Paul Revere Middle School

I consider this school to be a well run state penal institution. BUT considering that there are 2300 kids, I think they do a very good job. If your child falls into the middle of the bell curve then you are in good hands. That is, if he/she is self motivated or closely watched over by a parent then they will do well. The teachers care and are for the most part very good. If, your child is NOT a good student, or motivated, or has any learning issues, then you will have a difficult time here. There is an extreme overload of busy work home work, over which the teachers have no control. It is state mandated with very little thought other than high scores for the school which related to funding, however much needed. Bathrooms are filthy, and the place is run down for a lack of maintenance funding. Remember that these are traditionally difficult transition years for children, somewhere in the 12-14 years old zone, so it can't be any easy job managing an crowded school like this one. As far as alternatives go, I can't say that I've found the private schools to be better, and for 10-30 thousand dollars a year, from experience, I'd say your money is for the most part wasted. Good luck!
—Submitted by a parent

My son, now finishing his second year has had an excellent time at the school. On balance, some truly outstanding teachers ( two duds in 2 years...) but he has grown both academically and emotionally. A recent review by a another parent read like private school shill, hitting all the fear mongering marks one could imagine... I rated the school a 5t, though it's probably a 4.5... still room for improvement in some areas... tho parental involvement is huge here... not sure what the parent who posted before me is referencing re: not being allowed to see what's going on... contrary to that it's easy to get involved, and/or meet with teachers... or email them.... large class sizes not really a problem unless the child has a hard time focusing
—Submitted by a parent

As a student at Paul Revere, a large amount of the reviews I have read have made Paul Revere out to be a school with drug dealers, endless bullies, horrible teachers, and no regard for students' safety... That is the exact opposite of what I have seen. In my homeroom, we have gone over our planners' section on bullying, drugs, violence, etc., so please do not say the administration doesn't educate the students on those subjects. I encounter at least 150 students a day in classes, and none of them have been bullies or appear to be selling or using drugs. My teachers are incredible-- they go to the far ends of the Earth to enhance our courses and make sure we understand what they are teaching. They have NO tolerance whatsoever for talking during class or suspicious behavior, and will pull you aside if you seem depressed, angry, etc. Though my class is high honors, my teachers also teach regulars, which is about 70% of the same stuff (we just go into more detail and have more work.) My friends tell me that their teachers are phenomenal and that they have never been bullied at Paul Revere or offered drugs...

Yes, bullying is a problem; however, the solution is not punishing an identified perpetrator. The solution is taking a hard look at school culture. Children are impressionable and there are effective programs that address creating a culture of respect and caring. These programs require a head-on commitment from school leaders (not occasional rallies), time investment and change in classroom management by teachers, effective use of homeroom to do more than take roll and make announcements and parents who want to help build character for all members of the school community. This won't be implemented if the emphasis is on punishment. We have to model caring and compassion. The comments about racial (and class) bias are correct. At Paul Revere, in a Darwinian environment where each parent is out for their own child and class time is spent talking about the last trip to Europe, this will be a challenge, but we can do it!
—Submitted by a parent

Unfortunately I have to agree with the parent who posted on November 11, 2010 in regards to the bullying situation. I'm totally in favor of excellent academics, exceptional, caring teachers, what parent wouldn't?--don't really care too much about a farm being on campus, a farm....really now?? But, in this day and age, safety and protection is #1 on my list! I agree 100% that PR has a SERIOUS problem with BULLIES that is not sufficiently addressed. How can you address bully problems with a "no suspension rule". If a student does something to harm another student, whether it's physically or verbally, that student should be disciplined accordingly. A "no suspension" policy to me means that if the suspended student is not in school for the day/those days, then the school doesn't get the $$$. for the day! Total BS!!! Question for PR, Principal, Deans: Which is more important to you? MONEY FOR YOUR SCHOOL, OR A CHILDS SAFETY. Parents, I pose the same question to you for you and yours????
—Submitted by a parent

Great school when it comes to course work. However, I have to say there is some racial bias at the school. If your child is of color they assume they are in the wrong most of the time. There also seems to be a bullying problem that seems to be overlooked by the staff.
—Submitted by a parent

The community truly comes together to support ideas and execute them!
—Submitted by a parent

I d like to share our family s experience with regard to regular and honors track. Our daughter started sixth grade in a regular track class. We felt that a mistake had been made in her placement and met with her teachers who reassured us by saying that they also taught honors classes. Our daughter was given supplementary homework which was similar to that given to honors classes. She was recommended for honors track for seventh grade and did well, scoring at the advanced level in the CST evaluations. Although our daughter s sixth grade class did have several students with discipline problems, it did not prevent a successful academic year. It would be a mistake to write-off regular track. The teachers are competent and caring. Unrelated comment: The bands and orchestras of the music department are amazingly good.
—Submitted by a parent

Im am a student at Paul Revere some people say that there a drug problem well there a drug problem in every school and it not the school fault it the kids fault there try as hard as possible to get rid of that and it located in a very nice area and i feel safe at this school.

Paul Revere has very nice teachers and an amazing principal that cares for all the students at Paul Revere.

I loved it.<3 it was the best 6th grade year ever! :D! you should go there! the teachers are nice and really help you!

It really gets tiring hearing some of the negative things said about Paul Revere. Here is the truth. We are so lucky to have this school. My son is finishing up his 8th grade year and my daughter will be attending the school next year. It has been an amazing school for my son. He has had teachers that have consistently blown us away with the levels in which they teach. I have absolutely no complaints about the education he has had or about the school in general. I can't imagine a finer middle school, even at the private level. The other great thing about this school is that it teaches kids to learn to navigate themselves within a big system. Sounds a little like real life, doesn't it?
—Submitted by a parent

I believe candy coated is the term you were looking for... Every school tour promotes the positive aspects of their school. But to say Revere is the worst possible middle school for any child wanting to learn is ridiculous. My son (in the Hoors program) is bright, but not a particularly motivated student and his teachers have been great. His 6th grade Eng teacher has been working with him through out his 8th grade year to get him ready for high school. I call that dedication!
—Submitted by a parent

Worst possible middle school for any student wanting to learn. The parent tours are candy coded, you don't get the real idea of the school until you've been there for 3 years.
—Submitted by a student

My daughter love this school. She moved from Palms. Beautiful campus. Awsome riders. GO RIDERS, GO REVERE
—Submitted by a parent

i love that school it is perfect for me and i believe they teach good and all the children get an equal amount of disipline
—Submitted by a student

Beautiful campus, excellent principal and staff, and happy students equal an awesome school! Keep it up Revere!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

The only way to get a good eductaion at Paul Revere is to be in the Honors program. The regular classroom have many more discipline problems making learning more dificult and the teachers don't seem to care about students as much as HONORS kids
—Submitted by a parent

This school has many problems that the principal keeps hidden under the table. For example, how about a teacher that has had 9 complaints and is not fired...including verbal abuse in class. Another problem is the busing from under-privileged neighborhoods. This causes tremendous problems and there is also a very big drug problem at this school. Not only are random searches now at least twice a month, there are a handful of kids dealing drugs, and kids that have been arrested more than once. If there is a better option for your child, I strongly suggest you send them elsewhere.
—Submitted by a student

Totally agree with the previous post.Not much effort is made in encouraging your child or making the lessons interesting if your child is not in honors.Teachers couldn't care less.
—Submitted by a parent