Pershing Middle School

Posted: July 8, 2025

Posted: July 8, 2025

Posted: July 8, 2025

Posted: July 8, 2025

After two years at this school and the teachers and staff completely failing to help our daughter get the help.she clearly needed, we decided to find someplace where all students are treated like they matter, and not just the perfect ones who fit in their clique Lil boxes.

The teachers here ignored our repeated request to help our daughter in math (because we couldnt understand the new and unimproved math curriculum for 7th grade.

She was bullied and those concerns also fell on deaf ears.

If your child is different, unique, creative then don't send them here because all that will die quite a bit.

Posted: July 8, 2025

Posted: July 8, 2025

Posted: July 8, 2025

Posted: July 8, 2025

Posted: December 31, 2024

Posted: December 31, 2024

Posted: December 31, 2024

Posted: December 31, 2024

Posted: December 31, 2024

Posted: December 31, 2024

Posted: 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.

Posted: December 31, 2024

Posted: December 11, 2024

Posted: December 11, 2024

Posted: December 11, 2024

Posted: 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.

Posted: December 11, 2024

Posted: December 11, 2024

Posted: December 11, 2024

Posted: December 11, 2024

Posted: June 5, 2024

Posted: June 5, 2024

Posted: June 5, 2024

Posted: June 5, 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.

Posted: June 5, 2024

Posted: June 5, 2024

Posted: June 5, 2024

Posted: June 5, 2024

Posted: June 5, 2024

Posted: June 5, 2024

Posted: June 5, 2024

Posted: June 5, 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.

Posted: June 5, 2024

Posted: June 5, 2024

Posted: June 5, 2024

Posted: June 5, 2024

Posted: February 7, 2024

Posted: February 7, 2024

Posted: February 7, 2024

Posted: February 7, 2024

The teachers and staff are welcoming. They are supportive of their students.

Posted: February 7, 2024

Posted: February 7, 2024

Posted: February 7, 2024

Posted: February 7, 2024

Posted: February 6, 2024

Posted: February 6, 2024

Posted: February 6, 2024

Posted: February 6, 2024

This school works hard to support students. Academics are strong

Posted: February 6, 2024

Posted: February 6, 2024

Posted: February 6, 2024

Posted: February 6, 2024

Posted: May 16, 2023

Posted: May 16, 2023

Posted: 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

Posted: May 16, 2023

Posted: May 16, 2023

Posted: May 16, 2023

Posted: May 16, 2023

Posted: May 16, 2023

Posted: May 15, 2023

Posted: May 15, 2023

Posted: 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.

Posted: May 15, 2023

Posted: May 15, 2023

Posted: May 15, 2023

Posted: May 15, 2023

Posted: May 15, 2023

Posted: May 14, 2023

Posted: 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.

Posted: May 14, 2023

Posted: May 14, 2023

Posted: May 14, 2023

Posted: May 14, 2023

Posted: May 14, 2023

Posted: 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!

Posted: May 14, 2023

Posted: May 14, 2023

Posted: May 14, 2023

Posted: May 14, 2023

Posted: May 13, 2023

Posted: May 13, 2023

Posted: 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.

Posted: May 13, 2023

Posted: May 13, 2023

Posted: May 13, 2023

Posted: May 13, 2023

Posted: May 13, 2023

Posted: January 4, 2019

Wonderful! Great teachers and communication with parents are on point!

Posted: January 4, 2019

Posted: January 4, 2019

Posted: January 4, 2019

Posted: January 4, 2019

Posted: January 4, 2019

Posted: January 4, 2019

Posted: 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.

Posted: December 11, 2018

The minimal homework my 6th Grader has received is appropriate for his grade level.

Posted: December 11, 2018

My 6th Grader loves all of his teachers and looks forward to seeing them every day.

Posted: December 11, 2018

Posted: December 11, 2018

The administration is very available to parents, and the front office staff is friendly and helpful.

Posted: December 11, 2018

Posted: December 11, 2018

The principal and vice principal are very proactive about reports of bullying.

Posted: February 2, 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!!!

Posted: February 2, 2016

Posted: February 2, 2016

Posted: February 2, 2016

Posted: April 13, 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.

Posted: March 8, 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.

Posted: February 11, 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.

Posted: November 4, 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!!!

Posted: September 23, 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!

Posted: July 9, 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.

Posted: June 3, 2014

Sending my child here was the biggest mistake I ever made. After being at least average in every subject and advanced in a couple from K-7th grade, he started to have more issues with focus and getting work done once he started at Pershing in 8th grade.. Though the teachers contacted me to let me know that his work/lack there of was not going to earn him a passing grade, all but one were unresponsive when I left messages and sent emails to try to get on the same page to solve the problem. A couple of weeks ago, I got the final progress report of the year. My child failed 3 out of 6 classes and will not be allowed to go on the 8th grade field trip, nor participate in the promotion. However, he WILL be moved along to high school!?! What a sad state our educational system is in

Posted: April 12, 2014

Great school with great kids! I visited there for the school's 50th anniversary and it was even more wonderful than when I attended in the 70s. Beautiful big library, grass playfield, iPads for students and a great, caring staff.

Posted: February 17, 2014

Pershing middle needs a complete overhaul. Not all, but most of the teachers have gotten to comfortable and therefore lazy. Following through with educational plans and accommodations seems to be challenging for many of them. Luckily my daughter is very self sufficient and seems to be doing well despite them. She finds the counselors cold and detached from the plight of navigating others behavioral issues. She states (and I agree), that all the note taking and grades based on notes makes her feel like a court reporter. She is great at taking notes now, yet if you ask her what she learned about that days topic all she can do is repeat the notes. No actual learning is occuring. Next year is her 7th grade year and she will be switching schools.

Posted: January 11, 2014

I have been very pleased with Pershing thus far. My son is challenged, loves his teachers, and is thrilled about his experiences in the pre-engineering program. The teachers, many of which have been at Pershing for over a decade, are dedicated, supportive, and understanding. I also appreciate that my son has an adequate, but not overwhelming amount of homework. While challenged, he still has enough time to be involved in extracurricular activities without being overwhelmed.

Posted: January 4, 2014

Overall I am pleased with Pershing Middle School. I was told there was a zero tolerance for bullying and yet my son has been bullied several times. I have gone to the counselors and school office many times and still no changes are made. Other than that, Pershing has great educational opportunities with band, P.E., 6th grade camp and musicals which I think is great to get involved in a school whether it be a parent or child. This year my son has been doing alot better in his classes despite the bullying. I think stronger rules need to be in place.

Posted: October 17, 2013

I love this school. Two of my children attended Pershing, and I'm hoping my third will have the chance. Unfortunately, the new administration (namely the new principal) is ruining what used to be an amazing educational experience. She has taken away the block schedule, drama, and doesn't listen to parent input. I hope she sees the light and adjusts to the needs of our community.