Survey shows students dissatisfied with school climate

The Panorama Climate Survey displays that many students are disappointed with the Staples school climate and have lost a connection to many aspects of school.

Infographic by Matthew Stashower ’25

The Panorama Climate Survey displays that many students are disappointed with the Staples school climate and have lost a connection to many aspects of school.

The Panorama School Climate Survey, which was conducted in the spring of 2022 to see how students and parents feel about Staples, reveals that many students are not happy about their school climate. 

Low percentages regarding excitement and engagement in school were shown in the survey with 17% of students feeling excited to go to their classes, 24% being eager to participate, 32% of students feeling connected with adults in the school and 34% believing that if they went to visit their teachers in three years, their teachers would not be excited to see them. 

Martin Mitev ’25 provided clarity as to where these low percentages may have come from. 

“I mostly enjoy going to my classes,” Mitev said. “But usually certain classes withhold more stress in my brain than others.”

I mostly enjoy going to my classes. But usually certain classes withhold more stress in my brain than others.

— Martin Mitev ’25

Meanwhile, parents and guardians gave the school more positive reviews as 68% believe students respect the staff and 77% believe their child feels safe at school. Parent and guardian engagement with the school is where numbers dropped, however, with 2% of parents saying they meet often with their child’s teachers and 18% saying they have visited the school often in the past year.

The Panorama survey was broken up into six sections for students and four for parents. The students’ sections were Engagement, Grit, School Climate, School Safety, Sense of Belonging and Teacher-Student Relationships while the sections for parents were Family Engagement, Grit, School Climate and School Safety. 

According to The Alliance for Education Solutions school climate and culture is important because it is the foundation of effective teaching and learning.

Alex Sod ’25 fails to feel a connection to Staples and the benefits of its climate, which reflects the survey’s results.

“I don’t feel connected with my teachers,” Alex Sod ’25 said. “But I used to.”