Advice on Middle School after Montclair Elementary
Full disclosure--I submitted this question in August and didn't get any replies so I'm trying one more time. : )
Hi--I've reviewed some previous posts but am hoping for current recommendations around what middle school(s) to target for my son who just started 5th grade. He is a sensitive kid and has trouble making friends because of it. He attends Montclair and learns best with a strict teacher and more personal attention. He is inquisitive and can do his school work when he applies himself. He likes reading about people and events and can do the math involved but often makes careless mistakes which makes me think he has more potential and needs a good teacher. I have concerns over sending him to Montera both because of his personality and for his education and would consider other OUSD schools, charters and private area schools that are at the lower end of the tuition scale. I have also considered moving to a better district but since I work far away Alameda/South Berkeley would be better than other options unless I move towards Hayward/Fremont.
I would greatly appreciate advice, suggestions and any experience or learnings from the BPN community. Thank you.
Parent Replies
You might want to try a small private school like The Academy or Crowden, where the classes are very small and your child would get a lot of personal attention. This has worked for us. My son has a difficult time in larger classes, but excels in small ones. Also check out Maybeck for high school. Catholic schools are much more affordable, but usually the class size is large.
My daughter attended Edna Brewer for all three years of MS, and is now a fresh at Skyline. Edna Brewer is a wonderful school, every teacher she had was excellent. The block schedule, the 6th grade house organization, and the looped teacher-class cohort organization for 7-8 grade is wonderful. The music program is one of the best MS programs in Northern California. The community is supportive and tightly knit.
I'm not sure if you're looking for public or private. East Bay School for boys in Berkeley is a great school. It is private. I looked in to it but was too late for my son. They are 6, 7 and 8. I wish I could have got him in. Good luck
Our child attends a very small OUSD public middle school that I love, but very unlikely to have space for your child. We have friends at Claremont and Edna Brewer and I don't get the sense that either of these environments would be great for a sensitive child - but hopefully parents of kids at these schools will chime in. I recommend you consider applying to St Paul's. We did a deep dive on private middle schools and most were pretty intense - but St Paul's was really a lovely, nurturing environment. I'd apply for financial aid - I think they offer quite a bit. I also wanted to say - don't judge your kid's academic potential on 5th grade. Everything changes like you really cannot imagine between 6th and 8th. I literally had my kid tested for an IEP in 5th because he was so chaotic and almost failing all his classes. I was tearing my hair out. By the middle of 6th he'd snapped, very very unexpectedly into an amazingly focused student. He's gotten straight A's for years now. Completely mind boggling to his parents. But I've heard this story many times from other parents. It's just a brain development thing. Good luck!
My kids went to Montclair. We looked at a variety of options for both kids including privates and charters but ended up going with Montera. The oldest is a freshman at UCLA. Don't believe the disinformation campaign about the academics about Montera or the chatty parents talking down the neighborhood school. Go see for yourself what's happening in the classroom. Talk to parents who have their kids there NOW, not ones who've left. Ask yourself challenging questions. Be open to new things.
Check out Claremont Middle School. It's quite small for a middle school (approx 450 kids) and my 7th grade daughter absolutely LOVES it. Since getting Chabot Elementary's former principal 6 years ago, CMS has made incredible strides, getting a blue ribbon award this year and becoming a sought after middle school. We have been extremely impressed with the teachers, who are smart, compassionate, and dedicated.
I second the recommendation for Claremont. It is a small school as the previous poster noted and class sizes are not maxed out. My son received individual attention for his learning issues and his teachers reached out to me, instead of me having to reach out to them (not the case at Oakland Tech where he is now!). Both of my older kids made lovely and lasting friendships at Claremont. My youngest is now in 6th grade and the 6th grade teaching team is strong and cohesive. My 6th grader looks forward to going to school! Claremont is definitely worth checking out for your son.