Spreckels Elementary School

I am a parent of two children who attended Spreckels. To rate a school, there are 3 criteria: the teaching, the administration, and the cliental. The teaching staff is above average. They are all hard working teachers with the children's best interest at heart. The administration needs to make changes to be more student oriented and improve communication. The cliental is average. If a child is getting into trouble at school, don't blame the teacher. The teacher is just the messenger; it is the parents' job to reinforce behavior consequences at home.
—Submitted by a parent

I attended this school a few years ago and all I can remember is how they separated the Spanish speaking students from English speaking students based on ethnicity. It did not matter if the student spoke both languages if they had a Hispanic name they would be put in a Spanish class. Spanish classes did not get to do the same activities. They were not allowed to participate in science experiments, computer lab and extra curricular activities. Kids were bullied and no one did anything about it. They didn't seem to care if students needed extra help and made no effort to include everyone. Teachers have favorites and make that very clear. I would not put my child in this school.

My son went to Spreckles for K and 1st grade. A few days after he started kindergarten he asked me why his teacher didn't like him ( he had never asked that question about an adult before or since). She had issues with teaching and she approached me one day to inform me that "she was out of tools" !! My son was 4!! Though his 1st grade teacher was far better she was often stressed, undoubtably from trying to teach in a poorly run school. Which brings us to the Principal and VP. These two were the source of the poorly run school. The short time I would be there to drop off in the AM was stressful even on me, the kids were corralled in small spaces not allowed to run, play or use the playground. Teachers often resorted to yelling and blowing whistles at the kids. Parents were forced to drop their kids off on the street instead of the lot which was off limits. My son is now in a new school he has completed 2nd and 3rd grades there and he has flourished. He has the support and dedicated staff to provide a A+ education and yes, its a public school! Don't be fooled by some of the reviews here.. go see for yourself. I do feel the parents want to do well but are limited. We got out!
—Submitted by a parent

My 1st-grader has had an awesome year at Spreckels. Her teacher, Mrs. Gomez-Neri, has been a wonderful fit for her. She is consistent and firm, but still full of love for the kids. She works hard to tailor the lessons to each child's ability. I am very involved with the PTA, and find the parent community very strong. There are so many involved, dedicated parents on campus (and from home) every day, consistently going above and beyond to make this school great by providing enhanced art education, campus garden activities, a variety of affordable after-school programs, and fun & meaningful fundraisers. We have heard great things about the 2nd grade teachers and are looking forward to another great year next year.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children at Spreckels. My husband and I have always been involved with PTA, School Site Committee, general volunteering and as room parent. The principal, Dr. Fernandez, is great to work with, I can always find her and talk to her face-to-face about any issue or question I have. The teachers my kids have had are creative, flexible, and intelligent. My son's teacher, Ms. Sparks, gives him more challenging math when necessary. Last year, his teacher, Ms. Nordlow, made sure he was in the proper reading group and his reading dramatically improved with help and advice from his teachers (Mrs. Stevens, Ms. Nava, Ms. Sparks). Our PTA is super-active and provides the school with money for all sorts of things including field trips, Earth Day, Running Club, Garden Club, Assemblies, and a new art program. My son has drama, my daughter has dance and they love it! The school also provides music and computers on top of the Spanish language classes. I feel we are so lucky to send our kids to a school with such a broad range of classes and activities. I wish that parents who complain would spend more time getting involved; the more you put in, the more you get back.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is much too large and the administration is not equipped (nor do they seem willing) to deal with the behavioral and discipline issues. From day 1 the Principal has been a huge disappointment. Her communication skills are subpar. I have stuck it out with my kids, but many of their friends from kindergarten are all going to other schools now. The stories I hear from my children regarding lack of supervision at lunch and recess and the bullying and violent behavior that occurs are heartbreaking. My son was threatened with violence by a boy who insisted he give him his lunch PIN number. If he had given me the other boy's name, I would have called immediately. Sadly, though, I don't believe anything would have been done about it. If you have another option, take it.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of two boys at Spreckels. One is in Kindergarten and one is in second grade. This is the third year my older son has been there. I love this school and have been so impressed by the teachers (Mrs. Alessio, Mrs. Gomez Neri and Mrs. Boyd are fantastic. So are the others - but these are who my sons had). I am delighed by the quality of instruction, the activities, and the parent involvement at this school. Our kids go on field trips almost every month, they learn Spanish, they have music, art, science, and have a "Power Hour" for reading where they are grouped with kids from different classes in their same reading level . There is a very active PTA and volunteer community. Like all public schools, they could use more money and community support, but they thrive with what they have. I feel that some of the negative complaints on this board about the principal are unfair - she was at the mercy of the San Diego Unified District which kept changing class size and number of teachers at the beginning of the year. She did her best with a bad situation that she could not control.
—Submitted by a parent

Repost: First deleted?!! Communication between teachers, administration and parents is terrible. Of course there are good teachers and bad teacher at every school but the problems we've encountered seem to be from the top down. On several occasions significant events regarding our children have not been communicated. More than once when we have had an obligation that require our child miss school, the school did not even call us to tell us they were absent! If something had happened to my child on the way to school we would not know that they were missing until we went to pick them up in the afternoon! This school is not run like a tight ship. We feel like the last two years have killed our child's enthusiasm to learn. The staff means well but they really can't see what they are missing. We thought maybe we were being overcritical judging them based on our child's previous school but our dissatisfaction was confirmed. Spreckels has failed to meet "No child left behind" federal standards for 3 consecutive years! They are on PROBATION! That combined with the "blue collar" classroom environment and mentality is a HUGE disappointment. Even parent volunteers can't fix that!
—Submitted by a parent

The principal is a "run-and-hide" from critical school management issues. The class sizes were too large at the start of this school year; yet she chose to ignore the problem until late October. Now, parents are angry and students are upset to be moved around just when they were getting used to their classes. This principal will not make decisions when they need to be made; choosing to ignore problems until they become crises. Finally, she expects teachers to "cover" her mistakes. If she was managing a company she would have been GONE long ago.

I attended this school when I was a child, for the 6th grade only. Because I had a Spanish last name, I was put into a classroom with bilingual children and a bilingual teacher. I felt very isolated and out of place. I also felt discriminated against because I was Caucasian. I was a shy child, and the teacher would often humiliate me when I got any kind of answer wrong. It was the most miserable year in a school I had ever had. Now, things may have changed since then, this was about 20 years ago. I can only hope that things have improved.

I think the teachers at this school ought to be commended. Their hearts are in the right place and they are making a difference. The principal is another story, though. She is unavailable and also unprofessional in her communications about (and with) the parents - especially when she is trying to cover up mistakes she has made. She has her eye on the money, though. The school is a magnet school for bilingual education - so if you are not latino and are from the neighborhood - you can expect very little of her attention.
—Submitted by a parent

There is heavy spamming by the union to try to boost ratings for this school. Come and see for yourself what a mess it is.
—Submitted by a parent

My experience with Spreckels has been positive from the outset. My child has been treated extremely well by the teachers and the staff. I've heard of no incidents in which staff or teachers have been rude or mean to children. And contrary to what some have posted, my child has thrived at the school and has benefitted from the cultural diversity and the opportunity to be exposed to spanish speaking. It seems to me that it is nothing but ignorant stereotyping (e.g. "inner city" kids, supra) by some that gives Spreckels it unearned negative comments here. The fact is children are bused in from all over the county, and these students make up less than half of the school population. Most children are from the local neighborhood. Spreckels is an outstanding elementary school from my experience. I am an active and involved volunteer parent.
—Submitted by a parent

Since Spreckels is a Magnet School, many students come from "the inner city." The parents of these children probably want their kids to be learning in a positive environment, attend a school with great diversity, and/or learn academic Spanish alongside other subjects. Large class sizes and "truly horrible" food are a function of the district, not the school site. The last reviewer seems to complaining about issues that all parents in San Diego face, including helping their children with homework. My advice to reviewer on February 9th is to stop complaining and come to Spreckels and volunteer in the classroom. Volunteers are welcomed and needed, and assist in learning more than they realize. My personal opinion is that the teachers are not mean, but are effective disciplinarians. Teachers at Spreckels are highly experienced, possess great skills, and get things done. If you want your child to be coddled and worshipped, you don't understand public education, or education in general. Contribute before you crtiicize.
—Submitted by a parent

More than half of the students are bused in from the inner city, and the teaching and attitude of the staff is geared towards that environment. The general approach of the staff and some of the teachers is simply to yell at the kids. With the inner city environment and the gargantuan class sizes, it seems that the goal is more to move them through than to teach them anything. Last year's teacher was utterly worthless. It's not clear that our child was taught anything at all. This year's teacher is an improvement, but is too overwhelmed by kids needing more attention than ours to give ours the attention she needs. If our children learn much of anything at Spreckels, it will be from the hours we spend with them every day at home, not from the school. There they mostly will learn that (many of) the staff are just mean. Oh, and the food is about the worst thing I've ever seen. Truly horrible.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is more interested in treating English as a second language and tends to favor students who attend from areas other than the local neighborhood. Children are forced into a classroom environment with other children that may not be at the same academic level or may not even speak the same language. The learning process is slowed down for an above average student in these circumstances.

Where do they find thier teachers?My sons teacher is a bossy two face that plays favorites.I guess its true, that those who can, do and those who can't, teach .Also, school lunch program stinks! I am sorry to say, another year wasted at this school. My son could have learned better spanish from standing in front of Home Depot. .
—Submitted by a parent

Great environment, caring teachers, supportive parents. We Love Spreckels!
—Submitted by a parent

Effective teachers who care. Students love their teachers and take pride in their school. Fun, family-oriented activities that encourage participation.
—Submitted by a parent

The quality of the curriculum that is provided to our students as well as the outstanding staff and administration at the school. The first interest of the school is always the students success!
—Submitted by a parent