Donald D. Lum Elementary School

My daughter has flourished at Lum. All three of her teachers, as well as music and media center teachers, have challenged my daughter academically, as well as create an atmosphere that makes her want to go to school. She has made tremendous strides in her academics, scoring proficient or advanced across the board, as well as develop into a strong individual. I could not have asked for a better experience than I have had at Lum. I always feel welcome and have felt that all the teachers as well as the principal have been open to communication.
—Submitted by a parent

We've been at Lum since 2009 and have been extremely happy. It's a wonderful community, very diverse, caring and involved. There are so many fun school activities, such as Fall Family Festival, afterschool enrichment classes, Multi-cultural night, and alot of other PTA sponsored programs. All of my children's teachers are/have been great and even better than great. And having met or heard of the other Lum teachers from other parents, we're looking forward to upper grades. I really like our principal. She is out there with the kids, knows everyone's names, is so friendly and accessible but is very serious about keeping kids on track if need be. My son will start K this fall and I have every confidence in Lum. Best of all, my children like going to school and have made some great friends there.
—Submitted by a parent

Lum was a very great school to go to. Ms. Tomine was a great 3rd grade teacher! Too bad she retired. Ms. Holmes was a great teacher to work with in 4th grade and Ms. Finch was very nice to be with for 5th grade. Graduating from 5th grade was a very sad moment. Lum students and staff are part of a big family. I hope the students their will have the same expierence like I did. #LumBearForever!

I loved this school from the beginning. Ms. Finch is strict but very caring and gives us enough homework to do! Everything there is fantastic, I can't find a better school than this one! There's a great club that helps the environment called "Garbage Club" and I can't say it isn't bad. I hope the kids that will go to Lum will have the same experience as I did in all my years!

My son went to both Kindergarten and 1st grade at Lum school. I am very dissatisfied with the principal that is currently there, I went to Lum back in 80s and had a great experience. The only thing great I can say about Lum is their 1st grade teacher Ms Ratto. She truely helped my son get through his 1st grade year without any problems. We moved out of Alameda after his 1st grade year and it couldn't have been a better choice for us.
—Submitted by a parent

By what measure is the parent who claims that 'Lum is not very diverse' judging this school? The 2009 data clearly states that Lum is 34% white, and has a higher percentage of African American, Asian, Filipino and Pacific Islander students than the state averages. That's just uninformed. The fact is that my very favorite thing about Lum school is the high diversity index. Lum is not the highest-performing school in the city, but it has so far been a good place for our daughter. She doesn't need the rest of the school to perform at the highest level in order for her to achieve. Our son will start there next year.
—Submitted by a parent

My 2 kids, 1st and 3rd grades, love going to school at Lum. We have had wonderful teachers and really positive experiences. I feel that the teachers, staff and principal are constantly going above and beyond to ensure the children at this school feel safe and welcomed. The PTA is really committed to doing everything they can to keep the many programs going and involving the families in many social activities. Lum is extremely diverse and community-oriented. We are blessed to be a part of such a wonderful school.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of a 1st grader at Lum Elementary. I love it there and so does my son. His teachers have been fantastic and academics are top priority. The school is very diverse. Look at the school ethnic statistics and see the vast array of ethnicities in the school population. In my son's class alone (20 students), 11 students speak another language at home ranging from Farsi to Vietnamese to Russian. Lum has an active PTA and Principle Lyons has always been accessible to me. The school could use more yard duty personnel.
—Submitted by a parent

I am extremely unsatisfied with Lum. As a teenager I attended Alameda schools and found them to be outstanding. I grew both socially and educationally- so naturally I felt it best to enroll my son in an Alameda school. Unfortunately Lum is not very diverse and the teachers seem to have a hard time connecting with children of color. The yard is not well supervised so there are often fights/arguments between the children that go unsolved. On several occassions Principal Lyons has handled situations improperly, and the teachers my child had often put him in groups with other children that were below grade level or had behavioral problems (also children of color). I wish Lum would let go of their 1950's mentality and encourage the children and teachers to be more accepting of others differences.
—Submitted by a parent

I love this school. I have 2 children who go there. 1 is in K and the other in 1st grade. The PTA is 40+ strong, and a nice mixture of moms, dads and caretakers. The teachers & principal are wonderful--dedicated, experienced, and our children's best allies. Communication is great between parents and educators. It's a wonderful school with a balanced mix of ethnicies and income. It is the best, down to earth, open and wonderful school on the island! We could not have asked for a better school. We love LUM!!
—Submitted by a parent

My son finished his first year at Lum. The teachers have been so wonderful in helping him settle in to a new school. The staff have been excellent in thier communication with parents. I see the teachers providing an enviorment where ALL children's learning needs are met. Lum teachers are truely committed to your child's success. My son has a solid foundation thanks to his teacher this year. The parent involvement is also very strong. Although it is one of the larger schools in town, it still has a close knit feeling.
—Submitted by a parent

My family has been involved with our 2 kids at Lum going on our 5th year, as my daughter goes into 5th and my son goes into 2nd grade. Our teachers, thus far, have been first rate educators, warm and wonderful people. The help I have received from all 4 of my daughter's teachers as we have moved towards a final diagnosis of ADHD is so very appreciated. Thanks to them she loves school and is thriving academically despite her struggles. As I working mom, I find being heavily involved in the PTA has been the best advantage for my kids in their school experience. I can not stress how important parent involvement is to our kids and Lum school has a terrific group of parents dedicated to making Lum one of the best schools in Alameda. Lori Keep, Lum parent
—Submitted by a parent

I love the parent involvement at the school and the small community feeling!
—Submitted by a parent

Great program. So far, my son has completed Kindergarten, but I am very impressed with the teaching, curriculum, and overall quality that Lum has to offer. My goal is to see both of my kids through 5th Grade at Lum. My son can't wait to start 1st Grade!
—Submitted by William White, a parent

Fathers not encouraged to participate. Poor leadership: minimal interaction with parents. Quality of education: low-minimal daily homework. Teachers:some good, some poor.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 foster children and I enrolled them with the help of the staff within hours. The staff was wonderful with the kids and I don't think we could have made it through the year without them. The saying is, 'It takes a village to raise a child'. In this case it is true because without the teachers at the school the last year wouldn't have been possible. The kids are excited about going back to school and I'm also looking forward to another year to watch these kids grow and blossom. Thanks Lum!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter went to this school through third grade and it was such a great experience for her. From the teachers, to the students, to the parents, everyone was great and involved. She learned a lot and has taken that with her into the upper grades.
—Submitted by a parent

My son went from 2nd to 5th grade at Lum and had wonderful teachers the entire time. The office staff were particulaly warm and helpful and my son felt comfortable approaching them when he had problems.
—Submitted by a parent

I have heard it is a middle of the road school.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers and PTA groups are very involved in the students' growth. They pride themselves on their consistently improving scores in the statewide testing. Great place to grow and learn.
—Submitted by Chris, a parent