Farb Middle School

In reviewing Farb Middle School for an option for a middle school, had to give it a pass. Although it has nice athletic fields, we were not impressed with the student body that attend there. They were: obnoxious, slovenly dressed, mostly minorities bused in from other areas.The school had an overall prison feel about it. Very dated, with old stucco, stencil signage, and concrete as far as the eye can see. Public school at it's worst! I was also not impressed with the teachers, who appear to be doing just enough to get their chin over the bar, and collect their pensions. We have many options for schooling in 92124, if you want a safe, inspiring, place for your kids to learn and grow - scratch this concrete jungle off your list.
—Submitted by a parent

My son excelled because of the awesome teachers at Farb! This school is nothing like the other BUT this school is fantastic in its own right. Don't hesitate to enroll your children at this school.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a student at farb middle school and im in 7th grade there is some inapropriate language but were middle schoolers what do you except. But i've moved here from the south coast. and i know alot more than this school and i never get H.w from any of my classes except for reading. This you should concider

My daughter, who transfered mid-year 7th grade, was recognized by her teacher to need a better math class! She is now a 3.8 GPA student in honors classes. I can not say enough positive things about her teachers and Mrs. Levy, the principal, and Mr Neil the VP. They are amazing, and like family! And in only a year and a half.
—Submitted by a parent

Horrible.. horrible.. horrible!! The bullying at Farb is out of control. There is not enough staff to keep an eye on the kids and when a child who is bullied happens to stand up for themselves they are the ones who are disciplined. They are more worried about public displays of affection and who is wearing drooping pants then actually taking the time to suspend the bullies. I wish we would have CHOICED our child to DePortola when we had the chance. Oh and the offenders are the kids that get bussed in from the low income areas who are rude and their language is disgusting. Welcome to San Diego people and good luck if your child happens to attend Farb. You will need it!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has attended Farb middle for the past 3 years.Farb middle has definately made an impact on my daughters performance and development . The farb staff and teachers have been instrumental in my daughters outlook on education! I am thankful that the teachers care about education and do not give up, while undergoing district changes. If i had to change anything about the schoold would be the time school starts but other than it is a great school and you should definately consider it.
—Submitted by a parent

At the beginning of the school year I was quite impressed with the staff and their ability to do a good job of not only teaching the kids, but also keeping them safe. Since coming back from winter break my views have definitely changed. The bullying is at an all time high and the staff is unable to stop it. They turn a blind eye and allow pushing, hitting and name calling t occur. The staff is more concerned with boys and girls hugging and holding hands than preventing kids getting beat up. Then if you want a meeting with the principal or vice principal GOOD LUCK. My advice to any parent who is moving to the area try and CHOICE your child to a different school.
—Submitted by a parent

My son went to school at Farb, he was an average student until he was introduced to AVID(Advancement Via Individual Determination). My son's grades improves instantly, the teachers at this school are concerned with the achievement of each student and are caring.The principal Mrs. L. was more than just a principal to my son, she was a person that he admired, she helped me with my parenting skills as she gave me tools to be a better parent. Any child that wants to learn at this school will. Farb is a great place to cultivate young minds...this school was/is a blessing for my son. Without Farb instructions my son would not have won the $5000.00 Padre Scholarship that he has. FARB is a great school.
—Submitted by SAMMIE SCALES, a parent

Farb Middle has a big problem with bullying and needs so much more improvement when it comes to faculty involvement. The faculty at Farb blame the parents and students for all the bullying and problems they face everyday. But the problem is with the staff. I have seen, as a parent better qualified faculty/staff in other schools systems that do so much better a job of handling any kind of problems that comes up. And these schools have a much better ratio of all around better grades and achievement. And this is due to an awesome faculty support system.
—Submitted by a parent

Lack of communication between staff and teachers, staff and parents, and teachers and parents. I've tried to move my child, but the waiting list is too long for the other school. This is the worst school that I have ever had to put up with.
—Submitted by a parent

Poor leadership Poor communication skills The teachers don't care enough to even have sports. This school is overall, terrible.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a student in Farb, I am in only 6h grade in my 8th week I think and I am already being challenged beyond anything I will ever do in middle school. I am in all advanced classes, band, and the Principal Leadership council, and am a slightly popular student, Farb helps me to balance everything without me having to miss important information or tests. The safety of the school is at an all time low, I confess, but the PLC and I are aware of this and are fixing it. The school is a completely fine school.
—Submitted by a student

Matters at this school are not addressed!!!! This school does not cooperate with parents. Teachers, substitutes and even the principal do not properly and effectively address my concerns about my child's well being, grades, and mistakes are constant!
—Submitted by a parent

The staff at Farb are very motivated about the 'AVID' program, which is a good thing. Even if the kids aren't the type to jump on board with the program, they'll benefit simply from the added energy from the teachers. Unfortunately, Farb seems to have followed the role of Serra High by joining some program that brings in troubled kids from other school districts. The result ... they're drowning in troublemakers. Even if it's only a few kids, the few that cause problems soak up too much of the attention and time from the staff.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has a lack of parent involvement and limited extra-curricular activities.
—Submitted by a staff

My 7th grade son started in the fall of 2005, and at first had some trouble with most all of his classes. As the year has progressed he has gotten much better and the teachers seem to have more concern with his learning. I have been kind of disappointed with the fact that classes run almost 2 hours long and yet some of my sons teachers seem to fly through their material with little regard to if the child is fully understanding the material completely. Also, the band program does not seem to judge each child on his/her ability but on the entire instrument section. Parent involvement seems to be high.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has so much potential! However, the parent involvement is low and there is no school spirit. The facilities are too small for middle schoolers, and the athletic equipment is limited. The staff seem tired and unfriendly as a whole with the exception of some really great teachers. With such a wide variety of students, you would think that there would be a variety of things to offer here! The children are not being pushed academically, and sports are not available through the school. The kids just don't seem to take school seriously.
—Submitted by a parent

I am very disappointed with this school. There is no teacher/parent communication, even though I've called every 2 weeks as well as sending letters in. Now, with 6 weeks left of school, I finally get an appt. with my child's teachers. They seem to care more about the money they receive for each student there, than the child's education. My child's grades are borderline, but no extra help was offered, even when asked. There is placement testing, but if the student doesn't cut it after the testing, they remain in that class with no help...only to struggle and lose interest throuout the school year. This has happened to my child as well as others. There are daily fist fights amongst the students with little to no supervision from staff. This is blamed on underfunding and understaffing. I will never take my child back to this school...ever!
—Submitted by a parent

My child came to this school as a gifted student and became an under achiever. The school did not follow the guidelines of the gifted program and did not compact my child so that the child could test out. The work was not challenging and so my child became oppositional. This could have been avoided had the school followed the guidelines for GATE. This school is not nuturing and treats children as if they were cattle in an educational herd. In good faith I could not recommend this school at all.
—Submitted by a parent

I was certainly willing to give Farb the benefit of the doubt, despite all that I had been told when we moved to Tierrasanta. We too are a military family and have experienced over a dozen schools, including three middle schools, in many states. This by far is the worst school our child has ever been to. Everything looks good on paper, as far as discipline and policy is concerned, but the application and interpretation is disappointing and teaches the trouble-makers that it's ok to fight, bully, and harrass because nothing much will happen! There are a handful of teachers at Farb who seem to genuinely care about the students, but the majority are so overwhelmed and disaffected, that it further fuels the negatively charged atmosphere of this school. And if you think your daughter will be safe there, think again. It's just as bad for the girls as the boys.
—Submitted by a parent