Paint Branch Elementary School

Posted: August 11, 2025

Posted: August 11, 2025

Posted: August 11, 2025

Posted: August 11, 2025

Posted: August 11, 2025

Posted: August 11, 2025

Posted: August 11, 2025

I'm extremely disappointed with the bus service at Paint Branch Elementary. The timing is consistently terrible – my pre-K child's bus arrives around 5 PM, even though school ends at 3 PM. What's worse, one day the bus actually took my child back to the school, and they were there until 5:30 PM with only the janitor present. While I'm not accusing the janitor of anything, the fact that there was no staff supervising my five-year-old is unacceptable. This school needs to seriously improve its transportation and supervision. I cannot recommend Paint Branch Elementary based on this experience.

Posted: February 9, 2023

Posted: February 9, 2023

I want to give fair warning to parents who are considering placement here for the autism program. I didn’t have a problem with the special educators themselves, but the assistants were variable in quality; some are gems, and some do not belong in a setting with vulnerable children. In retrospect, my child was communicating that they did not like one of them. I wish I had fully understood at the time.

This school’s biggest challenge is its administration – don’t underestimate their ability to make your life hard! If you bring up more than a small issue or two, you become branded a problem parent and they display a wagon-circling attitude towards you - lots of denial, blame, ignoring, and gaslighting. My kid was having real challenges in the classroom environment. Because of admin attitude, many interactions were needlessly confrontational. It was hard to collaborate because I was constantly hitting brick walls and treated as an adversary.

The special education coordinator bullied me but only when she wasn't observable by people above her. She made basic errors in her knowledge of special education law, but she also made sure she used phone calls rather than emails to communicate when she knew she was skirting the law.

My kid has a speech delay and cannot tell me about their day. I often wonder what they encountered there that bothered them but they cannot tell me. Not just through how they treated me, but sickening specifics that I am keeping vague for this public forum.

My kid is now done with this school! At the school my child attends now, *everyone* is kind, professional, and treats me as an important member of the team. It is so much easier to problem solve when issues pop up. My child is flourishing because of the new environment, and they have made so much progress since leaving PBES. It's night and day.

If you absolutely must send your kid to this autism program, I recommend making sure you are knowledgeable about special education regulations. It’s good to know regardless, but you will need it here - you cannot trust the administration to do the right thing. It would be worth reading over your procedural safeguards again and getting some support, you will need it if/when things aren't smooth. Make sure you’re paying attention to your child’s communication and take their concerns seriously, however they communicate. And finally, always send follow-up email summaries of your phone conversations! Document everything!

Posted: December 8, 2021

Posted: December 8, 2021

Posted: December 8, 2021

Posted: December 8, 2021

Posted: December 8, 2021

Posted: December 8, 2021

The majority of the staff of this school are great! We are all just trying our best, but working under the principal, Dr. Hairston is one of the worst experiences I've had. Her constant patronizing and micromanaging creates a toxic work environment for the teachers which negatively impacts the students. Holding frequent meetings during teachers' planning time takes away from contacting parents, assessing student work, and preparing instructional material. Even though she has her doctorates degree, she lacks a foundational understanding in making teaching decisions to best support the needs of the children and trickles down to the other lead teachers. Parents, if your child has special needs, not all of their services will be provided because the case load of special educators is too much. Overall there is just a lack of consistent leadership and open communication. Concerns are ignored and problems are just brushed under the rug. As a parent myself, I would not send my child to this school not even for the Chinese immersion program. It is not worth it especially since there is no behavior plan in place for violent student behaviors, your child can get kicked and hit repeatedly and the principal will do nothing about it.

Posted: December 8, 2021

Posted: December 8, 2021

Posted: February 28, 2020

Kids are constantly cussing and yelling and being disrespectful to their teachers. My child is in a class where students do what they want with no fear for consequences.

Posted: February 28, 2020

The leadership at this school is a joke. The principal does nothing to discourage or bullying, harassment or physical abuse in this school. I have seen child smack punch and push, and the response from the principal is “don’t do that again”. Do not send your kid here. The immersion program does not outweigh the gross neglect that comes from the leadership here.

Posted: February 28, 2020

The teachers do not know how to differentiate teaching to support students learning styles. Everyone is expected to learn one way, and if they don’t get it theirs no additional support.

Posted: February 28, 2020

Not at all. My child has been bullied for the last 2 years. I have complained, spoken to the principal and nothing. The principal truly does not care and continues to promote a culture in the school that allows students to verbally, physically abuse one another without and consequences or punishment.

Posted: February 28, 2020

You would be better off homeschooling your child than sending them here. The teachers don’t care about truly helping the kids, in part because the administration doesn’t support them. The Chinese immersion program is a joke and not worth sending your child to this school.

Posted: February 28, 2020

There is no accountability for homework. The teachers do not care if the kids turn it in or not. If students don’t do their hw the teachers don’t question why or even reach out to parents to come up with solutions.

Posted: February 28, 2020

Teachers let students talk to them with disrespect. And instead of taking the appropriate steps to discipline them they keep their mouths shut and continue to let them run the classroom

Posted: August 7, 2018

We moved to the area because PBES had a Chinese immersion, which we were looking for. However, we were disappointed so far. The teachers showed lack of experiences in teaching, lack of positive attitudes and understanding, and less positive responses to the parent's feedbacks. One time, I went to the class for a visit, it showed lack of control in the class and attentions to the students. The administrator never respond to the email I sent them several times.

Posted: June 19, 2018

Posted: June 19, 2018

It is no surprise that this school has dropped in rating from a 6 to a 3 in just a few years, and seems to be on the decline. This school lacks a positive attitude towards children and their needs.

Posted: June 19, 2018

The approach to homework here is to make the parents do all the teaching at home. They do not follow the NEA recommendation on the amount of homework appropriate at age level.

Posted: June 19, 2018

Posted: January 16, 2018

Our kids love the chinese immersion in their math and science classes. My son and daughter now speak mandarin to each other around the house. The teachers worked with our child who was having difficulty as a painfully shy child. There is a big emphasis on strength of character and being a good citizen.

Posted: January 16, 2018

Posted: January 16, 2018

Posted: September 5, 2017

Posted: September 5, 2017

Posted: September 5, 2017

Posted: September 5, 2017

Posted: September 5, 2017

Love the small classes and Chinese immersion.

Posted: September 5, 2017

Posted: September 5, 2017

Posted: July 11, 2017

Posted: July 11, 2017

Posted: July 11, 2017

Posted: July 11, 2017

Posted: July 11, 2017

Posted: July 11, 2017

Posted: July 11, 2017

My child was bullied but wait for it...by the teachers! I've had COUNTLESS of meeting with the teachers and the principle who did not to fix the issue. I had to write an email to the board to finally get something done. Also lots of the teachers just pass the students and give them all types of grades. So once the student gets a good teacher that states the real concerns in the child education. The teachers that did nothing don't get reprimanded, they reprimand the child by having them stay back. Even.... if the child has shown major improvements and is only behind by months which would HAVE been easy to catch up during the summer. The front staff never knows anything if asked- the teachers are rude and constantly yelling at the parents. "Don't expect any form if communication or any respect for being a concerned parent. Current Principal is on the same level as the faculty...could care less about your concerns, makes derogatory statements "I know what's best for your child" & fails to properly follow-up/correct his staff on their mistakes and unprofessionalism." this statement couldn't be more true!

Posted: May 2, 2017

There are big "no bullying" campaigns at the school. I know of only one instance where a child felt bullied at the nearby community center and told a teacher. The teacher addressed it with the other student right away. The Community Center and the school do not tolerate bullying and both addressed the issue. There have been no other incidents that I'm aware of.

Posted: May 2, 2017

I don't have a child with LD and I cannot speak to what is going on in the regular classrooms. But from what one parent told me about her child who was attending one of the autism classes, this was true.

Posted: May 2, 2017

The principal was new when my daughter entered kindergarten and he was good that first year. But now he and the school have become great. Also, I have heard the teachers say that the Principal supports them, which in turn helps them support the kids.

Posted: May 2, 2017

Yes, and there are strong messages for the kids written all over the school encouraging good values. Plus the Principal and teachers encourage the kids to practice the school's motto of "Be ready, Be responsible, Be respectful." They do this on many levels.

Posted: May 2, 2017

Yes the teachers are effective at Paint Branch ES not only because they have high level degrees and experience, but because they truly care about the students, enjoy teaching and are very effective. They provide incentives for the kids to focus and to work on challenges. And they expect good behavior and good study skills.

Posted: May 2, 2017

Posted: May 2, 2017

Paint Branch ES (where my daughter has attended K-4th) is really exceptional and should be rated much higher. It is a STEM and Chinese immersion school that collaborates with nearby University of Maryland on many levels. It also has Autism classes. The principal and teachers care and do a good job. They greet the kids every morning and my daughter literally runs into the school happy every day. The academic standards are high for both students and teachers who are supported in their efforts. There are excellent calliber music /art and instrumental band programs and teachers that lead them. Also an excellent computer lab. The kids learn confidence and presentation skills and all kids 3rd grade and above complete science fair projects. There are after school enrichment programs including robotics, etiquette, chinese club, dancing and I'm hoping piano will be added soon. It's a gem of a school and we are so happy our daughter has had the opportunity to attend this school!

Posted: September 10, 2016

Posted: September 10, 2016

Posted: September 10, 2016

Posted: September 10, 2016

My granddaughter is eager to go to school. The Chinese Immersion Program adds such another dimension to her school experience. The principal and the teachers are out front every day greeting the children when they arrive. Her teachers have always been accessible in the mornings and greet her and the other children as they enter the classroom. She will experience TAG classes this year. I am anxious to see how this enriches her school experience, too.

Posted: June 2, 2016

Posted: June 2, 2016

Posted: June 2, 2016

Posted: June 2, 2016

Our daughter is just finishing kindergarten at Paint Branch and my husband and I have been extremely happy with the school. The principal is organized and present (not one to hide in his office), our daughter’s teachers are professional, dedicated and kind (her teacher has a double Masters in Education – both General Education and Special Education) and there is good communication between the school and the parents with opportunities to become engaged. Paint Branch is very unique in that it has the Autism Program (special education for kids mainly on the Autism spectrum) as well as partial Chinese language immersion. Most importantly, our daughter really likes the school. Like many public schools, the building could use some renovations as well as an upgraded playground and I hope College Park will find money in their budget for improvements.

Posted: August 24, 2015

Posted: August 24, 2015

Our child was in kindergarten last year and we had a wonderful experience. The new partial Chinese immersion program is remarkable and we are so glad that it will be extended to 1st grade as well. Most importantly, our kid can speak mandarin and understand quite a lot! Class sizes are great (~18-20) and having two teachers per class(English + Chinese) is just wonderful. The schools infrastructure is quite old and the city should invest more on schools within the neighborhood to give a new look. Also, with more revenue generating from new developments around college park should definitely help the schools infrastructure. The University of Maryland president is expecting the staff and faculty to move closer to campus and we really expect the University to chime in and give a facelift to Paint Branch Elementary, because, great school in a neighborhood is the sweetest honey nectar and bees start flocking automatically. All said, we love the school and hope the administration and teachers will keep up their great work and make it a great school.

Posted: August 24, 2015

Posted: August 24, 2015

Posted: March 17, 2015

Paint Branch has failed my expectations from the very beginning of my child's kindergarten year ( currently in 2nd grade). Teachers are rude, lazy, unorganized and unqualified! Don't expect any form if communication or any respect for being a concerned parent. Current Principal is on the same level as the faculty...could care less about your concerns, makes derogatory statements "I know what's best for your child" & fails to properly follow-up/correct his staff on their mistakes and unprofessionalism. Take a look at their failing reading/math scores...Paint Branch is just another poor example of where our tax money shouldn't go & gives more reasons to homeschool!

Posted: August 7, 2013

This school is one of the worst schools, that my kids had ever attended. There isn't really much that I liked about it. The kids are not properly supervised at arrival or dismissal. The teachers are not visible when the kids arrive, I really think that they should stand at their doors. There is not much organization with this school. The teachers seem like they really do not care to be there. They need new doors the school is so old. The location of the school is not good. There is to much traffic as far as walking trails, community center and doors that can't be lock due to fire hazard. The lunch menu isn't good and the cafeteria staff is so ghetto. I think they just need more staff that cares and need they to be more involved.