Manassas Park Middle School

It seems that this school is really making the extra effort to obtain the SOL with the state of VA but what we are really concerned with is the lack of involvement from administration concerning Bullying. Our kid has been bullied since day one when he started MPMS. Not to be aggressive or dimean anybody, the school is highly diversed and I believe that plays a major role in the way kids treat each other. We are seriously contemplating the idea of putting our son in to private school...our son is definitely not getting back what he is putting forth as effort.
--Submitted by a parent

Manassas Park opened their new state-of-the-art school in October, 2006. Many of the teachers hold their Master's degrees and are educated beyond the state's definition of highly qualified. Discipline can be a problem, but that is true of just about any secondary school anymore. I think my parent involvement tended to lessen as my children got older. Entering the middle school can be difficult because they are (generally) not treated as elementary schoolers any longer. After school activites are good, especially the sports programs. Buses are available so parents don't have to take off work to pick their kids up, which is pretty handy. The new principal came from elementary & high school environment. Overall I feel the students are in a safe, caring, quality environment.
--Submitted by a teacher

It seems as if 'some' of the teachers expect the parents to shoulder most of the responsibility for 'educating the students'. I have no problem with being involved, but I spend tax-dollars for the teachers to be the ones that educate the students. For example, instead of the teachers making themselves available to students in completing projects, they expect the parents to shoulder the weight. I work full-time in addition to caring for my child and taking care of my other responsiblities. The last thing that I need is to sit with my child and make sure that he/she understands a subject when that is the reason why I'm sending them to school. I don't want this to sound as if I don't care about my childs education because - I do! I just think that the teachers need to make sure they explain things in class better.
--Submitted by a parent

The teachers in this school are great educators and show that they care. The school has done some fix up work and is taking care of it but it still is a little out of shape (but then again it is 25 years old). They also try to give the kids some fun after school activities or just some regular help for classes they aren't getting so overall its a pretty good school. Though the discipline there is a little too hard on the kids at times.
--Submitted by a parent

This school has good teachers who cares about the student and how they learn. The discipline aspect of the school is not that great though. The school also is not in that great of shape.
--Submitted by a former student