Mitchell High School

I am now a junior at Mitchell and I truly do not agree with the comments saying that it is a bad school. I have taken the hardest classes that I can and I have had major academic success. My teachers care about how I do in school and they encourage me to push myself to my highest potential. Just for the record, there is a lot of misunderstanding about the school. The area that the school was placed is not one of the best areas in town anymore, but that does not mean that the school is any worse than it used to be. There are multiple college level classes that you can get credit for from CU Denver. If you want to believe that this is a bad school I encourage you to take a tour and see the family that has grown out of the students and faculty. No school is perfect, but if you want a safer environment then I would highly recommend this school. It has a zero fighting policy and it does not have even half of the drug problems that many of the schools have in the rest of the springs. ( Yes that includes Pine Creek and Cheyenne Mountain)
—Submitted by a student

-20...it is across the street from gang infested projects. We are moving so that my grandchildren will not be STUCK attending this sub-par excuse for a school. It is NOT a good school nor "MISUNDERSTOOD". Clean out the trash and Mitchell may have 1/2 a chance of being semi-decent.

The principal can not write a complete sentence. That spells disaster for leadership. The teachers and principal did not follow through on plans to help my child. How am I supposed to show my student that doing school work is important to learning when the teachers gave him an A with half of the work missing? On July 11, 2011, a parent submitted that Mitchell "has the best JFROTC program." However these are some of the instructors who give As when major portions of work are missing. The instructors repeatedly failed to answer my emails about the situation. When they did answer, it was just empty assurances that they would make sure my student did his work. They didn't, and neither did he. This series of classes is supposed to teach acedemic responsibility and leadership, but completely fails at both. My wife and I also met with the principal to address my student's poor academic progress. We all agreed on a plan to address the situation. The next day, he met with my student, and told him something completely counter to what we had agreed. Again, my student was allowed to do nothing toward completing his work, and still get good grades as well as participate in activities.
—Submitted by a parent

Mitchell High School is a great school. It is like all high schools with the occasional drama, but overall has a safe and caring learning environment. I would recommend this school to any family. Please don't listen to what others have to say, go by and check the school out for yourself. There is no perfect school. The staff will make sure your child receives an education if they want one. They are always willing to share their time, whether it is before, after, or during their personal time at school. It has the best JFROTC program in Colorado, with nearly 400 students enrolled, and they offer many other opportunities for your child to get involved with. The population is very diverse, the students love that about the school. The best way to ensure your child a great high school experience is to get involved with their school.
—Submitted by a parent

After attending Mitchell for all four years of high school, I now finally appreciate it as the great school that it is. I was worried that when I went to college that I wouldn't have an education at the level of people from wealthier schools such as Cherry Creek, Highlands Ranch, or Smokey Hill would have in Denver. However, I was shocked when I went to college and my friends from these schools had never written a research paper longer 5 pages or in APA citation style. I was shocked when students from these school's that achieve better than Mitchell never learned the states or their capitals. Don't listen to every disgruntled student or parent about Mitchell. The world of education NEEDS discipline, even if it s unpopular. Schools NEED attendance policies and zero tolerance to violence. And like it or not, security guards are in EVERY school.
—Submitted by a student

I had to pull my child out of that school. This school is not boot camp nor is it a respectful one at that. Security guards, attendance principle, are over whelming to my child. my child retaliates back and so yes he wouldn't comply 100% they picked on my child way to much, teachers would mark you absent if you are a little late, academic and professionalizm from teachers and other staff is not respectful nor comply to a parents concern of other situations within this school that I had problems with from the past. I will be taking the school to court for harrassment on my child;s behalf after i had taken him out of that horrible school, better yet going to the board. i would not recommend this school for your child. please seek a better school than this.
—Submitted by a parent

Mhs isn't what everybody thinks it is. Yes, there are usually fights and drama but every school has that. The problem is the education. The 'honors' classes are so easy they're actually boring. I don't learn anything new, just review of my 8th grade year. The students aren't diverse, there are Mexicans, African Americans, and Caucasians, just like any other school. It doesn't have any exciting clubs other schools don't already have, the courses are regular, the school is extremely small, and the population is small. They also have a JROTC program, which sounds good, but the teachers in the class aren't tolerant of anything, not even sitting in your chair comfortably, and take the class environment so seriously it is intimidating. I haven't learned anything in that class, and it isn't helping me build any skills I didn't already posses before. Overall, I don't recommend this school at all.
—Submitted by a student

Great school. My student valedictorian and is doing well and is very challenged. Couldn't be anymore pleased!
—Submitted by a parent

Love it! It's awesome and I wouldn't go anywhere else!
—Submitted by a student

Mitchell High School is one of the best schools in the district. People make it up to be a bad school with a bad reputation but the truth of the matter is that MHS is better than most schools in Colorado Springs. My freshman year we were on lock down every other week but in the last two years we have not had a single lock down. But we went on lockdown because things in the surrounding area were going bad and the school put us into protection. MHS is a very diverse school so people associtate it with gangs and ghetto but there is NO gangs or ghetto in C/S!! Go to Detroit or LA and then tell me MHS is ghetto. Every student should have a chance to go here and expirience the real world through the diverse bond that is MHS. ~Michael Johnson
—Submitted by a student

The teachers really do seem to care about each individual student. They do a great job to use all learning types during lessons and we have recently been adopted by Northcom for having so many military attached students attending.
—Submitted by a student

I live around the school, and feel it's rep is horrible. I pulled my 2 kids from there when the troubles got too bad - the kids that attend are not good kids! Mine were getting no real education. I pulled them, and they are now passing with flying colors at another school!
—Submitted by a parent

I had three students attended Mitchell High School. All of them are now in college and doing a great job. They had good teachers who cared about them and kept me informed about their progress. I have a fourth child who I hope will have an opportunity to go there one day.
—Submitted by a parent

I attend Mitchell High and it is a wonderful school! I'm bipolar, and they work great with my 'disabilities', absences, and medication. At other schools they simply throw bipolar students in special ed so they don't have to deal with them. But MHS is happy to put me in AP classes and treat me well! True, MHS is in a mildly 'bad neighborhood', but that has little effect on the school! We have a high Hispanic and Black count, so naturally people associate that with gangs. I have never seen or heard of a gang at Mitchell! MHS has the second lowest drug rate in district 11, CIVA is first The security and staff is excellent, we have a great music, drama, foreign language, arts, and SAIL+ programs. -Anna M, student
—Submitted by Anna M., a student

Any school has it's problems. I have 3 boys that attended MHS. One got expelled. One graduating this year and one in 10th grade doing well. My kids love MHS and I will send my 2 other kids there without a second thought. Parents need to quit blaming the school and staff for there failing kids. some kids go to school to learn others to hang out and be cool. my oldest son got expelled because of his bad choices. not once did I blame the school. In my eyes MHS is a great school. people need to quit blaming others for there or there kids wrong choices. If your kids need help at MHS it is always there for them.
—Submitted by birgit babcock, a parent

My older son graduated from MHS and my youngest is a student there now. They have both had positive, successful experiences there. The oldest was well prepared for his college classes and responsibilities through the SAIL and Honors programs. As with any school, he had some outstanding teachers, and some disappointments, but throughout he felt encouraged and supported by the staff. Both boys have participated in sports and extra-curricular activities on a level that might have been difficult in a different school. They have developed strong friendships, self identities, and a sense of community at Mitchell. I'm tired of all the people putting this school down. Mitchell isn't perfect, but it is filled with good kids and staff. You get out of high school what you put in it. Kids who are involved, interested and have a positive attitude will excel there and appreciate the unique qualities Mitchell has to offer.
—Submitted by a parent

I believe this school is one of the worst in Colorado Springs. I am happy that I could afford to leave this district but many can't and those who stay should bond together to demand a better level of education and leadership than is currently available in this district.Security is a joke even among students.
—Submitted by a parent

I'd rather have my child go to any other school in CS than Mitchell. The reputation is bad and the school lives up to it in academics, extracurricular activities as well as a very poor discipline policy. I would not recommend sending a child to this school.
—Submitted by a parent

I graduated from MHS in 2003, and agree that there new principal has initiated some very poor policy,the principla previous to her was excellent, and he really turned that school around for the better. The new principal creates policy that does not all the students the ability to learn about integrity, trust, and responsibility-- they are treated with little respect and as children.
—Submitted by a former student

The lack of parent involvement was alarming to us as well as the lack of academec diversity.
—Submitted by a parent