Monrovia Middle School

My child is now starting her 7th grade year at MMS. I can say that she absolutely loved her 6th grade year. They wisely keep the 6th graders isolated from the older kids, something that us parents who went to 7th & 8th grade "Middle Schools" can appreciate. She really liked most of her teachers and really enjoyed band. The Band director is a shinning example of what we wish all our educators aspired to be. 7th grade has just started for her and so far she has no problems. So, educationally I give this school pretty high marks. I also give it high marks "discipline" wise. They have a zero tolerance policy that has made some parents bristle ... but then again, most bullies have parents who think their little angles are always just misunderstood victims. My child follows the rules, gets good grades and so far, I feel safe about her there.
--Submitted by a parent

I have a child at MMS now, she is in the 7th grade and so far loves it. I will say while reading the packet, rules and regulations I was questioning the focus ratio of education to conduct. While my child attended a middle school last year about 7 miles from MMS and I was very much displease with it. I look forward to seeing how this school year may go. One thing I seen that was great is that all the students looked like the belong to a middle school not a night club. They did not have huge earrings or 4" heels on.
--Submitted by a parent

I have one child going to 7th grade. I am considering removing him from the school and placing in private school. There are a number of post already here as to why: too focused on discipline (perfect children) Subar teaching esp in PE, Social studies & Science. My childs SAT scores fell dramatically after testing this year. STI is a joke. 2 out of 7 teachers would submit info timely. So when you notice something missing it was already 3wks late and they wouldnt allow to make up. EAET is a joke (notice for missing HW). Teacher told me they dont use it because the more they do the more they have to also work the Saturday make-up day. I wish more of their energy was used to acutually teach and care about the outcome. Principal defends poor teaching habits. Needs new leadership to hold staff more accountable.
--Submitted by a parent

I think that monrovia middle school is so focused on discipline that the kids dont learn anything
--Submitted by a student

I'm was a sixth grader at monrovia middle school and am very happy that they did not let the sixth graders join anything because I wouldn't be able to manage everything when i was just starting a harder grade with more responsibiltes . And I am in the band which has got to be the highlight of my day . Mr.Dowdy is the best and really loves the music.
--Submitted by a student

The education at Monrovia is 1 Dimensional. Too much focus on discipline and consequences and not enough on developing a well-educated, well-rounded student. Principal has been there way too long and needs to be replaced with new leadership with fresh ideas to develop high caliber students and teachers.
--Submitted by a parent

Monrovia Middle School just started a program called 'Every Assignment, Every Time'. What this program essentially does is if a child forgets their homework, they fill out an EAET form and can bring their homework in the next day for 75% credit. If they fail to bring in the completed assignment the next day, they will attend Saturday School(school on saturday from 8:00-12:00) and complete the assignment for 60% credit. If they do not attend they will complete two days of Saturday School instead of just one. Mr. Brown approved this plan because over 90% of the failing students would not be failing if they had completed their homework. Students can also be given Saturday School for discipline reasons.
--Submitted by a student

It's safe, enjoyable and has nice teachers
--Submitted by a student

As a proud graduate of mms, i can honestly say this is the best school i've been to. The teachers at monrovia are all very involved and well educated. The administration are always out in the halls helping students, and to me, that is one of the most assuring things i can see when i'm at school. Safety is mr. Brown's number one concern, which he reminds us of constantly, and i always felt safe at school! many people are complaining that sixth graders cannot play school sports, but i have to side with the administration on this one. The first year of middle school is the hardest! when you come from only having one or three classes a day to having seven, the workload is shocking! sports for only seventh and eighth graders is for their own good :) go hawks! mms is a great school overall!
--Submitted by a student

I am a 8th grader at MMS and I love this school. Some parnets are mad about the extracurriculars here at MMS. Parnets at MMS why 6th graders only can be in the band the first year of school is because the teachers and Mr.Brown think the first year of middle school is one of the hardest. This is when the students are getting use to the seven classes and the seven new teachers which they only have one hour a day. In the year of 07-08 MMS let 6th graders tryout for the golf class, for tryouts you were to write a letter to Mr.Brown saying why the student should be in the program. This year 21 students in total from 6th-8th grade were allowed in the program. With the letter the grades of the students were put first, then the students teachers would have to agree that the student
--Submitted by a student