Valley Middle School

Posted: September 27, 2025

The principal demonstrates strong leadership, maintaining high standards while warmly greeting students outside the school each morning to ensure a safe and welcoming start to their day. The teachers are highly cooperative and experienced, fostering a positive and productive learning environment. The school actively involves parents in the educational journey, creating a strong partnership that enhances student growth and success.

Posted: September 27, 2025

Posted: September 27, 2025

Posted: September 27, 2025

Posted: September 27, 2025

Posted: September 27, 2025

Posted: August 20, 2025

All three of my kids attended Valley and had a great experience.

Posted: August 20, 2025

Posted: August 20, 2025

Posted: August 20, 2025

Posted: August 20, 2025

Posted: August 20, 2025

Posted: August 20, 2025

Posted: August 20, 2025

Posted: August 2, 2025

Our child had an excellent experience at VMS. Principal Flowers and the staff have created a collaborative, respectful, and positive learning environment. The administration and educators have high standards and help students achieve their goals. We look forward to our next experience with VMS.

Posted: August 2, 2025

Posted: August 2, 2025

Posted: August 2, 2025

Posted: August 2, 2025

Posted: August 2, 2025

Posted: August 2, 2025

Posted: August 2, 2025

Posted: October 29, 2023

Posted: October 29, 2023

Posted: October 29, 2023

Posted: October 29, 2023

Posted: October 29, 2023

Posted: October 29, 2023

Posted: October 29, 2023

Posted: October 29, 2023

I like math, math is fun to learn because it’s easy for me and I love raising my hand in math class.

Posted: January 28, 2023

Posted: January 28, 2023

A lot of bullies, drugs, and more. I have been bullied several times. I hate almost everyone at the school.

Posted: January 24, 2023

Posted: January 24, 2023

After 3 years at VMS, our family has been very happy with the leadership and quality of the teachers. The Principal & VP are very forward-thinking, they are not afraid to try new methods - which is sorely needed in most 21st-century schools. Most of the teachers are very responsive and care about the students and learning. Some of the older teachers may be burned out and looking towards retirement, yet this is an issue in any organization!

Overall our son has had a wonderful experience learning both academically and socially during the often challenging transition from tween to teen years... He is looking forward to attending CHS next year in the excellent CUSD system, where there are no "bad" schools. Although not as diverse as California as a whole - this is an issue along uber-expensive coastal California - there are about 40% non-white students. Our son is Hispanic with Spanish & German spoken at home. Through a combination of heavy funding - paid via decades of RE tax school bonds - and a strong socio-economic family-focused population Carlsbad has good-excellent schools throughout - with VMS one of the gems!

Posted: December 21, 2022

Posted: December 21, 2022

people do a lot of drugs here, it’s cool i guess.

Posted: May 7, 2022

Posted: May 7, 2022

Posted: May 7, 2022

Posted: May 7, 2022

Posted: May 7, 2022

Posted: May 7, 2022

Posted: May 7, 2022

My child made an excellent transition to Valley from elementary school because of Valley's Village System. The teachers and older students have been so supportive of the incoming 6th graders all year long. The ASB also does many really fun and unique special events to build a positive school culture. The teachers make provide fun activities in their classes to engage the kids and they have been very responsive with any emails that I have sent. My son's counselor has also done a terrific job of supporting him when he needed it.

Posted: October 17, 2018

Homework is largely worksheets and a lot of them. There is little creativity in engaging students.

Posted: October 17, 2018

I know countless families that say their child lost their love of learning at Valley. If your child finds school easy and is book smart, and very confident, then they will do find and not notice. But for the 75% that don't hit those categories, it is not a pleasant place to learn. That being said, there are some decent teachers. Definitely not all bad. Its just that the ones that are burned out and uninspired suck the life out of the kids.

Posted: October 17, 2018

Posted: October 17, 2018

I think it is a hard school to be a principal at. The majority of teachers do not want to be progressive and are not inspired and have been there a long time.

Posted: October 17, 2018

I think for kids who have very clear IEPs, it is a good program for these students. If you fall at average or below, the teachers will do nothing to accommodate, and parent communication is strongly discouraged. If you email, expect that your child will be called out for it in class and told "if you have something to say to me, please say it to me, and do not have your parent do it." Embarrass them in front of class - several teachers. So if your child has a learning issue that does not fall under an IEP, expect to receive no help.

Posted: October 17, 2018

Posted: October 17, 2018

Overall, this school needs a teacher makeover. They need inspiration and a more progressive and engaging approach. These kids are being taught traditionally and with the drill and kill homework method. Also the student teacher ratio is wrong - its more like 30:1

Posted: January 28, 2014

As a student of Valley Middle School, I believe that Valley really is the place to be. The teachers are extremely nice, and they make me feel like I want to be at school. I don't think the school needs to improve, because I love it just how it is. As I said before, Valley Middle School is truly the place to be.

Posted: August 20, 2013

As a parent of two VMS students, I can say with a great deal of confidence that the current principal and vice principal have been a great addition to the school. Previous administrators were/are more about their public image than the kids' best interests. VMS utilizes a "village" system that I perceive as a plus. My kids are straight-A students, so maybe I am sheltered a bit, but it seems to enable better communications between my students and their teachers. Even between their teachers in coordinating homework loads and special events. I have had a lot of contact with support staff and most have been above and beyond pleasant. There is, sadly, still a great deal of students who believe they are more entitled than others. The "Do you know who I am?" question gets pulled out of some of these brats' rear ends when getting busted. It's OK, mommy and daddy will pay full pop to send them to the State University system to get a junk degree. The neighborhoods that feed this school vary from extreme ghetto to six-figure daddies and doltish trophy wives with air flowing out of their vacant cranial appendages, usually bragging about doltish endeavors.