Grandview Elementary

I didn’t like school as a kid. I never had a special teacher. Schooling — at least as presented to me — wasn’t my cup of tea.
But I think that might have been different if I’d gone to Grandview Elementary. It’s a small urban school. It sits on a bluff in Bellevue overlooking the city and the Cincinnati skyline. Wonderful.
But even with the blinds drawn and the view obscured, it’d be a great school. The teachers seem to care. No one gives me the impression of clocking time; of winding down until summer vacation hits or a juicy public employees pension can be tapped.
Here’s what sold me on the school: My oldest went to kindergarten there. We were unhappy with it. From first grade through fourth, my daughter went to Catholic schools. Because of several problems there, we decided it was time to move on. I called several schools and on a lark called Grandview. The principal that was just starting her first year when my daughter was in kindergarten now had several years to reshape the school. What caught my attention though was she still remember my daughter, her interests, and her hobbies… and my too-​young-​for-​school daughter’s name. And me and my wife.
That’s a level of attention paid that we still find permeating the school. This is an urban school with too much poverty and young, broken families, but the school offers those kids and all kids a chance. It’s one I wish I had had a chance to go to.