Pershing Middle School

8204 San Carlos Drive

School District

San Diego Unified
Grade

6-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:23
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 December 31, 2024

I have 2 children at Pershing and it has been a great experience. The staff are completely focused on the student's safety, enrichment and learning. Whenever we've had any needs, the school has been supportive in ensuring the needs in IEPs etc are accommodated and addressed. They are also one of the few schools in SDUSD that continues to offer a week-long residential Sixth Grade Camp experience to all students through support of parents, families and the community via the school's Foundation. There are also a large number of clubs, music, drama and many other extra-curricular opportunities that the students are encouraged to lead in conjunction with staff / parent advisors and helpers. Communication is extremely strong also with a weekly newsletter from the Principal sent every week on a recurring predictable cadence with all the need-to-know info and important timely info is shared in-between via text and voicemail messages.
Submitted by student on December 11, 2024

My experience at this school is really good and I enjoy it. They indeep do have a lot of emotional help for when people are sad. This is should be recommended because it's such a good school.
Submitted by parent on June 05, 2024

Middle school is tough. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it sucks for almost everyone. The teachers here however do a really good job of providing support, both emotionally and academically during this tough period. Pershing is a diverse mix of races and socioeconomic status kids that seem to get along far better than when I was in middle school. They have student run anti-bullying clubs, LGBTQ clubs, and other clubs that try to make the school a good environment for everyone. (Again, as good as middle school can be.) Not a lot of accelerated or honors classes but teacher's challenge students that need challenging. As a parent I would highly recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on June 05, 2024

The teachers and administration are warm, welcoming and supportive if your child is a perfect little angel who fits neatly into the little bureaucratic box most large schools and districts try to force kids into. The minute your child needs additional attention or support, they're too busy or uninterested. They give up on the children who need it the most, the allow bullies to get away with poor behavior at the expense of the victims, they don't communicate well with parents unless it is about what your child is doing wrong. The minute you don't agree with them they turn the cold shoulder on you. At the end of the day, the school is over populated and understaffed (as admitted by VP Hawthorne on many occasions). My son was unable to go to 6th grade camp because two other students threatened to make him "eat a curb" before they were to leave. My son was afraid to go and those two students still go to go. The administration could careless that my son wasn't able to go nor do they care that this negligence has lead to me unenrolling him from Pershing for next year.
Submitted by parent on February 07, 2024

The teachers and staff are welcoming. They are supportive of their students.
Submitted by parent on February 06, 2024

This school works hard to support students. Academics are strong
Submitted by parent on May 16, 2023

My experiences have always been posit e at Pershing. The teacher care about the student and work hard to help them be successful. The Parent Foundation is very active and supports the school. Academics are strong, my kids are ready for high school
Submitted by parent on May 15, 2023

This is a great school with strong academics and lots of extracurricular activities that students can participate in. My children have enjoyed their time at the school and they just added a lot of sports like volleyball and flag football that students can participate in. The counselors really care about the students and the teachers do a good job in the classroom. The new Spanish Immersion program is growing fast and students leave Pershing truly fluent in Spanish.
Submitted by other on May 14, 2023

I have a family member who works at this school. They are always telling me what a great job students, staff, and families are doing to support student learning. Pershing is a great middle school and we will be sending our child there. The office staff and administration really work hard to address issues when they come up and the academics are strong. It is a great school.
Submitted by parent on May 14, 2023

I moved my child to this school and I am so glad I made the move. Teachers are excellent, the administration is responsive when I have questions. This is a great school!
Submitted by parent on May 13, 2023

My kids have enjoyed their time at Pershing. It is a great school community. There are lots of clubs and activities for students to participate in, more than a typical middle school. Teachers are very caring and work hard to help students. The school work is rigorous and my kids were prepared for high school. Parents are very involved. Office staff is very nice anytime I go in and the principal and administration seem on top of things.
Submitted by parent on January 04, 2019

Wonderful! Great teachers and communication with parents are on point!
Submitted by parent on December 11, 2018

We are loving Pershing Middle School. The teachers are amazing and the principal is very approachable and visible to the students. Looking forward to 6th Grade Camp - Pershing is one of very few middle schools left in San Diego County that still participates in the camp program.
Submitted by other on February 02, 2016

The teachers were very nice. The only thing I had a problem with was how low the security is. They need more security for lockdowns. My favorite teacher of all of them was Mrs. Barbra Toombs!! She was sadly the only teacher I trusted along with the principal to talk to. The councilors were no use at all!! Otherwise I want to go back. Being in High School Sucks!!!
Submitted by parent on April 14, 2015

I d like to compliment Pershing s music teacher Mrs. Barbara Toombs on her Coffee House performances. These have been delightful evenings listening to music and song with solo, duet, ensemble and band performances featuring Pershing s talented students. The auditorium is set up like a coffee house and the student servers present the audience with their choice of dessert and coffee. Bravo to Mrs. Toombs and all of the students who have participated in this wonderful event. I d like to thank Pershing s Principal Mrs. Susan Levy for her dedication to our school. My son s three years have been very positive at Pershing; he has done well academically and enjoys going to school. I have found Mrs. Levy to be very approachable if a concern arises; she is quick to address whatever the issue might be. My son attended the 8th grade East Coast field trip; I felt comfortable letting him go since Mrs. Levy was attending. I knew he would be in good hands. He had an amazing time and a memory that will last a life time. Lastly, I d like to say that Pershing s remodel looks beautiful! The front of the school looks fresh and inviting.
Submitted by parent on March 09, 2015

My daughter attended Pershing for 6 and 7 grade. This school is below average. There are students fight very often and students cutting themselves. one time I saw a student with a bloody face coming out from the school. Another time the ambulance came to the school because a girl cut herself in the bathroom and fainted. The principal never addresses this problem and they never let you know what's going on at the school.
Submitted by other on February 12, 2015

Pershing Middle School is not a satisfactory school. The school does not meet its needs to be a successful school . The construction is an outrage and all the students are late to their classes because there is so many students trying to go from one class to the next in four minutes in one narrow isle. Almost all the teachers pick on the students and they inderect the students when they speak aloud to the class while staring at the student they are talking about. Most of the teachers do not teach very well, it shows the standards you need to be a teacher, to me it looks very low. There are diciplineary problems that the teachers can not control and it put the students in a unsafe environment. The heads of the school do not take disiplineary actions very seriously. Students get bullied and the teachers do not put the students in a comfortable position. They have a class where they teach respect and good citizenship and more but it does not take affect to the students or the teachers. The school needs to be a better environment to the students and teachers need to learn how to actually teach their students. It would best if you took your child to a different school.
Submitted by parent on November 05, 2014

I absolutely love Pershing! The teachers and office staff consistently communicate effectively and keep me up to date with my child's education. The school promotes modern technology use with students and parents through class work, homework, notifications and grades. I also appreciate how Mrs. Levy (the principal) is never too busy to help. Thanks Pershing!!!
Submitted by parent on September 24, 2014

My daughter loves her teachers and the music program offered here at Pershing. This is her second year and I am pleased with her academic progress. Communication between teachers and home needs improvement. Teacher websites are often not updated and I have to rely on my student for information- good thing she is trustworthy!
Submitted by parent on July 10, 2014

This place is horrible. Many of the staff are bullies to the students. They over complicate things that should be common knowledge and there is no accountability for many of the teachers. Do yourself & your kid a favor by going to a different school.