This is coming from a Marshall Academy alumni - Class of 2026…read more Today is June 26th, 2026--Wow, time flies, I am now a freshman at CAMS. From the bottom, Marshall Academy of the Arts has been a very cool school to be in--but it solely depends on the people you meet. Internally--I was very excited for my first day at Marshall, externally--nervous. Because as a Hudson K-8 School alumni, which is 15 minutes away, I barely know anybody, and the only 1 out of 3 person attending Marshall from Hudson, I was very nervous - because none of my friends were coming with me - most of them went to IVA, Stephens, or Hughes. However, that's where the WEB leaders stepped in--they were very friendly, guiding, and most of the 7th/8th graders are very nice. I was very lost when guiding through the campus--nearly becoming tardy to my 7th period class--however, as soon as I knew where that class was, a WEB leader still came up to me and offered me help--even though I denied his offer. In 6th grade, which is also my favorite year, they will literally make it fun. The activities are so fun and I think everybody will like it. Lunchtime was peak for me during this grade as well. They did more WEB bonding events (WEB leader event, dances, and carnivals etc.) Moving on, the staff... Most of the staff, including those that formerly work here are so cool, it merely depends on who you meet though. Some, of them I will positively mention: Mrs. Clements is literally a person that has a heart of pure gold. She is one of the nicest, and sweetest teachers you will ever have if you take orchestra. She consistently shows her beautiful smile, she is very mentoring, and she teaches everything so well. If you're really into music, I highly recommend taking orchestra. That also goes to my history teacher, who no longer works here unfortunately... Mr. Godsil. Mr Godsil is a true definition of funny. Mr Godsil will literally make your history class so fun, he consistently smiles at funny times, jokes around with us, and is overall a very cool teacher. He would occasionally give us bananas because of how awesome we are. Outside of the classroom, he is actually a very cool person to talk to, we would talk about school life, my elementary school teachers (yes, he used to work at my elementary school when it was K-8), and gaming. The rest of my teachers were very cool. Though I had great relationships with teachers, if you ever come to Marshall, I want you to be aware of some teachers in eighth grade. Mr. Cayamanda--he is actually pretty cool to talk to outside the classroom, but academic wise, that's a different story. Mr. Cayamanda will demand absolute perfection--in my experience, he yelled at me simply because I was unable to get some tasks right. He claims to push his students but it was a different story. (in my opinion) it depends on how you perform. For me, though I had an A, needed a lot of patience however he did push me to my limits. Personally, another thing I want you guys to be aware of his judgement.--When I ran my hard earned 10 laps on an assessment, he thought I marked my name twice--I didn't! I worked all my middle school career for 10 laps just for it to be mistakenly counted as 9.--Man, what kind of teaching is that? Overall I did have chill times in his class but he will yell at you for making mistakes, so be aware. If you're a guy like me, who may need patience and a more relaxed environment, you're better off with Mr. Rubin--he is a good example of those and he is chill most of the time, just don't play around in his class! Another teacher to be aware of is Mrs. Robertson. (Yes, I got student of the year from her, but still) Mrs. Robertson is chill whenever she wants to, however one thing I don't like about her is her philosophy and wording. I am a guy who needs repetition, so I can understand the concept. Mrs. Robertson will not fulfill that request, every time you ask for clarification, she will yell at you or crash out on you--while not even letting you finish your sentence. I understand she may not like repeating herself, but there is some people who may need it. One thing I want you guys to be aware of is how she words things.--From my experience, she says stuff like "you have a brain, use it" "I'm only human so you better listen up" "I guess I am speaking Spanish because y'all can't follow simply instructions" and even said this to one of my classmates: "If I could, I would whip you, but I love my job so much"--long story short, go with Ms. Kim if you're not interested in a personality like that. If you're a new 6th grader, coming from me (a former WEB leader), my best advice for you is to make great memories. Just like in this 1 minute video, you can see how much memories I've made. These great memories will linger onto for the rest of your life. My favorite year personally was 6th grade. Enjoy that grade while you can, especially 8th grade. Peace... Marshall will forever be the home to great memories.

This school is awful, the guidance counselors don't really care how you feel and are rude. Same…read morewith the principal. This school does nothing about the bullying and fights, all they do is separate the people for a short period of time. The only good teacher at this school are Mrs Weber, any of the other teachers are extremely rude and uncaring. This school does absolutely nothing when it comes to anything negative happening to you.

My kindergartner has attended the last 3yrs. Now my 2yr old is enrolled in preschool, joining her…read morebig sister, and my wife and I couldn't be happier with their education. Bethany has been the only school where the anxiety of dropping off my little ones is nonexistent. The devoted staff is cheerful, nurturing, diligent and above all Christ-centered. The kids pray, which often helps when they're assigned their homework. Iron definitely sharpens iron at Bethany. The curriculum is challenging and individually focused. We reluctantly tried another private school closer to work but decided to return once we noticed the higher standard set by Bethany. The other school's lack of parent involvement and feedback just wasn't what we were used to. Growing up in the LBUSD, I sometimes found private schools to be a little culturally sheltered in my search for the "perfect" school but this is another area where Bethany rises and shines like their "Daddy~day" donuts. The student body and staff truly reflect Long Beach diversity.

We love bethany! My son started here pre-k summer camp and now hes going to be in 2nd grade…read more Bethany has become our family/community.

I can't believe the rating for this school is this low. I am not an easy person to please…read moresometimes, and wouldn't write a fluff review if it wasn't earned. Our son went to LCS from kinder to 6th, and got an EXCELLENT education. Not just that, but a Christ centered education, focused on family and caring for others. The administrative staff in the elementary school was some of the best management I have ever seen. Any issues were addressed quickly, professionally, and always with a smile and understanding these are young kids (and perhaps new parents.) There was some turn over with teachers that retired or moved, and I felt blessed to have had Kevin experience them before they did so. The new teachers are hand picked and committed. We don't have an opinion on the middle school, but the elementary side was everything you could want and hope for. If you are debating where to spend your hard earned money, and are worried about getting the education you expect, trust Mrs Barton and these teachers to shepherd your kid to a relationship with God, and quality education. P.S. The first year of covid was rough on everyone, but by week 2 things were up and running smoothly. Incredible. The second year of covid, it was like any day of class in elementary school. (They did all this over Zoom) I don't know how they pulled it off so well. But they did

The most amazing staff and best education available with a solid Christian world view. Love this…read moreplace.

Fantastic school. IVA provides a great education while also shaping the children's character…read more I've had three children attend IVA and they've learned valuable skills needed for high school and beyond. The entire staff cares deeply about the students wellbeing. During covid they pivoted very quickly to distance learning and have provided engaging ways for the students to learn during distance learning.

My daughter is in 7th grade and very happy here. I have been so impressed with IVA since my…read moredaughter started last year. The communication from the school and the inclusiveness has made it a great experience for us. Students are respected, their voices are heard and they are made to feel like their opinions matter. The virtues are there to make them feel empowered as students. The weekly advisory meeting they have once a week for all students is great because it helps them understand and know the virtues and how to apply them to their work. Sixth grade is a learning curve and IVA gets that. One thing to know about the school is that since kids are coming from all different schools and school settings it's easier to make friends. There are no clicks in place. This year they also made it phone free. No phones at school. However, they can use them after school. I have read past reviews that said the school is not diverse and not for people of color. This from our experience is not true at all. Maybe in past years this was the case but it is no longer this way. IVA is very racially and socioeconomically diverse. It is a true representation of Long Beach in that regard. If you are a parent who wants to volunteer and see what is going on at the school there are plenty of opportunities, field trip opportunities, dances every year, a chili cook off, and family breakfast/lunches hosted by the school. There is a weekly newsletter, outlining all events coming up. How you can get involved, sports info, field trips etc... They make it very difficult for you to miss something. My daughter loved the dances last year. They are more like a fun party. There is no pressure to have a date or anything like that. They make them very low pressure like come in your PJ's etc... It's just an opportunity to hang out with friends outside of school. The staff and teachers will all know your child's name. I think this matters to my daughter. We live in Belmont Heights and had an opportunity to send her to Rogers as well. It's not quite our home school but it is a lot closer to us than IVA and I wanted her to go there. She would have had friends closer and I wanted that for her. However, after my daughter toured IVA in 5th grade, she made her mind up that she wanted to experience the smaller school and smaller class setting. She loved seeing students laughing in class with the teachers and sitting at little tables. The teachers were young and they didn't look miserable. The principal, Mrs. Bryant who led our tour was very dynamic and genuine. My daughter noticed these things and pushed for us to let her try IVA out. Her experience so far has not disappointed her. She has liked or loved almost all of her teachers. This is so important and this is coming from a student who struggles in school. She has an IEP for a reading disability. School is not easy for her. This is another reason I was hesitant on IVA. I wanted to her to have more options concerning her IEP and a bigger school can provide this. So far, her accommodations at IVA are working for her. She has also made friends with a great group of girls who are from all over Long Beach. In truth this is something I was also dreading but it's ok! She is happy! The parents of her friends are the type of parents who want the best for their kids. They will drive. This is how most of the parents are at this school as well. When volunteer sign ups come out for some event, the list gets filled up fast! Most of the parents at the school care. So far my daughter has joined Track and Cross Country. She also wants to play soccer this year. They do have team sports at IVA but it is on a smaller scale than a larger school. It's great for kids that want to try sports but might be intimidated at a bigger school with a lot of talented athletes. Not to say that there aren't some talented athletes here but it's not the focus of the school. If you're wondering about academics. I have heard wonderful things from parents who have had older siblings that graduated from IVA. One parent in particular shared with me that when her son started at his private High School (Bosco) after IVA, he was placed in honors classes which surprised her because her son was a B/C student at IVA. She felt the education he received at IVA was top notch, taught him how to be a student and actually engage in what he learned. Lastly, I just want to give a shout out to Mrs. Gordon, the dean of students and Mrs. Bryant the principal. These women care about your student. The love and dedication they put into their job is truly impressive.

Moving my children to Valley Christian I high school was a game changer. I expected it to take…read moremonths, but the change in my first child was nearly instant (volleyball practices prior to school starting). She found good friends of great faith. 8 years later those friends are significant and living lives of goodness and meaning. As COVID began, we moved our youngest child to Valley Christian. He immediately recognized the kindness and love in the teaching staff, his peers, and the families. The Valley Christian schools have been a true gift to our family. My wife and I long ago agreed that there is no better way to use our limited resources.

Is Valley a Christian school in name only?…read more If you are thinking about placing your child here, I can give you some insight. My wife and I were so green her freshman year. I could barely contain my excitement. Giving our daughter the gift of a private school education seemed out of reach, but Valley was accommodating. We made it happen, and that year was epic! My daughter played four sports and did really well in all of them. She finished with a 3.9 GPA, and we could not have been happier. Then, prior to classes starting sophomore year, at the girls' volleyball tryouts, we encountered something that we had only heard about and, transparently, did not believe existed: The Dutch Mafia! A quick history lesson: Valley was founded in 1935, and its historical ties trace back to Dutch immigrant communities in the local area (like Bellflower and Cerritos) who established it as a Reformed Christian day school. Some of the families who founded the school are still there--hence the term "Dutch Mafia." Now, back to the volleyball tryouts. There are a lot of details that could tell the story, but to keep an already long review a bit shorter, I will say this: based on how they separated the girls, we knew who was going to make which team. To say it was NOT based on ability, skill, or team needs is an understatement. I couldn't believe what was happening, but I should have known what was to come because of a foreshadowing incident during freshman season. Our starting libero was taken out in the middle of a game and had to give her jersey to the backup--not because she was playing badly or missing balls, but because the backup's mother complained to the head coach that her daughter wasn't getting playing time. That player's mother is a teacher at Valley, and our starter never went back into the game. When the team lists were emailed out, we understood what was happening. Returning players and incoming freshmen who were related to staff and coaches were placed on Varsity, even though they frankly were not that good. Girls who had been in the program since freshman year were not even given roster spots because they were seniors, and Varsity was the only option for them. I did the math after the lists came out: 44% of the available positions were given to freshman players. So, the incoming "Dutch" girls were so good that they took up almost half the roster spots across all three teams? Not likely. There was also some controversy that ended up getting the Varsity head coach, Jeff Ornee, unfairly dismissed. I found out later that the loudest voice calling for his termination was the coach who took over sophomore year. She completely destroyed the program with team selections based on clear nepotism and favoritism. She is a teacher at the school, by the way, and did such a horrible job that she quit, leading to another teacher taking over. I had high hopes, but the current coach is even worse. My daughter was placed on the frosh/soph team for her first two years and JV her junior year. She didn't make the Varsity team her senior year, and by now, you know why. By that time, she was completely burnt out on volleyball and having breakdowns, feeling like she wasn't good enough. Thankfully, she transitioned to an uncoveted sport (track & field) and no longer wanted to play volleyball for Valley or her club team. Our story is uniquely ours, but I can tell you that it is not the only one, and by far not the worst. I have firsthand knowledge of others, but those stories are not mine to tell. I would like to say that the teachers, security, and staff working behind the front desk at Valley Christian School were some of the sweetest and kindest people I've met. This review is not a reflection of them, their hard work, or their good hearts. Valley has some awesome traditions (Christmas time is epic), and if you choose to send your child here, they will receive a top-notch education and awesome Christian experiences--as long as they don't play one of the coveted sports.

As someone somewhere sometimes and always has often said, high school and other milestone…read moreexperiences in life is what you make of it. As the mother of two sons who have successfully graduated with high honors at this school, I come away from here having generally positive thoughts and feelings about their particular high school journeys. In total, I was a Millikan parent for 6 years from 2017 thru 2023. During these years, I saw them transition to Zoom instruction during Covid, then return to in-person classes. It is a large school of about 3,000-4000 students. There are many options for A-G requirement courses (English, Math, Science etc), many AP courses available to choose from (such as Human Geography, Computer Science, French, German etc.) and various electives offered (such as Dance, Jazz, Band, Vocal, Photography, Museum studies, etc). I can speak highly of the COMPASS program in which my First-Born was a part of--allowing him to be surrounded by creative oriented peers and teachers. And I can also speak highly of the PEACE program which my Youngest was a part of allowing him to be surrounded by social justice oriented peers and teachers. Both programs allow for high achieving goals as you can choose to take as many AP courses as you want at your discretion and ability level. The cost of taking the test for the students is $5.00 (the district pays for the difference which is something over $100) and allows the student to take the commendable risk of taking the test without too much pressure cost wise--and the rewards of passing is actual college credit that not only saves time but helps stamp down costs for college. As parents, we're particularly grateful for these benefits. They have career counseling, tutoring services, and they help with college applications, filling out the FAFSA etc. I also believe they have a Food Pantry to help out students with food insecurity and other services offered...please contact the school directly to inquire about these services and take advantage of them as needed. We're not a sports family, but they also have a variety of sports--some highly recognized and many of these athletes win scholarships. Are there down sides? Yes. As with any school, I'm sure, not every class and/or teacher is talented or dedicated. For the highly motivated student, the need to effectively navigate these situations (often with palpable frustration) is necessary. Some teachers are called to be teachers, some see it as just a job and a paycheck. I wish it didn't have to be that way, but that's just the truth and a real part of the experience. I wish the Administration kept a better eye on these situations to make sure they hire the best staff for the benefit of the students--but that will be an on-going issue, at this school and anywhere else. The vaping...you definitely hear stories. And the school feels that locking bathrooms is a way to discourage this situation--except now students have the challenge to find restrooms that are open. Definitely not ideal. And I'm sure there are many other negative experiences and stories out there. The existence and absence of drama is a personal one and really just depends on the student. The school does have a uniform policy--not terribly difficult to follow and frankly, cost effective. Overall advice: research the surrounding high schools since LBUSD does have a School of Choice policy. Attend the Site Nights and feel out the fit for your student. Some feel more right than others. Millikan, at least for us, was the best fit.

Granted, my son only had his first day of school as a freshman, but he loved the school already…read more I went to orientation with him, and we both fell in love with the dedicated staff and the large and very diverse student body. The campus is old and showing its age, but just as with any school, it's the software that matters.

I do not recommend the school and this is why so on Monday, March 25 my children were at school and…read morethey didn't have a drill drill. They had a real walk down and there was a threat to the school. I didn't know till I seen other children getting picked up. They did not notify me or any other parents that it was a threat to the school so I do not recommend this school

I was skeptical about this school at first. Reading all the reviews here and on google. But as for…read moremy experience, it's been great. Mrs. Domino and Mrs. Manning are awesome. The staff are amazing too! I've met really great and caring teachers. Also the schools PTA does a lot for the kids. (All kids, not just their own kids) My daughter did have trouble at first. But she's shy and I spoke with the teacher. And now she is so outgoing and loves going to school. The school has a lot of positive behavior incentives. To encourage the kids to behave. Like I said, I speak from my experience. And I've seen some kids not caring. And the school can only do so much. I've spoken to and seen some parents who could care less. Sometimes the parents have to take the initiative and speak with their children. Plus the school is here to teach education not raise your kids.

My daughter has been coming to this school since 1st grade (transferred here) All I can say is that…read moreboth of her teachers were great! I love how involved the principal is with the kids. Mrs. Escobar (2nd grade teacher) did an AMAZING job, my daughter loves her so much. All the stuff that she learned amazed me! I've seen so much progress with my daughter. Can't wait to see what next year has planned for her. All staff are helpful, friendly and above and beyond.

bad school, Mrs.platt yelled in my face and made me cry once, also the kids are meanread more