Greenbelt Middle School

Horrible school. There are no parent/teacher meetings. Greenbelt Middle School does not encourage parent involvement or use technology such as emails to communicate homework, projects and grades.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a student there and I love it! I've never been happier. The people are great and I've never been bullied. The classes are reasonably sized and there are a lot of choices for creative arts. I would like it better if there were all new teachers that didn't absolutely hate children, though. Some teachers also don't even speak English well enough, and I can't understand what about half of them are trying to say. Their grading is unfair, so I often have to get my parents involved. I think that Mr. Tweedy is a great principal and the school has improved so much with him. Every year the school seems to get better, and better. The new school has a lot of technology and it really helps with the learning. Everything is a lot nicer and cleaner. I've heard that some of the 6th and 7th grade classes are too full though, there was even a waiting list.

Greenbelt Middle School Has Changed On A Level With Mr.Tweedy As It's A.P ! The School Now Has Camera's On Almost All The Hallways. Luckily There Is A New Building On The Way Because The Appearance Of The School Is Horrible.

Greenbelt Middle School is in historic Greenbelt, MD. It is valuable to the history of the Greenbelt community, which was planned and built during the era of Roosevelt's New Deal, and to the whole Nation as the first planned community and only one of three 'green' cities actually built of the twelve originally planned. Please help support this neighborhood school.

Greenbelt Middle does not encourage its students who are high performing students. They are not encouraging students who have exceptional ability. There appears to an emphasis on the male students rather than the female students. Some of the clerks and secretaries are not public friendly and are rude when they answer the telephone. My child has taken the College Board for 2 years in a row as part of the John Hopkins Gifted and Talented Program and no one a the school has tracked her for encouragement and positive reinforcement. Her scores have been over 1,000 each year and she is only in the 8th grade. stride. The Guidance department is inefficient and are not accommodating to parents. There appears to be an emphasis on the male students achievement and not the female students
—Submitted by a parent

We pulled our child from GMS after one semester. Safety is a big issue -- there are a lot of fights, students bring weapons to school and there is a continuing gang presence. The school administration doesn't enforce adequate discipline. Violent students, some multiple offenders, boast that the principal lacks the will to suspend them.
—Submitted by a parent

The front office staff is very rude. I had an issue with a teacher at the beginning of the school year and the issue was taken care of immediately. The teachers seem to care about the students well being. The school is old but looks to be well taking care of.
—Submitted by a parent

The building is extremely old. The staff is well trained and very dedicated to the kids. The school administration does a good job with discipline.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is terrible! Staff, teachers are rude, don't follow through on their part. And safety is definately an issue! This school is also failing in the No Child Left behind standards.
—Submitted by a parent

it pretty good keeping the parents involved
—Submitted by a parent

I was shocked to read all of the negative reviews. I am not saying that it is perfect, but my child has had a positive experience. I would commend the teaching staff. It seems that they are highly engaged in teaching and make efforts to connect with the students. The major problem I have noticed is the lack of parental involvement. This may be a contibuting factor in most of what the other reviewers mentioned.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers are not of great quality, the school is overcrowded.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my sons first yr. at GMS. It started off shaky. They are a little under staffed. After meeting w/ his teachers after his first report card I did feel uplifted. What I really learned was that we as parents need to partake a lot more in our kids daily education for them to succeed. My son enjoys GMS. They do have some things to improve but lets continue to pray and speak out. There is great potential there. Single dad parent
—Submitted by a parent

Ijust graduated from GMS and would like to say my two years there where terrible.In my 8thgrade year there where no drama classes.They took our P.E away and didnt let us go outside. We didnt even do anything.There are many problems with this school. They had so many dances but so little room for all the people. the school is too crowded and then they had the nerve to put 6th grade in.this school gets a 1 on my radar out of 10.
—Submitted by Pamela R., a student

I was nervous to send my child to this school. I am greatly involed in her life and was upset to hear some of the stories about the volience in this school. I am involed in other activities in the school and I do appericate that they are avaliable for the children, but I feel safety is a issue that we has a community and parents need to address.
—Submitted by a parent

It's just great. The singing and also the drama and the orchstra and the teachers are really nice espiclly Ms. Wooden of 6th grade and Mrs.Endinger of the orchestra. And the school work well together and the leaarning is relly fast.
—Submitted by a student

My child comes home daily with negative reports about her school. It seems to me that the teachers are more focused on teaching about their personal lives. My child was traumatized one day after she saw one of her friends being jumped by four students. The child was injured and had to be rushed to the hospital. My daughter said she could not get the image of the boy out of her head. What truly surprised me though was that one of the faculty members looked on as the boy was brutally attacked. Things defiantly need to be changed.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is a mess. My son learned more about his teachers significant others than he did about his lessons. This school needs a complete overhall. The building and the administration. These kids will be lost in high school.
—Submitted by a parent

As an 8thGrade parent and longtime former GMS teacher, I'm distressed about deteriorating academics and security. Since 2004 there's been no art program. Its once stellar music and String Ensemble program is in shambles. The library is a shell of its former self. Violent students who fight or bully students face few consequences other than be threatened. Although important safety valves such as Peer Mediation, Mentoring, after-school programs and even in-school suspension for disruptive/violent students are gone. There's little contact between the school and the city of Greenbelt. Parents aren't involved and have been turned away as volunteer aides. Ditto UofMaryland student volunteers. The once-thriving partnership with Goddard Space Flight Center was allowed to disappear.
—Submitted by a parent

Obviously Darrian Carmichael has never set foot in this school without his/her blind fold, and his `hearing aid turned on. MY children are cursed by having to attend such a dysfunctional institute. I STRONGLY encourage any and all parents to NOT allow or 'sacrifice' their children to this 'hole in the wall.' Just walking in the front door you can immediately see the dysfunction. There are a few staff members that do try BUT I can count them on one hand. The school needs new staff, a new building and parents that use the school system as an educational tool and not a day care center! Walking into this school, you will become very concerned for your child's safety! If I could send my kids anywhere else, I would.
—Submitted by a parent