Hickman Elementary School

Hickman is a wonderful school. The teachers and administration are very good. Principal Wroblewski is great. She is a strong positive voice that is active, creative, and caring. Wroblewski and her staff are always looking out for the student s best interest. She s been there for 2 years and has made a big difference. The teachers are caring, innovative, and they challenge the students to do their best. There is a small dedicated group of volunteers who run the PTA and Friends of Hickman foundation, and they really make a big impact. More parent participation would be great. The test scores are very good and continue to improve.
--Submitted by a parent

I have worked with children in a number of schools. Never have I experienced a school like Hickman. All the teachers I have met are dedicated and creative. They have high academic standards and they really care about the children. The principal is so involved, I think she knows the names of nearly all 700 children at the school. Parent involvement is less than at some other schools, but the parents that do volunteer are just amazing. The Halloween bash is always fantastic! I could go to another school, but I used school choice to enroll my children into Hickman.
--Submitted by a parent

Jennifer Wroblewski has shown excellent leadership for us (teachers) at Hickman Elementary. She is fair, honest, and encourages us to give 120% to our students...which we do. Our main focus is our students, encouraging them to learn the most information they can in a positive, fun learning environment. We, as a staff, are very pleased to have her as our principal and your children as our learners. If you ever have any concerns, please let us know. We will address it in a timely, helpful manner. We are glad that you chose our school for your children.
--Submitted by a teacher

Hickman is a school to watch in Mira Mesa. Lacking the pretentious nature of Jerabek, this school has a congenial faculty, friendly parents, and a terrific music program. The new Principal, Jennifer Wroblewski, has shown outstanding leadership skills already, and she is out in front of the school every morning and every afternoon, talking with parents. Security of the campus is a high priority. 'Friends of Hickman' group has big ideas for the school. With its new leadership, Hickman is a high-achieving school with a bright future.
--Submitted by a teacher

My child went to Hickman for 5 years and just graduated. We found the teachers to be caring and a cut above your average public school. The students are well behaved and the Principal kind and caring. My student excelled and was excited to go school every day. Hickman rocks!
--Submitted by a parent

This school is so average and has potential but the leadership is non-existent. Most kids are scared of the invisible principal and don't get their voices heard when something does come up. The principal in no way is 'there ' for the parents , possible just to yes you to death. The teachers are hit and miss. Some are fabulous but others need to find a job they like. I dont see my children prospering like they should. Many parents sit around and dont volunteer like they should. Not impressed.
--Submitted by karen, a parent

I just wish there was more things going on at the school. No holloween festival. Dont know what they will be doing for x-mas, still dont have the school pictures yet. Here they have these programs to go eat somewhere and the school gets a percentage of it. They also have the kids sale entertainment books and so on, but where does the money go???? I dont think my child will have alot of fond memories of her grammer school like i did.
--Submitted by a parent

My children started attending Hickman in the 2004-2005 year. Hickman was a 5-star back then. Something happened at the end of 2006 and beginning of 2006-2007 up to 2007-2008. The quality of the program plummeted and the quality of the teachers also plummeted in terms of new hires. The grade reporting was changed from traditional to standards-based grading which is useless. In the standards-based grading, the student earns a BA for basic, PR for proficient and AD for advanced. So even though the child earns 100% on all the work, the report card may still say BA because the teacher only covered the basic material in class. There is absolutely no motivation factor in the new grading system. That system is made for low performing schools who are trying to avoid giving students failing grades. The principal is uninvolved and nowhere to be seen out in the school grounds.
--Submitted by a parent

I attended Hickman as a child over 20 years ago, my son who is currently in the 2nd grade is a tough one, but this school is stead fast in supporting and working with him. I love this school, such diversity and committed teachers, many of the substitutes are retired Hickman teachers. It is a majority Asian school, with parents who speak english as a second language, which results in low parent volunteer percentages. There are not many extracurricular activities but the may be due to county wide budget cuts. I know many of my former Hickman classmates who now have their children attending Hickman. I entrust them with my active 7 year old and work very closely with administration and his teacher because I choose to be involved.
--Submitted by a parent

My son just finished kindergarten at Hickman, and I was sorely disappointed. The principal was invisible most of the time, and when she was present, she was pitifully uninspiring! This leads to overall apathy among the teachers who appear to do as little as possible and still get paid. There is not a great deal of parental involvement, but this is largely due to the lack of enthusiasm among the staff and lack of overall structure to support volunteers.
--Submitted by a parent