Joseph Stilwell Middle School

Posted: July 5, 2025

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Always on hand to help their students & family.

Posted: May 27, 2025

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Posted: May 27, 2025

One of the best structured schools in Jax. Teachers are easy to communicate with & willing to help further your child's accomplishment. Glad to have both my grandsons attend and graduate from this school. I feel that they.prepared the children for a future.

Posted: May 26, 2025

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Posted: May 26, 2025

This is our 2nd year and our student loves it

Posted: May 23, 2025

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Posted: May 23, 2025

Overall is a really good school, never once have I felt unprotected or like I couldn't come because it was unsafe.

Don't have much else to say besides they have very good staff, I'm even friends with teachers and a janitor. Although experiences are different for everyone, you don't have to force yourself to be someone just to be friends with them, just be someone they can trust, and keep your word.

Posted: March 20, 2025

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Posted: March 20, 2025

A friend recommended it to me as a school that is strict with its behavior, uniform and is education. He wasn't wrong, as I've seen how hard my son has worked and how much he wants to continue. The teachers are responsible and communicate well with parents.

Posted: January 10, 2025

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Posted: January 10, 2025

Stilwell provides a fantastic learning environment that truly prepares students for the challenges and opportunities of high school and beyond. Here's why I think this school stands out:

Embracing Differences: From day one, it's clear that Stilwell values diversity. Students from all backgrounds are welcomed and celebrated, creating a rich and inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels like they belong. This not only fosters a strong sense of community, but also teaches valuable lessons about respect and understanding in an increasingly interconnected world.

Military Tradition with a Modern Twist: The school incorporates traditional military themes like discipline, respect, and leadership, but in a way that feels modern and engaging. Whether it's through structured routines, participation in formation, or emphasis on personal accountability, these principles help students develop strong character, a sense of purpose, and the confidence to succeed.

Beyond the Basics: While the school emphasizes core subjects, it also provides ample opportunities for students to explore their interests. From vibrant arts programs to competitive sports teams and engaging clubs, there's something for everyone.

Dedicated Educators: The teachers at Stilwell are truly invested in their students' success. They go above and beyond to create supportive and challenging classrooms where every student has the chance to shine.

Overall: Stilwell offers a unique and valuable educational experience. If you're looking for a school that fosters a strong sense of community, instills valuable life skills, and prepares students for a bright future, I highly recommend considering Stilwell.

Posted: January 7, 2025

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Posted: January 7, 2025

i like this school because we get to do fun activities, also have a school store that you can get whatever you want and lastly we get to learn new things everyday.

Posted: February 13, 2024

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Posted: February 13, 2024

A lot of PT for the kids teachers are rude to students

Posted: February 13, 2024

Posted: September 12, 2019

I was terrified to send my sweet boy to any middle school so we choose jsmal after visiting on a full school day so we saw how calculated everything is right down to separate halls 4 6th grade and red shirts! They demand excellence but in a very hands on way

Posted: September 12, 2019

So far my 6th grader hasn't been overloaded. Hes telling me he does it in class. Time will tell

Posted: September 12, 2019

My sons doing great and truly likes his teachers. The counselors though, top notch all in super efficient at god speed paces! Ive never in all his years since vpk3 seen productivity & efficiency like this im so impressed

Posted: September 12, 2019

Posted: September 12, 2019

The vp is a male & my son lacks a strong male father presence so the fact the vp is so eager to help them I seen that day 1!!

Posted: September 12, 2019

My son has an iep and we were in a meeting within a month of school starting!

Posted: September 12, 2019

Posted: January 17, 2019

Students with learning disbilities are treated as regular students. At least in my experience.. the most common comment was ..if I had a child, this will be the last school I will take my child to....

Posted: January 17, 2019

I don't think teachers know how to handle this kind of troubles.

Posted: January 17, 2019

Under average.. the principal was never seen at the wing where students with more disabilities were kept. ASL

Posted: January 17, 2019

Teachers are not on the same page.

Posted: January 17, 2019

Posted: January 17, 2019

There is no compassion from the teachers toward students. Maybe 1 out of 10 may be good.

Posted: January 17, 2019

Anything but leadership here...a lot of more work is needed here
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Posted: May 15, 2017

At the beginning of the year, every teacher is friendly and will tell you they are always accessible. Within no time at all, you will never hear back until you get a progress report/ report card. I always check my child's grades in Focus. I email the teachers to see if he can make up work or submit extra credit. I never hear back. One teacher even went as far as accusing my child over never doing a single assignment. Even falsely accusing him of goofing off in just her class. My child works very hard and we constantly check on his work. He has never gotten in trouble for behavior since Pre-K. In fact, any teacher will tell you, he is by far one of the most polite and responsible children you've ever met. He has never gotten a grade below a B until the last semester of 5th grade when his teacher gave him a C on grammar (Something that has NEVER been taught properly in the system and I have been very vocal about this issue.) He has struggled more this year and when we reach out to the teacher, we are ignored. One teacher caught my husband picking up my son and asked him what the problem was? He politely told them that I (his mother) have been trying to address the problem for months with no responses. I emailed after I was told this... guess what? No response. My son is in all honors classes. He is also gifted. (The school pretty much promised that even though they do not have a gifted program, they will work with him. That has not happened.) I regret not having transferred him at the beginning of the year. The recruiter who came out his elementary school sold him on how wonderful this school was. Please do not fall for it. The principal is self absorbed. The teachers really don't care if your child needs help. His math teacher refused to teach him a lesson that he didn't quite get. Flat out. He even signed up for a club, which we paid for- only to have it dissolve after Christmas break. Letting him come here is by far my biggest mistake. As soon as the district allowed us to apply for another school, I jumped on it. I will be driving my child across town next year which will be a huge issue but well worth it. My child has taken nothing away from this school other than a few new friends. I have also bought 2 pairs of shoes and 6 pairs of khakis to keep up with the uniform. Teachers will let them get oil based paint or rip them and expect you to deal with it.

Posted: May 15, 2017

Nope, they will make it worse or ignore it completely.

Posted: May 15, 2017

Hahaha! These teachers could care less what issues your kids have.

Posted: May 15, 2017

Posted: May 15, 2017

Leadership program in this school is a joke. All they care about is the uniform. Older students are bullies towards the younger, smaller kids. However, no one cares when you file a complaint. They will call your child out making matters worse.

Posted: May 15, 2017

Out of the 8 teachers , two have responded to emails. None have acknowledged my request for a conference. After the 2nd semester, I was unable to get any of the teachers to respond. If you are not on top of their grades and work, expect your child's grades to slip and the teachers will give no opportunity to work their grades up.

Posted: May 15, 2017

Teachers will assign extensive homework to the point they have no time to do anything. My son has had to eat dinner while working because all 4 teachers will send homework home on the same night. They will take both nights to get the work done. Many nights we couldn't leave the house because of the amount of homework he would have.

Posted: March 2, 2015

This school was on the right track until it became a Military Academy Of Leadership. Both of my son's did very well until this change which I admit we opted in for. Now my 8th grader has learned nothing except science packets and uniform checks. The school needs to get back to actually teaching and stop worrying so much about the color of socks! Aside from about 5 very good teachers this is not a place to send your child if you want them to learn. They still walk in lines with line leaders and next year are expected to find their way around a high school campus. This has been a wasted year!

Posted: May 15, 2014

This has been a great year at Stilwell! The entire administrative staff is dedicated to supporting the academic climate. They are always out in the hallways and in classrooms, making sure that students and teachers have what they need to be successful. There is no better school on the westside. With structured movement, dedicated teachers and staff and a majority of our parents who care, you need to see Stilwell again with new eyes! Come by and ask our principal, Mr. Bloom, for a peek. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Posted: April 11, 2014

Bullying is downright rampant at this school. Someone I know was bullied all the time here and no one has any sense to do a thing about it.

Posted: June 23, 2013

I'm a student at Joseph Stilwell and our principle is improving we arent that bad so you should think about Joseph stilwell

Posted: November 8, 2012

No to impressed with this school. They do nothng to solve their problem with fights. very text book procedures. No one going above to care or solve any problems. I wish nothing more than to get my son out of that school.

Posted: August 28, 2012

New leadership...new school. Thank you for sending a real principal who cares about the safety and success of teachers and students!

Posted: August 12, 2012

Keep something in mind; out of the hundreds and hundreds of students to attend this school each year, there are only a small handful of comments. The people who come online to post comments about school such as Stillwell are ones who feel they have a bone to pick, or a need. In many larger cities, some inner city schools receive hundreds of negative comments per year. Stillwell is an average school. Troublemakers will find trouble, bullies will bully, and the week and timid will still be picked on. This is a recurring theme in all American public schools, not just this one. The racial ratio is nearly even at Stillwell, and there have been very few serious incidents over the years. There really isn't a better public middle school on the West side of Jacksonville. If you still fear for your child's safety, home school them, put them in private school, or move. That pretty much summarizes your options.i

Posted: July 17, 2012

Well I was a student from Stilwell I am now goin to highschool but Stilwell is not a bad school we have some bad students like every other school in duval county stilwell does not have drug activity and there is no bullies at our school almost everyone get along with each other but like every other school there our fights but only a few fights but if your child can stay focus and out of drama then they can go to do this school or any other school

Posted: May 27, 2012

Poorly manged School in dire need of attention. Onging apathy towards parents, teachers, and children. Needs better leadership and organization.

Posted: March 22, 2012

I'm a substitute teacher and I've had the displeasure of working at Stilwell several times. I'm not sure where to begin. The administration is a joke. They refuse to back up their regular staff, let alone temporary staff members like myself. The students are retched little monsters. Their in-class behavior is atrocious. The lesson plans left for me were a joke. Watch a video, listen to a CD player read your history textbook to you, sit there and do nothing while an assistant tells about his glory days. I've had harder assignments in my elementary school classes. Before you put your child in Stilwell, take a good look around to see if you can find a better school.

Posted: February 22, 2012

I would give this school a -1. This is one of the worst middleschools in Duval county. The children are out of control, violence is rampant and drug activity takes place. If you aren't with the bullies, you are a target to be bullied. Many talks with the on campus police and the admistrative staff and yet nothing really changes. It's a shame that parents who actually parent have to subject their kids to this kind of abuse. I would suggest you really take a hard look at this school and the type of kids you see running around out of control before you assume your child is safe here or even getting an education. It's pretty aparent this school has issues just by the fact they have a hired police officer on stand by. Parents pay attention to your kids. Facebook is where these kids start a lot of the violence that carries over into the school yard. Teach your kids to speak up for eachother when it comes to bullies. Many of these kids see things and never say a word because the parents don't ask and they are afraid. Get involved and encourage your child to be their own person.

Posted: February 20, 2012

I am a student at stilwell and i have to say that while it is'nt a terrable school if you are a priss and dont have friends here it will probably be a rougher experience.There is alot of drama but it if you stay out of it and dont have a big mouth it will be alot easier on you.I love Stilwell and will say that we are inproving.Our new principal is NOT the best but were hoping to get rid of her soon.Your experience with the teachers depends on what teachers you get.

Posted: October 30, 2011

As the parent of an 8th grader at Stilwell, I have mixed feelings about the quality of my child's education. We have a new principal, who is totally inaccessible to both students and parents. Some teachers are very professional and others are totally worthless. As a parent, I would strongly encourage other parents to keep their fingers on the pulse of everything involving your child's education. You should not rely totally on the school to ensure the good quality of your child's education. You are your child's best advocate. Maintain a constant presence with both teachers and administrators. Unfortunately, the current principal chooses not to even disclose her email address. That, to me, speaks volumes. Work closely with the faculty and staff, talk with your child about their day, and utilize "My Grade Portal". Don't look to the school to raise your child, that is the parent's job. Just make sure that the school provides a quality education.

Posted: October 10, 2011

My daughter has attended Stilwell Middle School for the past 2 years. The principal had addressed the issues causing the school the bad reputation. Most of the teachers have been replaced. I think there needs to be more parental involvement at the school and definitely more representation in PTSA. Unfortunately, we now have a new principal and from what I hear she isn't doing very well.....