Johnson Ave
Cupertino, CA 95014

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.

the teachers and the staff at lawson try and do their best. for the past two years, my child's teachers have been different but good quality. the office is usually very nice and helpful. only it is the principal, erin leary that has made my family time at this school very difficult. she does not seem to like talking with parents. she has said and done things to divde the community. unfortunately, the district doesn't seem to know or does not care about what she has said. it is sad for such a good school.

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.