Denman (James) Middle School

241 Oneida Avenue

School District

San Francisco Unified
Grade

6-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:18
Type

public

School Map for San Francisco 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 11, 2024

We were nervous about starting here, but our kid has absolutely blossomed at Denman. They are excited about learning, have made new friends, and the teachers/staff have been great. Are there some problems at the schoo!? Of course, but that would be true anywhere and we have been impressed with how hands on the new principal and her staff are. Would recommend!
Submitted by parent on January 18, 2023

I went to this middle school and there was a particular counselor i think her name was rebecca hensler. I remember going to her for help because I used to get bullied by this white kid whose mom also works for the school at the time. She did not stop the bully at all. As a matter of fact, she just buy all of his middle school set-up stories with false accusations to continue bullying. other than that the teachers were cool and P.E was fun
Submitted by parent on November 07, 2022

My 7th grader is having a wonderful experience at Denman. The teachers are excellent and the principal is AMAZING. It’s a big school (about 800 kids) and it’s certainly an adjustment from our cozy elementary school, but my son is really rising to the occasion. He’s becoming much more independent and confident, learning how to advocate for himself and how to navigate more complex social interactions. The staff is dedicated, the student body is diverse, and between electives, clubs and sports, it seems like there’s a “place” for everyone. Highly recommend this middle school.
Submitted by parent on January 07, 2019

It was totally a mistake to choose this School for the convenience was close to my House and found what I found, all the issues what schools can have this School have it.
Submitted by parent on October 30, 2017

Denman teachers are really wonderful, which has been our experience for our now third year at the school. The new leadership is supportive of their teacher/ staff team, the kids, and the parents. My 6th and 8th grade sons share interesting stories about things they're doing and learning, how and where they spend their lunch, their peer groups - though very different from each other, both are really enjoying their own unique experiences at Denman. They know lots of kids in each grade from their elementary school, with familiar parents both within the school volunteering and on the sidewalk at pickup. As far as the transition to and navigation of middle school, filled with all the antics of 11 - 14 year olds, our kids do surprisingly well, often better than we may imagine. The staff are excellent at guiding them through this time of life. Given the community, the ever-increasing parent involvement and fundraising, the effective and supportive teachers/ staff/ admin, the myriad options to explore interests via electives and clubs, the new landscaping for nature lovers and the huge blacktop for ball enthusiasts, why not choose Denman?
Submitted by parent on October 27, 2017

My child is a 6th grader and she is very happy here. As a parent I am surprised at how easy the transition to middle has been. My daughter feels safe, comfortable, and has made quite a few friends outside of her immediate circle of friends from Miraloma Elementary. She stays after school on certain days were her math and science teacher helps her if she has any questions. She likes all her classes, especially her math & science, and coding classes. As a parent, one of the things I love about this school is how quickly the teachers respond to any questions. My daughter had sent an email to one of the teachers on Saturday thinking that she would here from her sometime at the beginning of the week. She emailed her back within thirty minutes. We are happy to be a part of the Denman community.
Submitted by parent on October 27, 2017

My son is in his second year, 7th grade, at Denman. He is extremely happy there. He really likes all his teachers, and he is learning a lot. There is a good mix of project based and more traditional learning. He is feeling challenged, in particular by teachers prompting quite sophisticated discussions on a variety of engaging topics. He came from Miraloma with a large cohort of friends, and has made many new ones in the Denman community. His older sibling went to a different middle school, and there are interesting compare and contrast discussions around the dinner table some nights. But my Denman kiddo will passionately argue that his school is the best!
Submitted by parent on October 27, 2017

Denman is a hidden gem! The school is going through a fast change in demographics, therefore the stats on this site are not representative of how the school is today (2017-2018). We gave it a try 3 years ago and it has turned out to be a great experience for our now 6th and 8th graders. They like the school size, the community, the many clubs (e.g. environmental club, robotics, MathCounts, fitness club, debating) and electives (e.g. coding, STEM, media arts, Tech Squad, computer science). They learned how to navigate bigger classes and are engaged and challenged. We are very impressed with their teachers (some new, but experienced, others have been teaching at Denman for 20+ years). The new principal, Ms. Jovick, shows great leadership and is very responsive and open to parent suggestions. It turned out to be a great fit for our 2 very different kids. You're lucky if Denman is your feeder school (it is now has a long wait list for 6th grade). If it's not, put it high on your list!
Submitted by parent on January 06, 2017

This is my son's first year at Denman and it has been awful the entire time. One of his teachers quit this week and she was the 2nd teacher to quit this year. His teacher went halftime a few months ago, so my son had a different sub every day and he came home complaining that all the subs did was sit at their desk and yell at the kids. I feel that my son has missed a half of a year of his education and the office just gives parents empty promises. I am no longer surprised by the school's state test scores. Both of my son's core teachers are in their first year of teaching and I found out that half the teachers at Denman are not licensed yet. 4 out of the 5 Grade 6 Language Arts teachers have never taught before and half of the Grade 6 math/science teachers are new as well. I have a friend whose older child also goes to Denman and she said that there are always new teachers every year and then they quit. Last year, we went to Denman for a tour and they talked about how all the students would be getting iPads this year and we met some very nice teachers. Don't let the iPads draw you in; the teachers hardly ever use them and my child told me that his classmates showed him how to get rid of the school's iPad settings. My son has said that the students are very disrespectful to the teachers because they constantly argue with the teachers, call other students bad names, say cuss words, and avoid classwork. All 800 students have lunch at the same time, so there are a lot of 8th graders bullying the 6th graders and no one on the playground stops the older kids from making out or touching each other inappropriately in front of other students. The playground is very big and many kids hide behind the dumpsters where the teachers can't see them. Although the teachers seem nice and my son loves the free iPad, I would not wish this school on anyone. Even the teachers don't want to stay.
Submitted by parent on September 21, 2016

My 7th grader has loved his experience at Denman. The first year of Middle School is tough no matter where you live or go to school. My son's transition has been great. The teachers are really engaged and have been a joy to see in action. If you are looking for a terrific Middle School in SF, you cannot go wrong with Denman.
Submitted by parent on September 21, 2016

Teachers here are awesome! Like any 6th grader, my child started off nervous about going to a school with so many kids--especially because 8th graders seem so big. It's been about a month now and he feels totally at home and has grown so independent practically overnight. Lots of sports teams, clubs and extracurricular options are offered to enrich the experience. This is one of those schools that just tries a little harder... And we're thrilled to be part of it!
Submitted by parent on September 21, 2016

My daughter is a 7th grader at JDMS. Her experience so far has been amazing. She is 100% engaged in her classes and loves her teachers. Her elective for the second year in a row is Coding and it is fun to watch her excel and learn a subject matter that somewhat unknown to us as parents. She participates in school clubs which has allowed her to really discover and broaden her own unique areas of interest. This year JDMS is giving out iPads to every child in school and we are excited to see how this expands the curriculum. We have two more kids coming down the pike, and they both can't wait to get to JDMS!
Submitted by other on September 19, 2016

My son is a 7th grader at Denman, attending with a couple dozen classmates from Miraloma. He is eager to go to school each day, enjoys the independence, and loves the huge play yard for lunch and PE activities. For a second school year, we find the teachers to be very good--challenging, supportive of the kids as they navigate middle school, and accessible when questions or concerns arise. The school and faculty offer many clubs and activities that appeal to a wide range of interests, as do the elective classes. It's a nice-feeling school--mid-size, so it feels like the next step without being overwhelmingly large. My son has been challenged and successful academically, come to a greater understanding of the diversity that is San Francisco, and has been supported as he learns and moves through this transitional time of life. The PTSA is active and growing every year, with passionate supporters and an administration that is innovative and really rallies for the Denman students. Each kid is different in what best suits their academic and social needs--Denman has been a good fit for my son, and his friends are happy and achieving as well.
Submitted by parent on September 12, 2015

My kid is a high achiever coming from Miraloma and is extremely happy at Denman. The amazing teachers are keeping him engaged, and have gained his respect from day one. He doesn't feel a difference in class size (going from 25 to 35) because the kids behave and are respectful towards their teachers. There is a lot of technology at the school as the principal makes it a priority. They have robotics club, Maker lab, coding elective and it is one of the first four schools to get computer science in the core curriculum in all grades. The school is becoming very desired and even with expansion to 750 students this year (from around 600), there is a long waitlist. You're lucky if you can get in!!
Submitted by parent on May 08, 2015

jDMS was our feeder. My daughter chose this school sight unseen, based upon information listed about clubs, enrichment and other. She has had the best 6th grade experience, better than we could have hoped for entering middle school. With the combination of energetic Teachers, staff, and excellent PE program it has been nothing short of excellent. In her words " I am learning so much!" A true bonus school and hidden gem. I almost don't want to share!
Submitted by parent on November 18, 2014

Denman has been the perfect school for our 8th grade daughter. She has found acceptance, friendship, and opportunities for growth way beyond what our family expected from a middle school. The teachers are wonderful, administration has a vision and pursues it, and the parents are great as well. My wife and I have made good friends here, too! The school has many clubs, my daughter participates in two or three of them a year.
Submitted by parent on November 17, 2014

My son only recently started at Denman. We are part of a growing group of families coming from the Miraloma Feeder. We are pleased with the school, so far. The teaching seems top notch. The principal has vision and passion. She is spearheading many new innovative programs. My son is making friends and feels safe and comfortable at school. It is a friendly welcoming environment. The student body is diverse in every way and that only enriches my child's learning experience. It is one of the few school that I toured that is implementing the district Restorative practices program fully and with real commitment. This is a school going through rapid change and it is exciting to be a part of those changes. We like that this is one of the smaller public middle schools in the city. The after school program is great and free. The school is a gem in the rough still some polishing needed, but well on it's way!