Willow Glen High School

I am currently attending this school as a junior. There is something for everyone at this school, but a student has to put in effort to get something out of it. There are communication problems in the school, but I can usually walk up and talk to an administrator. The staff varies (like every school), but overall is very supportive. There is a strong focus on athletics that undermines other activities at the school , but this is changing slowly to include the arts. Some of the students at the school are undesirable people (this is true for any school), but it is not hard to find good people and make friends. It is not perfect, but I would recommend it.
—Submitted by a student

I reviewed this school when my daughter was a sophomore. Now she is a junior at University. She took some AP classes at WGHS and was a good student but I did worry and wonder whether she was really being prepared for college. You don't really know until they get there. So, now I know. I would say that she was well prepared in terms of language arts and science - because of the AP classes, perhaps? She got short-changed on the math. She's been short-changed in math since middle-school. I believe this is probably because teachers are not paid enough to attract enough good mathematicians to the profession. Perhaps, also, because of the persistent prejudice against girls in math. I don't blame the school or anyone in particular. My daughter is finally in calculus and doing okay-it's been a long haul. All in all, I'd say WGHS is a good school - as good as they can be under all the circumstances. One of the biggest plusses is the small, but very active group of parents who are so involved in the extracurricular activities. With the terrible funding of public schools parents have to be involved. You especially have to stay connected to your kid - that is where the rubber meets the road.
—Submitted by a parent

There can be "NO TOLERANCE" when it comes to the safety of our children... NONE.... The world is crazy and if the threat was real, the casulites would be unmentionable.. but thank God it wasnt.The staff and administrators are big on pushing "NO TOLREANCE" on our kids and force feeding these idealogies. But when the shoe is on the other foot, incidents gets sweeped under the rug, no communcaition, 2nd and even 4th hands reports, no organizations, and no leaderships.... Where was the Sports Director, and all these other administrators? Why wasnt the football program canceled... MONEY or did the safe with a "NO TOLREANCE" take the back seat to money. What a disgrace from a school that lives in a glass house.
—Submitted by a parent

Not ready to rate yet, my daughter is coming into WGHS as a junior coming from private school. I am actually impressed with the smaller feel of the school. She is recommended to take AP classes to stay challenged and that is something we did not have at our past school unless you were an A++ student. So I am looking for great things of my daughter. It is our neighborhood school and I feel good about it since I pay taxes on it! Willow Glen High School was one of the best High schools around in the 1970's they had metal shop, great athletics, home economic classes,sewing, they had a car fix it program where did these go?
—Submitted by a parent

I have to give this school some credit - for a public school in a mediocre district it's pretty good. I have problems with the public school system so I have lots of gripes BUT I'll start by saying that my kid likes this school; that is saying quite a lot. She's an honor student but not interested in the whole sports/govenment/spirit thing but still feels like she's part of a big family. I know some of the teachers and they are real humans who are very committed to the kids and the kids feel it. They work like dogs. The college and careers counseling is outstanding. The administration is approachable-you can work with them. Don't expect perfection but as these things go the school is not bad. Remember this is a big government institution - adjust your expectations accordingly.
—Submitted by a parent

In response to the person who posted on August 29, I would say that the Principal is actually extremely accessible and responsive to parent requests. I can imagine that she is overloaded with beginning-of-the-school-year requests, so I would counsel patience and persistence in contacting her. As for Auto and Metal Shop, those are available through CCOC (Central Country Occupational Center), and many WG students take advantage of those and other classes such as Veterinary Technology. They can even take a bus from the WGHS campus to and from CCOC. And I know for a fact that they work very hard to help students with learning problems. I'm sorry that you've had these experiences, but I would encourage you to try again. We have a Senior and a Freshman and have been thoroughly pleased with their experiences.
—Submitted by a parent

principal is hard to reach. electives there are none no auto shop or metel shop to teach student to work with there hands if child has learning problems they do npot look at IP.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is a Senior and is vey happy at WGH. I would agree with some of the comments made by other parents about team spirit a strong point at WGH. I would also like to mention Mr. Gallegos. I have had the opportunity to speak with him on a couple of occassions, and I believe he is doing a great job. Lastly, communication between parents and teacher could be better. Sincerely, CH
—Submitted by a parent

I like this school for my teen. but feel that the communication between teacher & parent is poor. Its difficult to get in touch with the teachers. Not too crazy how the school deals with discipline. But may not be the schools fault...could be the district in itself, and their policies.Not in the best interest of the child. Overall, for 2 yrs I have been pretty pleased WG.
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent School, need more good parent to support so rating can go up more higher then usual
—Submitted by a parent

I have been a parent at WGHS for three years and have three more to go. The programs are outstanding, the feeling of family is strong and the administration is very focused on the kids. You can see the teachers becoming a stronger team every year. The kids are very devoted to this school and are being accepted at the whos who of colleges. What else can you ask for?
—Submitted by a parent

I think that this school has potential, but there are many improvments that can be made. Overall this school has very good teachers with certification above and beyond. Students have the capability of interacting with fellow students and having a 4.0 GPA if they try their best. There is also quite a bit of school spirit shown, which is outstanding. GO RAMS!
—Submitted by a student

Willow Glen High School tends to get a bad rep from people who don't go to the school and don't really understand the school at all. In actuality, it's a great school! My kids go here and when talking to parents from other schools, they usually end up jealous of the great programs offered at the school, the great teachers--and the most AP classes in the district, the parent involvement and the camaraderie the kids feel. Time and time again you hear kids say they feel like family at Willow Glen High School. Don't listen to the nay-sayers that don't know the school. Also, gang-presence is less here than at any other school. In 4 years, I've never heard of one gang fight at school. Kids feel safer at WGHS than when they visit any other school. This is the best!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter graduated in 2005 from Willow Glen High. I am a huge fan of this school. The teachers are outstanding, the parent participation is wonderful and it's a school that gets support from the surrounding community of Willow Glen. I would choose it again without hesitation. Our family had a great four years.
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter graduated from WGHS in '07, and we had nothing but the best of experiences while she was there. 94% of her graduating class was starting college in the fall - the highest class ever to have such an achievement. It's a great school!!
—Submitted by Annette Helmbold, a parent

Willow Glen excels in it's college prep for students. It has numerous AP and University Express courses to choose from, an excellent college counseling program, and graduation standards that meet or exceed the UC and CSU entry requirements. When comparing experiences with friends from other schools, they have not been nearly as well informed about college prep and don't have anywhere near the number of AP courses. Therefore, their students may not be as able to compete for those spots at impacted colleges. Willow Glen is improving greatly every year, and it's exciting to anticipate more changes that are expected in the near future.
—Submitted by a parent

WGHS is a great high school offering AP classes, and classes that receive college credit as well as the broad base academic requirements. WGHS is diverese ethnically and financially offering the student body a greater picture of the real world. WGHS has a strong spirited school as well as a very supportive parent group and surrounding neighborhood community. Our son is a recent graduate of the school, and is part of the 94% of graduating students going to college. Overall it has been and continues to be a great school in our neighborhood.
—Submitted by a parent

I am an alumni of WGHS and I can say that I was proud going to that school back in the 70's and i'm proud to have both of my kids attending WGHS today..there was a period of time when this school didn't meet the expecatatons of other high schools in the area and neighborhood kids were not coming here but the extreme dedication by this administration, teachers, parents and students turned that around..Over the past 5 years this school has reached new academic levels, parent involvement, and leadership..It is great to be able to say that WGHS is back on the map and this is the high school kids want to go to-there is even a waiting list to get in..Not only are the neighborhood kids coming back but so are those who once graduated here and now are teachers..It's just fantastic..Thumbs up to Willow Glen High School.
—Submitted by a parent

Many of the teachers are alumni so they have a vesed intrest. They are more then willing to help any student who bothers to seek out help. They also have a great homework center.
—Submitted by a parent

I strongly disagree with the person who reported that the school does not keep parents informed. We got phone messages at least once a month, regular mailings to our home, and e-mails about every day from the parent volunteer who sends regular updates to everyone on her e-mail list (which was extremely easy to join). Our daughter is a senior and has attended since halfway through her freshman year. We have liked her teachers, and the administration has always been very responsive to all our needs. I was amazed, when I looked at the yearbook, at how much there is for kids to be involved in -- more than they could ever imagine. WGHS has just undergone some admin changes, but the new folks look to be great replacements for those who left.
—Submitted by a parent