Freshman at this school I love it, it is amazing I love the people that I met and it's just a…read morereally amazing school I would definitely recommend this school to students who get good grades and don't skip school...because you are just wasting time skipping instead of going to your fun classes. I would recommend MEDs pathway if you are into medicine that's my pathway and I love it! #futureorthodontist

This school has been so very good for my daughter. She is thriving, excelling and being mentored…read moreby her teachers, counselors and staff. The classes are demanding and challenging as I think they should be. If there was a 6th star, I would mark it.

When I was attending that school, the experience was fantastic. Teachers and staff members were…read morekind and courteous. Especially during freshman year when you absolutely have no clue where you are going. There's someone there to guide you. I enlisted in the NAVY'S JRROTC during my 4 yrs there, and the experience was memorable. There are so many events and PT drills. It definitely taught me a few things. Time fly when you're having fun with friends and events. Many things have changed since technology evolved. I wouldn't say you would gain the same experience but more of a fast-paced movement experience. Seems like everyone is doing something solo or collaborating with another. Overall, this school is amazing. I'll definitely recommend it to friends and families. Come check it out and ask for a tour. It's worth it.

The varsity men's soccer coach has NO discipline. He came to our school and had him and his whole…read moreteam charge their phone, curse, and make a mess in our home bleachers. Mind you, they have their own visitors bleachers. The coach has no regard, lacks common sense, and feels entitled to go where he please. Absolutely unprofessional and a shame to have a coach "lead" his time in this way.

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.

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.

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.

My 3 daughters are currently enrolled in this school, one senior and two sophomores. It's by far…read morethe best HS in Long Beach. All the students have access to team sports. The school has solid academic instruction (2008 academic decathlon champs) and has a good mix of AP and honors classes. Tuition is by far the most affordable in the area. Student population is less that 400. It may not be in the best area in Long Beach but in the fours year that my eldest daughter has gone there, she has always been safe.

I like how the review of my school is by someone who did not even go there. I got a quality…read moreeducation and met people who have been friends ever since. The neighborhood is not the best but it was a great four years!

This school in my opinion is ok but it could be better. One day walking in to the gates this staff…read morewanted to dress code me for having to short shorts but my dad was ok with me wearing the shorts, I don't understand why they only focus on girls clothes and especially if their parents allow them to wear that outfit. There are math teachers that can't teach students, they give notes then hand out the class work and expect the students to understand the work. Honestly this school has some really good teachers and really bad teachers as well. I would rank it a 6/10 or 3/5.

Anyone who gives a five star is crazy. I went to this middle school and I DO NOT recommend. The…read morestaff is rude I got detention for no reason once and I now worry about how I dress and look like to people because of them. One of the staff even told me I wont ever get a job or I wont be successful... Yeah differently do not go here its not worth it. And they denied everything wrong with this school. Lots of fights someone almost punched me because I slipped on mud. And there "fun fests" are not fun everything costs money. They do not care about special needs people I have anxiety and ADHD and anytime I tap on the desk they get mad like if they cant even do that then don't work or go here. There is just so much that happened to me at my time here and it wasn't even good and when I say there is so much that happened I cant even write it all down so yeah. One positive was this teacher named Mr. Borg he was so nice and helpful he was the only person I liked in that school. Don't go here please go to a better school.

To be honest the 4 years spent here did nothing, only dropped my grade. Colleges won't except me…read morenow due to the fact that I had a 2.0 GPA. If I would have went to Millikan I would have easily gotten 4.0 GPA.

If I could it would be zero stars James mills should not be a teacher neither araya they both give…read morethe students an attitude and they clearly don't like to teach.

We are not year-round family at Westerly, but we consistently return for their summer camp…read more Our eleven-year-old son had attended all the local summer camps in Long Beach--JCC, 49'er camp, the city's parks and recs--over the past few years, and he ranks Westerly the highest among all camp experiences. The staff is accommodating, the hours are flexible (7:30 am to 5:30 pm), and he has a great time.

What can I say. Our family loves Westerly! Our eldest started at one of Long Beach's blue ribbon…read moreschools, but with the huge classes we decided to take a look at Westerly and we couldn't go back. Since then all our kids have thrived in their Westerly experience. It starts with a sizable campus with a beautiful grass field for sports and activities, newly constructed learning studios and the amazing arts village. What a great place to learn. Then the passionate teachers and staff deliver a whole child program, with a better than 10:1 student/teacher ratio. The Westerly program includes: Curriculum and instruction - Enthusiastic teachers with a well thought out curriculum and small class sizes enabling teachers to adapt the curriculum to the needs of your child. Technology/STEM - Westerly recently hired a full-time Director of Instructional Technology to enhance an already strong technology/STEM program throughout the curriculum. Think coding in class, 3D printing, science and engineering fairs, etc. Visual and performing arts - Incorporated in the curriculum is an annual school-wide play lead by the folks at TKTC. The visual arts program is second to none with the kids being exposed to public arts projects, ceramics in the new ceramics studio, mixed media, painting, photography, etc. I wish I could take the classes myself. Wildcat, the after school program is a blessing. Our kids beg to go to Wildcat to play with their friends, work on yearbook, take film, dance, music, robotics and other after school enrichment activities. Athletics - A legitimate, well-run PE program with enthusiastic instruction and basketball, volleyball, football teams throughout elementary and middle school. Music - Every child takes both general and instrumental music as part of their Westerly experience. Spanish - Kindergarten through 8th grade all the kids get introduced to the Spanish language through a dedicated Spanish instructor. Leadership - This is quite possibly one of the most amazing parts of the curriculum. Continuing on the theme of whole child education the Director of Student Affairs leads an amazing program that goes so beyond student council, creating leadership opportunities for so many children. Programs like student council, district representatives, green team, etc., start in Kindergarten and the kids grow in responsibility as the children grow themselves. Each child also gains leadership responsibilities as a student mentor, where each older student is paired with a younger student as a mentor. Service learning and field studies - As the kids grow in maturity so do the service learning and field studies. Our children have enjoyed trips to Catalina and other local camps, but the highlight of the program is a one week trip in 8th grade where the whole class travels to Nicaragua to conduct a service learning project, practice their spanish, and are exposed to a different culture and way of life that they are used to. Community - Westerly is a place where without question every family places a priority on securing a great, well-rounded education for their children. Being in an environment like this is so fantastic. Independent school is not cheap, but in our minds it's the best gift we can give to our children. Westerly also offers significant financial aid support, so if that is an issue be sure to discuss your situation with the school to see if they can make something work for your family. P.S. This may sound like a paid ad, but it's our true feelings about this place. It's really special.

I've heard good things about this school and have driven by it for several years. In the back of my…read moremind, I've kind of always thought it would be nice if my son could come here in this area. Several years later, my son is now a 6th grader and we finally got a chance to ask questions at the school of choice fair and I was impressed with how a young boy was so enthusiastic and informative about his school. I got to meet the Principal Mr. Chu and decided this was my son's new school! He had friends going to other schools but the area, the program, etc... sold me. Open School day (or whatever it was called) and orientation day, we got to take a tour and get familiar with his classes. He got to make new friends right away and they bonded over Roblox, etc. The staff have been so supportive and kind and helpful! I love this school and look forward to a great 6-8 grade experience with my son. Thank you guys!

Always getting bullied, teachers yelling for no reason, students being... weird…read more Education great, nice principal, some good educating teachers, and fun events

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.

its not the best school in the world but not the worst. The students are sort of rude to my child…read more If you really want your kid to go there so be it they have really good state teat results though. Try it for ur self