Auburn Middle School

I really don't like this school. The problem is not the teachers, but the administration. Thye divide kids by teams, and if your kid is in a bad team, you're out of luck. There is more emphasis on socialization than learning skills. Kids have rarely, if ever, any homework assignments, and those can be turned in later with no loss of credit. Even bad students can easily be "honors" students! Once the child goes to ELHS, they have a really hard time getting used to the academic workload. If you want to set up your child for failure, send you child to his school.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has started AMS this year I am pleased to say she is doing well with her teachers and extra curriculars. The music and drama programs are spectacular and she is very enthusiastic about the music/chorus/drama teacher. One issue she has with the school is teams. Most of her friends are on a different team and she rarely gets to see them anymore, and is having trouble ajusting to new ones. The parental involvement seems to be alright but not exeptional. I thank this school for helping my daughter become a (so far) 2 time high honor student in her 7th grade year.
—Submitted by a parent

I can't say that AMS is the most diverse school, but it's pretty good compared to the rest of this predominantly white state. The focus seems to be on helping the seventh graders fit in, but once they get to eighth grade they're on their own. One of the deans seems to have a hard time connecting with kids and treating them with respect. It seems like he should be able to do this if he spends 5 days per week surrounded by over 500 of them. But that's just my logic. The Unified Art classes are spectacular; the teachers are magnificent and the students really learn a lot. Another thing I observed was that the students aren't given too much room for self-individuation. One 'Goth' boy was told, by the principal, mind you, that he was not allowed to wear eyeliner to school. This I saw unreasonable and intolerant.
—Submitted by a parent