James K Polk Elementary School

Posted: April 17, 2024

My 1st grade son loves Polk. He enjoys going to school each day and has made great progress this year on reading and math. Has a great, diverse group of friends. So far we've been really happy with the school.

Posted: April 17, 2024

Posted: April 17, 2024

Posted: April 17, 2024

Posted: April 17, 2024

Posted: April 17, 2024

Posted: April 17, 2024

Posted: February 13, 2020

My child went to James K. Polk for 6 years and I was a student there as well. It is a wonderful environment where kids are taught to be good citizens and to put their best foot forward everyday! My child is now in a different school district and I am so shocked and disappointed at the lack of leadership within the staff and passion for education. We miss Polk and are so grateful for everything the provided!

Posted: February 13, 2020

Posted: February 13, 2020

Posted: February 13, 2020

Posted: February 13, 2020

Posted: February 13, 2020

Posted: January 21, 2020

The staff at this school is awesome. I leave on the East end of town. I brought my two kids on the bus to this school and now I do the same thing for my grand daughter. The teachers here are awesome, respectful, and very caring. My granddaughter had separation anxiety but she met a staff member Diana Adler who is not her teacher who made her feel welcome and very nurturing. Thanks to Ms. Adler my granddaughter is excelling well in school and she never cries not to come to school. Instead she cries that she doesn't want to stay home.

Posted: January 21, 2020

Posted: January 21, 2020

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Posted: January 21, 2020

Posted: January 21, 2020

Posted: January 21, 2020

Posted: March 18, 2018

Posted: March 18, 2018

Posted: March 18, 2018

A wonderful & welcoming learning environment for children of diverse needs; teachers and administrators work with families to deliver the best educational and supportive services possible; a cheerful and well-kept facility; all-in-all, an A+ school!!!!

Posted: March 18, 2018

Posted: March 18, 2018

Posted: March 18, 2018

Posted: March 18, 2018

Posted: October 18, 2016

Posted: October 18, 2016

Posted: October 18, 2016

Posted: October 18, 2016

Posted: October 18, 2016

Posted: October 18, 2016

Great school with caring teachers. The adminstration is attentive to the needs of the students, teachers, and community. I love the way the faculty and staff work together for the betterment fo the school.

Posted: October 18, 2016

Posted: February 28, 2016

I have taught at this school for 6 years, and it is the best school in Alexandria. It is incredibly diverse with students from all over the world. The staff is the friendliest around, and the administration truly cares about their employees and students. I highly recommend Polk to parents, students, and new applicants.

Posted: January 18, 2016

Posted: January 18, 2016

Posted: January 18, 2016

Posted: January 18, 2016

Great school..! My daughter attends this school her teachers are friendly. It's in a nice Neighborhood.

Posted: November 2, 2015

We have 2 children at Polk and have been very happy here. It's a great, diverse community and we've seen options grow during our years as parents. Polk's After School Clubs options are growing and communication is improving thanks to a very committed PTA. There is a real sense of community. Teachers and Administration are very responsive. We have had some GREAT teachers and have heard other parents say the same. The facility has a great campus, lots of green space, with a new green gym and classrooms. When we did have an issue in a lower grade, we were very pleased by the administrative response: teacher, specialist and administrators met with us and we found a solution that solved the problem. Support staff, including School Nurse, are great, too. Polk is a school that really cares about your whole child.

Posted: February 6, 2015

My child has had excellent teachers at James K. Polk: very communicative and involved, with a true understanding of what a child needs in the classroom. The PTA at this school is fantastic and there is a great sense of community and involvement at the school. Polk also offers a huge range of after school clubs for all grade levels and interests, in which my child has loved participating. A GREAT principle and staff. We love Polk!

Posted: January 12, 2015

Polk serves a wonderfully diverse, culturally rich community. This is such an incredible plus, but is too often undervalued. It has an administration that has been exceptionally supportive of involved parenting. And it is on the upswing in so many ways -- new parent-led efforts like more afterschool clubs, one of the greenest school campuses in the country following its geothermal and green building renovation, and the biggest campus in the entire Alexandria school system, with greenspace and playing fields other schools can only dream of. There are some exceptional teachers, notably Mrs. Cox, Ms. Koz-Calvo and Mr. Palmer. The testing trend is troubling, but I think it should be seen in the context of the economic diversity in the school compared to other Alexandria schools. There are challenges that I think are tied to the larger ACPS. I think the school district really discourages active parental involvement in the classroom because of the onerous sign-in system that requires taking time off of work to go to the administration building; surely there's a better way that protects kids with a cursory background check, but actively seeks out and encourages involvement.

Posted: October 29, 2014

The teaching staff at JKPolk Elementary are the best in the nation. Their professionalism and caring for each student is unwavering. Highly recommended. The family community supports all the students and their families tremendously.

Posted: September 15, 2014

My child just started at James K. Polk and I could not be more pleased with this school. Their K-prep program over the summer really prepared my child for the first day of Kindergarten. And although it is still early in the school year, the growth and love of learning that the teachers, paraprofessionals, and administration are instilling in the students is very easy to see. I am thrilled that my child will spend his elementary years at this school.

Posted: August 11, 2014

This is the best school! We have the BEST principal, awesome assistant principals, and an amazing, welcoming staff! I love working here!

Posted: April 29, 2014

Is the best kept secret in Alexandria. A diverse community led by a happy principal and taught by high quality teachers and staff.

Posted: August 11, 2013

I have a child who is attending James K Polk for 3 years already. (but I really hope that we will move soon, so my kid will attend a better school). I am really surprised to read all those good comments?! The school is not good at all, the teachers are not doing what they are supposed to and I have to educate my son at home, so that he passess the SOL at the end of the year! I agree with the parent who posted a comment below who says that there is no communication between teacher and parents (and I have never received study guides to know how can I help). I have to write to the teacher aalmost every day and ask how can I help my child, eather way, she wouldn't sent me any email, note or letter at all. My child did great on the 2013 SOL, because of me working with him, but the thing is that there was never a prise for his work at school. He has always received only bad remarks.

Posted: July 27, 2013

Hi! I am a student at James K. Polk Elementary School and this is my 6th and final year which is quite sad for me because I have loved this school ever since I started! All my teachers have been supportive, nice, and have brought joy to me and my peers. My encore (activity) teachers have made their subjects fun yet very educational. The music teacher gives us a chance to shine every class. The PE teachers have gotten me active the two times a week I get to see them. The library reader will entertain us with every kind of book and when we are done we choose (a) book(s) of our own to read for a week. Last, but not least, the art teacher who I love so much is very involved and optimistic telling us to try our best on every assignment and all of our projects are always fun and come with education. So without the James K. Polk staff I wouldn't be who I am today.

Posted: June 10, 2011

My son has attended Polk for 2 years. We have had a wonderful experience! He has completed K and 1st grade. He has had a great foundation for learning developed. The teachers have been positive and creative. He loves school! We are sad to be moving but grateful for the time he had at Polk. I highly recommend this school. The administration is great, office staff are wonderful and the PTA is very involved.

Posted: June 2, 2011

well , my son is in 3 grade , all the time i need to send notes to help my son with the test, they never send home works and study guides. this school is the worst for parents with other lenguage.