Grass Valley Elementary School
My child attended both. We started at Carl Munck and transferred to Grass Valley. Both schools have a very high composition of students that are not from the local neighborhood. Many of the students are from areas like East Oakland where the parents are wanting to escape the schools in those neighborhoods. When you visit both you will see that the facilities are suffering from lack of funds and unfortunately the PTAs for both do not have the same deep pocket books that the hills schools do in the northern part of Oakland. Both also have very large average class sizes.
On the surface the schools look very similar. but between the two I would, by far, recommend Grass Valley over Carl Munck. I could give you a very long list of why we left Carl Munck but instead here is what I really like about Grass Valley
- They figured out the formula for teaching the kids how to respect themselves and others. All of the bad behaviors, bad words, attitude that our kiddo would pick up at school totally disappeared after we made the transfer to Grass Valley.
- The teachers and staff are not burned out, they really care about the kids and are doing their best with the limited resources they have. I have been impressed with every staff member I have met. I also get the sense the staff are all friends and have a lot of mutual respect for each other which in turn creates a great community at the school.
- Their PTA is growing. They may not have a ton of funds, but they have heart. The school community outreach director is head of the PTA and Dad's Club and is a strong leader for the school. They throw a few events each year (pancake breakfast, fish fry, holiday party, harvest festival) that seem to be just as much about bringing the community together for fun as it is about fundraising.
- Coach Justin leads the after school program. He and his team have put together a great program that builds character, teaches the kids new things and gets them moving in fun ways.
- Anytime my child had academic or behavioral needs to be addressed my voice was heard and supportive solutions were proposed by staff and administrators.
- There are adults available to my child when he needs it - I can list at least 4 different adults that my kiddo feels comfortable going to at any time to seek help for emotional support.
- I wouldn't say that they have a super robust arts program, but I've seen Grass Valley do more with their funding than other schools.
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Oct 2009
Just moved over to this area and I was wondering about Grass Valley Elementary. Does anyone have any recent experience/comments about the school? Thanks! Jill
We moved into the Grass Valley neighborhood a couple of years ago and really like it. My child had been attending a private school beforehand. Let me just say that Grass Valley Elementary is the best kept secret in Oakland! It is considered a ''Hills'' school by those in the know. The principle, Mrs. Jackson, is a dedicated and passionate leader. She refers to the students as ''scholars'' during assemblies and jumps through hoops to turn kids into readers. She also successfully gained a three year science grant for the school in conjunction with Lawrence Hall of Science (one of only two schools to win the grant in Oakland). The school has a library and up to date computer lab for all students. PE, music, and art are included in the curriculum. So far the school is holding on to small class sizes, something they've actually paid to keep over the years. The school has not been very racially diverse but has been gaining in all types of diversity lately, family structure, religion, race, economics, I think the economic downturn had something to do with that. Mrs. Jackson and her staff are dedicated to making the school a welcoming and safe school for all children and families. So if you are looking for a school in which to be an active participant and maybe stretch yourself a little bit (depending on who you are) you can't find a better elementary education in Oakland. No Longer Paying for Private School
Oct 2009
Re: Elementary schools where African American boys thrive
My child just started at Grass Valley School, in Oakland and we are delighted with the school. It is a public school, predominantly African American and Latino children and the principal is an African American woman with years of experience and she expects ALL students to work to their potential. She and all the teachers, address the children as ''scholars'' and are really invested in their sucess. Unlike in many other public schools, class size remains small -- no more than 20 students per classroom.
I have found that my child, who until now attended private schools, is very happy, challenged and accepted for who he is. I suggest you look at the school, we are delighted to have found a public (free!) school that meets the needs of African American children. Scores are solid (824 API this year) and parent participation is good. Happy Grass Valley parent
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