Indian Valley Elementary School

My son was there many years ago, but the two teachers (1st and 2nd grades) he had are still at the school this year, 2012 . One was horrible, but his second grade teacher, Ms. Babbitt, was excellent. The previous principal was totally incompetent. My son is gifted, but nothing was done for him. In his first year, he spent a lot of time coloring pictures in his class! He didn't learn anything in his first grade, and the principal told me that one year of not learning anything won't hurt him!
—Submitted by a parent

Parking problems, poor leadership, not very qualified teachers, a lot of punishments, unhappy children, unfriendly teachers, rude principal (previous), a lot of scandals, gossips, bad psychological climate, unsafe place, students have lack of social skills. I agree, Some teachers are too old, and have no patience with younger children, and some of them like dogs more than kids...
—Submitted by a parent

Susan Drews--I am appalled of how someone like her could be a school principal. She has no manners, no social skills. I am not surprised that no one liked her at Walnut Heights and that she transferred to Indian Valley. I am not impressed by the teachers either--Some of them are too old, and have no patience with younger children.
—Submitted by a parent

School has regressed over the 4 years we have been here, so much so that we are considering moving. Parking problems have increased and some parents line up early to block the road to the school thus actually preventing access to the children in case of emergencies which is illegal. Good teachers but the lack of funds mean that kids get absolutely nothing but the very basics.
—Submitted by a parent

We are new to the area, and all of our dealings with the district office, the school, the office staff, and the principal have been terrific so far. Our son loves his new school and his teacher. He received an extremely warm welcome, and issettling in more smoothly than we could have hoped. So relieved! My only reservation is that parents seem a little cliquey/unwelcoming to new families because they already have such great rapport and familiarity.
—Submitted by a parent

My child is going to this school, and my opinion about it is to some extent controversial. I can tell that academically the school is very strong. The teachers push children well beyond the school program. The majority of teachers are very professional: we were lucky with the 2nd and 3rd grade teachers. A few seem to have selected a wrong profession. There are 2 biggest disappointments for me in the school. First, the teachers assume that your child has to come to school already well behaving. But I would say they come to school to learn how to behave, and if the teacher has a class of a size bigger than she can handle, it does not mean it is a child's fault. Second biggest disappointment is the principal. I don t want to be negative, but my bios opinion is that she is unprofessional, disrespectful and rude. One time of talking to her was enough for me, and I hope I will never have to talk to her again. Bottom line: you will get good education for your kids in this school, but if your child is not perfect, you may not enjoy it.
—Submitted by a parent

As a former parent at Indian Valley, all I can say is I'm so glad I'm not there anymore and my kids are even happier. Although there are a few excellent teachers there I don't think they are the norm. Both of my children regressed academically there. In one year of school, I witnessed poor leadership from the principal that filtered down into the classrooms. It's a school that constantly picked politics over the safety, education and well being of its students. IV has great potential and wonderful involved parents willing to do just about everything, but until the leadership embraces a positive empowering approach for children, they will continue to fall short as a school and the kids will suffer. If you only compare it to Mt. Diablo then you'll be happy but when your world is bigger, IV is a 2 not a 10.
—Submitted by a parent

LOVE this school (starting our 3rd year) and LOVE this community. Yes, money is tight - but compared to the Mt. Diablo School District - we should all be grateful. Positives: Teachers who are dedicated to making the best of a tough time, care about the kids and actually enjoy being part of this community. Parents are available to volunteer to compensate for the larger class sizes (still not as large as MDUSD!) Of course, there are groups of parents who become entangled in social politics - an unfortunate side effect of having involved parents. Aside from the few complainers, the community is wonderful. The fact is, public school is not free - anywhere. Do the best you can with what you have and try to make it positive for the kids. As for buses? What?? Great idea but not a high priority in this area - never has been.
—Submitted by a parent

I am actually really upset with this school. First of all they give my child subpar education in over crowded classrooms. Now a few days before my child is going to go back after summer break they give me a list of items I must buy and money I must pay for fees and "donate" to the school fund. THIS IS PUBLIC SCHOOL PEOPLE - I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO GIVE YOU ANYTHING!!!!!!! I would not mind donating to the cause if I saw they actually cared, but they do not
—Submitted by a parent

Get far away from the Walnut Creek School District and Indian Valley unless you want your child out selling over priced items door to door throughout the year, stuck in over crowded classrooms with teachers that are not very qualified, or in a district that seems to care less about your child s future. They do not even have school buses which cause a chaotic and endless line of large suburban vehicles polluting up the hills every morning and afternoon!!!
—Submitted by a parent

Great setting but poor facilities, an enervated and ineffectual school board, and no funding due to a lack of school board initiatives. Our children have attended a number of school districts over the years, throughout California and neighboring states, and with all honesty we have never witnessed such an unsatisfactory school and school district. So much we are forced to sell our property in a bad market (that we only purchased last year) to go back to a district that actually cares about our children s future. Physical education only one day a week and only part way through the year, no school bus services, well overcrowded classes, and unqualified teachers that sacrifice true development through a faulty progression program, along with an endless list of other issues including kid sales requests throughout the year are only a number of issues that plague Walnut Creek.
—Submitted by a parent

Indian Valley is an excellent school, but lack of funds really limits what they can do.
—Submitted by a parent

Indian Valley is sorely lacking in its efforts to accomodate the higher performing students in K-3, before GATE is an option. They go out of their way for 'special needs' and under-performing students, while they leave the higher achievers to languish until the others 'catch up.' If you have a high achiever, plan on supplementing their early education at home to keep them inspired.
—Submitted by a parent

Great teachers, nice setting.
—Submitted by a parent

'Both our son and our daughter have gone to Indian Valley Elementary School. Indian Valley is a school where the children come first and teachers collaborate with parents. Each child is encouraged to do their personal best and differentiated learning experiences are the norm. The teachers are highly skilled and work hard to bring out the best in each child. The principal is very strong in both administration and academic excellence. She leads by example and employs kindness when dealing with the children. Children receive Art, Music and P.E. thanks to the Walnut Creek Education Foundation. In most cases, the parent organization is welcoming and lead by capable people. The after school program is well run and managed.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son attended IV for 3 years (so far) and Parkmead for one. Even though IV is not our neighborhood school (Parkmead is), we like IV and the KOC after school program so much that we do an intra-district transfer each year so that he can attend IV. The principal and her staff are sharp, in control, and friendly, and the teaching staff, from first year teachers to those who've been there many year, are first rate in our opinion. Our son loves the school, the curriculum, and the location (adjacent to Shell Ridge Open Space). The kids are able to attend fabulous field trips, as well as having excellent guests (artists, authors, performers, etc.) attend the school. And the KOC program for after-school care is really top notch - and a big step up over Parkmead's program, at least that of a few years ago. We love IV & KOC!
—Submitted by a parent

My son transferred with a learning disability - the dedication to getting him to grade level has been phenomenal. The overall commitment by teachers, principals and resource staff to his success has confirmed my decision to leave SF and move to the suburbs. The after school program KOC has been great. The staff is caring, bright and happy to be there. It isn't just 'day-care' it's a learning environment for the children. The programs during the summer are enriching and the price is reasonable for the quality received. I am really happy with the school.
—Submitted by Kelley, a parent

I'm very happy with the education that my children are receiving at Indian Valley, but think that the supervision/discipline/safety issues outside of the classroom could use some work.
—Submitted by a parent

The commmitment of the teachers and principal at this school is fantastic. Parent participation is strong.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had children attending Indian Valley since the 2002-03 school year. I am fairly satisfied with the education my children have received there. The teachers, principal and some of the other staff members have taken a personal interest in my children. This has to be as close to perfect as you can get at a public school.
—Submitted by a parent