Claremont Middle School

Any parent who wants a school that they can run, wants to tell the Administration what to do, does not like strong leadership, CMS is not for you. We have a very strong Principal who pushes for excellence in not only the teaching staff but the students. Claremont has drastically improved from 3 years ago. The Principal maintains a high standard and that is exactly what parents should be looking for. All schools have problems.I have been extremely happy with my child's education at CMS and I have continued to recommend this school. The only problem I have is the parent involvement. I don't feel that the parent group reaches out to minorities which I find to be a problem since the school is around 65% African/Americans and Hispanics. They don't reflect this in their PTA or SSC meetings.
--Submitted by a parent

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.

The teachers at Claremont are incredible! We toured every public AND private Middle School in the East Bay last year, and chose Claremont for our 6th grade child this fall. Our experience this year has more than confirmed our instincts - that the Claremont teachers are dedicated, talented, hard-working, and delivering a great education to our students. Our Media Lab is a fantastic, and loved by educators and students alike. The District is working to extend our media arts program to Oakland Tech, and that will further enhance the program at both schools. Our art, music and after-school programs are also strong, and have talented teachers and staff behind them. Our parent involvement and community is also second-to-none. It's exciting to be a part of a diverse, dedicated and motivated school; to meet our challenges and goals, and to see our students thriving.
--Submitted by a parent

Our neighborhood's school that has been in existence since 1913, has a rich history; a beautiful, vital and diverse student population; talented, passionate teachers; an extremely hard-working, dedicated-to-transforming Principal; and a PTA, that though small, is off-the-charts in it's efforts to support and improve the school. We could sure use more funding for the SUPER programs that we have (music, digital media, art, garden) and for what we still need (foreign language, library). But, in spite of the funding cuts, our kids are thriving here. The After School program with Mr. Gaskin and his staff is terrific.
--Submitted by a parent

Claremont is our neighborhood middle school, and our sixth grade girl is doing fine. Math and science classes are gender differentiated, taking that "hormonal" element out of the classroom. The music program so far is great and a highlight of my student's day. Academically her work so far (it's only the 4th week of school) is on track. I hope more people will support their local public schools -- this is how we build community and ensure opportunities exist for ALL kids.
--Submitted by a parent

Principal K. Crocket is awsome- Her goals and values are always in the best interest of the school community. A driven Parent support system. Students are learning and enjoying the learning environment. After school program can't be beat.
--Submitted by a parent

GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING AT CLAREMONT
--Submitted by a parent

Its our local public school. We support the fine teachers, the dedicated staff, and think the students' are wonderful! Hey they're Middle School Kids! Trying stuff on to see what fits and what doesn't.
--Submitted by a parent

The parents have passion and are organized for the kids; the new principal has refocused the teachers and staff; and the kids are jazzed about learning. API scores have improved, but can still improve.
--Submitted by a parent