Northwest High School

Ulysses program is awesome. Northwest High School should be rated much higher. Biotech is also a great program.

Positive Transition. As the parent of both a Junior and Freshman, I can say that Northwest is going in the right path. And it is happening quickly. The last 2 years have been addressing the students - performance, attitude. This year they have brought in coaches that are fully engaged in building winning programs. The principle's leadership is evident and she is "personally" involved with all the programs and the kids. You always see her, and she never stops driving her message "grades first". We are seeing the kids and sports teams improving which is driving more parent, community involvement. People need to realize that Germantown (and Mongomery County) is very diverse socially and economically leading to challenges at all schools. However, NW is leading the pack in Germantown. I am optimistic my score will soon be 5 stars.
--Submitted by a parent

To start with, the administration team has definitely improved. Everyone knows that our principal has no tolerance for any funny-business, and I feel as if the rest of the team has taken on that attitude and as a result, most of the students now respect them. This new team appears, to me, to be much more involved in and supportive of the school itself. It is nice to see your principal applauding you at a choral concert, aknowledging your soccer team's win over the PA system, talking to you on a friendly and personal level, and even walking down amongst the mayhem of lunch herself. Northwest has so much diversity in many aspects of the school. There are students and staff mambers of all ethnicities and beliefs, numerous clubs and sports, and a wide variety of classes at various levels. Northwest has so much to offer, and I have definitely benefited.
--Submitted by a student

My daughter graduated from Northwest several years ago and my oldest granddaughter will attend in the fall of '10. This school, like many others, has abundant opportunities for student success. Although there were some mediocre educators there a few years ago it was overall a very rewarding experience for my daughter. I am glad that there has been a major administration change this year as there was a real lag in leadership at the highest level. The students must be able to respect the administration for all to truly feel a part of a strong school community. I am hoping for great things from my granddaughter and I think NW can provide her with what she needs to get there.
--Submitted by a parent

Im a parent and my son just register to this high school he had informed me that the student do not respect the teachers and the teachers are just passing the students with no education ... Im very dissapointed in this school
--Submitted by a parent

As a former teacher at NWHS, there are many opportunities for all students to excel IF they want to. Teachers are knowledgeable, willing to help, and passionate about their subjects. There s a variety of courses to choose from. The downside is that the school is truly disappointing on the side of administration. It s getting increasingly difficult for teachers to challenge students academically because administration constantly pushes students that should not be in there, into honors and AP courses. It s also sad to say that a few students can really ruin the dynamic of a classroom. There's constant disrespect towards authority in the school, and nothing s done about it. Administration can't stick to consequences as they worry about statistics, and passing students. The few that don t care about school ruin the educational experience for the rest. I can take you to water, but I can t force you to drink.
--Submitted by a teacher

I have read the reviews and feel that the parents should get more involved in what is going on with grades and school work. I have a child that just graduated from Northwest and has a learning disability and yes you do have to stay on the teachers and make sure they are helpping your child. But because of these teachers my child was able to walk with her class and is now in college. So I think this is a great school and can't wait to see my other children graduate from here. I also love how this school is so diverse! Way to go Northwest.
--Submitted by a parent

im a black gurl n i go to northwest. people try n say that northwest is 'bad' but from being in the school for 7 hours everyday, ITS NOT BAD. compared to seneca and watkins mill? nw is a great school. yea, its not church hill, and its not whitman, but its better than gaithersburg n tha mill n all them schools. plus, northwest is SO DIVERSE! theres no majority of a race.. u got black, white, asian, spanish, indian. we got the whole world up in our school. alot of classes are offered too.. and yea some of us are 'bad' and talk in class and fight and yell at teachers, but EVERY SCHOOL HAS THAT. and im tired of parents tryin to critisize the school. YALL DONT GO THERE! ur there like once a year. so yall can chill. but yea nw is a gud skoo. GO JAGS!
--Submitted by a student

it a good for an average student, but for students striving to achieve to a higher level I do not recommend.
--Submitted by a parent

Overall, I find that coming to Northwest was an excellent choice. At Northwest not only is the quality of education excellent, but school spirit is found in every corner of the building! My teachers are all knowledgeable in their fields and all hold at least a graduate degree Moreover, students are able to choose from a great variety of classes, including a quite extensive AP program. However, as an excellent student who will have taken 14 AP classes by the time I graduate, my only complaint is that the administration places too much effort on having students who are uninterested and unprepared for AP and advance classes to take these classes; this goal is simply unachievable with the demographics of our school! Unfortunately, the quality of presentations and discussions is constantly diluted due to the presence of unprepared and apathetic students who should not be in certain classes.
--Submitted by a student