Pershing Elementary School

The school is excellent however one of their 3rd grade teachers is not so great. She is punitive with the children and does not allow parents to participate in the classroom with the exception of a couple with whom she chooses to work. She made my child feel anxious for not knowing how to read at age 7 yrs old. Rather than trying to help and TEACH Mrs. Laret chose to make my child so upset as to not want to attend school
—Submitted by a parent

Student Safety is not this schools priority and the principal puts the protection of the school before the safety of the children and then chooses to not be forthcoming about it to the parents.
—Submitted by a parent

My kids love Pershing and so do I. Over the last couple years there has been lots of teacher and principal turn over, but our new principal is a keeper! I'm looking forward to another great year of learning.
—Submitted by a parent

We love Pershing Elementary. The teachers are amazing and help is available if your son or daughter is struggling in one of the subjects. The faculty is very supportive and they, too, work hard to make sure your child's experience at the school both fulfilling and enjoyable. My son is in the first grade and although there is a lot of homework, most of it is review from the day. For a public school, this one is fantastic!
—Submitted by a parent

We moved from another state that had high state ratings and were very pleasantly surprised to see that this California school well exceeded the curriculum our previous state. Much more homework, which is a great thing and challenges both of our kids. I don't understand it when parents complain if there is a bit more...I would think parents would want their kids to learn more. Isn't that what school is all about? The teachers are great and so patient and helpful with the transition to their new school. I highly recommend this school. They encourage parent involvement and so willing to help with everything. I am thrilled to have our children in such a great school!
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of 2nd grade and 4th grade RL (Rapid Learner) students. This has been a great year! The teachers are great, principal is great and will be missed. My children are challenged and happy. Their self esteem is strong in part because of the excellent environment they are in. I would highly recommend this school to RL kids and neighborhood kids. AND don't let anyone tell you the homework is too much or there is too much pressure in RL. If your kids are smart they rise to the challenge. There are not hours of HW. HW is very reasonable. If you have a commute, do it for your kids. You will not regret it.
—Submitted by a parent

With three children at Pershing, and this being our family's third elementary school in various states, we are VERY happy with our experience here. Mrs. Mellerup (principal) is a great listener and responsive to concerns. Parents are highly involved. Family activities abound to meet other parents. The Rapid Learner program is an OUTSTANDING program for our children who really benefit from advanced curriculum and yet the school has a wonderful balance of not making neighborhood students feel any less able. Their motto is: Pershing--were every child is gifted and some are rapid learners. I recommend it highly.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a student in the 6th grade Rl, and I have been in the program since 2nd grade. I really enjoy it, and the teachers are fabulous. I will definitely miss this school in the 7th grade.
—Submitted by a student

My son has just attended third grade at Pershing. We moved here last fall and he came from a very small school. I like Pershing and was pleased with the effort his teacher made to help him through his transition difficulties. She was easy to contact and kept in touch about problems he was having.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of diabetic child. My son started attending Pershing in 5th grade. I was worried about how the staff would react to his health care needs and getting the right assistance. The Office staff was always cooperative in ensuring our son's health and well being, by being open to assisting in his care. His 6th grade teacher Ms. Martin has been great at helping our son to not feel he's different from the other kids because of his diabetes, and was a big part of our decision to allow our son to attend 6th grade camp, for 4 days. We are very pleased with Pershing school and it's staff.
—Submitted by Irene Balderas, a parent

I currently have 1st, 3rd, and 6th graders. As a single dad raising them, I try to be involved voluntarily, but only can sparingly. I am amazed and proud of the parental involvement and genuine caring from this community. Every teacher my kids have had are clear in expectations, accountable, and personable. The principal, Mrs. Louie, is excellent in handling both the obstacles and opportunities involved in creating a more than solid learning atmosphere.
—Submitted by mike, a parent

My daughter's experience at Pershing Elementary School was not exactly different than any that we've had to put her in (I and my family have had to settle in many different areas in the US), but the teachers were uncommonly supportive and 'nice', and I really enjoyed their creatively presented school productions, especially.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 teenaged children who attended Pershing from grades 2-6, and now have my two younger children currently enrolled there. All four were in the Rapid Learner Program which I believe provides a private school education for the public school price. The teachers are gifted educators, the current principal is the best administrator I've seen in the 13 years that I've had children in local schools, the physical site is safe, clean, and appealing to children, and the extra curricular activities are excellent. The school drama productions are of a professional quality, and the band and choir groups are popular among the students. The PTA is a very active force at the school, and the parent participation has continued to grow over the past 5 years. With 2 children now in high school, I have been very pleased with the fundamental preparation they received in grade school!
—Submitted by a student

I was a student at Pershing Elementary from 3rd grade to 6th grade. Pershing is a great school! The staff is very kind and personable, the teachers are the best quality, and the school is safe has a nice academic environment to learn in. When I attended Pershing, I was is the RL(Rapid Learner) Program. This wonderful program lets your child excel and learn grade levels beyond state requirements. The teachers in this program appreciate students that are eager to excel academically. They also prepare the students very well for the SATs and the next grade they will be entering. If you are considering to enroll your child in this school, go for it! (And remember, Pershing is a safe, academic environment intended for students to enjoy learning, so bad or inappropriate behaivor will not be tolerated.)
—Submitted by Lindsey H., a parent