Martin Middle School

My son started Martin this year, and we have been very pleased with his education. The elective classes are wonderful - so much choice! We also love the school's use of Blackboard and SPAN. It's very easy to track your child's progress! High quality teachers overall.
—Submitted by a parent

We were so pleased with Martin the first year, but this second year has been a disaster for our daughter. Bullying and teasing runs rampant at this school, and the administration does little to address this other than lump all the kids together, and blame the victim as well. We have heard this from numerous other parents as well, who are frustrated. There is poor communication between teachers and parents, lack of response to emails from parents, and poor behavior on the part of the teachers, who have modeled immature behavior to students and, in my opinion, reinforced the bullying that is taking place.
—Submitted by a parent

Both my daughters go to this school 6th grade and 8th grade. This school is very good.
—Submitted by a parent

I cannot begin to tell you how disappointed I am in this school. Parents! Middle School is so very, very important to your child's overall functioning as an adult, but unfortunately no one at Martin gets this, no matter how many times they tell you the reason they do what they do is because they "care about kids." This is a loosely jointed, harried example of a public school, not worth the cost of purchasing in the base district and probably not worth your child's transportation time to the school. Despite strong beliefs in public schools, the Martin experience drove us into private schooling. Our child's future is worth that to us.
—Submitted by a parent

If your child has special needs, FORGET IT! They target special needs kids at this school for bullying and the principal and guidance staff do not care at all.
—Submitted by a parent

Im am a student here and I love this school! I have met very good people here and its great!!

Our son attended Martin this past year. Our home school is Leesville. Martin is atrocious academically and as a positive learning environment. If this is truly a magnet school based on merit than the Wake County school system is REALLY in trouble! The teachers at Martin are a colossal, calamitous combination of incompetency and indifference (3 of our sons teachers spoke mostly of their imminent retirement plans!). We tried to pull our son back to Leesville but were put on a waiting list (despite being < 1 mile from the school) -- why, because Martin has unfilled openings -- hum!? This school is so bad they even swapped principals mid year! Take our advise, steer clear of the Martin mirage!
—Submitted by a parent

I went to Martin for my sixth grade year and it was great! The teachers were great and helped me when i needed it. When i was applying for the electives that i wanted, i was shocked. There were so many!. I had an A in modern dance, even though i couldn't (and still can't) dance to save my life. Overall, this school was terrific!

Martin is a great school that combines the best of a neighborhood school and a magnet program. My daughter is in her first year there and thriving. She has options for many diverse electives. But more important is the interest that her teachers, principal and the whole staff show in the students. We live in walking distance of Martin and love the community feel. We could have chosen from several magnets farther from our home but we chose Martin for its solid academics, its electives and its staff. For us it is a winning combination.
—Submitted by a parent

overall, a very good school. As in any school, you will see power-hungry teachers and teachers that should have retired long ago. The drama teacher is fabulous! The orchestra teacher is also really good. The principal is very good - he really does care about the school.
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter attended Martin Middle School. She is now in college and still talks about the great education she received at Martin. She thrived in the academic and social environment. Martin does a beautiful job combining the interest of the child along with strong academics. This school may not be the school for everyone ,but if you have a child who is looking for more, this school will not let you down. Thank you Martin MS. Proud parent:)
—Submitted by a parent

Martin Middle School has an excellent band, but the academic preformance isn't as good as Ligon Middle School. Ligon Middle School is the best school for your child.
—Submitted by a parent

MMS used to have a great reputation. My child has attended for three years; unfortunately the school is a big disappointment. It had been known for creativity and high academic standards;in our experience, this no longer applies. Each year, my child has had one or two excellent classroom teachers out of six or seven horrendously mediocre ones. They seem to do the bare minimum. I rarely see a teacher bring anything extra to the table. I also do not see a very diverse staff or much attention paid to diversity in terms of material and atmosphere. The school seems to have lost its way. The new principal is trying; however I do not sense a clear vision for what Martin can be and will be. I would love to see a dynamic, creative, school, with high academic and teaching standards, where everyone enthusiastially embraces a common vision and mission.
—Submitted by a parent