Curie Elementary School

4080 Governor Drive

School District

San Diego Unified
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:21
Type

public

School Map for San Diego 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 10, 2023

We have two children here. One in fifth and one in third grades. Our experience at Curie this year is that:- The new principal is not an effective hiring manager or manager. She selected a new fifth grade teacher this year with incredibly poor judgment.- The school cares nothing about children's social-emotional well-being in general - there are a few staff that are exceptions (the SLP, the psychologist, a fourth grade teacher), but the vast majority care only about the academic success.- The school caseworker has the opposite of the best interest of children in mind. He does not care about helping kids.- The fifth grade teacher that they hired and selected to be the "high touch" teacher for kids who need a little more support is an awful fit. He should be teaching high-performing typical high-schoolers, not fifth graders who need differentiated education and support. In general, if your child is a smart, neuro-typical kid who doesn't mind doing 2-3 hours of homework a night, they'd do well here. Any other kid will struggle here in some way or form.
Submitted by parent on February 27, 2020

Great new principal, compassionate teachers and fellow parents are engaged and supportive!
Submitted by parent on March 13, 2019

All the teachers, staff, and administration go above and beyond what's expected or what they're paid to do.
Submitted by parent on October 07, 2018

We have two kids at Curie and have been at the school for 5 years. There are many things that make the school impressive, like the high test scores and involved parents supporting the teachers both with time (volunteering) and funding (PTA funded support staff). But in our experience the biggest single factor that makes this school exceptional is the teaching staff. Between our two kids we have had 7 Curie teachers (all still at the school) and every single year they have blown us away. Of course they check the boxes you know to look for; caring with the kids, structured with classwork, experienced and knowledgeable. Then there are all the ways they go above and beyond what I could have expected. Example: the teachers in each grade level work closely as a team to learn from each others strengths and provide consistent education to the entire grade as a unit so each child is well and equally prepared for the next year. Example: I'm always amazed by how knowledgeable the staff is about current research on best teaching practices and how that knowledge is put to use. Example: the impressive Curie test scores are viewed as a means to the greater goal of always improving education for all students; the teachers and principal use the scores to find ways to grow even stronger. There will always be setbacks and challenges in any school (teachers are people with personalities and not every personality works with every student) but I feel that Curie offers one of the very best elementary educations to be found in SDUSD.
Submitted by parent on August 03, 2017

Great school, great teachers, love this school
Submitted by parent on May 12, 2017

Great teachers with big hearts. I am concerned about the middle school with allthe sex ed! I have signed a petition. Great music leader-outstanding...
Submitted by parent on May 04, 2016

Curie is like having another family :-) Very caring staff and the kids are just great!
Submitted by parent on September 16, 2015

I have had 3 kids at Curie and so far we have had positive experiences. Every school will have a problem teacher, but it isn't every teacher and the Principal really doesn't have a say who we get as a teacher. Quite a few of the teachers that needed to retire have and things are looking as far as teachers are concerned. The PTA fundraises to bring in Art, PE, Music, and other curriculum that the school district has cut. It is a well rounded school with good teachers.
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2015

As a parent with a child with ADHD I have found Curie to be amazingly proactive in getting assistance for him. Our son is doing well now and enjoys school. His teacher was great about adjusting his one on one teaching to suit our son's needs and had the right amount of discipline in the classroom to ensure our son both liked and respected his teacher. The Principal was so kind and proactive. It's a shame he has transferred to another school, but hopefully the new principal will be as great as Mr Juarez was. The PTA is super active and a huge part of why the school has such a great range of extra things that round out a child's education. Joining the PTA also allowed me to meet some lovely other families in the area and participate in my child's education. It is a small school, with a small catchment area, but a lot of students that opt in from surrounding areas. It is an area that seems to be very transient and a lot of International families. This can mean exposure to different cultures and people from around the world. They even have an International Fair run by the PTA that parents show case the countries they are from.
Submitted by parent on October 26, 2013

Curie Elementary has one of the best parent/school partnerships around. Every parent, teacher and principal has been challenged in recent years with budgets and resource issues, and we all know the only way to make up for the budget shortfalls is to rally the parents together to fill in the gaps. Nowhere is this more effective than Curie Elementary. Despite state or district resource challenges, Curie has managed to maintain vibrant art, music, science, PE and extra-curricular programs, all while maintaining high academic standards. If I have any criticism it's that Curie could use some modernization of its approaches to fundraising and program administration, but the job gets done nevertheless. If you're looking for a good school with great parent involvement, head to Curie.
Submitted by parent on October 26, 2013

It is the heart of a school that one feels the most at Curie Elementary. A school with a heart and desire in achieving greatness for their students. From the school leadership to Teachers to an uber involved Parent community, Curie stands out as a unique school in San Diego Unified School District.
Submitted by parent on August 27, 2013

The complete lack of interest that the teacher had last year helped us make the decision to put our child into another school. The test scores are great, because the children are taught the tests and how to take the tests. The parent involvement and PTA are amazing, and they have to be when the class sizes are up to 33 children. If you have a problem in the class and reach out to the teacher for help, you will quickly be known as the "problem parent" and your child will suffer for it. If your child doesn't have any problems and can float along with teachers who are on autopilot, then this may be the right school for them. Good luck!
Submitted by parent on August 22, 2013

I LOVE Curie Elementary. My daughter completed Kindergarten last year and she had a terrific teacher. She had the right balance of nurturing and sterness. The PTA and parent envolvement at this school is wonderful. I was fortunate to get into Curie by the Choice Program. The Principal is very accessible to parents and keeps the parents current on what is going on.
Submitted by parent on August 15, 2011

We have completed one year at Curie and I believe it to be a great school, overall. The parents and families are extremely involved at the school which builds a strong community. The PTA strives to make up for the shortfall in the school's budget and helps fund WEEKLY - art, music, PE, science and library and other enrichment activities (special presentations, field trips, etc.). The Principal and our teacher were open to suggestions and followed through with feedback. As with any school choice, the experience will vary greatly on the student/family/teacher combination (i.e. what is good for one student/family might not be good for another). After all, teachers have personalities and are human. My child learned everything they needed to by the end of the year and I was amazed at how much that is for a Kindergarten student! I would HIGHLY encourage all families to have an active role in the classroom as a volunteer, attend PTA meetings (evenings and free childcare is provided) and the monthly coffee chats with the Principal. Curie is a great neighborhood school and the families that attend (and Choice in) strive for the best educational experience possible.
Submitted by parent on August 13, 2011

Our son just finished K, and we had a wonderful year. Our son is a very spirited child and his teacher handled him wonderfully. He reads and writes well, he creates his own stories and books, ejoys math. We of course work him on a daily basis, but we follow the lead of his daily program - so I pass the credit to his teacher and our Principal. I saw a review slamming the standard testing, etc. Yes that is huge problem but not one that I blame on Currie. Wonder if the parents with concerns are attending the PTA meetins and involved in the shool board meetings. Probably not. No schols is going to be perfect, but I give Curie a huge thumbs up.
Submitted by parent on June 20, 2011

My son just finished Kinder at Curie. The academic environment was amazing fantastic better than I ever imagined. He was always busy and thinking and creating. Every week there is art, jogging club, music class, science, library, garden visits. He s doing math, he reads very well, he s always writing stories at home and making his own books. He is curious and the school stimulated him. His teachers could have been more nurturing and there was way way too much yelling at students in the classroom. Parents I have spoken with have concerns about her yelling as well. However the teachers are very accessible and will talk openly about your concerns. They took time out to write daily reports which we discussed with our son every night and gave him support and guidance based on his behavior in class. There are field trips to the zoo and to nature preserves. It is a vibrant school community with incredible parent support.
Submitted by parent on June 14, 2011

If your child is doing well, the school is fine. If your child is struggling do not count on help, academically, from the teachers or principal. The school has a very active parent volunteer network - which helps make up for the shortfalls. But some of the teachers are less than communicative with the parents and unwilling to address students struggles or work with parents to improve the child's performance. There's a lot of complacency. I assume because the STAR/CST/API test scores are so high. But that has more to do with the demographics, and less to do with the teaching. I am strongly considering changing my kids to a different school. Curie is not as good as it looks on paper.