Miramar Ranch Elementary School

10770 Red Cedar 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 May 04, 2023

MRE is the best place to know things and have fun and make friends.
Submitted by parent on June 23, 2018

My experience with MRE is good. We've been at MRE for one year and my kindergartener came in with few math and reading skills and left proficient in both for her grade level. The Family Faculty Association (FFA) sets this school apart from the rest; highly involved parents equals a great public school experience. Minimum days for teacher meetings and once a week makes it difficult to manage a routine especially if you have other children, but overall we had a good experience.
Submitted by parent on April 03, 2018

I have three children that have been and are currently students at Miramar ranch (the last 7 years). I really have no complaints about the education my kids have received. The teachers are amazing. They truly care about my children. Parent involvement is incredible. My one complaint is the parking and that’s out of theirControl. Parking situation is the one thing that takes a while to get used to. Love the programs they have with the art corps and the running club. All sorts of after school programs going on. Really something for everyone.
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2018

My daughter graduated from this school last year and she loved her experience as a student. She loved her teachers, friends that she made, and the fun activities throughout the school year. She is now in middle school and just got straight A's on her first progress report so I think Miramar Ranch gets some of that credit.
Submitted by parent on May 31, 2015

I knew as soon as I heard the words “There is no running on the playground” that something was wrong with this school system.The kindergarten class didn’t have grass and there is no running on the asphalt. “It’s not safe and can cause really bad scrapes.” Scrapes, bumps, and bruises should be a part of childhood—they’re how kids learn to manage risk.The “No running on asphalt” policy is the norm for the entire district. In the face of an ADHD epidemic, an obesity epidemic, and neuroscience that proves that kindergartners cannot sit still for long periods of time, how can we require such young children to stay still all day while adding increasingly heavy academic demands? Children who behaved well each day were given green cards.Then yellow cards, then orange cards accompanied by a phone call to the parent, then red cards signifying a visit to the principal’s office. How many more yellow, orange, and reds are given out as a result of the lack of energy release throughout the day? How does self-esteem suffer in the kids who are trying to behave but incapable of staying still that long?I began to see more global problems. The running was now the least of my worries—even if it was the underlying cause of many of the problems.I heard children lectured for minor violations (like drawing instead of writing letters). I saw timers being used at stations. I saw children stressed.I saw teachers withholding recess from children unable to complete their work. The kid could be goofing off or legitimately slow and needing help, but the punishment was the same.I saw kids showing anxious behaviors.I saw certain boys being labeled and regularly put in the corner as a way to control behavior.I was saw a pervasive lack of compassion, or even tolerance, for age-appropriate behavior. I saw it from teachers, I saw it from coaches, I saw it from playground staff, and I saw it in the rules that disregarded common sense.When my son became afraid to write his name, I was concerned. When he stopped writing and drawing all together, I was devastated.It wasn’t that I was having trouble “letting go” of my first baby, as some at the school had suggested to me. It was the school. It was the school’s profound lack of respect for children. It was their institutionalized ignorance of basic child development. I hope things start to change in public school but we left the system.
Submitted by parent on November 14, 2014

This school has great test scores and is in a beautiful neighborhood. None of that matters though if your kid doesn't want to go to school and is stressed out in Kindergarten. Did they learn a lot quickly in kindergarten, yes, but there was no time for fun. I don't want my child to hate school. Not enough time for lunch or snack, no running on the playground at recess, and kids who are afraid to make mistakes. I felt very unwelcome at the school as a parent except for financial contributions and filing tasks. I don't expect that most of this is unique to this school except that there may be more pressure to get the kids ready to score well on tests.
Submitted by parent on May 03, 2014

As a parent of a kindergartner, this is my first year impression of MRE listed as thumbs up or down: Thumbs up 1. Great parent involvement and many activities for parents to be involved in. 2. Nice campus. 3. Active and engaging principal. 4. Good enrichment classes for arts and science. 5. Really good PE teacher. 6. Strong core of parents who run the FFA. 7. Positive learning environment with some good teachers. 8. Friendly parents and kids. Thumbs down 1. Overcrowded classrooms with one teacher. 30 kids to a class is absurd. 2. Allowing too many kids to "Choice" in or bus in. If the school can't manage a reasonable class size for the neighborhood kids, they should not let kids from outside the neighborhood to attend. This is not a knock against the "Choicers" as they are good kids but rather an unhappiness with policy. 3. Front office staff could be better. One, in particular, is just plain out rude and is lucky to have a job. 4. Miserly ungrateful parents who didn't contribute to the pledge drive. With 710 kids, the pledge drive should have easily raised more than $63,000. Any parent who didn't contribute at least $200 should bow their head in shame.
Submitted by parent on April 27, 2014

I love this school because it has a great community feel. The teachers, staff and families all have a close relationship and it feels like a big family.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2014

The moto for this school is "Work Hard, Be Nice" and the students, teachers, administrators, and volunteers all live up to it. The school is a fantastic environment for children to grow with both rigorous academics and plenty of time for the children the move around and play. The school offers science, music, P.E., computer instruction, and art (through a parent-volunteer program) in addition to the regular curriculum. My son is only in first grade now, but I am confident that he will continue to grow and thrive at this school.
Submitted by parent on April 25, 2014

Miramar Ranch is a great school with impressive state testing results, good teachers, and a very involved Family Faculty Association that raises money for science, music, art and lots of other programs the district does not provide.
Submitted by parent on April 25, 2014

Miramar Ranch is a fabulous school from the teachers to the principal and the volunteers! I've had several kids attend Miramar Ranch and the teachers did a great job preparing them for the next grade as well as middle and high school as far as academics, time management and organization. Our principal is outstanding! She has a fun personality, is great with children and has the respect of the teachers. The volunteers are an amazing part of the school providing lessons in Art Corps, Character Education and choir - creating well rounded children.
Submitted by parent on February 26, 2014

I agree with the reviewer who said that this school could be great but it is not. Parent participation is high. Hey have a great running club that many students arrive early and participate in. The campus is beautiful and the parents are friendly. There are some GREAT teachers at this school and then there are some that should not be teaching. Example would be the kindergarten dept. This is not addressed to all the kindergarten teachers. But my child's teacher never smiles and always looks frustrated with her job. My child does not like her teacher because "she is mean and yells at us." This is my child's first impression of her formal education and this is the best that MRE can do? Also punctuality at this school does not seem to be important either. Longer after the 2nd bell rings there are so many kids leisurely walking to their classrooms. Same faces everyday so obviously the teachers and principal aren't bothered by this.
Submitted by parent on February 05, 2013

Miramar Ranch is an outstanding, nurturing place for your child to be. Many of the teachers are highly-experienced and dedicated professionals that combine hands-on learning with high-expectations. Teachers really collaborate across their grade level to make sure they are doing their best to meet the needs of the students. In addition to classroom time, students benefit from library visits, a science lab, a computer lab, art lessons, character education lessons, assemblies, visiting professionals, and field trips. Parent volunteers on campus are a common sight. We have been at the school for seven years and are quite happy.
Submitted by parent on December 01, 2012

This school could be excellent-it is good. It does have excellent teachers in each grade level, but getting them is the challenge. Why there are not strong teachers in all rooms at such a great school, I still don't understand that. I have heard teachers that yell- I find that unacceptable! They ask for money for this and for that, help with this and for that all the time, but when you need help for a better placment for your child or share your concerns you get ignored-that is sad to me. You'll find the own teacher's kids to be with the "best felt" teacher's rooms---so good to know. They tend to split up a class in some grade levels every year- I feel better planning could avoid this. They don't seem to feel that is a disruption or area they can fix for the kids. A class change isn't always the right move for every child. The janitor is AWESOME! Friendly and welcoming and knows everyone! Limited field trips is disappointing. Paula in the office is class act! She is a so wonderful! It is a good school it could be MUCH better. It should make families concerns number one and start moving in the right direction.