Shaw Heights Middle School

Parents, beware of this school! While there are a few good teachers, the horrible ones make the school untolerable. My child tells me of teachers who yell at the kids, and use bad language when speaking to the kids. Some of these people have NO business being around children. The staff treat the kids as if they are in prison and are very uick to talk down to the kids and treat them disrespectfully. There is even a teacher who told the class he hates kids! It is sad that adams 50 has great elementary schools and a great high school, but somewhere in the middle, all passion, care, and concern for education and other human beings is completely lost. Boo! Close this school, hire new staff, get rid of standards base, and start over.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a wonderful school my son Alex has gone there since 6th grade and is graduating this year everyone is so nice to him the teachers care and he is exceeding standards i'm so proud
—Submitted by a parent

is it possible to give a zero? tried talking to the teachers and get know where. my son is starting the 7th grade and I am already looking at others schools. I will not keep him here another year! the staff nor the student care about education.
—Submitted by a parent

Its hard when you talk to the principal and assures you its a good school but then has yet to return a call with my concerns. There is fights almost daily, the teachers nor the staff seem to care! The new Standard base is a joke! I took my son out halfway through 6th grade and moved him, he was almost a year behind the other kids at the new school! So glad I switched him...and the staff said they weren't surprised when I pulled him Really????
—Submitted by a parent

Awful school always fights, teachers don't care and seem to look the other way and don't even care if you pass or fail.

Zero stars was not an option. Horrible leadership,standardbased teaching,and personal conflicts, this school is doomed. This school is old outdated,and smells moldy. Its a shame when teachers complain about the principals/staff. Every child that goes there is labled as a gang member,drug user,and not even given a chance to prove otherwise. It was my understanding that all children deserve a chance at having an education, if u want your child to have a chance at success,you probably should not send them here. Horrible experience!
—Submitted by a parent

Don't send your kids to this school!!! They just started "Standards-Based" curriculum, which is doomed to be yet another failed education initiative! When I went to conferences, they told me they really could not tell me what my son's progress was because there were no real requirements in the curriculum. For instance, his math teacher could not tell me if he was doing grade-level math! Then, when report cards came out, he didn't get grades! Instead, there was a list of learning objectives he should have shown proficiency in. This would have been ok, except that out of 24 objectives in one class, he was shown as proficient in only ONE! Yet, the teacher said he was doing GREAT! This was in December; in March the progress report was identical but the teacher STILL SAID HE WAS DOING GREAT!!! What a fiasco!
—Submitted by a parent

The school is filled with smart people.There are teachers that help all the time. Even though every school has its problems, this ones is a the fights. I have seen at least 15. But over all its a great school everyone, well almost everyone is nice to new people if you keep your cool.It is the best in Adams 50.
—Submitted by a student

The teachers at this school are very dedicated. The Girl's soccer team had a great season. The principal is an effective administrator and has the kids best interest at heart.
—Submitted by a parent

I was apalled to hear of the new 'dress code' you've decided to implement at shaw heights middle school. The last i heard this was still america. I think you need to find another way to 'keep the peace', besides telling middle school students that thier constitutional rights have no meaning to you! how about teaching them that unless they have native american heritage thier families were once immigrants too. America is a melting pot and always has been. Personally I feel if those people who come over illegally were not able to send thier kids to school in the u.S. It would solve the imigration problem, but that's only my opinion. However, I am proud of the fact that I have a right to express those opinions, as do your students. Elizabeth Browne (a concerned American parent)
—Submitted by a parent

I was concerned about sending my son here initially. The place looked pretty rough, as did the kids. But he's half-way through 7th grade now and enjoying it. The teachers are nice and work hard to help him along, esp. the Special Ed. teacher. Everything here is low-key and no-frills. Not a pretty school, nor pretty classrooms. The kids are OK, quite a mix of different cultures and backgrounds. We haven't had any trouble with them. I've never seen the principal. They have an on-site cop there. The counselors are wonderful, warm and caring. The office staff is low-key and helpful. I don't think this school has high expectations for their students; it's more of a place where they just understand that some kids aren't Honor Roll material and they do their best to work with them. Not a bad school, but I don't think most people would like it.
—Submitted by a parent