Moanalua Middle School

Moanalua has decent academics and the teachers try to teach the best programs however, the VP and the Principal are undeniably the worst thing that has ever happened to this school! This used to be one of the better public schools but in recent years this school is just really lacking. Our teacher always has tried to help when our child was bullied and bashed in the head with visible bruising and scarring. The teacher was very concerned the 4 times that this has happened. The principal never addressed the problem the 9 times I complained and she had a 2 minute talk with the other student. She also kept saying she was out on "vacation".

Personally, I feel that this school is great. There are many events hosted so students can connect with the faculty and parents. The staff are nice and know how to enforce safety within the school. My child has only been here for one year and I am enjoying my time here in Hawaii. The teachers keep in touch with the parents via Class Dojo and are quick to respond to an issue. My son hasn't been complaining and he too thinks the school is fun, safe and an indeed favorable school to attend. However, I would like it if the pick-up process would be less hectic because it can take up to 15 minutes just to locate your child. However, situations like these are rare, and I feel like overall, Shafter Elementary is a decent school to attend for military families!!

Average, but tends to focus on problem students. Administration has several employees who need to retire, because work ethic and customer service are greatly lacking.

Lots of SEL focused activities, great school culture, and they really focus on the whole child. My son has made so many gains during his time there and developed more confidence. The teachers and staff do a great job with communication, but also encouraging the students to be responsible for their own learning before they get to middle school.

The school’s website is always terribly outdated. They seldom use technology! The text books, if they have any, are many times old & outdated like 1980’s! Many teachers just wing it with wrk sheets or something they got off the internet like “teachers pay teachers” website! No parent involvement at all for years! Not surprising given- Administration just likes to use the latest educational jargon but not once will you hear “how does it effect student learning” bec they only care about forms & checking boxes regardless of whether it is actually happening or actually being effective! I honestly have never seen a worse educational system as this! The classrooms look like they’re fire hazards! It’s so bad you feel sorry for them but then you realize it’s easy to fix! It’s called learning & understanding the best educational practices, accountability and genuine caring about the students!!