Claremont Middle School

My 6th grader is having a great year at Claremont! The new principals are awesome, he's made some wonderful new friends, and nearly all of his teachers are terrific. He is challenged, getting good grades, and feels very comfortable at school. None of our initial worries about a public school experience in Oakland have been borne out--in fact, I would say it has been an experience more full of opportunity than I ever imagined. The Claremont community is truly special.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son, a sixth grader and Chabot alum, has had a great fall at Claremont. His teachers are hardworking, creative, intelligent, and compassionate. The new co-principals are brilliant in all aspects of their work, and excellent communicators with both students and parents. Our son has had a couple of issues that might fall under the "bullying" category but the principals have handled them beautifully and the problems have been solved in the fullest sense of the word, not just papered over. I am pleased to report that our son been just as enthusiastic, confident, enriched, and comfortable this year as he was at Chabot -- maybe more so. Our anxieties about middle school have all but disappeared in light of the great beginning he's had at Claremont. I look forward to the school's continuing to bloom in the years to come.
—Submitted by a parent

We have a a 6th grader and an 8th grader at Claremont. Both kids are happy and thriving. They feel safe and appreciated and they get plenty of individual attention from their teachers. Nearly all of their teachers are exceptional instructors and people, who have very much zeroed in on who my children are and what will make them thrive. Is every single teacher outstanding? No. Show me any school, public, charter or private, where every single teacher is outstanding. But that is by far the exception, not the rule. The new principals have had a wonderful impact on the culture and feel of the school--they know every kid's name, and are extremely committed to the success of Claremont and its students. My children have a greatly heightened cultural, social and community awareness and sensitivity that I directly attribute to attending school with kids from all over Oakland and of many different backgrounds. That is invaluable, in my opinion.
—Submitted by a parent

To the person below, please update these comments in January if you are still at Claremont. As you noted, an accurate review cannot be written without some time passing. And again, from what you have noted, things were ok for about a month. Given the date of your post, it seems that things have not been ok in your opinion for about 2 weeks. I assume that you have gone to the administration and the parents' group about your concerns and it would be nice to hear if anything happens with some time passing. It seems 4 months would be more than sufficient to be able to see something occur which is why I asked for an update in Jan (again, assuming you are still there). My son is at Claremont and we have not experienced this year what you are describing at all, however, I do not want to discount your experience. I am hoping that the administration and parent group will hear your concerns and changes will take place for you.
—Submitted by a parent

We are very disappointed with CMS. Notice that a lot of these positive reviews have been written within days of the first day of school. I don't think an accurate review can be written without some time passing. For us, things started out okay. My son came from a great local, public OUSD elementary school. After about a month, the issues became apparent and are happening with more frequency. To start, many teachers seem disconnected. One math teacher in particular is very disengaged from students and parents and is dismissive when approached.. He (like other teachers at CMS) is very hands off. There is a lack of instruction and a tendency to direct students to a lesson, have them sit quietly and finish with very little support or interaction. It feels cold and lacks the spark that should be present when learning. Education and school should be fun. Not at CMS. More importantly (in my opinion) is the bullying. Bullying is a HUGE problem at this school. These kids are being harassed and belittled and theft is a common issue. This isn't just happening to us, it's widespread. I'm not the only parent considering a change of schools. Beware!
—Submitted by a parent

I have a son who is a sixth grader at Claremont. He enjoys going to school, has made many new friends and likes all his teachers. The school serves kids from all over Oakland with a good number of neighborhood kids as well. With a change in administration this year has come a renewed optimism that is helping the school thrive. A majority of the teaching staff are exceptional and the school has a very active parent community.
—Submitted by a parent

I've seen another school become a national blue ribbon schools with the same community support that this one now (finally) enjoys. --/-- My daughter has been coming home with challenging, interesting and inspirational homework. She feels safe and at home there after a few short weeks.She feels an intense loyalty to the CMS community--which is to say that she feels a part of the school. That's fantastic. There is exceptional light currently shining on school culture and learning by the new principals. I fully expect improvement to be revealed here (objectively with data) - on this website within one year.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son just started sixth grade at Claremont. A month into the 2012-2013 school year we are feeling very pleased and optimistic about our choice, and our son genuinely looks forward to heading out the door every morning to go to school. The new co-principals have been fantastic: they are smart, capable, responsive, and extremely dedicated to making Claremont a safe and nurturing environment for all students. We've been really impressed with most of the teachers as well, and the small class sizes really help. It's not all perfect of course there have been a few bumps in the road but the administration, the teachers and a bunch of highly engaged PTA parents are working hard to make things even better at Claremont. The bottom line: Our son is learning, making friends, and getting influenced by some truly exceptional role models among the teachers and the school administration.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son is a 6th grader & Chabot alum. He & another friend say they like Claremont better than Chabot, but it s only the 3rd week! He feels his classes are educational. We have been monitoring his teachers & feel they are caring and creative. For example, in math, there is a vast difference in student preparedness coming in, but his teacher has paired up the more prepared students with the less prepared, so they can work together, and my son has found it rewarding. We also like the co-principals. They are energetic & inspiring to children, teachers, parents, & able to establish a safe & healthy school culture and climate not with fear, but empowerment. Many parents dedicate a lot of time to help the school run smoothly. They model good citizenship to all the children, & we are grateful. The principals' motto is that it takes a village to raise our children, and these parents live up to that. When we decided to send our son to Claremont, our hope was that he not only excel academically, but also learn to be empathetic to others in other socio-economic situations, develop street smarts/good character, and learn good citizenship and not be self-centered. So far so good.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has been at Claremont for 3 years and we'll be sending child #2 there. There are several levels of experiences with schools: admin-parent, admin-student; teacher-parent, teacher-student; parent-parent, student-student. Not all levels have been perfect, but my child's day-to-day experience has been mostly positive. As parents, we have been very happy with most of our child's teachers. What we liked regarding the teachers: strong commitment, communication, interest, skills. We have also liked the strong parent involvement and only wish a larger percentage of parents would participate. What we haven't liked: problems with unstable administration and poor communication. Some of those are issues entrenched in OUSD budget, red tape, management. Some of those can be fixed at the school level. But we have found that schools only improve when parents are paying attention - voicing their opinion, researching, lending a hand, donating time and money. Things don't change if nothing is noted.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is starting his second year at Claremont and he is having a very good year. The new administrators are energetic and a positive influence on the culture and community at Claremont. The academic teachers are, for the most part, amazing innovative, caring, attentive, and committed to creating a positive learning environment for all students. Last year was challenging for me as a parent (the disorganization of having 4 administrators in one school year), but a good experience for my son (great teachers, good friends, and a growing level of independence). I am extremely optimistic about the coming school year.
—Submitted by a parent

Firstly - ignore all of the hysterical posts about the previous principal - she's gone, that's all you need to know. After a year with an interim administration, we now have new (twin) principals - they have hit the ground running and are determined to put Claremont back as the natural choice for anyone seeking an excellent public Middle School in Rockridge. Both Peralta Elem. and Chabot Elem. are sending significant (and growing) numbers of kids to Claremont every year. The PTA is strong and effective. Maintaining an orderly safe campus is a priorities for our new administration, and the start of this school year has been a smooth transition. Claremont has a solid group of teachers, many are really outstanding individuals. The academic expectations are high. There are a number of programs at Claremont that you will not find the equivalent of in other schools - two examples would be the amazing Media Lab originally started by a group of tech. industry parents, and the outstanding music program run by our star music director. These programs and quality of the teachers at Claremont exceed anything I saw in the many private schools that I have toured.
—Submitted by a parent

My 6th grader is enjoying the Claremont experience so far: some excellent teachers, small class sizes, friends both old and new, safe climate. The new co-principals have already made an extremely positive impact, and they are committed to working with staff and families to help CMS scholars achieve success. Not everything is 100% perfect, but the administration is willing to listen and make improvements when possible. We are glad we chose Claremont.
—Submitted by a parent

I need to make some STRONG corrections in some of these posts. The previous principal WAS NOT found to have embezzled any money or anything from this school. She was moved because a group of parents and some teachers, put pressure on the District because they did not like her. After she left, they regretted what they had done. Claremont was coming back strong under her leadership but because she would not bow down to some people, they let her go. Many were upset including the children which is why last year was a diaster. Last year they went through 13 math teachers, they have now lost two of the best teachers and they went through administrative changes. Claremont can be a good school. It has the potential. Now they have two AfricanAmerican brothers as co-principals. I heard two different outlooks on them. Some say they are great, some say we may have a problem. Bottom line is CMS needs help. I hope they get back on their feet. I do love the school. I would encourage anyone who puts there child in CMS become a fixture in that school. They need every parent to participate and work hard.

The administration failed to show a zero tolerance policy for bad behavior and as a result, students got away with running the place. The courtyard had zero supervision. The cafeteria entrance was supervised, but fights often broke out in the completely unsupervised courtyard/basketball courts on a daily basis. Discipline/academics: 8th graders were notoriously horrendous last year. Families were so horrified by the out of control classrooms [fights breaking out in classrooms] that those families that did give Claremont a chance usually left before the first semester was over. Many opted to move onto charter schools, Montera, Brewer or a private school. Students that did come from good schools were not being challenged by classes despite earning top grades. 7th and 8th grade teachers noted that the longer a good student stayed, the worse their academic performance became. This is NOT the school for your child if you want your child to blossom in a safe and academically rich environment.
—Submitted by a teacher

Someone needs to tell the truth about this school. Claremont was commonly acknowledged during 2011-2012 as being the worst middle school in Oakland when measured by student behavior. In other words, numerous fights broke out every single day at lunch, in the courtyard, in the hallways, against teachers and administration. Administration: The former principal was let go after she was found to have embezzled money and to attempt to reduce the legally mandated number of teaching days from 180 to 176. The new assistant principal took over as interim principal until a third interim principal was found. The third principal took the school as far as December before a fourth principal was found. The administration had a hard time controlling and discipline students, which not only frustrated teachers and students, but parents as well. Teacher referrals for disruptive, disrespectful and often dangerous behavior were resolved by administration with an ineffective phone call home or the advice of apologizing to their teacher. This was promoted as restorative justice , which staff knew was ineffective.
—Submitted by a teacher

I often wonder why a well-meaning parent would ever send their child here. I guarantee you that none of the teachers and administrators would ever allow their children to be educated here. It is a waste of your child s formative learning years. As if the fighting, nasty behavior, truancy, tardiness, rudeness, and general chaos wasn t enough to damage learning and provide a sense of safety, a veteran teacher was seriously assaulted by her own students last year when she was dragged across her classroom. Personal belongings have been stolen by students, many teachers were either seriously assaulted or were hurt when attempting to break up fights, internal surveys have shown that staff do not feel safe and morale was extremely low . The behaviors prevented teachers from teaching and teachers openly acknowledged that the fact that a student could learn was a miracle. Rest assured that the poor academic environment is not the work of a small minority of troublemakers. Your child could be in a class where he or she is only one of maybe 2 or three students that is actually there to learn and this could be the situation in 2 or 3 of their periods throughout the day.
—Submitted by a teacher

The chaos and emotional drain on teachers has caused more senior staff members to not come back for the next school year. Claremont has gone from bad discipline the year prior to even worse discipline this past year. I write this to urge new parents to not make the mistake of sending your kid to this school next year. People that write positive reviews for this school are probably very active PTA members. Do not listen to them. This school is crazy and all the students and staff know it. This school is unsuitable for any family that values academics and positive emotional development. Send your kid here if you want them to be bored in most classes, get dumber by the day, feel threatened, see a daily barrage of fights, and interact with tired teachers that are hate their jobs.
—Submitted by a teacher

Our 6th grade son is about to finish his first year at Claremont and the words right out of his mouth the whole year is , I Love it there! His friends from the neighborhood went together and love still having their connection. He has been on honor roll, loves his dedicated teachers, went on two field trips, movie night, and a school dance (Ms Crockett was out there dancing with the kids!) Middle schools get ignored when it comes to their needs and many parents there are passoniate about this school. It's the smallest middle school in the district too= plus!
—Submitted by a parent

Staff morale is quite low. Statistically significant number of formal complaints, filed in a number of arenas, including EEOC and union grievances, reflect the abusive authority used by the principal. If you want your child to learn how to bully and be abusive, you need look no farther than this school and its so-called leader. The principal literally screams at children, sometimes positioning herself no more than inches from the student's face. The handicapped students are not mainstreamed and are treated more like little Cinderellas in the basement. Parents are rudely treated. Rather than working to resolve a parent's complaint, staff, in the presence of the administrator, will make unkind and public comments behind the parent's back. A terrible ambassador for the district, administration supports her status as entrenched, and abusive of her staff.