Monterey Highlands Elementary School

400 Casuda Canyon Drive

School District

Alhambra Unified
Grade

K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:22
Type

public

School Map for Alhambra 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 student on April 09, 2023

Monterey Highlands is just like home for me. The teachers here are amazing and provide a lot of help for students in need of it. The administration really put their all into improving school culture, such as new clubs, spirit weeks, etc. I would definitely recommend Monterey Highlands for all students
Submitted by parent on November 05, 2021

TBH, I don't really like this school, And really because I was forced to switch school. But I have a few problems with the school. It's really stressful, and the teachers are very strict. But if they are strict, they can help students, and at the same time, ruin students. When I was being bullied and the teacher saw that I was being bullied, none of them cared. I have to trick my bullies into thinking that I told on the principal and sented a email to their parents and will have to meet them after school so the bullying could stop. They mostly did nothing, like most school does. I have to take it into my own hand without getting in any trouble. But it is fine thou, even If I don't like it.
Submitted by parent on February 15, 2021

Overall the teachers are great except two 3rd grade teachers. K (Yoon & Nguyen): awesome in teaching kids new skills and words. 1st (Huynh, Aoki): great in focusing on math skills and spelling. 2nd (Wong, Yamamoto): really good in expanding their reading, math and art skills. 3rd (Yoshida, Tou) WORST TEACHERS EVER. A child was band from using class computer for bad behavior yet wins student of the month. Another child doesn't show up to online classes yet wins student of the month. These two teachers play favorites and don't teach at all. Kids were assigned less than 30 mins of work to do for the entire week. Compare to all the other teachers, they don't care about your kid's education.
Submitted by student on January 11, 2018

I love this school! It has so many effective approaches to problems and has many extracurricular activities.
Submitted by student on March 03, 2017

This is a great school :) this is like my home fro. Kindergarten to now. It was the best years if my life and people are so supportive here!
Submitted by parent on May 27, 2016

Another great year. My kids learned a lot this year. I try and get involved with my kids activities when I have time. We had some good teachers and the PTA really gets involved. It would be helpful if more parents participated. So in general I do like our school and I guess others do to, which is why we're getting a bit crowded.
Submitted by parent on October 22, 2015

My child is reading above grade level and very motivated to learn thanks to the effectiveness of her 1st grade teacher. Wow, the PTA here is amazing and runs many activities that allow parents to be part of the school community. Behavior and school wide discipline on campus is impressive. The campus is very secure and welcoming at the same time. We look forward to continuing our educational journey with Monterey Highlands Elementary.
Submitted by parent on June 05, 2015

When we grew up in Alhambra and attended Alhambra Unified, Brightwood and Highlands were the distinguished schools that parents wanted their kids to go to. Our son attended Highlands for 2 years and we completely regretted sending him there. This once proud school has been completely run to the ground. The office staff was rude, the assistant principal Wong was awful with absolutely no people skills and the principal was never anywhere to be found. We schedule a meeting with the principal Kotani and she skips out on the meeting and leaves us with the assistant principal Wong without giving us any kind of notice. Yeah, great way to form relationships with the parents. The teachers my son had were terrible. They are definitely no where remotely close to the quality of teachers we had growing up. They have no people skills and it's like talking to a wall when you try to talk to them. The teachers don't care about the kids in their class or having a connection with the kids in their class. They seem like they are teaching not because they want to make an impacr on the kids' lives but rather because it's just a job. They make no effort in the betterment of the student's education. They do the bare minimum that is required and that's it. We asked our son's first grade teacher what they did to challenge the kids that already understood the repeated materials and were bored, and his response was nothing. They just folllow the school curriculum. So my son was bored out of his mind with the continuous repeated homework. Same stuff over and over again. Even my brother's friend who is a teacher there himself told my brother that the lower grade teachers were horrible and imcompetent. This school was a waste of my son's two years here. DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO THIS SCHOOL IF YOU WANT THEM TO HAVE A QUALITY EDUCATION TAUGHT BY QUALIFIED TEACHERS!! And this PRINCIPAL DOES NOT CARE about your child and their education! WORSE SCHOOL EVER!!! Pulled my son out and he's now loving school again at his new school!!
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2015

My child has been attending this school for two years now. I find it to be grossly overrated. It is overcrowded with people on permits who apparently know people who work in the school. These are the people who are able to "choose" their teachers and the rest are left with the sub par teachers. There is a very cliquey environment and the front office staff is sooo rude. The front entry of the school reminds me of a prison. Most of the time, I find that my husband and I have to do most of the teaching at home. Definately not worth the price you have to pay for a home in this area. I am so glad I am moving my child out of this school. Lesson learned, ratings are decieving.
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2014

We have been here for 1/2 a year and are looking forward to many more years to come!!!
Submitted by parent on April 07, 2014

I'm very pleased with this school and our wonderful 4th grade teacher's. The school challenges kids to achieve their goals! I would recommend Monterey. Highlands Elementary. School!
Submitted by parent on January 14, 2014

We have attended Monterey Highlands for 5 years. In 2012 new administration took over and this school is going down BIG TIME!!! All this principal looks at is #'s, she makes ZERO connection with the students, staff and parents! She hides in her office all day, runs to meetings and is NEVER seen on campus, unless to enforce rules. Parents have made multiple complaints and yet all she does is counter with threats, fear and intimidation instead of using her brain to reach an amicable solution. We have even gone to district with proof of these allegations and they side with her, so unless more parents speak up, this will be a cascading slide into complete degradation of the once great Monterey Highlands Elementary School. Wake up AUSD, before its too late!!!
Submitted by parent on October 15, 2013

I moved back to Monterey Park just so my kids can attend this school. Best decision ever! Mrs. Young has been both of my boys' teacher and she is wonderful with the kids.
Submitted by parent on September 28, 2013

This school is hit or miss. If you're lucky or 'know someone' or are in fact a teacher yourself, you end up getting a mediocre teacher. Such was the case with my child, I feel. She was one of the many top students in her class and yet was placed in a class among kids that were way below her level. My child complains of being bored. The school/home work is a repeat of everything she had already learned last year. Her previous classmates were all placed with 2 popular teachers. Those kid's parents also either teach at highlands or a school in the district. I think most of them don't even live in the area and are on permits. I don't understand why our classes are overfilled and yet we keep taking outside kids?
Submitted by parent on April 09, 2013

This school WAS great because there were so many parents assisting the teachers. You can see it going to the field trips with students. There are so many parent volunteers versus other schools. NO LONGER SO. The district added on so many new rules and basically shut out people who are helping. What is more important? Helping kids or appeasing the insurance companies?
Submitted by other on April 03, 2013

The new principal, Kotani, is driving this once great school into the ground. We all refuse to call her Dr., because anyone with that type of degree should have enough sense in their head to see what they are truly destroying! Drive this school into the ground with COMPLETE lack of parent volunteers= Save AUSD any future POTENTIAL lawsuits. GREAT choice Kotani, at the cost of what? Over 900 students futures? Prop 30 is only keeping this school afloat, it is NOT giving teachers aides to make their jobs easier, PARENTS act as aides , especially with schools who LACK FUNDS! So, wake up Kotani, and stop destroying this school!
Submitted by parent on December 16, 2012

In addition to a beautiful setting with lush hills, trees and fields of grass, this school has amazing teachers and staff. The parents are so involved, they make all of the wonderful events such as Spooky Bash, Book Fairs and Day At The Fair successful.