Powell Butte Elementary School

This school is rated as one of the worst in Portland, deservedly. My son was in attendance there in the second grade when a teacher (Mrs. Gerber) decided he had ADD and threatened us several times with "administrative action" if we didn't comply with a doctors diagnosis. His problem was that he wouldn't pay attention to her while she taught the entire class the same information he learned in a prior grade. Instead, she insisted that he had a learning disorder, which she has also done to several other students. It can cause irreparable harm to a child to have them believe that they have a learning disability when they're, in fact, perfectly normal or advanced learners. Perhaps the teachers there ought to learn a new way to teach which challenges the children instead of blaming them for not being complacent and submissive. I understand that the school scored so poorly in all of their recent tests that they had to offer the parents the option to send their children to a new school. By the way, after removing my son from their disgraceful system, we decided to home-school him. We were required to have him take the same state standard assessment tests in 3rd grade that all public schools are required to administer, and he tested above his grade level in EVERY subject, including a 9th grade reading level.

Mrs. Gerber, you may be educated enough to regurgitate information out of a teachers manual, but you are a danger to society and their children. You seem to be only interested in popping out cookie cutter "McJob" employees who will only go as far in life as their bosses allow them, by the way you treat to your students. Students should be acknowledged for their competence and encouraged abilities, not reprimanded just because they're under-stimulated by you. You should, instead, blame yourself for potentially destroying the capacities of such advanced students for your own personal in-class benefit. You are a failure and a disgrace, and you fully represent the school in which you teach.

I love Mrs. Deal, she has really helped my son to feel comfortable in his classroom, that was one of my biggest worries. Lerena