Vista Verde School

There are some amazing teachers in this school like a husband and wife couple who are great role models as well as fantastic teachers. I can't say anything bad about this school other than one thing.There is a fifth grade bully teacher in this school. She definitely has some kind of problem and is not fit to be a teacher. Certain kids always get punished in her class no matter who did the wrong doing. Her favorite students never get bothered even if they do something wrong. She acts more like an angry teenager than an adult teacher. I don't know why the principal doesn't do anything about her in spite of all the complains from the unfortunate parents. I wish the principal could see or hear the way she treats the kids through some kind of hidden camera.
—Submitted by a parent

The recess teachers and volunteers are the worse. I often visit my child during breaks, and I see how horrible they treat the students, and the parents as well. They shouldn't be working with kids if they don't know how to talk or treat children. They demand and bark, rather than speaking normal. JUST BECAUSE CHILDREN ARE YOUNG DOESn't MEAN THAT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND. Hopefully, a miracle happens and these teachers/volunteers get trained how to treat children or get prohibited working here. (Btw, third recess is a waste of time; it should be taken away, and let out 20 minutes earlier. Long day for kids:). Praying the right person reads this, and actions occurs. Thanks.
—Submitted by a parent

We were not impressed with the quality of staff or teachers, although there were a few exceptions. For a public school, the facilities were new and well-maintained, and it was close to home - those are the most positive things I can say about the school. Although some previous reviewers felt the school catered to high-achieving or "gifted" students, we did not fell this was the case. Our daughter had a comprehensive private evaluation and was diagnosed as "profoundly or exceptionally gifted." Her needs were completely unrecognized and unmet in the huge classroom she attended where the teacher didn't seem to know anything about our child. To make things worse, our child was bullied and teased for having principles and values. We moved her to a private school and all of us are happier than ever. Her abilities were not recognized in a system that processed children like robots on an assembly line, though the assembly line was spotless and shiny. We know at least four highly intelligent successful families that have left this school in the last few months. We only wish we'd started with private school, but at least we got out early enough to save our daughter's childhood.
—Submitted by a parent

I had a very similar experience with the (ex)principal. When I talked to her about how to improve math education, she said "my son never did anything like that, and he went on to Berkley!" What an educator. Vista Verde has the highest parent participation, parents are grading the homework & tests. And teachers are seen tutoring in the local library after school!
—Submitted by a parent

"Vista Verde has high expectations for their students, but there is an overall lack of support. Good grades are appreciated, but when your child is struggling, he or she will be treated like a loser. This school strives for overachievers and winners - everything else seems to be unacceptable." ok this is my 2nd year here and this is completely ridiculous. My son was struggling in a particular subject. Both teachers took huge amounts of time and effort to help address this. In fact I am amazed, based on the class size they can even put this type of specialized effort in. Just blows me away. Both teachers went way above and beyond in helping me, giving me resources and any thing else I could ever want to help my son in an area in which he was underperforming. By the way there are areas where he is on par or excelling, and the other students need the specialized help.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our 6th year at Vista Verde and we love it! On July 1, 2011, our principal retired (she did NOT resign, as another parent stated). We have a new principal who is energetic, smart, enthusiastic and experienced. She has already shown a desire to continue the successes of the past principal and to listen to parents when they have concerns. The parents here are highly educated, involved and aware. There are MANY stay-at-home parents at Vista Verde, and they are a wonderful asset . . . not only on PTA and the Vista Verde Foundation, but as hands-on volunteers in the classroom. When a student doesn't do well on a test, a parent volunteer can take the time to go over the questions with the child so that he understands what mistakes he has made. When a child needs extra one-on-one reading time, parent volunteers are often asked to listen to the child read. Qualified parents can also work with those students who need to be further challenged. The school really tries to cater to students of all levels and abilities. What more can we ask of a school?
—Submitted by a parent

Vista Verde has high expectations for their students, but there is an overall lack of support. Good grades are appreciated, but when your child is struggling, he or she will be treated like a loser. This school strives for overachievers and winners - everything else seems to be unacceptable. Following rigid rules and impeccable star behavior is expected from the children, while the principal and some teachers scream at them behind closed doors. If you dare to critique as a parent, you are told that you can leave, since there are enough other schools in the district that handle things differently . I ve seen many families leave. The principal lacks skills, compassion or humor to handle the middle school teens in an age appropriate manner. They are closely observed, treated like little ones and suppressed in their individuality. On the other hand there are strong, bullying cliques that are tolerated. The principal seems to be worn out and it was no surprise to hear about her resignation. Hopefully this will mark a new and better beginning for this school.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is average. My Kindergarten son entered school at 3rd grade reading level and the teacher refused to give any leveled instruction. High API is due to parents not teachers. They refuse to do anything for high ability learners until gate. I'm changing schools next year. The principal does not care.
—Submitted by a parent

If your child is gifted, the child will fit into the mold of Vista Verde. The teachers focus only on the high achievers. The teachers encourage those that do well and ignore any child that struggles, with an exception of resource/learning issue's because they are legally bound to help them. The teachers rely heavily on parents grading the child's papers, rarely looking at the grades to see what the student did incorrectly. My 3 children have attended this school for 5 years.
—Submitted by a parent

We came to Vista Verde from a private school. The principal is OUTSTANDING. The teachers are amazing. The academics are challenging and our kids are learning at a great pace. They are happy! We are happy! The principal takes bullying very seriously. Other parents are very highly educated and involved. We recommend Vista Verde
—Submitted by a parent

My kids were enrolled at this school for three years. There is a huge bullying problem at this school, and the principle refuses to address it. She prefers to pretend that the school is a warm and welcoming environment,and keep the facade. There are a lot of cliques with the girls, and if you want you child to stay away from that kind of drama this may not be your school. The teachers are average, and not very inspiring. The kids whose parents are very involved in the PTA generally get the teachers of their choice. If you care about your child's education and psychological well being stay away from this school.
—Submitted by a parent

We moved here from the east coast and are extremely happy with this school. I would say it compares favorably with the private school our child attended out East. We chose this school from a list of about 10 schools we surveyed in the area. Without a doubt, the driver of the school's success is the incredibly passionate and attentive principal. She runs a tight ship and has assembled a group of teachers that in many cases have decades of experience and truly care about our children's education and wellbeing. This creates a virtuous circle where the school attracts families that care deeply about education and good citizenship. This, in turn, makes the whole learning process more pleasant and efficient for teachers and students alike. In today's increasingly global economy, the school's diversity is also a big plus for us. I couldn't recommend a school more highly.
—Submitted by a parent

The principal, teachers and parents make this school rock!!! I'm so glad we enrolled our girls in this school. The kids are happy campers :-)
—Submitted by a parent

We're not really parents, we're two students who enjoyed our time at VV. Things we liked: -fun teachers -good memories (project success, ace classes, assemblies, field trips, Jogathon, social events) -major fun projects (4th grade wax museum, 5th grade plays, Renaissance fair) -seclusion, how it was a different experience than other middle schools Things we disliked: - Speeches given by the principal - The idea that if you didn't get good grades that you were a failure (Toyon trip, in speeches given) -Heavy backpacks (no lockers) -Had to exercise in our regular clothes (gross)
—Submitted by a parent

Vista Verde, a K-8, is unique in that it has an incredibly warm and inviting atmosphere, encouraging participation by parent volunteers. The principal and teachers are excellent (the teachers love teaching there, as do the subs), and the PTA is amazing. This is a caring and dedicated school that emphasizes a whole child philosophy. All IUSD schools have the same curriculum and standardized test requirements. Vista Verde deals with them better.
—Submitted by a parent

I feel so lucky to have my two kids at such a great school. The teachers, principal, and families make Vista Verde a unique school. My kids love school because of the hard work and dedication of the staff. When we moved to Vista Verde, everyone was warm, welcoming, and made it an effortless transition that we would never change!
—Submitted by a parent

The curriculum at this school covers the minimum requirements which teach the students to perform well at tests only. The emphasis should be on overall development of the students and not strictly test scores. The teachers attempt to do their best on educating the students but they need to learn how to teach in order to provide better engaging materials for students to think beyond and outside the box. If you want your child to be a future leader avoid this school. The leadership from the principal is lacking, when problems/issues are being brought up she does the bare minimum to address them. Too much school politics and principal is the main cause of this.
—Submitted by a parent

Since the school moved to Turtle Ridge, my second child to go to Vista Verde felt bored there, feeling the program tuned to the more gifted. For example, the music program is divided into two groups, concert and symphonic, effectively sheltering the kids who get private lessons from the normal kids. Some teachers are on autopilot: academically, I spent many hours at night doing worksheets rehearsing material that was obviously never covered in class. It's a school full of smart kids, and so API scores are naturally high. My first child also attended Vista Verde, but when it was in Irvine. For her the experience was better, but she graduated emotionally unprepared for University High. The culture shock going directly from the sheltered world of Vista Verde was very great.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children that attend Vista Verde and I cannot think of a better school for them. I transferred from Deerfield and am so pleased with the love and nurturing that my children receive from the teachers and the principal. The teachers are welcoming and communicate well with me about my children's progress. We absolutely love the new site with all the new technology. I don't know what all those parents are talking about when they say there are tons of worksheets because my kids are always doing something fun and hands on in the classroom!! I give this school an A+++
—Submitted by a parent

I am amazed at how prepared the students are when they leave Vista Verde. My child went to Uni High and is at the top of her class thanks to the teachers at Vista Verde. Due to the rigorous curriculum, especially in science and english, our first year was a breeze!!! Thank you to the wonderful teachers -you really made a difference!
—Submitted by a parent