John Muir Elementary School in Burbank, California

“I love John Muir at first I was worried that since it was public my daughter wouldn't get the same educational oppurtunites or saftey. But it's great there's a wonderful communication between parents and teacher's The new Principal is very nice, she understands the needs of children and parent's. I had concidered going to SMASH which is another wonderful school (both connected) but I can't find one single reason to do so. My daughter's kindergarten / 1st grade class learns so much. (Ms. Herman ) her teacher knows what she's doing and does it quite well. She also encourages parent participation in the learning and development.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I have been a proud parent of the John Muir community for three years. Each year brings an increase in pride and confidence in the school as I have witnessed the growth of the students, the commitment of the teachers and the improvements to the administration. There is a new principal this year who is proving to be a phenomenal addition to the school. Her leadership, dedication, attention to pertinent issues and consistent follow through could very well propel this school to its fullest potential. Parent involvement is embraced and is greatly increasing every year which makes a huge difference not only in terms of the strength of our community, but for the implementation of programs such as art, science, music and computer lab through the efforts of our PTA. I would recommend this neighborhood school to other families without hesitation.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We actually had a choice of schools in Santa Monica and opted for John Muir after learning about the wonderful programs (including art, music, computer and science) as well as realizing the rich experience given the diverse population. Parent input and children's individuality are highly valued and the sense of community is strong. Our son has had a great 2 years there and our daughter can't wait to start kindergarten there next fall. We highly recommend this gem of an elementary school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“In my opinion, John Muir is a great school! This year, my son has a great teacher (Ms. Vallejo). She has a consistent system of rewards for her students as a part of her great classroom management skills, and she adjusts her teaching style and academic materials to the students needs (i.e., based on progress that she evaluates throughout the school year). Her lessons appear meaningful and fun, based on my son s reports. I feel that, as a result, my son was able to develop a positive attitude about his school and learning in general. In terms of buildings and grounds, John Muir Elementary School is a colorful, pleasant and well maintained environment for kids. The principal is open minded and cares about the community. She participates in all school related functions and is an integral part of our school community.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I feel good about John Muir. It's a small school which is wonderful. I love that we know so many of the families. The parent involvement is great. The kids have a good time and I appreciate the freedom they have in the yard. The teachers we've had so far have been excellent. Nurturing, but with enough discipline to keep things together. It's a charming school with diversity, a small town feel, caring teachers and principal. The kids seem to feel comfortable and supported. I'm really thrilled so far!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Both of my children have attended John Muir School. If you have a child that is in need of special education services, this is not the best venue. I found the principal to be very ineffective in leadership. However, there is a lot of parent involvement and a handful of the teachers in general education are outstanding. Safety is also another area where this school needs a lot of improvement due to the lack of disciplinary actions that are taken against students who bully other children.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My son attended Muir from Kindergarten through fifth grade. We loved every year there. The campus always felt very safe; the teachers were caring and experienced. The classrooms were large and clean. There were sufficient numbers of Apple computers for all students to use. We has some memorable tecahers, including Sue Beltran, Daniel Wheeler and Luis Brizuela.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Well, they try - but my experience with this school has been awful! The school is very disorganized and unfortunately my son got the worst teacher! She is extremely disorganized and seems to focus on the child's weaknesses in a very bad way! Overall a bad choice!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Awful shcool. Needs better teachers! And a new principal wouldn't hurt!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“John Muir School is a small, neighboordhood school with incredible diversity among its students and teachers. Test scores have been steadily rising, and the achievement gap is closing at Muir!. The students benefit from a variety of enrichment programs, too. Parents work hard to raise money for fundamental programs in science (weekly science lessons with our dedicated science teacher), art (weekly visits to our art bungalow with our P.S. Arts teacher), and technology (weekly visits to our brand new computer lab, too). Lower grade students also have weekly music lessons, upper grade students enjoy an inclusive instrumental music program, which includes bi-weekly instruction and free use of a musical instrument. Parents volunteer in the classroom, around the campus, and at fundraising events... giving their time and talents to ensure that our students have the tools they need to meet the challenges of the 21st century.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Overall, a good school. I would prefer if they had a gifted program or taking children to the next level as they do in SMASH. The fund-raising is a bit too much, though. That's probably more to do with the way money is allocated and teachers' salaries, which are deserved, but really wish they didn't have to do as much fund-raising.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The academics seems below what would be desirable, although this is changing. They offer a good selection of arts and music, but they do not emphasize good citizenship or contributing back to the school. The main focus right now is on improving academic reputation and other areas are suffering as a result. The principal is not a strong leader and her lack of people skills makes most school events awkward which might explain why not many parents get involved.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My son started John Muir two weeks after his fifth birthday. Given that kindergarten is an important milestone for all kids, I was concerned that he might be too young to start, however, pre-school teachers, friends and family told me that this was not a worry. My son has matured over the course of the year and has a very patient and creative teacher that he likes. My only concern is that there is an overall lack of planning and discipline for the school. The 'yard' is a free for all where big kids 'graders' and 'little' kids all run about. Also, the extraordinary amount of homework papers would seem to underline that there is very little structure for completing assignments during school hours. The 'home' workload that is given for a 5 year old but seems to be more appropriate for a much older child.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I moved here from the east coast and absolutely love this school. So much attention is given to the students.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“John Muir is a pretty good school for most kids. However, my son needed an accelerated learning opportunity which he was not given. Hence he is not as excited about learning as he once was, and has become bored. Instead of the teacher challenging him to do better, she labeled him as being very bright, but 'lazy' and interested at times. There are good things about the school however. They do encourage parent participation and try to incorporate cultural diversified learning.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“John Muir Elementary is one of the few school with a brand new campus and excellent facilities. The teachers are fully involved and inspiring to the students. 'They are fun and strict, but nice and kind.' (quote from child) My daughters have been there since kindergarten and have had a loving supportive environment in which to grow. It is one of the few small schools in the area and everyone knows each other.”
This review was posted by a parent.