Kittredge Magnet School

Posted: March 1, 2026

Posted: March 1, 2026

Posted: March 1, 2026

Posted: March 1, 2026

Posted: March 1, 2026

Posted: March 1, 2026

Posted: March 1, 2026

My child is in their third and sadly final year at KMS. While the transition into 4th grade was challenging, especially with the increase in homework compared to our homeschool, we were happy with the support the teachers and staff provided. Another challenge for an incoming 4th grader is that the school is on more of a middle school schedule. Students switch classrooms and teachers for each class period. Each class is seen as being equally important which means you are just as likely to have homework in science and social studies as you do in ELA and math. As a parent of a gifted child I appreciate this structure as it allowed my child to learn, grow, and explore interests in multiple subject areas. I saw a previous parent mention recess or unstructured break time. They referred to one small playground available. Maybe they were mistaken or things have changed, but there are two playgrounds, and a fenced in side area that includes a gaga ball pit and nine square area. Students also get to use the full size football stadium field at Adams stadium during PE (which they have every day) and on some days for recess as well. Finally, students also attend music class everyday chorus, band, or orchestra which they select at the end of the first semester of 4th grade. The first semester of 4th grade all the students play recorder, which I for one was happy to move on from... There was also practicing recorder homework which added to the HW load in the beginning of 4th grade. As for art, students have it every 6-ish days. There is a spectacular art teacher, seriously, I can't believe the pieces my kid brings home at the end of each school year. The thing I like most about KMS is that my kid who is sensitive and quirky, feels like they belong and is able to find other unique students to be friends with. In my experience the staff supports these kids with different personalities and needs with care and support.

Posted: September 20, 2023

Posted: September 20, 2023

Posted: September 20, 2023

Posted: September 20, 2023

Posted: September 20, 2023

Posted: September 20, 2023

Posted: September 20, 2023

Posted: September 20, 2023

It is good and good and good

Posted: January 27, 2023

Posted: January 27, 2023

Posted: January 27, 2023

Posted: January 27, 2023

Posted: January 27, 2023

Posted: January 27, 2023

Posted: January 27, 2023

Posted: January 27, 2023

An eye-opening experience. We didn't care for the culture, environment, and administrators of the school and returned our child to their home school. Kittredge packs kids' schedules with classes and leaves little time for unstructured activities. Our child had a recess of 5-10 minutes. Very small playground so kids have to cross over to Adams Stadium for recess, again taking away from unstructured break time. If your child has friends from their home school that enter Kittredge, don't expect that they'll see them frequently if at all. However, we learned once we got there that this purposeful effort to break apart groups from home schools isn't applied fairly across the board. Communication was almost non-existent from the teachers during our time there. Administration seems to take the lead on information sharing which is good in some ways, but also a negative if it means teachers aren't reaching out. Art meets once every 3 weeks. Because kids are coming in 'new', it was a very slow start to the year and a lot of it was material that our child had learned at the home school. Our child liked a couple of the teachers but the rest of them were just average. During curriculum night, there was a fair amount of discussion about school related anxiety. We tried to work with the teachers and administrators of this school but it felt like a Sisyphean task to affect meaningful change in the culture. I would recommend doing a lot of homework and evaluating what your 'why' is prior to sending your child here.

Posted: February 8, 2022

Posted: February 8, 2022

Posted: February 8, 2022

Posted: February 8, 2022

Posted: February 8, 2022

Posted: February 8, 2022

This is our first year at this school. It has been draining. There is a lack of social and emotional support for children during the pandemic. As a new student. My child made some new friends first semester. Those friends were moved 2nd semester as the teachers decided to regroup students in the middle of the school year. So, the child has to start over making friends. My child feels isolated again. In addition, other children have been allowed to ridicule and taunt. The work is doable but the transition into the environment is horrible.

Posted: February 8, 2022

Posted: February 8, 2022

Posted: January 13, 2021

Posted: January 13, 2021

Posted: January 13, 2021

Posted: January 13, 2021

Posted: January 13, 2021

Posted: January 13, 2021

Overrated is the best description for this school. In three years my child has not had a single exceptional teacher. Most were good, but you are supposed to be good, that’s the job. Three teachers were terrible (when you have multiple parents sharing the same frustrations with the same teachers there is a problem that a blind eye won’t fix). Most disappointing is there are no unique or innovative teaching methods. Just lots & lots of home work. It was OK until the virtual learning started. They implemented an 8:00PM deadline for homework to be turned in online. So after being at virtual school all day kids often couldn’t take a break due to this deadline. At times a decision between attending an after school sport or church activity or skipping just to meet this deadline had to be made (before Virtual Learning homework was due the next day as it had been forever in every school I have ever heard of). There is no academic advantage for the students. This just adds stress to kids who are already stressed out with the entire COVID situation. Additionally if a kid misses the deadline (again not the next day for homework but that night at 8PM) they lose 25%. Is this really the environment to inspire 9 - 12 year old kids? We have asked why this policy is in place and received no response. I can’t believe the teachers would even like this so the logic of this additional stress on both kids and families makes no sense. Both our child and ourselves as parents will be glad when this year is over.

Posted: January 13, 2021

Posted: January 13, 2021

Posted: August 29, 2020

The counselors have regular sessions with each homeroom. During these sessions students share and learn about different social-emotional topics. Student concerns are met with support and action.

Posted: August 29, 2020

There is no leader who could compare to that of Dr. Neely and her team. Fantastic, hard-working, and responsive administration!

Posted: August 29, 2020

From our experience, the teachers are highly responsive to individual needs. However, as my child doesn't have a diagnosed "learning difference" I cannot speak to this.

Posted: August 29, 2020

Children are taught to respect differences and teachers handle any discipline issues immediately. My child has never witnessed bullying at KMS, though the faculty and staff talk about bullying-prevention regularly.

Posted: August 29, 2020

It seems like a lot of homework, but the teachers are mindful not to overload the children. Homework is meaningful and engaging for our child, not just busywork.

Posted: August 29, 2020

Each teacher our child has encountered has been an expert in their subject area. Teachers are inspiring, demanding, and supportive.

Posted: August 29, 2020

We are now in our second year and with virtual learning in process. All of my answers are related to our first year at KMS, and we are still happy so far. There isn't another school that we feel would serve our child's needs better.

Posted: May 15, 2019

Bullying is not an issue at Kittredge.

Posted: May 15, 2019

Posted: May 15, 2019

Constantly reaching out to the school about issues lead to no help and very little follow through. There was a counselor and nurse who did previously, but they are no longer at the school.

Posted: May 15, 2019

Our first year was excellent. The second year it had slipped down hill in several ways and the second any additional help was needed we were absolutely abandoned. They do not want anyone, even very intelligent children who score in the top few percentiles, who in any way need additional support. Requests to the teachers, counselors, and principals all had no follow through. It was bitterly disappointing, especially when the results of that were evident.

Posted: May 15, 2019

The homework load at this school is too high, and focuses on busywork rather than in-depth understanding.

Posted: May 15, 2019

The teachers vary in quality drastically with some poor teachers and some amazing teachers. There is not much ability to communicate or effect this at the school level and the poor teachers do not seem to face any repercussion.

Posted: May 15, 2019

There is more talk on these issues than there is follow through from the school. Nevertheless, the students do tend to demonstrate these characteristics at higher rates than typical for their ages.

Posted: June 10, 2014

I used to go to this school. I had many great experiences. The teachers are amazing and the principle is very hard-working. I am very glad the German program came back because that was a big part of the magnet part. One of my favorite parts of Kittredge is the club days. I don't know what KMS would be without them. I really made a strong connection with my classmates and teachers going through this school. I really enjoyed this school and I am glad I went to it.

Posted: April 27, 2014

My son won the lottery when he got to go to this school. The principal is energized to make this school and the children the best they can be. She strives for excellence in everything in the school and instills the same passion for excellence in the teachers and children. The teachers are responsive to the children and make learning fun. My son has excelled there and has really learned a lot. I look forward to two more years.

Posted: April 27, 2014

Kittredge provides a great learning environment for gifted students. My children have been challenged to turn in better quality work than they had at previous schools and as a result have become very conscientious about doing their best work! Kittredge could improve on having more of a welcoming environment when a parent/volunteer comes in to help. Also, the transition for 4th graders is very tough and I feel this could and should be improved.

Posted: April 26, 2014

I graduated from Kittredge after being there for three years last summer. I can honestly say that getting into this school has been one of the most fortunate things to happen to me in my life so far. I had several teachers there that have made a huge impact on my life. Yes, there is a pretty large amount of homework, and I complained about it a lot to my parents while I went to school there. However, I learned how to manage my time, which is a VERY important thing to know how to do in middle school. The combination of hands-on learning experiences, fun activities, and amazing teachers make it a great school to send your child to.

Posted: February 17, 2014

I used to go to KMS, and I loved it! The teachers really do care and I still have a strong connection with them even though I left. The kids there are very nice and typically get all of their work done. But, i'll warn you, I go to Chamblee Middle and it is a TERRIBLE school. Some of my teachers don't even know my name and we are already more than half way through the school year. Also, the other kids at the school seen dangerous and rowdy. Fights always break out in the middle of the hallway and you always have to just sort of be careful. It's weird not feeling safe in your own school. So, to summarize, definitely go to KMS if you get in but I would strongly recommend going back to a different middle and high school in the future.

Posted: October 22, 2013

I used to go to Kittredge up until I left for Chamblee. I absolutely loved the school! Sure, I lived about 30-40 minutes away, but it was worth the drive! At first, I was really sad and angry I was leaving my home school and all of my elementary friends, but I soon dropped all regrets as soon as I went. All of my teachers were wonderful, helpful, caring, and overall engaged and made learning fun! I made so many friends that I love, and I felt that I belonged at Kittredge, and felt truly accepted. You are expected to be responsible and do your work. The pace is much faster, be prepared, and you'll get much more work! My elementary school never gave us a lot of work, and going to Kittredge and getting the work load was a shock. As I progressed, I grew to love Kittredge. We had over night field trips going to Rock Eagle in 4th and 6th grade, and Jekyll Island in 5th. The over night tips were a blast and gave me many good memories. Club days and other celebrations, like Pi Day, are just few of the many things Kittredge did to ensure we were having fun, as well as learn new things each and everyday! I really miss Kittredge, and would do anything to go back!

Posted: August 12, 2013

My daughter attended Kittredge for three years. Overal, it was a wonderful educational and life experience. It is important to note that the children who live on the south side of the county are at a disadvantage. They do not have the same opportunity for tutoring, after school activities and other extra curicular activities due to limited hours and travel distances. Unfortunately, some of the minority children felt the sting of discrimination. I explained to my daughter that she would have to realize this is the reality of the diverse world in which we live. I am glad she learned the lesson early. She now knows how she is percieved and can focus her energy on being a wonderful world citizen.

Posted: August 11, 2013

Kittredge is a hard school. They give more homework and cover topics in far more depth than the average public school. Because of the accelerated pace, they have little ability to hand hold. Kids are expected to manage their time and complete their homework. Their philosophy is that if a child is struggling then they should go back to their home school and let another high achiever take a shot. That being said, every subject has a tutoring session once a week after school. My son was very nervous the first semester because there is always the specter that you could get kicked out for not maintaining a B average. They also have a monthly club day where the kids blow off steam by attending the Science Fiction Club, Board Game Club, Gardening Club or another of the 23 clubs during school. The kids really look forward to this. There is no community feeling because kids come from all over the county. Parents are less likely to volunteer because of the distances from home to school and consequently the PTA is always looking for volunteers. A student in our car pool last year replied that Kittredge was the first school where he really felt appreciated .

Posted: May 16, 2013

I was thrilled when my son got in through the lottery for fourth grade; however, since then, we have experienced teachers with no sense of accountability or follow-through, administrators who do no respond well to parent concerns, constant lack of or mis-communication, and an overall unwillingness to respond appropriately to parental concerns. I am completely flummoxed by a new set of rules put in place under the guise of tightening security after the Sandy Hook tragedy that do not in any concrete way deal with the very real security holes at the school but instead prevent parents and taxpayers from reasonable oversight of the teachers and administrators. In addition, they do seem to teach to the test and, despite their over inflated sense of themselves the teachers and administrative do not seem to infuse any creativity into the lessons. Given the way Kittredge teachers and administrators present themselves, I am very disappointed. My son is extremely unhappy and bored to tears. I am looking at other options for him. Hopefully, the new principal can inspire change and make Kittredge what it is rumored to be: a school of excellence.

Posted: December 17, 2012

We had high expectations for our 4th grader, but have been sadly disappointed. Students are from all over Dekalb so there is no sense of community or social interaction; there is no relevant PTA; the principal (who just resigned mid-year) is rarely seen or heard from; technology is dated and poor. The positives are the teachers, who are kind, caring and seem to love teaching, there is music instruction, and the class size is slightly smaller than other Dekalb schools. But in general we wish we had stayed at our neighborhood school - our child would be with his friends and he would be learning the exact same curriculum.

Posted: June 9, 2012

This school is a great place for sending your child so you shouldn't spend your money on some fancy private school. Kittredge is an awesome and you can do a lot of hands-on activities. It is not like a regular public school, it has no bullying what so ever and at regular public schools you don't go to overnight fieldtrips like Kittredge. And when your done with Kittredge you don't have to worry about sending your child back to thier home school they go to Chamblee Middle to Chamblee High automactically.

Posted: February 13, 2012

This school rates well for a public school. However, my daughter transferred out of this school to a private school after one year. I felt that this school was still "just teaching the test." Nice teachers, nice kids, but still just a typical public school. If you are looking for a true challenge for your high achiever, make the sacrifice and send her to a private school.