Valley High School

In terms of education one of the best in the district if it were not for the bad reputation the school would be at the top of the list in California. The school AVID program is in the top 40s in the nation, the AVID program at Valley is an actually AVID demonstration site. There are many caring teachers that allow students to turn their life's around. API scores have improved every year, this past year their history department was tied for the schools with best API scores in Sacramento. The school can change life's, well at least it changed my life I am now a student at a private University. The Honors and AP courses at Valley are some of the best allowing for students to attend top universities. No matter what others say about the school I would want my kids to attend that school.

I am currently a sophmore, soon to be junior. In my experience, there are teachers that motivate us to become people with a better direction in life. Unfortunately, there are other teachers that couldn't care less about the safetly of their students. That, to me, is what fuels the students to want to try to keep this bad reputation in the district. I think the absense of parent involvment is a huge factor in this issue. However, we are improving. Our test scores have slowly but surely risen. I personlaly think that the cut backs in counselors & other things will only bring us back down.
—Submitted by a student

Its a great school. I dont get why people think Valley High School is bad or ghetto. Yes there are fights but our principal is doing a good job into preventing fights. Most of our students take Honors/AP classes. Vally offers many extracurricular activities. Im a currently a Sophomore in VHS. Im in ASB Leadership, AFJORTC, The Wommens Tennis Team, Track and Field, AFJROTC's Rifle Team and AVID. Also the teachers are very helpfull. 99% of the teachers care about their students. Our Basketball Team last year was in the Championships, Our Wtennis year is rank #4. Our Wrestling team is fantastic. OUR JROTC's Rifle team won 2nd place in the Titan Drill meet 2009. Were always the Underdog. How do you think we feel! We are called'the ghetto school.' Why would you judge us like that. Wecurrently working on our REP and we will rise to the top.
—Submitted by a student

Valley is way beyond what your thinking. Its not the best, but its great. My daughter is attending it as a Sophomore. And she is very involved. This school is always misjudged.
—Submitted by a parent

It's the best ever!!!!!!!! i am so happy that i am at this school, i have a lot of fun, and love. ^_^
—Submitted by a student

I went to this school and got accepted to UC Davis and University of the Pacific. I'm very proud to have gone to this school with many friendly teachers willing to help you in any way, with personal or school matters.
—Submitted by a student

i am going to be a sophmore and i love Valley High, its alot better than alot of other schools think it is. We have great teachers and staff that are always willing to help. I am in ASB/Leadership and i love it, i really get to be in the school community. It gets pretty annoying when others misunderstand us beacause of what we look like, our location, or even the school look, Valley is a safe place to be and there are security always watching your back. The students in our school are alot smarter than you think. I think you guys are missing out on a great opportunity. With the helping hands of everyone, Valley High can be the best that we can be!
—Submitted by a student

Valley is an amazing place to go to school. Yeah there are fights here and there but you know what, what school doesn't have that? Valley's fights are just known because that is what people think of us. We have some of the smartest students here because they are challenged by teachers that truly care about the students and challenge them to the fullest extent. This will be my incoming third year as a Valley student and I couldn't wish to be anywhere else. Valley's sports team, although might not always be top notch, are families and they will take you under their wing. Our clubs are the most diverse for whatever your interest may be, dancing, science, etc. Valley is pure awesome and under the new leadership of Mr. Keven MacDonald, we can only get better.
—Submitted by a student

this school is wide in extracurricular activities and vast diversity of students that goes here. it has many festivals such as multi-culture week and especially health- fair . i've been going to valley for three years now and i am so proud of what we have accomplished, higher test scores. Go vikings!
—Submitted by a student

I am a senior at Valley High School and I can't say that there is a better place that I want to be. It's a diverse campus with teachers that challenge you in every subject. I am part of the AVID program at Valley, this is my fourth year and without their support and their encouragement I would't be where I am. We have been stereotyped for being the worst school in the school district but that shows how ignorant the community is of out school, because they don't see what a lot of kids on our school have to face. We are just like every other school in our district but I am proud to be part of the Valley High family, and I wouldn't choose another school. All the AP and Honors courses that I have taken has challenged me and has got got me.
—Submitted by Raymyah Dixon, a student

I am currently a Junior at Valley High School. I moved to Sacramento in the year 2005 from Mass. My experience of almost two years of Valley says that it's the best school in district and the students are great. Valley has improved it's CST scores in past few years more than any school in the district. This great school has been remodeled thoroughly. The science building at Valley is the best science building in whole district. It has the best facilities. Other special content in Valley High School is that it has an extremely diverse student population and that student population cooperates with each other very well that students think of themselves as Americans instead of thinking about their past nationality. The activities that take place at Valley are Homecoming, Food Fair, Multicultural week, Free style Friday, and much more. For more current information, please contact at Valley High office.
—Submitted by Manbir Gill, a student

The quality of academic programs is not bad and sports and all are all available but when it comes to parent involvement it is absent.
—Submitted by a former student

Not enough music and art, lots of sports and extracurricular stuff. Parents are often either uninvolved or overinvolved. Academics are ok.
—Submitted by a parent

As a parent, I attended Valley High School's 'Bring your Parent to School' day, and was appalled at the lack of structure, discipline and overall competence of the Administrative and academic staff. It was very disappointing, and I will be removing my daughter from this disruptive and incorrigible environment at the end of this school year. The place is miserable.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been a substitute teacher at this school and this is where my family lives. I feel that they do an excellent job with the diverse student body and I enjoy some of their productions on stage and their dance team.
—Submitted by a teacher

This school is turning itself around. The principal, new to his office this year, is proactive and caring. My son's teachers care about him.
—Submitted by a parent

I think valley high school is an wonderful school although it has it's down falls but no school is perfect that I know of, but valley is a good school for my teen because she really enjoy's been there and she has many different friends of race and culture, witch is what I love best.
—Submitted by a parent

Needs more parent Involvemnet. More communication involvment with parents. Such as E-mailing and phone calls.
—Submitted by a parent

I graduated from Valley and I loved the fact that I went to a school with so much diversity. The students were generally respectful of eachother and when there was a time of need we were there for eachother. The parents were not that involved. Extracurricular activites were not a problem, there are many things to get involved in. Safety is sketchy at times but has gotten better. The one thing that I didn't care for was the administrations attitude towards the faculty. I felt that there wasn't mutual respect towards the two.

My child has been attending Valley for 3 years and she is now a senior at Valley. Valley has been labeled a 'bad' school for as long as I can remember. As far as I'm concerned, Valley is a terrific school! And would be much better if the parents got involved. The scores are improving and the discipline is stricter. So I am a full supporter of Valley High School and its diverse and optimistic environment.
—Submitted by Martha Hunter, a parent