Hidden Valley Elementary School

500 Glacier Drive

School District

Mt. Diablo Unified
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:21
Type

public

School Map for Mt. Diablo 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 August 02, 2024

My daughter cane here in 3rd grade from St Agnes in Concord. Surprisingly there were more benefits than I had thought including positive supportive teachers and staff who help the kids learn. My daughter was more excited about learning at this school than her previous schools. There were some great field trips, class projects and some campus events such as a cultural night with food, dancing and entertainment. The principal is a great asset and leading the school in a positive direction. My only issue is that some of the parents (a small percentage) and their kids can lack positive social skills or friendliness. The school otherwise as a whole fosters a positive learning environment.
Submitted by other on April 05, 2024

I came to school here back in 2010, I spoke English a little and the Principal gave me a suspension because a student falsley claimed I insulted a teacher after hours. I didn’t know much English at the time and especially in a situation where I was innocent and a student was pointing a finger at me. The principal later then believed the student and I was given a suspension. I will never forgive this school for not giving me a consoler and leaving me traumatize from that experience, I never did anything bad but of course they only listen to one side of the story. Many times I was in situations in this school where I got in trouble for not being white since at the time this school was mostly white. This school is garbage I hope the staff was switched
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2023

The principal at this school has favorites amongst the parent volunteers/PTA members and gives preferential treatment to their children. There are a lot of teachers and staff that yell at the kids. There is a culture of bullying at this school that is ignored. The class sizes are too large, there are no gifted and talented education opportunities at all ('gifted' is a derogatory term in this school and district that thrives on mediocrity at best!). Avoid Hidden Valley Elementary School and the MDUSD, if at all possible.
Submitted by other on June 12, 2023

A great example of a school that excels thanks to an engaged neighborhood! Teachers and staff work hard to manage a BIG school (one of, if not the biggest elementary schools in MDUSD), and still manage to provide students with a lot of attention and resources.
Submitted by parent on November 09, 2021

My daughter attended Hidden Valley K through fifth, and just graduated in spring of 2020, and my son has attended since the pre-K program through the Mount Diablo adult education, which is on the Hidden Valley campus, and he is currently in third grade there.The school is not perfect by any means, but it is very safe, and has a great community of parents who care about each other and care about the school. The teachers are supportive of the students; they are receptive to feedback from the families, and they welcome our involvement.One thing I will absolutely rave about is the principal, Nina Crossland. I’ve seen two principles at that school, prior to her, and she really is fantastic. She responds to every single message in an incredibly timely manner, and she listens to the feedback of our families. When my children were out of school, due to a Covid close contact, she made time for me after hours to review the procedures, and she answered my every last question until I had complete clarity. When we asked for a parent information night around hot button topics, she answered the call. She is not tucked away at her desk, rather she has her sleeves rolled up and can be found managing the drop off and pick up process, helping with lunch duty, registration day, drive through picture day, and anything else that comes up. Our school is incredibly fortunate to have her.I also have had a very positive experience with Mr. C, the vice principal. At one point my child experienced an encounter that needed adult involvement, and Mr. C handled the situation same day with grace and discipline combined.
Submitted by parent on October 19, 2021

My son is currently in fourth grade and we have had nothing but positive experiences here at Hidden Valley. All of his teachers from TK to now have been incredible and very receptive to his individual needs both academically and socially. He has been challenged academically and continues to grow. The principal Mrs. Crossland and vice principal Mr. C are both fantastic leaders. They truly care about the kids and work incredibly hard to make our school a great place for our community.
Submitted by parent on July 28, 2021

Please for the love of God, do not send your children here, unless you want a less then mediocre education and the high likelihood of bullying.
Submitted by parent on February 20, 2021

My son in currently in 2nd grade and my daughter is in 3rd grade. So far, my kids are very engaged in learning especially my daughter who loves her teacher Ms. Burns. I am surprised to see negative reviews about this school because in general, hidden valley elementary has good staff and positive school culture that significantly fosters students' learning capabilities. I also have a positive experience with the principal Mrs. Crossland who is supportive and caring for students' diverse needs.
Submitted by parent on June 14, 2020

My two children loved their experience at HVE! The teachers are excellent and caring. Like other schools in the area, it suffers from budget cuts and larger class sizes, but the teachers do their best to help all students!
Submitted by parent on May 03, 2020

Overall it has good teachers who care about their students. The classes are a little large which makes it difficult to help all students.
Submitted by parent on January 31, 2019

Average to very poor, at times. The teachers are OK but 'teach to the middle', as the class sizes are too large. No teaching assistants, just parent volunteers. The principal runs this school like a prison camp. The lunch duty staff yell at the students using megaphones
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2016

I do not recommend this school. There are too many reasons and issues to list here. Just try to transfer to a better district or at least a better school.
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2016

I don't even know what is the point of this review. Looks like we do not have a free choice to pick a school or an educational program... But still, if somehow there is a choice, this school should not be in the list. I would give it -5 starts if I could. I have been exposed to other schools in MDUSD and this one is by far the worst. The personnel is incompetent and disrespectful. They are trying hard to make me, the parent, feel like I am the student. We have problems of any kinds: False reports that my child is missing from school; teachers are ignoring our concerns about health and food related problems and any others; cars speeding, risking to run us over on the crosswalk in front of the school: the staff does not know how to handle simple situations. And this list can go on and on.
Submitted by parent on June 05, 2014

The school year was fantastic thanks to a super 1st and 2nd grade teacher. She is positive with a loving nature and likes to challenge students in learning. She was always respectful and open to parents and wonderful example of what a teacher should be. As for other instructors at the school, I have heard some disheartening personal stories of children being called "smart aleck" several times per week in class. Certain teachers shaming children in front of others.When teachers use the "old method" of public embarrassment and shame, this is a form of bullying and is not a good example for children. Personal integrity and respect can be taught to children without shaming them. Consequences for behavior? Yes! But shaming and guilt? No! The new principal seems open and kind and perhaps there needs to be a teacher meeting reminding teachers be mindful of the words they speak to their students. A teacher is in a position of leadership and authority. The discouraging and shaming words a teacher speaks to little ones can influence them for the rest of their lives. This is why teachers should be both honored and held to a high standard as well. It's the most important job in the world.
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2014

My first impression of Hidden Valley Elementary is that the school buildings, office area, and classrooms all look rather old and dingy. A new coat of paint inside and out, and some organizing if the classrooms, pod areas, and supplies would help immensely. The office staff was not very friendly or helpful when I registered my child for classes. Our family is new to the Martinez area and our kids had to start mid-school year at new schools in the Mount Diablo Unified School District. A helpful attitude and a smile from the office staff would have gone a long way towards helping my young child and I feel more welcomed at this new school and new neighborhood. My child's teacher, however, was very kind and welcoming. The class size (33 students) seemed to be too big, especially for the size of the classroom. I think the parent volunteers at this school deserve a lot of credit for keeping the school a positive, functioning educational environment. I am not sure that my child is learning anything new or being challenged academically, but I do think my child is learning some social skills. There is a new principal at this school; time will tell if this will be a help or hindrance.
Submitted by parent on May 09, 2014

Our kids have been at HV for 6 years. The school in our opinion is average. The teachers are great with a long longevity which is very hard to find: they enjoy their jobs and are very passionate which shows (some have been there 20+ years). There is a new prinicipal as of April 14 so I cannot comment on him and his skills. The main point to make is that the school is WAY too large. Class sizes everywhere in MDUSD are over 30 kids per class but it's the overall over populated school community with over 800 children, some bused from other schools. Bullying, those with behavioral issues/foul language, will not be stopped as there are too many children vs staff. One of ours has disabilities and we transferred out early bc of the lack of special ed services offered and rendered. Keep an open dialogue with your children each day as to how each day goes for them. The parent volunteer association is great however, it's the same 10% of parents that do all the work, which is indicitive at other schools as well. Overall, it's just too big of a campus with not enough support services. I have yet to find anyone 100% happy with their school within the MDUSD besides Sequoia.
Submitted by parent on May 08, 2014

Great teachers, very strong parent involvement. My son is thriving at Hidden Valley, and has learned so much since starting here. There is a strong sense of neighborhood community at this school, which we really love. There is a new principal that started last month, and he is so nice and dedicated. The teachers and staff seem very happy with his leadership.
Submitted by parent on February 10, 2014

My Daughter is in 5th grade and has attended HV since Kinder. We have never had anything but a great experience. All 6 of her teachers have been GREAT. They are engaged and really seem to care about the kids not only learning but they have each tried to make their classroom special in some way. I have not needed to seek out the Principal, so I can't speak for her. The office staff does double-time and yet, takes the time to answer any needs. The parents at this school are VERY involved. There are always more than 2 room Moms in each of the classes. The vast majority of the kids seem kind and well-adjusted. It has been a very positive experience for my child. She is wee-prepared for Middle School.
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2014

The office staff are very confrontational when asked for documentation . The principals change every week and the whole school is very chaotic. There is no pledge of allegiance and organized community gatherings I would not send my dog to this school
Submitted by parent on September 06, 2013

If the principal is the same principal that was there in 2006, please consider private school instead, your money will be well spent. That woman was a horrible person who cared nothing for the children. She was just a bitter, horrid human being. I give the school 2 stars because the vice principal and the school counselor were actually very decent people. My daughter was severely bullied and the principal blamed her for it. She said there must be something wrong with my daughter for the other kids to bully her, and the problem was with her and not with the bullies. She literally told me that there must be something wrong with my child for her to get beat up by so many other children like that. No action was ever taken against the kids who beat my child up several times. I have no clue why this woman was even working with children, she should not be allowed near them.