10249 Pasadena Ave
Cupertino, CA 95014

John F. Kennedy Middle School is terrible. One teacher that I had is VERY rude and impatient. Most of the teachers are kind, and it's a matter of fact which teacher you get that shapes your time at Kennedy. For me, the John F. Kennedy Middle School experience was far from positive and extremely disappointing. Although there were a few teachers who made learning somewhat enjoyable, the rude behavior and lack of patience from other teachers and staff made it hard to feel comfortable asking questions or participating in class. Instead of feeling supported, I often felt stressed.The inconsistency in how students were treated made it hard to build trust in teachers, because they have their favorites. Some days were bearable, but many were filled with frustration, confusion, and a lack of motivation. School should be a place where students feel inspired and challenged in a healthy way, but unfortunately, that wasnt what I felt at Kennedy. The overall experience left me discouraged, and I wouldn’t want other students to go a school like this. While I appreciate the teachers who did try their best, the negative experiences ultimately outweighed the good, and I’m relieved to be moving on from it.

Amazing principal. Teachers are also excellent, though the experience and things like amount of homework can differ significantly even between teachers within the same grade. Social growth, personal responsibility, and citizenship are important here. About the only thing I can really complain about is that the provider for the school lunches (across all of CUSD, not just this school) is below average, but due to the state program at least it's currently free.

I went to Monta Vista for high school and since then have gotten my bachelors and am currently getting my masters degree. I will say that no other educational experience has even come close in difficulty to my time at Monta Vista. This school is REALLY academically challenging, everyone who goes here is smart AND driven and because of that the teachers have really high expectations of everyone. I found that dealing with the pressure to keep up academically was the most difficult for me. I dealt with feelings of inadequacy and incompetence all throughout high school. It was only after I graduated and went to college that I realized that I was very smart and Monta Vista was just a bubble full of other really smart people. However, this high school also prepared me so well for college. I was already in the mindset to work hard, look for extracurriculars and plan ahead to make sure I set myself up to achieve my goals. The mindset it hammers into you serves you well for the rest of your life. Most of my class is also extremely successful - mostly in masters/PHD programs or working in a big tech company. There is no fights breaking out or people smoking in the bathrooms. There isn't a big party culture and everybody is academically focused which means that it's a good environment for your kid to just focus on school. However, that also makes it not the typical American high school experience - it just depends what is important to you. I would recommend that you only send your kid here if they have robust mental health and a thick skin. They need to be able to withstand pressure and balance 1000 things. If they can do that and deal with the levels of competition, I think they would benefit and be successful here.