Montclair Elementary School

This school is a gem in Oakland. The principal is strong and an advocate for the children and secondarily the parents. She has guided our school through a significant remodel over the last two years... while maintaing a strong culture of learning, fun and community.The teachers are great and do the best they can in a public school structure (testing etc.). Go public! Lastly, the parent community is a force... they raise much needed funds to help round out the learning experience for their children.
—Submitted by a parent

Amazing school, principal & staff! The parent involvement and support is off the chart. Kudos to all!
—Submitted by a parent

I currently have a third and first grader at Montclair. Our academic and community experience at this school has been outstanding. Our principal is extreemly dedicated, our teachers are second to none, and our parent community is diverse and extreemly active within the school.
—Submitted by a parent

I have a 2nd grader at Montclair Elementary so this our 3rd year there and every year I am more impressed. The principal is a strong and dedicated leader and the teachers are caring and competent. The parent community is really amazing - a diverse, hard-working group coming together in challenging times for public education and ensuring a top-quality education/experience for their kids!
—Submitted by a parent

I loved going to school here. The teachers are excellent and the after-school program is great.

The kids are happy there, the parents help out and the teachers are top notch!!
—Submitted by a parent

Its a traditional shool where there is a good mix of seasoned as well as new teachers and instructors for thier academic and enrichment classes.

Montclair Elementary School is a community that cares about each child's school experience, where staff, families and neighbors work hard together while having fun helping the school. As a result, the kids keep art and extracurricular activities in the school, make lifelong friends and improve their community.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our tenth and final year at Montclair. We love the school and the community. The children are diverse, with quite a few intra-district transfers, which is great as otherwise it would be fairly homogenous (hills school). The PTA is very strong and has fun fundraisers which raise enough money for the supplemental programs. There is also a good music program provided by the district for 4th and 5th graders.
—Submitted by a parent

Amazing public school. It is parents and dedicated teachers that make the school what it is, relatove to what the Oakland District provides.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our third year here at Montclair Elementary and we are very happy so far. The collaboration of the staff, teachers, parents, and students help to make this school a great place to learn AND have fun.
—Submitted by a parent

Great school ! Very nice school environment, fantasic teachers, many extracurricular programs for students and lets don't forget the 'Great Parents' !
—Submitted by a parent

Relativly great for a public school in Oakland.By and large dedicated teachers. Good PTA, parent participation and expectations make a positive difference in financial support, academic quality and extracurricular programs.
—Submitted by a parent

Montclair is a wonderful neighborhood school with a very involved parent community. This is our first year there, and I am very happy with our choice. Our son's kindergarten teacher is fantastic -- great with kids and parents alike. He is adept at managing a room full of kids with varied skills and attention levels. The other parents are very accessible and friendly. The principal seems to support his teachers very much but is less concerned about parents. Often it seems as if he sees parents as adversaries rather than partners in the process. There are also music, art, computer, and P.E. classes all paid for by the annual fundraising efforts. All in all, I highly recommend the school!
—Submitted by a parent

Good parent involvement. Some very strong teachers. PTA pays for PE, computer program, and music teacher. Would like to see increased interest in helping children who are struggling with the very rigid open court system.
—Submitted by a parent

My third child is finishing up at Montclair this year, and I think the school has done an excellent job on all three. I've been very happy with the community nature of the school and the teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

The parent involvement in this school is great, and it is quite a good neighborhood school.
—Submitted by a parent

This is an exceptional neighborhood school for the district. Some of the arts and science prep-classes have been less than spectacular, a waste of the PTA's money. Physical Ed IS exceptional however, and the afterschool programs (for fee) excellent. Some less than average teachers, but this is par for any school, unfortunately.
—Submitted by a parent

Parents and local community are very involved in this school. We have recognized artisans among the parents who offer glass sculpting and ceramics programs to the students at the campus on a regular basis. The PTA is a powerhouse supplementing the above-level curriculum with musical training, physical education, foreign language courses, hands-on gardening, and art, art, art. This is nothing like an Oakland Public School, there are parents who have pulled their children out of private school to attend Montclair Elementary.
—Submitted by a parent

Great school! It has a strong PTA and has a lot of support from the community.
—Submitted by a parent