Mesa View Middle School

I have had a child in this school for the last 6 years, and my son is graduating this year. This school has gone downhill badly.
When my daughter started, the school had a very strong culture of caring and respect, which was nurtured and reinforced by the principal and vice principal through frequent assemblies and communications. There was very little bullying, the kids were well behaved, and I was happy to send my kids there.
2 vice principals and one principal change later, it is like a different school. Kids walk down the middle of the street before and after school without regard for others (even the teachers don’t use the crosswalks, why should the kids?), there is little or no supervision on the school grounds, and every week brings a new petty rule that does nothing but make the kids miserable and give extra reasons to punish them. The rule that started it all, the «No hugging» rule, has snowballed into arbitrary lines and harsh punishments everywhere.
The problem at this school is NOT the «minority» kids– there were just as many nonwhite kids there 6 years ago (interesting how when minority kids hang out with each other it’s called a «gang.» My kids hang out with other kids too, and they just call each other «friends.» Anyway, my son has had some minor bullying, and none of it has been «minority» kids.) The problem is that the school has no leadership, and the kids don’t respect the staff because the staff doesn’t respect them.
People are really quick to blame problems on «the minorities,» but in middle schools bullying WILL happen unless the school leadership proactively prevents it. This school is a perfect example of what happens when only weak and partial measures take the place of a whole-​school program aimed at helping the kids get along.
Regarding race relations at this school. My children are «minority» children, although probably not of the minority that most parents object to (this is Orange County, though, one never knows). They hear really insensitive and racist comments from the other students and the teachers generally don’t do anything. Only half of the kids at this school identify as white, so it is a very diverse school, yet many of the kids come from intolerant households and hear negative stereotypes about the kids they are in school with every day, which they repeat at school. It is a definite negative. However, this school doesn’t have a gang problem and the discipline rate is very low. Whatever issues there are generally are resolved without trouble.

Wonderful caring staff and wonderful teachers. I am so happy with my son being here now going in his 2^nd year! GREAT SCHOOL !!

This school has a serious problem with bullying! The GATE students are not the ones that are doing the bullying, but the minority students that cluster together in «gang like» groups to harass the few. My GATE son recently stood up for one of his foreigner friends to one of these bullies who later on attacked him. My son walked away after this bully shoved him a couple of times, but then was forced to defend himself when the bully started punching him! The principal still gave my son 2 days of «in house» suspension because he defended himself. In Mrs. Henry’s opinion (The principal) she would have preferred that my son do nothing which means just letting himself get pummeled! This in house suspension means that my son will be missing valuable instructional time! I requested that the punishment be more fitting for a GATE Merit student, but was told that this was their standard policy. What they’re teaching students is that administration doesn’t care! My son is now worried that this whole gang of minority kids will jump him the next chance they get! This principal needs to stop talking about bully prevention and start doing something!