Desert Ridge Middle School

I went to this school all three years and it was horrible. I had some really bad teachers that didn't teach me anything, the teachers didn't pay much attention, and they didn't pay much attention to the students.

My child has not had the problems with bullying mentioned here. In fact she thinks it is a much friendlier place than the school she went to in a different state. Her gifted classes and advanced classes are challenging and fun. Some of the math teachers we have experienced here are really amazing. I would say that the new principal is not good at answering emails from parents or dealing with teachers who are sub-par. Don't get me wrong, most teachers here are very good, but we have experienced a couple of horrendous teachers, and many, many parents have complained and yet those teachers are still teaching at Desert Ridge. For this I blame an administration that is unwilling to deal properly with these situations.
—Submitted by a parent

I could not agree more with the post from March 24, 2011. It is almost like you are living my life and have experienced the exact same things. Like you, we are also moving or I would move my child as well. Thanks for your post and observations, it is nice to know I am not the only parent of DRMS that feels this way. The bullying is the breaker for me and is why this school has been rated unsatisfactory. If a school cannot take a stand against bullies, at the price of my child's safety, then nothing else matters.
—Submitted by a parent

Most teachers are wonderful especially in accelerated courses and gifted; however there are others teaching regular classes that are on auto pilot and are no longer challenging the students.They need to retire and let new fresh teachers take over. They look the other way to kids bullying and when a parent complains they say it is our child's fault. Their no tolerance policy for bullying is not enforced. The regular classes are almost a joke. My child rarely has homework yet the accelerated classes are fun and challenging. The drama, bullying, and dating issues at this school are out of control. We chose this school because of test scores and have been greatly disappointed in the lack of morals of the student body. They are a mean and spiteful bunch who are not getting any direction from home on how to behave and how to treat people. Oh, there is LOTS of parent volunteers but this does not make it a great school. Luckily we are moving or I would be moving my child to private school next year because of the bullying, name calling, and lack of friendliness.
—Submitted by a parent

this is a great school you can have hobbies and there is definitely a club for your interests like cooking club or science club whatever it is you can do just about anything as an incoming 6th grader i thought that middle school would be hard, but the teachers give you time in class to do all the work your grade is based on homework and class projects. Homework is not graded by a teacher but by you. But your teacher cheeks to see if you did it all first. You cant turn in you homework late but as i said you can do it in class. I think that this is a great school for all students who want to learn!
—Submitted by a student

We recently moved here from California and are amazed by the positive difference. I have a 6th grader and an 8th grader here - my 6th grader is blossoming at DRMS and tells me that she loves school. My 8th grader tells me that this school is WAY better than what he left in CA. 90% of the teachers are very experienced and professional - the principal is responsive and sensitive, too. Teachers are accessible and let parents know what is happening. Discipline is reasonable and fair. Lots of extra-curricular activities. Beautiful facilities - all in all, even better than we had hoped for.
—Submitted by a parent

Grandson, Brandon found great friends here. He joined the chess club,had a fantastic art teacher, learned tons and won some races in gym. We have 6 kids & l7 grandkids & have been on the boards of many school but this school was fantastic!

I second the May 26th review--the extracurricular activities are great--the discipline is good, but I am a little puzzled by the use of class time for homework and the lack of writing and longer term projects. Unfortunately, I believe that this is more a reflection of the standards in New Mexico. The teachers are great and up until recently, had alot of flexibility in designing their curriculum. Unfortunately, the school is being forced more and more by APS and NLCB to adopt the standardized APS curriculum, to the detriment of the 'better' schools--thus, the emphasis on workbooks and testing. This change is showing up in declining SBA test scores. This is not the fault of the teachers or the administration. I still feel that this school is probably one of the best middle schools that Albuquerque has to offer.
—Submitted by a parent

the school part is great but they pretend that every little time someone breaks a rule that they have to call in the swat team. i got my hat taken away at school because i got caught wearing it inside on the second day of school. To make it worse, my parents had to come pick it up!!!!!! That was ridiculous!!!!!
—Submitted by a student

Awesome school! I really think the gifted program is superstandard, and the teacher are quite understanding of home conflicts, but are hard enough when the excuse is not relevant or believable. Student here, and I think Mr. Starr is one of the best teachers there.
—Submitted by a student

I think this is a very good school. But I'm a little disappointed with the academics. We transferred here from out of state and the curriculum and what is expected of the students seems to be way less than in California. The kids do a lot of workbooks, but not very many projects and very little writing assignments. Also the teachers give the kids time in class to work on homework, so my daughter has very little when she gets home. Most of the grades seem to be dependent on showing up for class and turning in you assignments. The quality of the work, doesn't seem to matter as much. I'm happy that my kid is doing well, but I have some concerns that she might not be very well prepared for high school and beyond. The schools is well organized and does a great job sending home progress reports.
—Submitted by a parent

Being a former student, I know that Desert Ridge is most definitely the best middle school ever. The quality of the academic programs is supreme, and kids have excellent opportunities to work at their level, and the gifted program is splendid. Music, art, sports, and other extracurricular activities are very available, and the parents are completely involved. The teachers are amazing, and really know their stuff. The homework they give really allows the kids to know and comprehend what they're doing and why.
—Submitted by a former student

The classes are competitive and the teachers provide an outstanding education. There aren't many sports opportunities for students, however.
—Submitted by a parent

I feel that the school is very well organized. The school overall is very good. But the one thing that the school lacks is spirit. I know many schools with low test averages but have very high spirit levels. Having a good spirit to come to school is as important than tests itself. If a student does not want to come to school than how can he/she take the test? The same applies to shirt tucking in and uniforms (if this ever occurs) This will make the students despise coming to school more, thus leading to a poor grade. If the students choose to like school they will do better. This is what I feel and if they make these simple corrections they would be the very best school in the united states of america. And I would also like to say I like Mickey Brown. Than is all. Bye.
—Submitted by Roy Bui Tail, a student

This school is very serious about there academics like most schools are but Desert Ridge is a very ordinary school if you ask me.
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderful teached involvement at 6th grade level. Very good art and music programs. Excellent parent participation.
—Submitted by a parent

Desert Ridge was the best school I have ever been to. I learned so much and I had many friends. The teachers are wonderful and I am now a successful student in high school. When I have children, I am going to send them to Desert Ridge. This is one of the best schools in the country. The students are disaplined and respectable and extremeley smart. They always have the highest test scores in the state and in KMO we are always in the top 20 in the nation. This is the best middle school in New Mexico.
—Submitted by a former student

Although large in size, the teachers care very much about individual students and do their best to provide the instruction and personalized attention to each student. The staff, overall, is very qualified and goes beyond the call of duty with many innovative plans. The involvement and commitment of the teachers is extraordinary and it is a gorgeous, safe school.
—Submitted by a teacher

Desert Ridge is a very well taught school. The teachers make it more easier to learn and have better ways of teaching. Desert Ridge is full of academics and learning.
—Submitted by a parent

DRMS is too crowded and it shows in most of the teachers lack of caring for students. The teachers motto is, 'If you don't understand the problem, ask a friend' and after that only ask a teacher for help as a last result.
—Submitted by a parent