Carl Munck Elementary School
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Carl Munck Elementary School
Nov 2008
Hi BPN...
My daughter will be entering kindergarten next Fall and I'm
caught between moving within the northwest elementary school
zone in Berkeley and within the Carl Munck elementary school
zone in Oakland. My destination at this point is going to be
based on the (public) schools...I am a single mom, and commute
daily to work. I'll need before and after school care for my
daughter next year. Some of the discussion on bpn is outdated,
and I'd appreciate any advice, feedback, experience etc. from
other parents whose children have been to or are currently
students at any of the schools in the zones I'm considering-
Munck, Jefferson, Thousand Oaks, and Rosa Parks, as well as
before/after school care programs serving these schools/areas...
-working mama wanting good edu exp for my little one
I don't know anything about Munck but I can say with confidence
all the NW zone schools in berkeley are strong. They are very
different from each other, but all very good. My son is at Rosa
Parks, which we love, and we have friends and neighbors who are
very happy at Jefferson and TO. So you can't go wrong, you just
might feel like one or the other is more of a ''fit'' for your
family. Good luck!
Happy at Rosa Parks
Hi, I have a son in 3rd grade at Munck. I encourage you to check the school out for
yourself. There are things about it I like and others I wish were different. Feel
free to
e-mail me specific questions about the school and I will answer as best I can. I
really
like living in the Munck neighborhood as it's quiet and right near Redwood Regional
Park.
Jan 2008
We would like to attend our neighborhood school (Carl B
Munck). The previous postings and information I've found on
the net gives mixed reviews and is not that recent. It doesn't
have the best test scores, not that we should judge based on
scores alone. We've been to visit. The campus is nice enough
but I'm concerned about the apparent lack of parental
involvement. Does anyone have any hands on feedback on this
school? Is anyone in the same boat and is considering Carl
Munck? Neighborhood children don't seem to make up the
majority of enrollees. However I'm hearing that the chance of
getting an alternative school assignment based on open lottery
is going to be extremely slim. Other struggling schools have
made a big improvement in a few years by pulling back
neighborhood children. Some of these have parental action
groups to help speed the improvement. Does anything similar
exist for Carl Munck?
Carol
My son is currently in 2nd grade at Carl B Munck and we are a neighborhood
family.
Generally we are happy and like the school. You are correct that the
parent
involvement is not what it would be at other hills schools because most of
the students
seem to be lower income, with 2 working parents and since most don't live
in the
neighborhood it's harder for them to be involved. The parents that are
part of the
Munck PTA work very hard.
I would love to see more neighborhood kids at Munck and am glad to
hear you have
visited already. I am happy to answer any specific questions you have as
best I can.
Laura
Nov 2006
The Aspergers Inclusion program at Carl Munck Elementary School
in Oakland has been suggested for my child, who is due to enter
Kindergarten in the fall. I don't know anything about this
program and would love to hear from parents about your child's
experience in this program, and a description of what exactly
the program offers to children. Thanks very much!
My son is in the Asperger inclusion program at Munck in first
grade this year. He went to an integraged kindergarten at Tilden
so this is our first year at Munck (it's also our home school).
There are good things about the program and naturally it has some
weak spots too. Have you visited the school? The inclusion
teacher, Monica Novak, is fabulous! She totally ''gets'' our kids
and has a huge bag of tricks to help them succeed. At the
beginning of the year there were not enough aides and some kids
were having a rough time - now that's better. Some of the
teachers with the aspie kids in their classes have no experience
with special ed kids so this can be a weak spot in the program.
I like the school overall. I'd love to speak with you about the
program if you are interested. Feel free to call or e-mail me.
I'm committed to staying with this program and trying
to make it better. If you are requesting this placement I
suggest that you get a 1:1 aide written into you IEP.
Laura
Sept 2006
Hi. My son is starting kindergarten in Fall '07. We would really like
him
to attend public school; however we are zoned for Carl B. Munck
Elementary which has had less than stellar reviews. I was hoping that
I
could get feedback from parents who have either sent their children to
Munck or are considering sending them there and/or staff from Munck.
Other than test scores, we don't know much about the school.
Holding out hope for Munck
We are in the situation. Our daughter could start there next
year and our son in 2010. I hope to join with other parents
and make Munck work. I would be glad talk and make this
Oakland school decision easier and less daunting.
Jane
Thanks for your post about Munck. We are in the same boat. Our
son is also due to start kindergarten fall '07 and we are also
zoned for Carl Munck. I have looked at test scores and am about
to schedule a visit to the school as well as others in the
district (like Thornhill, Montclair) for comparison's sake. If
you are interested, I would love to talk to you in more detail
about your plans, concerns etc. I am all for investing some
effort into our local school and would love to connect with like-
minded families.
Laura
My son started at Munck in first grade this fall. It is our home
school and also has a special ed program that he is part of. It
feels early in the school year to have a strong opinion. So far
I like it pretty well. It has a nice, welcoming feel and the
teachers and staff I deal with listen to my questions and
concerns thoughfully. The class was larger than it was supposed
to be for the first 3 weeks of school and was then reduced to the
20 it's supposed to be - this was a little frustrating but may
happen at many schools (I don't know). My son has fun at school.
The homework load seems heavy to me but we will adjust. Feel
free to ask specific questions and I will try to answer them.
Laura
March 2006
Our neighborhood in the Oakland Hills is zoned for Carl Munck
Elementary. In checking out the average test scores for the
school, I was, to say the least, very unimpressed. However, I
know that a school is comprised of more than just test scores. I
don't see any postings at all about this school...does anyone
have any experience, positive or negative, to share about Munck?
A Concerned Mom
I used to teach at Munck, and now I teach at the high school
level in Oakland. Munck is a lovely school. It has a
beautiful situation geographically, and it has some of the best
elementary teachers in Oakland.
Munck has a collaborative tradition. Teachers work together to
create a continuum of education from one grade to the next.
There is a rich tradition of art and music (although that is
currently under attack by the District), and parent involvement
has been high for years.
Munck has an emphasis on Native American culture, since the on-
site Child Development Center (CDC) serves the Native American
families in Oakland. Teachers at Munck emphasize that cultural
connection, which benefits all students at the school.
If I decided to go back to teaching elementary education, I
would definitely want to teach at Munck. It's a caring,
creative place with excellent teachers.
Former Munck Teacher
Our designated school is also Carl Munck. Unfortunately, we
found out early on, before having children, that absolutely no
one in our neighborhood send their kids to Munck. We were very
dismayed by this. Especially since I went to a public school
with all of my neighborhood friends. I looked into it and even
toured the school, but was not happy with what I saw and heard.
When our son was born we too began to look at private
schools.Yes, we crumbled and have felt a bit guilty ever since.
Would love Public, Pays for Private
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