Sidney Elementary School at 15 Pearl Street East, Sidney, New York.

“Dare to be Mediocre” is clearly the attitude here. Our daughter started 5th grade this September. I was disturbed to find out that she has no idea what the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights are. She did not know how to address an envelope or a post card. Even though this school thinks she's prepared for 5th grade, she reads at what is nationally considered a second or third grade level, and is clearly embarrassed when we go to visit friends who have children from other districts. The school tells us she has no known learning disabilities, but she's learned from the students and teachers around her that "not failing is good enough." We've learned too late that this is a school where the parents must take a very active role (to the point of partial home-schooling) if they want their kids to succeed in life. Truly disappointing. Please learn from our mistakes: take an active, hands-on approach. This school might be fun for athletics and social time and don't expect the school to actually provide an education.