Smith Junior High School

There is NOTHING about this school that is good! We sent two of our sons there and refused to send anymore of our kids there. The teachers do not care about communicating with the parents. The principal was a nice enough guy, but the administration was rude and the counselor was like dealing with a 12 year old. We tried to get an IEP for one of our sons and it was a nightmare! The teachers are even worse, they do not care about the students. They want the students to be held acccountable, which I agree with. But if you as a parent question the teachers, and hold them accountable for their actions, look out! They say they want parent involment, but what that means is you are expected to do 2-3 hours of homework a night with your kids on something that wasn't taught during class time. If they dont "get" the work, expect your kid to stay after school or give up his lunch. There is no extra help from the teachers or the counselors. This was the worst experience of any Jr. High and we have 9 kids. Thank goodness only 2 went there. We have other kids in mesa schools and never had any problems until this, we sent our sons to Desert Ridge, where he got an IEP, with no problems.
—Submitted by a parent

Honestly, nothing is good about this school. Its a pain to go here everyday and the assistant principal has something messed up in her head. For every report (even the fake reports) she must punish you some how and the lowest she can go is A.L.C. I feel that some of the teachers are uneducated to teach students properly and fairly. But the worst things are that the extremely nasty students are either never punished or not punished bad enough, and there is not many school activities or parent involvement. People complain about the dress code rules and the assistant principal must find anything she can to dress code. The food is unsatisfactory but I blame the district. This place to me seems more scarier than jail. It is a new school with many problems to overcome.
—Submitted by a student

I would like to share what this school is like for a normal boy. The 9th grade english and social studies classes are the best. The Band is a great class and the band teacher teaches exceedingly well. The only complaint I have about the school is that they dont enforce F.A.N.G and the teacher's (especially math) seem to only help if they can benefit. overall i say a 2/5. Unfortunately the band program cannot make up for the other failures.
—Submitted by a student

I think its a great school. The band teacher is really the best and truly cares about her students. I think the dress code is just fine and I dont understand all the complaints I was reading. Apparently nobody remembers how bad it can get. My only complaint is how the attendance issue works. If I call my child in sick that is excused. I am not running her to a doctor and getting a note EVERY time. A parent calling or coming in should be an excused absence.
—Submitted by a parent

I just finished 8th grade at smith and i have to say, the dress code is an outrage. They don't let hats on campus because how you wear it can be 'gang-related.' They also don't allow band t-shirts because they are associated with a group of people that is a newer label on people. They don't allow you to wear sunglasses behind your head because it's 'gang related.' The vice principal shows way too much cleavage, and walks around looking for the most ridiculous things to dress code. She took my friend's jacket and didn't give it back for a week because it had an icp symbol on it. Most of my complaints go to debra, but other than that, smith is pretty good.
—Submitted by a student

The school has a no kid left behind but they don't always stick to it. They don't follow up on situations that occur unless it's to their benefit. I am not happy with the way they handle things.
—Submitted by a parent

I was browsing here, and I read the post from Oct. 11 regarding the dress code. First of all, I want to say that it is completely offensive to suggest that teachers are being aroused by students, so that's why the dress code is strictly enforced. Anyone who goes to the school will know that the dress code is reasonable. Unfortunately, some other schools do not enforce the rules, which is why Smith seems strict. We love this school. I teach junior high in another school, and I only wish that I worked in a school where rules were enforced. Believe it or not, but kids do need structure, discipline, and yes, rules. Smith is a great school, especially when you compare it to other Mesa schools where discipline is non-existent. My daughters don't need to use their bodies to get attention, so we like it here.
—Submitted by a parent

I'm quite happy with Smith. My daughter loves the school and is very happy, particularly with the band instructor, who is excellent. A complaint would be that the dress code is ridiculously strict and old-fashioned. Of course a dress code should exist, but it should be reasonable. Why, for instance, is it that a girl can not wear a dress with spaghetti straps *over a t-shirt*? That is just silly. I know some students will go to extremes if boundaries are not set, but some of the rules are just so peculiar that it seems as if some _adults_ are the ones with the real problem if they're being titillated by a sleeveless but modest neckline shirt.
—Submitted by a parent

We've had our daughter at Smith for the past 2 years and couldn't be happier with the quality of education and service. Both teachers and administration are highly involved in the success of their students. We attended open house this year and discovered that Smith had the highest science AIMs scores for their 8th graders amongst all junior highs in the district. They surpassed the state average for meeting or exceeding the standard by a long shot. We were also very impressed by the standard they've established for the level of accountability on behalf of their students. I was initially a little concerned that the demands might be a little high for junior high students, but our daughter has benefited from the experience and my husband and I are confident that she will do extremely well at the high school next year. I'm so glad we chose Smith.
—Submitted by a parent

my child loves this school
—Submitted by a parent

my child loves this school we just transfered her from a differnt school to this one and since she has been comming here she has been getting all straigh A's I met the teachers and they are so loving and they spend idevidual time with one kid each and they have been really helping her improve alot this school is really strict about there learning they really push you to do better ok my daughter is in 8th grade and she is doing colledge math and she just loves this school and so do I
—Submitted by a parent

I have one child in 9th grade, and one that will start 7th in the fall. Overall, the school is very good for academics. I wish they would put the pool in. What a shame for the kids.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children who have attended Smith Jr High from 7-9th. The academic programs have improved each year as well as the music, art and sports programs. I have been very pleased with the quality of education being provided to my children. My only complaint would be that the dress code for female students be implemented. The dress code does not seem to be enforced.
—Submitted by a parent

It is a great school! The teachers are so nice unlike most junior high schools!
—Submitted by a student

I went to Smith all 3 years. It is a really good school. I got a good education. Now I'm going into high school. Good luck to all the other students. Parents, take it from some one who never got into trouble.
—Submitted by a student

My daughter attended Smith this past year (06-07). Although there were some issues the school was a positive for my daughter. My daughter was involved in the advanced classes and excelled in the setting. The overall quality of education at Smith is good. The math departments exceptional teachers lead the way. They strive to achieve the highest scores vs. other Mesa schools, other AZ schools and the national scores. They are consistently the best performing group on campus. Their scores prove this. The arts are also of good quality. The sports and extracurricular teams are still in their toddler stages as the school has only been open six years. Better coaches have come on board the past few years but some teams are still looking for a consistent leadership. Parent participation is low. Smith has begun well and will continue to improve its status among the Mesa schools.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has been wonderful for my children. The staff is very caring and will go out of their way to help the students. I have found all the teachers to be very flexible and willing to work with any situation that arises. They have had pleasant experiences with this school, the principal, staff, policies, and students.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my first experience with my child at Jr. high. Not many extra curricular choices for 7th graders. Social Studies and Music have been a bright spot for us, they seem to have it together. For the most part the subjects all seem to be very easy to get a good grade (A or B)Not very challenging unless you just want the grade not the education. Parent involvement is a must , but here it is like banging your head against a brick wall. I look forward to moving on.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a freshman at SJH and honestly, its the most pathetic school I have ever been to. I am completely bored with almost all of my classes. Im not challenged at all. I am in AA english and still dont have a challenge. The teachers are all certified and such but aren't really all that great.Well, at least not all of them.The music program is excellent. It is really entertaining and is excelling every year.Sports. From my expierence the coaches are looking for how well the student plays on his/her own and not how they play on a team or how well they get along with people around them. The just want to win. Also, the only language available is spanish ..BORING! The campus is very nice though...best one yet.Im not sure about the parent involvement..because im not a parent. :D
—Submitted by a student

Smith JH has excellent academic results -- AIMS math scores are extremely high and (along with Reading and Writing) have shown amazing growth during the 4 years the school has been open. Teachers have high expectations, students feel safe and accepted, and there are a high number of students on the waiting list to earn boundary exceptions to enroll.
—Submitted by a parent