Joyner Elementary

Posted: December 7, 2025

It breaks my heart to write this review. Our time at Joyner has stretched over many years. Joyner used to be a great school, very community oriented, warm, welcoming, and fun. My older child had a fantastic time there. But this isn’t the case anymore. A few years ago some redistricting occurred which brought in a large group of new kids. These kids have needs which clearly cannot/are not being met at Joyner. There are almost daily fights, angry and violent outbursts directed at staff and students, scary behavioral meltdowns - sometimes leading to EMS being called, horrible curse words are screamed during these events, fire alarms being pulled by students, etc. Most of the staff’s time and energy is spent dealing with this. At this point my child is mostly bored, working at a much lower level than her ability. She is doing a large amount of busy work which she believes is meant to keep kids occupied while the teachers deal with other situations. She is irritated, anxious, and sometimes afraid of the outbursts. The teachers are trying their best to deal with it. The resources are limited and the entire situation is sad. We are glad we got to be a part of Joyner at its best, but if we had to start now we would look for something different.

Posted: December 7, 2025

Posted: December 7, 2025

Posted: December 7, 2025

Posted: December 7, 2025

Posted: December 7, 2025

Posted: December 7, 2025

Posted: December 7, 2025

Posted: May 6, 2019

My daughter is currently in Kindergarten at Joyner and we have enjoyed the school community and especially her teachers. They are experienced and helpful at all stages. The Spanish daily class is a plus and my child has learned so much already - including how to read and write. We are very happy that she is attending Joyner and look forward to her continuing her elementary education there.

Posted: May 6, 2019

Posted: May 6, 2019

Posted: May 6, 2019

Posted: May 6, 2019

Posted: May 6, 2019

Posted: May 6, 2019

Posted: May 7, 2016

I just took these children on a 3 day field trip to Washington DC. These children were so well behaved and my hats off to the teachers, staff, parents etc. for what appears to be a quality program. These children were an honest pleasure to be with each day even though it rained almost the entire time. I am impressed.
Tim Gibbs (Holiday Tours Motor Coach Driver)

Posted: May 2, 2014

After 5 years at JYJ, my child is conversationally fluent in Spanish and has a very strong love of all that is school. We were so lucky to get into Joyner, as my neighbor's child sits in a cookie cutter test prep factory school doing countless worksheets and has never "loved" school. The school lost some of its prestige and swagger when the previous principal left, but my child's teachers have always been excellent.

Posted: March 11, 2014

Great PTA, great parent involvement, friendly community - but when it comes down to it, due to our experience at Joyner we found it's the quality of the teachers that make the difference in a school. Our daughter has attended Joyner since Kindergarten, and now she is in 5th grade. We have only had two teachers that were great. The rest were below average, not pro-active, and only focused thier energy on the AG children. We applied to go to Joyner due to the Spanish language focus. However, our child has learned practicly no Spanish at this school. They spend their Spanish language time each day learning dances and cultural arts and crafts - not spanish language development. We voluteered to help with the Spanish program - but quickly found it to be disorganized, mis-managed, and non-productive. If you are looking at this school due to the Spanish instruction - select another school. If you want high quality academic instruction and focus - go elsewhere. We are dissapointed in the academic assistance at this school. Joyner has so much potential, but is too focused on the social activities to assist and encourage the academic achievement for students that need help and support.

Posted: January 19, 2012

We toured Joyner recently and were impressed by the caring atmosphere of the staff and the happiness of the children. We were completely blown away by the hospitality of the Principal and his ability to multitask while touring us through the building. He stopped and introduced us to teachers and staff, all of whom seemed eager to meet us and he interacted with each child we encountered and seemed to know all of them by name. The Spanish program is very impressive and technology seemed to be strongly emphasized throughout the school.

Posted: November 13, 2011

I cannot believe Joyner is rated so low. My child has been at Joyner for 2 years and I love it so much. She has grown leaps and bounds as a student and child. She is more confident and care and excited to learn. I love the fact that the JYJ News is produced by the students. When your child's writing is chosen for the writers wall of fame they get to read it to the whole school on the news. They have Spanish everyday in addition to their daily specials. The teachers truly care about your kids and push when necessary and give special attention when needed. The principal is amazing, he is always available and response quickly to emails and calls. In addition to the education they also teach kids about giving back. Their Help Heal Haiti project and participation in JDRF has taught my daughter the joys of helping others. I have never had a problem with any of the children there, bc respecting others is something that teachers stress. I love this school so much. I am thinking about moving and my main hesitation for not is that I will not be able to find another school as great as Joyner.

Posted: August 22, 2011

What a wonderful school! We have two adopted children here and the school has gone over and above to make sure that they are not the only adopted children in their class. The teachers are happy and constantly say that it would take something REALLY big to get them to move anywhere else. The principle will take a meeting with a parent at the drop of a hat for whatever reason. The after school program is run by the teachers as oppose to an outside vendor. We magneted into this school from one of the most desired schools in the district and never once have regretted it. If only it went to 12th grade! I will be sorry to have my children leave one day.

Posted: June 13, 2011

My son just finished up with with a great first year at Joyner, I am just amazed at all he learned. His teachers were all top notch and the staff were great! I would recommend Joyner to anyone looking for a great school for their child.

Posted: February 16, 2011

I am a parent at JYJ. I LOVE this school. I think all of the teachers are top notch and everyone I deal with knows my children and has their interests at heart. The Spanish program is excellent! The leadership is great. THis school is a gem and I'm a hard parent :0)

Posted: November 25, 2010

I have been an experienced teacher for over 15 years, and having come to this school this year, I was very surprised at the "5" rating from great schools out of 10! This school is awesome! Kids ARE happy, because the administration is supportive of KIDS AND TEACHERS! Teachers are involved with the students, and do whatever it takes to get the job done. I very much feel a sense of purpose here, and would recommend this school to anyone who wants a family atmosphere for their children's education, and will learn MUCH more than only how to score on standardized tests!!

Posted: April 17, 2010

My child has attended this school for 6 years. It is an excellent school with great teachers and great leadership. My child started in Kindergarten the first year the IB program was introduced. I saw the IB program grow into a strong program that enhances the students education and outlook on the world. The IB program with Spanish Language enhances all children's learning experence. Spanish language and cultural is taught every day. Each year the students study a specific hispanic country. Music, dance, and Art are woven into the Hispanic cultural being studied that year. Music, Art, PE, and Technology are taught weekly. Spanish dancing is everyone's favorite. The PTA is wonderful with great parent participation. This Elementary school is great and I highly recommend it.

Posted: June 8, 2009

Posted: July 9, 2007

Posted: May 28, 2007