Cubberley K-8

3200 Monogram Avenue

School District

Long Beach Unified
Grade

K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:21
Type

public

School Map for Long Beach Unified School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on March 30, 2024

We have had a great experience at Cubberley. The teachers are kind and caring and our child's academic progression has been great. There us a strong focus on reading and math but there is a fabulous art and music program that our child is always so excited to participate in. Lots of support from PTA and parent volunteers. The playground equipment was recently upgraded and the kids are loving it. They're is also a big volunteer effort to plant trees and native plants around the school. We are excited for our second child to start TK at Cubberley this fall as well.
Submitted by parent on December 04, 2023

This school has a very involved parent community. With both a PTA and a Foundation, there are a lot of opportunities for parent and guardian involvement and support. This really helps because it is not a title one school and the extra funding and volunteers are needed for many of the programs.This year, 2023 , a wonderful young and energetic principal, Brooke Hogan Primous, started at Cubberley and she has brought a fresh, new energy to Cubberley. A new focus on diversity and inclusion and social emotional learning is transforming the culture of the school.New playground equipment was installed this year for both kindergarten and elementary. It was high time, the old structures were in bad shape. The school also had a complete remodel which included installing air conditioning during the pandemic shut down in 2020 so the buildings are much newer looking and climate controlled.Funds were recently raised from several different sources to purchase a new marquee in front of the school which will help get information out to parents and the community, it will likely be installed in spring of 2024. Test scores are still down after learning loss from the pandemic shut down, but the kids are starting to catch up. This year the PTA is very focused on literacy and has installed little free libraries in the hallways, made the PTA fundraiser a read-a-thon and is putting on both a fall and spring book fair. My main complaint is there is only one school counselor and a part time social worker for a school of almost 1000 kids. Though they are both wonderful, the counselor is burdened with a lot of administrative work so it’s difficult for him to have the one on one time needed by the students. Unfortunately this is a problem district wide. Parents and counselors have been petitioning the school board to lower the ratio, so hopefully it will be resolved soon.It’s a great school with a supportive community my third grader has had a good experience so far.
Submitted by parent on October 15, 2022

It's not the best school, it's not the worst school. There are a lot of teachers who really care and put in the extra effort. The grounds are pretty outdated with little to no play structures. Looks to be the same at most LB schools. We just got A/C so that's good. The teaching is aligned with California common core so it's 90% math and reading. There is little focus on sciene, art, music, social studies or history etc. The kids get to do them once or twice a month but it's mostly traditional. I feel like there are better schools out there but of course much worse as well. Bullying exists but "character" is a strong theme here. Probably a good school for LB, student to teacher ratio is closer to 34:1.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2019

Terrible. Please avoid this school at costs if your child is in the special education program.
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2019

Excellent with staff very concerned and helpful
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2018

Disappointing! Teachers are not differentiating and making learning fun. In addition, there is a principal who ignores problems and concerns of parents.
Submitted by parent on March 09, 2018

Most aspects of this school have been quite underwhelming. There are some great aspects, like a strong music program, Meet the Masters art program provided by parent fundraising, and the availability of a wonderful school psychologist as well as school nurse. However, there are over 1,000 students and only a principal (no assistant principal), 1 school counselor, and 1 part-time school psychologist (3 days a week) to meet all students needs.
Submitted by parent on March 01, 2017

In a word, frustrating. The administration doesn't listen.
Submitted by parent on August 31, 2016

The level of parent volunteering and involvement make this good school great! My son is entering the 3rd grade and has attended since Kindergarten. So far all the teachers he's had since 1st grade have been phenomenal. They immerse the students in a well-rounded curriculum outside of the standard academics of just "math and reading" such as cultural, artistic, and historical experiences.
Submitted by parent on March 08, 2016

I have never written a bad review. I believe in going to the person you have a problem with to work it out. My daughter went to Cubberley, and has some special needs. The teachers were amazing at Cubberley! They get 5 stars. The administration failed. Without getting into the details, there was not the support she needed. Everything was handled wrong every step of the way. I can say, before our first day at her new school, there was more support from her new school & the administration & genuine care. It is so nice to have my daughter in a school now where I know she will be taken care of and have that support. It makes a huge difference! I let Long Beach School Board know, nothing was done for my daughter. No improvements even though they said there would be. Unfortunately I have heard from other families with kids at this school had the same experience. Kids bullied and mistreated, and no support from the principal. No support where it needs to be. It's about the kids! I am writing this review in hopes that they can work on it and get it right!
Submitted by parent on September 29, 2015

This school has an advance class (PALS/GATE) where the attendance is decided with reading, writing, and math tests, as well as a "personality profile". This personality profile is a point sheet that is controlled and graded by a single persons, bias, prejudice, and perception having nothing to do with scholastic aptitude. The twist is that the parents are not even allowed to view this “Green Sheet” which holds a larger deciding factor in the child's advancement than their actual scholastic tests. Instead of arranging advancement by graded scores they use unrelated personality traits (profiling children) in order to place ones that they want in advanced classes rather than ones whom deserve it. If you wish for your child’s advancement based off of their scholastic capabilities and not “someone’s” personal opinion of your child’s creativity, leadership abilities, advancement in the arts (these have nothing to do with the program) then please share this information and investigate your child’s scores/ compare with friends. Personality profiling is not only bias but can easily be prejudism and racism. This cannot be allowed to continue.
Submitted by parent on August 29, 2015

My oldest son started Cubberley in 1st grade. Having moved from LA to Long Beach and though we'd done our homework on schools when buying a home, my husband and I were still impressed upon arrival. The level of instruction challenged my son in the beginning, despite having been in the "high" group at his past school in kindergarten. During his time at Cubberley, there wasn't one teacher that didn't offer him an experience that added new intellectual tools to his tool box. He graduated in June, and looking back we feel his experience really prepared him for high school. The same can be said thus far for my youngest son who begins middle school at Cubberley this fall, and has been there since kindergarten. Our family's experience has been that of teachers who don't just teach "to" the kids, but actually immerse them in the learning experience. Activities have included a re-enactment of the Cesar Chavez protest march, a class party filled with exotic fruits and veggies that students would normally never experience as a way to celebrate ending a book that included the various foods, and regular visit to the school's garden boxes lead by parent volunteers which enhance the teacher's science curriculum. I had one son in GATE/PALS program, and one who wasn't, and both experienced a high level of instruction. The parent volunteers are some of the most active I've seen or heard of at any school. The PTA and Foundation have limited fundraising to one event per group, with 95% of the profits going to school needs. No chocolates or gift wrap! YAY! The PTA recently funded the purchase of 8 (9?) iPads and Apple TV technology that will enhance classroom instruction and create a "smart board" environment in the newly installed computer labs! Teachers encourage volunteering in the elementary classrooms, which makes a big difference, especially since class sizes were increased by the district. When my oldest went through an anxious phase, the counselor, teachers, and office team all came together to help our family through that hard time. My now 9th grader goes into this new phase completely self-sufficient and responsible for his own assignments and studies, and feels confident and excited about high school. I am forever indebted to Cubberley's excellent teachers and staff. I look forward to a few more years as my youngest son enters middle school!
Submitted by principal on August 29, 2015

The Cubberley team takes great pride in working each day to educate the leaders of tomorrow. Go Cubs!
Submitted by parent on August 29, 2015

Cubberley is our home school but, before my daughter started kindergarten, I had it in my head that she should go to a neighboring district, where the schools have more money coming from families and a higher level of technology, etc. We were denied the transfer by the district, however, and she began kindergarten at Cubberley. Three years later, I couldn’t be happier with the way things turned out. Cubberley is a fantastic school and my daughter has grown emotionally and learned an incredible amount. She is quiet and shy, but she has had wonderful teachers who have been able to draw her out. She now raises her hand to answer questions in class without hesitation. In kindergarten, she had trouble completing assignments in class. She was meeting or exceeding all of her benchmarks, however, and her teacher understood, and communicated to me, that she was easily distracted by her active imagination. She told me not to worry and that it would most likely improve with age and maturity. Now, three years later, with the help of other supportive and understanding teachers, she is excelling and has been selected for the advanced class.Aside from great teachers, Cubberley has amazing parent involvement. You cannot walk on campus without seeing parents everywhere: volunteering in classrooms, tending the gardens and teaching the kids about healthy eating, manning the copy room so the teachers have all of the materials they need, hosting luncheons for the staff, etc., and so much more goes on behind the scenes. As to the administration, I never knew the previous principal that others have raved about and, thus, have nothing to compare the current principal to. However, in my experience as a parent and a volunteer, I have found her to be extremely caring and supportive.My son is about to begin kindergarten at Cubberley and I’m excited to watch him grow and thrive there as well. I feel so lucky to be a part of the Cubberley community.
Submitted by parent on November 22, 2014

We love Cubberley! My girls, currently 3rd and 1st graders are thriving there. All of their teachers have been fantastic--focusing on teaching the "whole child," with a emphasis on science and social studies. The before/aftercare program, Kids Club very we'll run. The staff truly get to know every child and connect with each family. I am a teacher at a very high performing, more wealthy school here in Long Beach. Cubberley doesn't have quite all the extracurricular programs that my school does, but the quality teaching and neighborhood school atmosphere more than make up for it. In our experience so far there is not an emphasis on teaching to the test and homework expectations are totally reasonable and age-appropriate. I'm so glad we have such an awesome home school!
Submitted by parent on September 14, 2014

Overall, I think Cubberley is a great school. The teachers are good and the office staff is very friendly. My two kids attend this school and they love it. Their is a warm feel to it because the small student body (compared to other schools). The only reason I don't give the school 5 stars is because the principal needs to get her act straight. Mrs. Jarels needs to be more approachable to parents. Most of the time she doesn't even say hello when she passes by parents and students. How are parents supposed to go to the office and talk to her about issues, when it seems like she's not even going to listen? Get it together Jarels!
Submitted by parent on March 26, 2014

My son has been going to Cubberley since Kindergarten. He is now in 2nd grade and improving so much. My son has a learning disability and this school, counselor, teachers and resources staff have been nothing but a blessing. I am not sure where all the not so favorable comments are coming from, but I can say this very much so is a school with major parent and teacher involvement.
Submitted by parent on September 18, 2013

I toiled between sending my child to Cubberley or to a different school in a highly rated school district on permit. Where has fundraising money gone? Many classrooms have no AC/heat and kids came dragging out of kinder dripping with sweat during the heat wavel. Others are correct about the organized groups for playground time. They have balls, a small structure, a sandbox that's been closed recently due to feces, and jump ropes. No tricycles, hula hoops, balance boards, etc. Kids can't just play. There's no library time for Kinders. The playground for the other lower grades is limited to one slide, one small climber, basketball courts, and monkey bars. Compared to other schools I've seen in poor neighborhoods, this school's facilities are dilapidated. There's no technology in the classrooms, no overhead projector, screens, computers, tablets, etc. Old wooden furniture in okay condition, somewhat quaint, and in decent repair, but the halls filled with extra furniture making for a very messy state. The kids aftercare is super though! The "valet" drop-off is great. The curriculum also seems far to simple for any child who has had a decent amount of preschooling.
Submitted by parent on February 14, 2013

We have been at Cubberley for a half a decade & have seen this school go from a Great School to an average school. This school's strength used to come from the past principal. The current principal, Mrs. Jarels, has been here 3 years now and most parents you talk to will say they are disappointed with her overall performance. She does not reach out to the kids, is not outwardly friendly toward parents, does not show her presence enough outside of her office, does not speak at all assemblies, is lax in upholding the dress code. And, most importantly, does not treat her job with enthusiasm. The school counselor isn't the most friendly, personable person either. I must say Susan does a wonderful job as secretary! The one strength this school has is the high parent involvement. The parents are vocal and try to direct the principal when necessary. In fairness, Jarels is responsive when approached by a group of parents on an issue. The PTA does a good job to support the school, though the meetings are usually the same small group of parents --the PTA meeting attendance has dwindled over the past 3 years. I'm not sure why this school does not have a rating. It used to.
Submitted by parent on November 18, 2011

We have 2 daughters at Cubberley and have found that it is a nice and supportive environment that also maintains very high standards (and similar high expectations of its students academically). Sure, we all miss Mr. Navia, the last Principal, but the culture here is strong and aside from a few 'quit but forgot to leave' teachers that one is likely to find anywhere, the quality of the teaching staff is very high. Kudos to probably the best teacher we've ever met, Mr. Heath (6th Grade Accelerated)!