Plaza Middle School

Posted: October 7, 2023

DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS HERE! Apparently, my other review was removed, so I'm going to write another review so people know about this hell house. This school has many problems, but the main problem I experienced was bullying. I was bullied relentlessly the whole time I was at Plaza. The staff 100% knew about it and ignored it until I decided to defend myself and do something rude back. I was mainly bullied by one girl, but she turned many people against me and made going to Plaza a nightmare. They didn't do anything until one day in my neighborhood, I was on my bike and the girl and her friend group were yelling insults at me and tried to get a bigger girl to beat me up. I went home, and texted the girl a very nasty message. I don't remember what it was, but it was pretty bad. But, it didn't compare to all the months she's made my life a living hell for no reason. The next day, she went to the office and reported my message. But, of course she deleted all of her dozens of rude messages first. The staff immediately took her side without even hearing my side of the story first and acted like she was a victim. The staff literally yelled at me and threatened me by saying things like I can be expelled, go to juvenile detention, go to an alternative school, etc. The only staff member who actually made a decision after hearing both sides of the story was the police officer. He didn't yell at me even once and actually wanted to get to the bottom of this and get all the details. I don't remember his name, but I thank him so much. The staff members who let me down during the lowest point of my life were: PRINCIPAL DEBBIE PRICE, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL REID BAKER, AND COUNSELOR INGRID WILSON. What I last heard, none of them work there anymore, but people deserve to know the names of these unprofessional disrespectful people. I hope the new staff are better than this, but I doubt they're much better. I got suspended for one week for one message while my bully got suspended for one day for months of harassment. This is not justice. I also talked to other people from Plaza and it's hard to find someone who hasn't been bullied. I was bullied so bad there that I skipped many days and spoke to multiple psychiatrists, therapists, and police officers. This took place in late 2019, so it's been a few years. I'm now in 10th grade and live in another city, and I'm doing much better. I lasted just 1 1/2 months in Plaza. Don't send your kids here if you don't want them to get bullied.

Posted: October 7, 2023

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Posted: September 15, 2023

i was bullied relentlessly by students and had to leave last year and im finally coming back this year and needless to say, nothing has changed. people are terrible there. the staff doesnt know how to deal with the mentally ill students when they have outbursts, and the school is shady and doesnt care about the wellbeing of students.

Posted: September 15, 2023

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Posted: March 25, 2023

Plaza is a great school that has afforded my child a fantastic education. The IB program exposes the students to creative and broad educational content that is difficult to find elsewhere.

Posted: March 25, 2023

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Posted: December 14, 2022

The academy is great however the academy kids are with the general population during lunch and electives which is the downfall of coming here. The neighborhood kids are cursing, fighting and make the entire decision to come here questionable.

Posted: December 14, 2022

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Posted: October 8, 2022

Plaza Middle encourages bullying. If you want your child to become a professional bully THIS is where you send them. The teachers, counselors, principles, none of them do a thing about it. This is exactly how bigger problems get started all because the teachers are in capable of dealing with it. Again if you want your child to become a professional bully SEND THEM TO PLAZA MIDDLE.

Posted: October 8, 2022

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Posted: June 16, 2022

Amazing school, amazing teachers, amazing students. My two IB students have absolutely flourished in both intellectual abilities and social abilities. Such a diverse and accepting school. I honestly haven’t been happier with a school in years!

Posted: June 16, 2022

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Posted: March 15, 2022

Discriminate does exist at this school.Period !

Posted: March 15, 2022

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Posted: February 17, 2022

Plaza Middle does nothing about bullying. Teachers have been reach out to 6 times about sexual harassment and did nothing about it for months. When they finally did something they suspended the student for a week and then the behavior continued immediately after. And then they did nothing. They didn't change anyone's classes, they didn't try to keep people separate, they didn't do anything. They just suspended the kid to say they tried. They didn't. This kid has been a problem for years.

Posted: February 17, 2022

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Posted: September 24, 2021

Don’t let the rating on great schools fool you… it’s only that high because of the MYP. My son is in that program so I know first hand. Btw they let the district kids zoned for this school vape on campus and fight other kids but never get in trouble for it. Disgusting and scary. I have to tell my son to keep his head down in the elective classes so he’s not targeted by these thugs they let roam free.

Posted: September 24, 2021

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Posted: February 13, 2020

Excellent experience with school, IB program, teachers and sports.

Posted: February 13, 2020

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Posted: November 25, 2018

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Posted: November 25, 2018

Awesome school for children in the area! Very good school with just over 1k attending and one of the best student teacher ratios in the area! Not to mention the great gifted learning courses they offer. Plaza Middle School is consistently ranked above average and has known to be the cleanest school in the area!

Posted: November 25, 2018

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Posted: May 6, 2018

Teachers and staff both relate to the students, and provide constructive ways to be effective in the classroom, and outside.

Posted: May 6, 2018

Posted: May 6, 2018

They do not over react, they deal with situations in a rational manner.

Posted: May 6, 2018

I had a very positive experience thus far. As a parent, I appreciate the teachers, and the principals. The communication is far beyond of what I would expect from overcrowded classrooms. I have had misunderstandings with the school, we spoke, and they were effective in communicating a plan to abolish any further issues.

Posted: May 6, 2018

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Posted: May 6, 2018

They hold their children accountable, and show them they care.

Posted: September 11, 2017

terrible. its just bad. worst school. waste of money, if i had any

Posted: September 11, 2017

the only character we have is a failed future. its just a bad school

Posted: September 1, 2014

Plaza MYP has been very good for my son, although it can certainly be challenging. I've enjoyed seeing him grow and develop and realize his own potential through being part of such a distinctive program. The leadership is disturbingly liberal, allowing some age-inappropriate material to be shown in an English class. They also have not always done a great job of providing the best instruction-- something that an Academy school should deliver. But all in all, it has been a good experience, one that I would highly recommend for the right type of student.

Posted: January 7, 2014

I am a student at Plaza and I think it is a good school but the relationships between the IB and zoned kids royally suck. I think the teachers are great but if they could just stop treating the two groups so differently...

Posted: December 30, 2013

I am a student at plaza and I think that it's a school with many talented teachers but it also has a lot of faults.It's true the school is poor and teachers buy equipment.The teachers spend their money to buy pencils and rulers which are simply a must have at any school.it's pathetic that the school cannot afford them. I personally didn't like the principal but this year we have a new one though I don't know him enough to judge. I think the school has its level of punishment directed towards the wrong things. I pity the teachers at times because of how horrid the students are but the teachers don't do much about it. Because of this there is not enough respect.if youre a teacher it isn't a good idea to be dull and boring.if you care about your students' success than keep it interesting!this school isn't fair cuz a group/class/team/grade are punished for a few students' screw-ups.the custodians should be replaced because it's filthy! I found a rat trap next to the bleachers in the gym during p.e.!Money is wasted.The students are out of control but that's the parents' fault. Raise your kids correctly people! I wouldn't recommend plaza cause honestly they don't know what they're doing.

Posted: October 28, 2013

I now have my 2nd child at Plaza middle school and I will say I am surprised how great it has turned out. When my oldest was to go to Plaza I was not thrilled. I grew up in VA Beach and know Plaza reputation, but I will say I was surprised by the quality of teachers at this school. If I had an issue or concern a teacher would contact me back either my email or with a call back. My oldest went here without knowing anyone because we had sent him out of district for elementary and I will say by the end of the 1st nine weeks he has a lot of friends, and most he still knows now. The chorus program is excellent and like all schools it has it problems but as long as you keep up with your child you will have no problems

Posted: June 7, 2013

I am a current 8th grader in the MYP program at Plaza. Let me say, that this school is most definitely the worst I have ever attended. The administrators are so rude and unprofessional, eating constantly and only using their work computers for lunch groupons. The school 'policies' are pulled out of thin air, nothing is in writing and evenly enforced. It really depends on how connected you are as to how often you get in trouble. The dress code is entirely too strict and unevenly enforced, often resulting in the same hundreds of girls (only girls) in the office, with the most horrid woman on the face of the earth, the discipline assistant. Also, there is a common hatred of MYP students throughout the whole school from other students and from the administration. This school is all about ruling with an iron fist, I assure you that your child will never receive mercy, regardless of the situation. Please, save yourself, save your child, don't go to Plaza.

Posted: May 25, 2013

I am an 8th grader at Plaza Middle School and I have enjoyed being at PMS every since I first came there in the 7th grade. The teachers are very nice and reliable and trustworthy and I thank God for both the students and teachers.

Posted: April 28, 2013

Turns out this school is great. Every school has its problems. The way I see it, the good outweighs the bad. My son is doing excellent as a 6th grader. The teachers care for their students progress. What I mean by that is, if your student is on the brink of getting low scores in any given subject, parents are notified and, they go the extra mile to make sure your child gets the help he/she deserves. My husband and I have no complaints.

Posted: September 20, 2012

I am currently in 8th grade at Plaza Middle School and I can't say that I'm happy at this school. First off, we learned that the only reason MYP is at Plaza is so we can bring up test scores. That didn't work so well because I think at least half the 7th graders last year barely passed the Algebra 1 SOL. Second, the students on the non-MYP side and even some on the MYP are very rude. People will trample you in the hallways and scream offensive words. The after school activities, I can say, are great. The student activities coordinator is wonderful as are the teachers. However, sometimes the teachers do not punish students for acting against school policy. The MYP program is great as well. With MYP you get a lot of homework though, that's the biggest downside of the program. As for the regular school's education i can't say because I wasn't in it.

Posted: July 5, 2012

I am a uprising 8th grade MYP at PMS. For my first two years at Plaza I was a "Regular Student" and strongly disliked the MYP's after hearing rumors about what they said or did to other people and that was wrong because us "regular students" think that we are being treated differently from the MYP students but we really weren't. Then I had a little brother who came into Plaza as a MYP in 6th grade. I was in 7 th grade at the time. Every day he had something new to share with our family and I had very little the sometimes do give the MYP's more than other students because the deserve they worked for it. Half the regular students are not hard workers, bullies, or just plain out disrespectful to everyone including teachers. Those teachers even though they know they are being disrespected do nothing about which is making the troublemakers think that it is ok when it is not. Overall I think that Plaza is a great school but is separated by how smart you are or if your an MYP or not no one is any little bit different from someone else and Plaza needs to be one school. Other than the enforcement of rules it is a very good school. I would certainly send my child there.

Reviewed: April 27, 2012

In Virginia Beach, students are zoned to go to their home school but can test into the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Plaza Middle school. They must test in but don't have to be tested and labeled gifted to get in.