is there to learn and anything else is not tolerated by me so she excells where academics are concerned. Education wise, our rate of return has been high. |
| 1/23/2005 | parent | My child was placed into the school as a fifth grader despite the fact that we lived fifteen minutes away. The school district wouldn't allow her to go to a school that was only a block away because they had to fulfill a quota. The teachers were less than adaquate and the school greatly lacked. The information the students were being taught when my child transfered into the NC school system was far behind what my child had already learned in schools. The teachers seemed unwilling to help my child and required that she review what the other students were learning for the first time. |
| 11/29/2004 | parent | I am very disappointed with this school. My 4th grader has an adequate teacher, but even she can tell that the teacher lacks enthusiasm. My main disappointment is the surliness of the rest of the staff. From the carpool ladies, to the office personnel, no one knows how to smile. I have heard bus drivers and after-school workers yell, often with almost hatred in their voices. Also, the current PTA president, is more interested in socializing and appearing grand than he is in supporting parents and the school. This is my child's ONLY year at this school, and I will home school my others before they are subjected to Millbrook's grumpy faces and callous staff. |
