Bancroft Middle School

I agree that many of the teachers and staff at BMS are genuinely dedicated and hard working. There is a fabulous musical theater program directed by teachers with *lots* of parental support. The athletics program is headed by generous teachers who strive to include everyone interested. The teachers are dealing with a very diverse population, however, with varying educational backgrounds and many ESL learners. Some teachers handle these challenges better than others. Some of my son's classes were dominated by disruptive students; others were under control. My impression was that if my kid did his homework and was not disruptive, he pretty much would get an "A." I would have liked academic standards to have been higher and for critical thinking to have been more emphasized. While many parents whose kids did musical theater contributed hundreds of hours of support, the PTA did not enjoy as much participation. The teachers and staff have been trying to raise the school's standards--but budget restraints require parents and the community to assist our struggling schools. BMS would benefit from greater community support.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is like life, you get out of it what you put into it. If you are a parent willing to support your child's academic and extracurricular endeavors, then Bancroft can be a wonderful experience. My daughter has just finished her first year there, and has a 4.0 GPA, participated in the incredible Spring musical theater program (open to ALL students), cross country running team (open to ALL students), and symphonic band (open to ALL students). When I asked her who her favorite teacher was, she asked if she could pick her top 6 (hint: she only has 6 teachers). If you are a parent in the area and are worried about the poor reputation of this school, don't believe the hype. Principal Ferrer and his staff are working hard to turn this school around, and there is nothing better than feeling connected to your community by participating in the great American institution we call Public Education.
—Submitted by a parent

Terrible school. The administrative staff leaves a lot to be desired. Poor discipline. The students are rude and have no respect for adults. I received no support. I had to pull my child out of the school and put them in John Muir. What a major improvement.
—Submitted by a parent

To many gangs. Just too many. Teachers there are undedicated to teach. The students there sell weed and smoke weed. NEVER go to the schoo.

This school is the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good is the extra cuuricular activities. all our sports teams are amazing. the bad is the teaching and structure of the classrooms. yes there are a handful of good teachers but about 20%. the school does not communicate well at all. also we are extremely broke. The ugly: not as many fights as people make it seem but sixth grade is the worse. there are wanna be gangbangers who will have you or your child terrified. especially the boys locker room. i was terrified to go and change. plus the smell is awful. the kids at BMS are disgusting. the bathrooms don't even have soap or paper towels have the time. Fires have been set and many fire alarms have been pulled. the kids do innapropriate things and are disrespectful. all in all a average school not recommended but not saying don't ever go here. 3 out of 5 stars.

This is our family's fourth year at Bancroft. From our perspective, the school's admin is much improved under new principal. To be honest, this is the first year we have been inspired to write such a glowing review. Our son, a seventh grader, looks forward to school and is learning a lot. Most of the teachers are deeply dedicated to teaching and really seem to want to be there. Band, science, cross country, art and musical theater and track and field have been highlights.
—Submitted by a parent

Located just blocks away from East Oakland, Bancroft Middle School is blessed with a dedicated team of teachers. Unfortunately, staff's efforts are undermined by an administrative team that sometimes fails to back up rhetoric (easy) with action (hard). The colleagues, the students and the parents make you look forward to coming to work, but the administration makes you feel miserable.
—Submitted by a teacher

ths school is very good at curriculum
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter entered Bancroft in the 7th Grade and it was the best decision that I have made. Bancroft is a clean, well managed middle school, parent involvement is Fantiasic!
—Submitted by a parent

bancroft middle school is one of the best schools ever
—Submitted by a student

i love this school! The teachers act like regular people and have fun sometimes but when it comes to work they tell students to focus. There wasnt that many fights this year too. if your in the spanish class you get to go to mexico for spring break and in the sixth grade we go on a science field trip in the seventh we go on a canoeing feild trip. if your in the orchestra or band we get to go to disneyland and perform there!! In the eight grade at the end of the year to celebrate graduating we get to go to some amusement park like great america or six flags its so much fun! There is also an AMAZING musical theater program. the teachers are patient and its easy to learn from them. The play always comes out to look good. This school is amazing!!!
—Submitted by a student

There is an amazing Musical Theatre Program at Bancroft that deserves much praise. I can firmly say that there is no other middle school in the area and probably all of California that have such a program. It trully is amazing. The kids who particpate in the after school program get high quality instruction. The productions that this school does are truly of proffesional level. The teachers who run the program deserve many kudos for their amazing work with children in the Arts!
—Submitted by a parent

Although there is a discipline program, it is nowhere near as strong as it should be. Kids get suspensions for things they should be expelled for. This makes a big difference for the climate of the school. There are lots of fights. There are great teachers and terrible teachers. My children had both good and bad experiences at Bancroft but were glad to leave when they were done.
—Submitted by a parent

The principal has shown a serious lack of ability to unify and enable the staff to do their best work. Many long-time staff members have transferred or resigned under the current principal.
—Submitted by a staff

I am very surprised to read about the low ratings by a few other parents. This is my sons second year at Bancroft. I have never had problems getting in touch with teachers. They have voicemial and emails. I was pretty involved last year, and have stepped back a little this year. Teacher quality is mixed, Teacher discipline however I feel is very structured and all teachers follow the same rules. I think this school is what you make of it. I have had no problems with bullying, my son is pretty low key though.
—Submitted by a parent

I was promoted from Bancroft last year, and I thought it was pretty nice, but it was like half of the kids were serious about learning and half just wanted to cause trouble. Still, there were many sports and clubs and even a day where everyone got to go to the field trips of their choice. It was popular to be in band and even more so if you were in sports and still good at academics. There were bad teachers and teachers that won Teacher of the Year Award for the school district (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005). Parents of the students that were serious about learning were very involved, and parents of the not-so-serious were not-so-involved. I had good memories there, but at times I wished I was someplace else.
—Submitted by a former student

My son just completed 6th grade; it was terrible experience for him and us. There are extreme amounts of bullying. The school response and discipline was inconsistent and not successful. There is no intervention or system in place for prevention of or dealing with bullying. The administration and teachers lack serious consistency and communication with parents. Its often next to impossible to talk to a teacher or meet with them when you request it. The academics depend on the teacher but are generally poor.
—Submitted by a parent

As a parent of a 6th grader, I am pleased overall with Bancroft. The teachers are able to challenge but not overwhelm my child and the administration knows exactly what they are doing. Contact with teachers and administration has been very positive. Discipline this year has improved over last year from what I have been told. My son enjoys Bancroft and this is what counts for me.
—Submitted by Gerald, a parent

The academic program varies by the quality of the teacher. Parental involvement is mixed. There are a number of extracurricular activities available. Overall the school is above average but needs improvement.
—Submitted by a parent

I have child who has attended Bancroft for the past 2 1/2 years. I agree with the other 3/05 posting in regards to seeing to it the kids grasp the concepts in Math. I have had to fight my way in with the teachers and staff to assure them I AM doing MY part at home. I have witnessed the staff talking down to the kids on various occasions. SLUSD has dropped the ball and so has the administration at Bancroft. The staff should lead by example and from what I've seen and dealt with over the years...some should re-think their profession.
—Submitted by a parent