Payson Roundup

Soul2Soular (Terri Bland) says…

Did you all read the full 8 page section devoted entirely to Julia Randall Elementary School? Here is a perfect example of a great school AND of great coverage by our local paper. The school earned this recognition and then some! I am proud to say that this is the school that my kids attend.
I actually had just moved them there on September 17, 2008 due to poor academic achievement at a different school. The other school was filled with great teachers as well, but was lacking the leadership and the cohesiveness that JRE has developed and nurtured through their own tenacity and the leadership skills of Rob Varner. The outcome of the move? Instead of being behind, my kids have now not only caught up with their peers in their grade, but are starting to move ahead. And this change took place in just 3 months. That is saying quite a lot, as one was about 6-9 months behind in every subject except reading (despite having been already held back a year) and my other child was almost a full year behind in math (despite the fact that he, too, had already been held back 1 year). Talk about feeling like your children have been “left behind!” I had almost given up on the PUSD, thinking that it might not be any better at either of the other schools.
The transition was actually very rocky but worth it in the long run. There is no such thing as a perfect school. That being said, one of the things that has made JRE so great is the way in which it's staff handle the everyday, and not so everyday issues that come up. We JRE parents are very lucky to have this school which has that type of tenacious, caring, solution-oriented administrators and teachers.