Tustin Memorial Elementary School

Our kid started in 5th grade today and 'SURPRISE'. PE teacher is substituting for the regular teacher who is on medical leave. Did they have to wait till the last day to let us know about this? We don't have anything against this teacher, but without any experience regularly teaching 5th graders, we wonder how this teacher is going to manage/help with the students during their one of the critical year before going to Middle School. We are planning to talk to the teacher directly and candidly about our concerns and we hope to get a positive opinion/view after talking. Anybody has any experience / comments / thoughts about this? We really appreciate it. Thanks,
—Submitted by a parent

School is a good school, but I am not happy with some of the teachers attitude. They forget that they are there to help students. Anyone can take care of a good student but controlling the student who is over active in class, depends mostly on teacher, we can only ask our child to behave well in class everyday, but utimately its in class when surround by classmates her behavious changes so the teacher has to find method to refine her, not just blame the parents for everything and not trying enough herself.
—Submitted by a parent

Great school that demands a high level of parent involvement - which is what results in a great school. The Club 365 program was put in place to bypass the endless fundraising and I support it wholeheartedly. I would so much rather just write a check that goes in full to the school over bothering friends and family to purchase something they don't need and then having only a small portion of that money make it back to the schools. The state issues are very upsetting, but TMA is doing all it can to keep the programs that enrich our children in a broad and critical way. The all GATE classes are wonderful as well. Thanks TMA!
—Submitted by a parent

TMA is an excellent school--a private education experience from a public school is hard to find. The staff is highly experienced and the new principal is bringing about some much-needed change. The waiting list to get in is long but well worth the wait. We are very pleased with all aspects of the school.
—Submitted by a parent

We've gone through some changes at this school over the years. This year, we have a new principal who comes from another respected school in the disctrict, and she seems very articulate and energetic. We are also trying a new fundraising model where we are asking families to contribute a fixed dollar amount at the start of the school year to minimize other fundraiser activities like cookie dough, gift wrap etc. Previous posts talk about the never-ending requests for money, and the school listened. Some people still don't understand that the state does not pay for "extras" like PE, art and music -- it it only through the support of TMA parents that these things are even possible. But it's getting too crowded. We are at capacity with just over 700 students, 34 kids in my son's class!
—Submitted by a parent

I agree with both reviewers from Sept 09. The fundraising is plentiful and agressive, but yeah we are in a budget crisis and we all try to do the best for the kids. Its true if you are unemplyed or have financial troubles I'm sure it can be stressful but one can contribute in other ways. At the end, wether you give all your time and money or just time to the school or just your child, this is a great environment for children's learning. The kids really get a great start and thats a common thing I've noticed with all the parents (the parents that are always at the school and the parents that aren') everyone wants the best for their kids. Its an awesome thing to see at this school. Across cultures, socio economic, etc, having thier kids do well at a good school is all our goals.
—Submitted by a parent

TMA is a great school, starting from K -they are doing homework M-TH and they offer a lot more involvement than most schools in the area, creating a total learning environment that kids take to junior high. One thing to consider is the time involved and money involved ( I'm sure unemplyed parents are shocked with the amt of fundraising letters coming at them) as well as the parent environment. The time is considerable, being 'hit up' constantly with fundraising opportunities ( I don't mind, we're in budget crisis) and many moms or dads do not seem to work outside the home, and if they do, I do not know how they can keep up with all the short notice and several things that they have to do at the school. Thru the yrs,I've never minded, but one should be aware of the reality before considering it for their tyke.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been at TMA for 3 years, from kinder---2nd grade. This is an excellent school. The teachers are very kind and nice. The principal is very involved. My daughter was not able to read at all in first grade and by 2nd grade she's reading chapter's books. My daughter is happy and doing excellent now. Thanks TMA :)
—Submitted by a parent

We have had children at TMA since 2001. It is still a great school and probably the best available in Tustin, Tustin Ranch, and Irvine north of the 5 Freeway. Test results are probably the only 'measurable' part of the school's continued excellence. TMA kids have great academic success when moving on the 6th grade at Pioneer.
—Submitted by a parent

We started last year in Kindergarten and are very happy with the performance. The teacher we had surpassed our expectations and we can't wait to start 1st grade. Yes, parental involvement is required but that is a pleasure since it keeps us in touch with our child's world at school. We look forward to many more years at TMA!
—Submitted by a parent

Tustin Memorial Academy is an excellent school and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Comparing my experience to another neighborhood school that we attended, Tustin Memorial Academy's quality and standard by far exceeds it. We found the families and staff very friendly and open, not at all cliquish as some of the other reviewers felt. The teachers seem to go above and beyond for the kids. The school has a ton of extra educational programs for the kids like their Art Masters Program (they teach about an artist like Monet), the John Yeiser Music Program, and the Composer Countdown Program (they teach about a composer and listen to the music, like Bach). I love these extra bonuses on top of the regular curriculum. They do require some parental involvement but it's easy to find a way to get involved and the communication b/w school and families is great.
—Submitted by a parent

Because TMA is a school of choice, it attracts parents with greater expectations than your neighborhood schools. The standards are high and the parents more demanding as they have made a choice and want a return on that choice. So far my kids have had great teachers and I have not heard any complaints of teachers not doing their job (only personality issues). The expectation of parent involvement can be taxing for those without the time, but it does give the kids lots of extras that would not occur otherwise due to budget issues. If your child is GATE, the school offers GATE only classes not found elsewhere in the district. Communication with the school is very good. Class sizes are always maxed out (except for GATE classes) because of the waiting list to get in. I would definitely choose the school again.
—Submitted by Catherine, a parent

TMA provides what many see as a 'private school education' in a public school setting. In reality, TMA scores consistently exceed those of the private schools in the area! The Principal, teachers, staff, parents, students and community make it a school that consistently perfoms in the top tier of all schools. The District has provided stability in leadership and staff, which motivates students and gives parents a sense of ownership to the school. TMA is a California Distinguished School with innovative programs and direction. The community is proud of what TMA represents and provides our children.
—Submitted by Steve & Michelle, a parent

Parent involvement is very high, although sometimes it seems that the parents are having to do stuff that the teachers should be doing. The school does not have strong music or art programs, but there are many after-school activities available at a discounted price. The quality of academic programs is above average compare to the neighboring schools.
—Submitted by a parent

The school provides a fair academic program, with several extracurricular activities to choose from. Parent involment is a requirement as part of your childs enrollment. However, the parent volunteer program lacks internal administrative oversight leaving new parents to hang and dry.
—Submitted by a parent

Parent involvement is exceptional. The quality of the teachers is good, in general, but the academic programs are not as good as it used to be. The school uses the lottery system for new student enrollment. The worst part is that the enrollment for the siblings not currently attending the school is not guaranteed.
—Submitted by a parent

The level of parental involvement and the quality of the programs is high, but the school is run by administrators and parents who are more interested in reputation than they are in making a difference. Unless your child is a good student and scores well on statewide testing, the effort made on that child's behalf will be minimal at best, and could lead to the child being discharged from the school. A student who does well and scores high on statewide testing, as well as having parents who will 'fit in' to the well established clique of parents and administrators, will do very well at this school.
—Submitted by a parent

TMA is still a outstanding school, although it is not the school it was 8-10 years ago. Communication is excellent for the most part between teacher and parent. Many extracurricular activities are available. The building is too old and needs to be completely torn down and rebuilt. Besides, that it has an excellent academic program and there are some superior teachers who really care about the kids.
—Submitted by a parent

Tustin Memorial claims to have the best interest of each child at heart, but unfortunately it's the overall school ratings that seem to be the focus when determining decisions in regard to the students. Although parent involvement is high, and some exclusions do apply, students who's parents chose not to 'play the game' and who do not belong to the right 'clique' are not given the same considerations as those who's parents do. For the most part, the ridiculous politics that exist within this school are childish and could be compared to high school adolescent's. The main objective and intentions that went into developing this school in the beginning were excellent, but unfortunately the form it has taken now leaves much too much to be desired.
—Submitted by a parent