I've always heard great things about PLAVAN and the entire Fountain Valley School District. All of…read morethe positive reviews are absolutely true. Plavan does have some of the finest educators in the country. The teachers here are passionate about what they do and always give it their most. I can certainly tell if teachers are burnt out by just observing them. I do not feel that vibe here at Plavan. The teachers here are smart, attentive, and genuinely care about the students and families that they work with. They are very direct and always open for communication. If you have problems they will try to work with you personally until the issues are resolved. Kudos to the Principal, Dr. Ham. He is truly an exceptional boss. He takes good care of his staff. In return, they take good care of the students. Dr. Ham is always out directing traffic in the morning. He knows the name of every student at Plavan and makes an effort to chat with all the parents. This man is very hands-on and leads by example. Shout out to Ms. Jill Summerhays who is the current district teacher of the year. I mean wow, my middle son got to be in her class for 2 years. He was taught by the best. And it shows with all the progress he has made. She has a very unique teaching style and deep understanding of my son's educational needs. She proactively communicates with us and promptly addresses any concerns that we have. Her aides, Ms. Roberta, Ms. Patsy and Ms. Jennifer are so patient and sweet. My son loves going to school. We really enjoy seeing pictures of him doing fun and creative learning activities throughout the year. From the very first day my son started school here, she was so sweet and made us feel comfortable. We felt the love and knew this was the right place for him to learn and thrive. Also shout out to Ms. Jenn Andrews. My oldest son has her this year and it has been wonderful. She would meet with us throughout the school year to discuss his progress and offer ideas and different ways we can help him improve his skills at home. She is an amazing teacher with a lot of compassion and a big heart. You can tell she really loves teaching Kindergarten and helping her students succeed. Her classroom aide, Mrs. Williams is so sweet and great with the kids. In general, Plavan has really set the bar for how a school should be. The front office staff is warm, welcoming and respectful to all the parents who come in. I feel that we get first-class treatment like at a private school. They also try to get the parents involved with the PTO as much as possible. Great job Plavan!

Just as another reviewer mentioned, last school year we also had a big issue with Mrs. Ballesteros…read morehandling of bullying and had to submit report to the district. She failed to contact us when our son was punched unprovoked on the playground and cried. She also did not contact the punching kid's parents. My son was not checked by a nurse. Both kids were promptly released back to class when the recess aid brought them in. When I found out about it through his little sister I asked the principal about it and she completely lied. She said that the other parents were notified and there has been discipline. Little does she know, I know of the parents. Mrs. Ballesteros said that the kids were daring each other and the nurse checked on my son. None of that happened. I had evidence of texts messages between me and the other parent confirming my son's account of what happened and that the school did not notify them either. Long story short. I presented this to the district and Mrs. Ballesteros had me come in and she totally admitted to lying about everything and that "the situation is just rotten and will never happen again." With a new principal at Plavan this year we feel more confident and optimistic. We see him out there directing traffic and being incredibly involved. Our kids tell us he is out there watching the kids during play everyday. This change is very nice. Also, the new added front office staffs helping Kathy are both wonderful. We are very happy.

I just want to say say that this school is good. My son goes…read morehere and the staff is good. The Custodian that works there looks like he is in a Gang. I saw another Man working there who takes his place and dresses very nice. I forget his name, I think it is Ron or something like that. He dresses more professional.

Everyone knows the buddy bench, you sit there and you make friends, only if someone accepts you…read more They always say when two or more people sit on the buddy bench they automatically become friends, I did that with a kid there, he did not like me. We didn't even make eye contact until the end of recess. ESP there is cool too, we got free food and had like a 2nd recess. But when it gets late in the day, there will be homework help, I usually pretend that I forgot I had homework and read the books. Whenever we did a lesson I'll just listen and wait for me to get home so I can ask my mum what should I do for homework. Overall great school, and screw you Quinto

great school, well organized with many awesome teachers. Don't know if she still teaches here but…read moreShout out to Mrs. Reed probably the best teacher there and is still to this day the best teacher i ever had

Pretty good school, there are some really good teachers that really care.... and some that should…read morenot be allowed to interface with the public or teach another student. The principal is a nice person, but seems overwhelmed by district stuff outside his control. I have two children at this school and have had some great experiences with MOST of the teachers and staff.

If you just moved in the area, this is the go to school. Very amazingly good school. The staff is…read morekind, and the students are nice. Overall, I think the school is A+ all together. No teacher is bad. The school even has transitional-kindergarten (T-K) and kindergarten. Everyone has an amazing roll in the school. I really honestly am saying this all from my heart. There are a few things I would change, but not much. This school really has much to give to everybody. The End!

Great school with the exception of one moody teacher. Mrs. Lopez is the worse teacher. Moody…read morebitchy and hostile. One time during the morning. I walked my daughter to the lunch table awaiting school to begin. Well as I walked her up, there was two kids fighting. They were swinging their lunchboxes at each other right in the middle where all the other kids were sitting. As a concerned parent, I immediately walked up to Mrs. Lopez as she talked to another parent. When I interrupted her and she ignored me. Considering the safety of the other kids there, I told her excuse me and she put her hand up to my face. Like a fuking child. I was shocked and walked away and told her. Do your dam job and watch those two boys. Then pointed at them. She of course then ran over to them and t pulled them apart. I walked off thinking what a dumbass teacher.

Being a working mother, I've had to enroll my 2 daughters in private school from an early age. I…read morewas apprehensive to switch my eldest from a private to a public school but after experiencing the best treatment here at Tamura, I'm taking my youngest daughter out of private school earlier than expected and enrolling her here. My eldest daughter had Mr. Plummer as her 1st grade teacher and he truly goes above and beyond for his students. Just recently, during summer break, she got a personalized letter from him! He makes sure all his students feel special, gain confidence, and have fun learning. A Few Activities Cookbook Friday, where she learned how to make healthy snacks. Taking home Mr Plummer's childhood bear over the weekend and then sharing where they went with pictures and a narrative. Bringing to school your parent. This allowed the kids to learn about different occupations and it made my daughter feel special. These are just a few of the amazing things he did for them. Thank you Mr Plummer and Principle Kathy Davis whom I've also had a great experience with.

I came to pickup chromebook for my son. The lady at frontdesk was very friendly and helpful when I…read moreasked so many questions. The office is very nice and clean. The process were very smooth and quickly.

Clean + well-kept building with plenty of parking spots up front…read more I mainly stop by here for the SchoolsFirst FCU Image-ATM that's sitting right outside the main entrance. For those who don't know, the Image-ATMs will actually "read" and scan your checks on the spot. You can then have the machine print out a image copy of your check(s) on your receipt. You do not need a envelope for any types of deposits here. Your checks and cash go straight into the machine. Oh and it'll also verify the different types of denominations of cash you have to deposit too. So you can feed the machine your wad of cash, and it'll count, verify and deposit your cash for you - and then print on your receipt the number of each denomination of cash you deposited. Nifty little device. The ATM is fee-free to members of the Credit Union "CO-OP" network (look for that triangle/COOP symbol on the back of your debit/credit card. The ATM area faces the Fountain Valley Police Department HQ - and with police cars always heading in and out, I do feel safe making deposits/using this ATM (although its always good to practice common sense and be aware of your surroundings).

so like gisler is like ok. thus supervision and the food especially . the tearchers were mostly…read moregood... shoutout to mr. miller ms. dillion mrs. golterman ms lindsey and others. ok the principal now she is rizzless and skibiti. the 1 before was a alpha. mrs. malpass. . when we had those box pizza in fourth grade it was it was so bad. also they had friken pancakes they were goated . mr palule is so preppy. overall ok

My son has had an amazing experience at Gisler Elementary. He loves to come to school each day and…read morehas learned so much in TK. Thank you so much Ms. Lindsey and all of the Gisler Staff.

at least it's close to good places to eat...that has to mean something :/ it's telling me to write…read moremore so i'll just say i'm glad to go to fvhs. thanks guys for listening to my review of my middle school. i'll see u guys at school on monday haha. ok i still have to write more

Too much homework and is in a bad location and needs better equitment and better extracurricular…read moreprograms

Why Fitz Intermediate Deserves a Closer Look: A Critical Perspective…read more When evaluating middle schools across California, academic performance, student support, and overall environment are key indicators of quality. Unfortunately, Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate School in Santa Ana consistently ranks in the bottom tier of these metrics, raising serious concerns about its effectiveness in preparing students for future success. Academic Underperformance Fitz Intermediate ranks in the bottom 50% of all California schools for both math and reading proficiency. Only 25% of students meet math standards, compared to the state average of 33%, and just 44% are proficient in reading, below the state average of 47% A B. These scores suggest systemic issues in curriculum delivery, student engagement, or instructional quality. ‍ Overburdened Classrooms The student-teacher ratio at Fitz is 23:1, higher than the California average of 21:1 A B. While this may seem minor, it can significantly impact individualized attention, especially in a school where many students may need additional academic support. Larger class sizes often correlate with lower student performance and reduced teacher effectiveness. Declining Enrollment and Limited Diversity Enrollment has dropped by 18% over five years A, which may reflect dissatisfaction among families or broader demographic shifts. Additionally, the school's diversity score is 0.23--far below the state average of 0.63 A. While the student body is predominantly Hispanic (over 84%), the lack of broader cultural representation may limit exposure to diverse perspectives and experiences. Socioeconomic Challenges Over 90% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch B, placing Fitz among the top 10% of California schools with the highest poverty rates. While this isn't inherently negative, it underscores the need for robust support systems--academic, emotional, and nutritional--that may be lacking or underfunded. Reputation and Rankings Despite some positive reviews from parents and students, Fitz ranks #930 out of 2,803 public middle schools in California on Niche, and only #523 for teacher quality B. These rankings suggest that while some staff may be dedicated, the school as a whole struggles to compete with higher-performing institutions. --- Conclusion Labeling Fitz Intermediate as "the worst" may be dramatic, but the data paints a troubling picture. Low academic achievement, high poverty rates, and declining enrollment signal a school in need of urgent reform. Rather than ignoring these issues, stakeholders should view them as a call to action--because every student deserves a school that helps them thrive, not just survive.