Courtney Donovan
Reviewer
Anonymous reviewer
Comments
Our experience with Ms. Courtney Donovan was extremely disappointing. Since second grade, my child has struggled emotionally and no longer enjoys going to school. Before that year, he was excited to learn and looked forward to being in the classroom. Unfortunately, that changed because we did not feel he received the support he needed. Rather than working with us to develop strategies that would help our child succeed, Ms. Donovan repeatedly pressured my wife and me to obtain a special needs assistant. We felt this was because she did not know how to effectively teach our son. Instead of adapting her teaching methods or working with us to find solutions, the responsibility was repeatedly placed on our family. We later learned that several other parents had similar experiences. What made the situation even more frustrating was that after Ms. Donovan became an assistant principal, the pressure continued. Rather than listening to our concerns or exploring other ways to support our child, she continued insisting that we obtain an assistant. We never felt that our concerns were taken seriously or that there was a genuine effort to work collaboratively with our family. As parents, we expected school leadership to advocate for students, support teachers in meeting different learning needs, and partner with families to help children succeed. Instead, we felt dismissed and pressured. The experience has had a lasting impact on our child's confidence, emotional well-being, and attitude toward school. Even today, he associates school with stress and anxiety rather than learning, and that has been heartbreaking for our family.
Questionnaire Responses
How effectively does school leadership communicate important information to parents?
How accessible and visible is the school leadership to parents and students?
How effectively does the school leadership respond to parent concerns and feedback?
How well does the school leadership demonstrate commitment to the school’s values and mission?
How well does the school leadership support and encourage professional development for teachers?
How approachable are the school leadership team members for discussing issues and ideas?
How effectively does the school leadership prioritize student well-being and mental health?
Overall, how satisfied are you with the leadership at your child’s school?
What do you appreciate most about the leadership’s approach to managing the school and engaging with parents?
Absolutely nothing. Before she became the assistant principal, she was my son's second-grade teacher. Ms. Donovan's communication with my wife and me was consistently focused on pushing us to get a special needs assistant for our son because she did not know how to teach him effectively. Many parents experienced the same issue with her and other teachers at AIS. Even after she became the assistant principal, she continued to push even harder for us to get an assistant for my son.
What improvements, if any, would you suggest for the school leadership to better meet the needs of students and parents?
In my opinion, she should not have been hired because she does not know how to teach effectively. Instead of finding appropriate ways to support my son, she repeatedly pressured my wife and me to get a special needs assistant because she did not know how to teach him herself.
Can you provide an example of how school leadership has positively and/or negatively impacted your child’s educational experience?
Since second grade, my child has developed a negative attitude toward school and now dreads going every day. Before that, he was excited to learn and enjoyed being in the classroom. Unfortunately, our experience with the school's leadership did not provide the support we expected as parents. Instead of working with us to better understand our child's needs, we felt pressured to obtain a special needs assistant because his teacher struggled to teach him effectively. Rather than exploring different teaching strategies or providing additional classroom support, the responsibility was repeatedly placed on our family. This made us feel that the school was looking for the easiest solution instead of helping our child succeed. Even after the Ms. Donovan became an assistant principal, the same approach continued. Instead of advocating for better instructional support, she continued to pressure us to obtain an assistant. We felt our concerns were not truly heard, and there was little effort to address the underlying issues affecting our child's education. As a result, my child's confidence and enjoyment of school have declined significantly. He now associates school with stress and anxiety rather than learning and growth. I believe school leadership should create an environment where every child is supported through collaboration, effective teaching, and open communication with families. Unfortunately, that was not our experience, and it has had a lasting negative impact on our child's educational experience.
Details
- Reviewee
- Courtney Donovan
- School
- American International School in Egypt (Main Campus)
- Country
- Egypt
- State / Region
- Cairo
- Reporting Period
- 2023-2026
- Submitted
- August 4, 2026
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