Valle Verde Elementary School

Classrooms are very overcrowded and the classrooms smell like mold and mildew. Some great teachers and some not so great (very bad kindergarten teachers). The teachers need paid assistants in the classrooms. The parents basically run the school because of lack of funding.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has been a student here for two years and it has been a positive experience. I'm not sure where a previous poster said that kids are bused in from out of district. The only kids that are bused in are for the autism immersion program that the school is famous for and all those kids are IN district. I appreciate the lottery program the school has because of the the lack of diversity of the school is not reflective of the community in a 3 mile radius. While class sizes are large , classroom aids and parent volunteers help bridge the gap. Surprisingly there is homework in 1st and 2nd grades. There is a clique to the volunteer helpers but it doesnt affect your child negatively.
—Submitted by a parent

Amazing, I went there, great kids, great teachers, I just love it! Although the food is not the best, I enjoy the whole school and the community

This school is beyond terrible especially if your child is going into 3rd grade! The 3rd grade teachers need to retire. They are lazy and don't care about their students at all. It is a known fact with all the parents that 3rd grade is basically taking the year off for your child. 3rd grade is considered a vacation. They don't teach much, watch tons of videos & homework is non existent! If your child is struggling its even worse as the teachers don't want to put the time and effort into helping their students succeed. What kind of teacher yells at a class telling them its her birthday and all of them are ruining it? What kind of teacher singles out and embarrasses a strugling child in front if the whole class by stating they have "special needs"? They don't respond to emails or letters & just avoid parents at all costs. There is absolutely no communication what so ever which leaves parents in the dark. Basically it's a joke! The principal is new so she's just getting her feet wet & needs to learn about the staff more. I guess I'd give the school 1 star for parent volunteers however its extremely cliquey so don't expect to be welcomed with open arms when volunteering.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is in her first year at VVEE, and we are very happy with the experience so far. The teachers are great, and the parents are very involved with the school both in terms of money and time. Two suggestions that would make the school district the best in the area: A) Break away from Mt. Diablo (all 5 schools in Walnut Creek/Northgate district) B) Stop lottery system and busing in students from outside the district, it is overcrowded as it is and they don't pay to live here. That aside, overall an outstanding school.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is very happy and he has being learning so much in this school. I agree that parents are in a big part responsible for that because they volunteer a lot of their time in the school in order that the kids complete their assignments on time. I really appreciate the teachers work; however I would like to see more commitment from the principal.
—Submitted by a parent

Teachers are mostly good and parental support is very strong. However, the school district is suffering. Class sizes are big (32 per class). There is no bus service. The school will ask for a donation of $200 per child on the first day of school and parent volunteers are needed to keep the school functioning at basic levels. The gifted program has been cut and special needs children will struggle. Also, if you move here you are not guaranteed a spot in the school. If the class is full your child will have to go to a different school in the district. Also the school year is being shortened more each year because of budget cuts. Teachers and parents are doing what they can to make up for the shortfall, however I think anyone considering coming to these schools should be aware of the situation.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been a parent at Valle Verde for six years. I am so happy my children are at this elementary school. All but one teacher my children has had were very, very good to outstanding. All support staff are incredibly committed. The atmosphere is friendly and open. The new principal of two years is unbelievably on top of things and has raised the rapport quality and contentment of the teachers. The PTA and parent support is beyond active and strong. My children have excelled and are challenged by request. It will be a sad day when we eventually leave there, but I am confident they will be very well prepared for Foothill Middle School.
—Submitted by a parent

Despite the huge cuts to education, parents and teachers remain very committed to providing a high level of education to the students at Valle Verde. Students perform very well in all areas, and there are many highly intellgent children who attend this school which helps to provide a rich learning environment. Teachers at this school tend to be above average to excellent. Marlene Penuela-Mackouse, A parent.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a recently retired teacher with 27 years of experience. I loved being able to actually teach the students at Valle Verde for 22 years. The parents are supportive and students are motivated to learn. Valle Verde was and continues to be one of the finest schools in the MDUSD. The dedicated teachers spend hours preparing for each day of quality differentiated instruction. The teachers appreciate the support of the PTA and welcome parent help. Since parents and teachers work so well together, no wonder the students thrive and go on to become successful students in middle school and beyond. It is heartwarming to reconnect with so many adults that are former Valle Verde students. They still remember with fondness all of their dedicated elementary teachers who made sure that all of the basics and more were taught in a meaningful and exciting way.

This school is a joke. Teachers have pretty much given up and are overwhelmed by having 32 students per class. Mediocrity reigns here. The education is sub par. The teachers have given up and don't care. The principal is a technocrat who is simply not responsive to parents' concerns. The level of "education" here is insulting. The whole school should be ashamed and the staff summarily replaced.
—Submitted by a parent

Valle Verde is a school where so many parents care and pitch in to help in every aspect of the school. The teachers make good use of their resources. Many children at this school are super sharp and creative, creating a great in-class environment to grow and learn.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a wonderful school, I believe mostly because of huge parental support. The teachers are great and they have wonderful support staff, but because of the parents willingness to give both time and money it allows for better students opportunities and more money for teachers to provide a quality education for their students. I believe because the school is so far ahead of the curve most of the teacher teach to the accelerated learner, yet find time to support those who struggle with grade level expectations. If I have one complaint it is that often times the pressure/ expectations may be a little high. But in all honesty I would rather it be to high than to low. Thanks for teaching my kids Valle Verde!
—Submitted by a parent

Valle Verde is one of the great schools located in Walnut Creek. The PTA is a huge asset to the school! The teachers are very involved in maintaining the high level of academics in the school. Go Vikings!
—Submitted by a parent

While test scores remain high, PTA involvement continues to decline. Teachers need the return of more aides in the classroom so they can have more one-on-one time with students. Funding has to go to this very important issue so teachers aren't stretched to the limits.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers are fabulous. Families that attend this school tend to be middle to uppre middle class with high socioeconomic standards. Parents are educated and children are brought up in an intellectual atmosphere lending to high test scores. Many after school activites which include a carnival, parent dinner/dance/auction fun-raiser, 4th and 5th grade musical and more. The principal supports neither the teachers nor the students/families in general. I would like to see a more energetic and hands-on administration that did not defer to outspoken parents but looks to enhance the elementary experience. If your child is affiliated with GATE, 4th-5th science camp is one of the best experiences. There is no real differenciation of eduication on a daily basis for GATE vs. non-GATE students. This may be due in part to the high educational standards of the community.
—Submitted by a parent

School's awesome. Principal doesn't follow through with discipline. Weak leadership. Other than that, school is fantastic and my son did well.
—Submitted by JW, a parent

This is an excellent school. We currently have a 4th grader and 2 students in high school that went through Valle Verde. Both of our high school students were very well challenged and prepared for middle school and high school. Our kids are in the high-achieving end of the scholastic scale and Valle Verde teachers work to keep the bright kids interested and continuously learning. Our fourth grader loves school and is doing wonderfully. There is a strong sense of community at this school with very involved parents and a strong positive relationship between teachers, staff and parents. After 9 years at Valle Verde I can honestly say I have heard very few complaints. The biggest complaint is from families out of the school boundaries that can't get their kids in. We moved to this neighborhood for the highly rated schools and it was totally worth every penny. Great school
—Submitted by Mary, a parent

Valle Verde is a great school. On any given day , you'll see several parents helping out (although the same parents seem to do all the work...thanks, you guys!) The PTA raises a LOT of money to pay for items (instructor assistants, computer aides, computer lab) because funding in Mt. Diablo Unified tends to go elsewhere in the district. All of our teachers have been great. However, the 4th and 5th grade class sizes are too [big]. We do cub scouts and girl scouts...which is run by the parents. Again...this is fun. Lately, there has been a lot of teenage vandalism at the school, which I wish the school/district would address.
—Submitted by Bob W, a parent

I absolutely love this school. My son was sent here as an overflow student because the kindergarden at the school he is supposed to go to was full. Now we don't want to go back to the other school and are doing everything we can to stay at Valle Verde. The staff is nice and helpful and the teachers are great. Parent involvement is extremely high and thier website is incredible.
—Submitted by a parent