8444 Oak Way
Arvada, CO 80005

I have had three (very different) kiddos at Sierra and it has been a wonderful school for all of them so far. The Specials team is fantastic! They have Art, Music & PE and days called ROAR days that my crew absolutely loves. The building is light and bright. Administrators are visible and accessible. Two of my kiddos have had IEPs, and they have been well supported.

I just finished my 3 years at Oberon, and it was okay. My second year was probably the worst in the sense of violence. There were a lot more fights and vandalism than usual. But my 8th grade year was the best. I think the administration right now is the best it’s been in a while. I went through some stuff and most of my teachers were very supportive and, understanding. The only teacher that isn’t good is the spanish teacher. Other than that making friends is easy, there are plenty of ways to get help if you’re struggling academically or socially. I made life long memories at that school and in my experience as the years go on it gets better.

Ralston is a Jefferson County School. Jefferson County School District has systemic issues which permeate the district from the superintendent down to the school level. While the majority of teachers at Ralston Valley are caring, the admin tend to lack humanness. They tend to take a one-size-fits-all approach and don't seem to be willing (able?) to perspective-take and consider individual needs and circumstances. While it's necessary to be firm and consistent, there are always going to be nuances when dealing with students from all different backgrounds and walks of life, a concept RV would do well to acknowledge. Some RV educators don't value parents as invaluable advocates and supporters in their children's lives---if and when they feel justified in overriding parental authority. Concerns shared with admin about employee missteps should be taken seriously and addressed, not downplayed or ignored. Complacency when things are going smoothly at RV can turn into being blindsided by an onslaught of circumstances or events which can negatively impact students. Teachers are the highlight of RV, most of them genuinely caring about students and working to meet them where they are. Bravo, teachers!