Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr High School

Leadership is horrible. Students are talked to harshly by some of the administrators, some of whom curse at students; teachers lack control in the classrooms--some don't bother teaching and allow students to text on their phones and create other disruptive behaviors in class; way too many fights; too many students are still in the hallways after class has begun. Principal lacks effective leadership skills and should be replaced. Show up in the middle of the day and see for yourself before subjecting your child to the school's dysfunctional environment. Also, read articles about the school that have appeared in the news. A common thread is the impulsive and chaotic manner in which issues are handled, and the severe lack of communication and respect the principal has with parents. The assistant principals are much better at managing issues. Principal doesn't seem able to enforce a typical School Policies and Procedures and therefore uses brute force and arrests to control students, and apparently, according to one news article, parents too. If it wasn't for some of the good teachers, I would've rated the school 1 star.
--Submitted by a parent

My teen is struggling at this school. I am at school everyday; busing still not set up after many weeks. School is way too large (looks like a mall), behavior of students is outrageous, behavior of staff at times not much better -- however, as I get frustrated only being there as much as I am, you have to wonder at what point patience is lost. Kids are always in the halls, can't tell if school started. Kids get off the bus and walk directly off campus despite staff intervention. Lunch room is crazy , meal does not look/ taste well. The lunch staff is nice & try to get kids to eat healthy. Many teachers really try. I find that as I meet the staff over time they are friendly, knowledgeable & concerned. However, they have so many kids they can't follow through in a timely basis due to chronic issues, staff & student changes or "problems". Front office staff are caught between students, parents, teachers & security. Honestly, my advice, if your child isn't self motivated, has solid values & high concentration despite terrible distraction; you might consider other options. Some things should not be taught vicariously; no time left for traditional ed. topics like math.
--Submitted by a parent

This school certainly has the makings of a great school but is lacking in good leadership. perhaps with budget cuts and the new County Executive a positive change will happen. The principal this year is not at the school enough on a daily basis to be accountable. She leaves too much on the adminstrators to handle when she should handle it herself as this was the complaint from the principal's previous school, Gwynn Park. The school has some excellent teachers and some that need to go, like any school. The programs are excellent and the students need to take advantage. It seems to be overcrowded and compaints are many about the lunch and having enough food. Many kids in the hallway that should be in class. With a change in leadership the school could really live up to the great service that Dr. Henry Wise Jr's provided in our community.
--Submitted by a parent

I enjoy working at Wise because it is one of the state-of-the-art schools in the Prince Georges County. The teachers are warm and friendly and the students have the potential of being outstanding students because of the technology and resources that are available to them.
--Submitted by a parent

This is a very good school, it has excellent teachers. My son has attended this school for 3 years and the princial for the first two years had the kids in check and they respected her greatly. My only complaint this past year is that the new principal does not seem to be able to control the kids. On many occassions I have visited the school only to find the halls filled with kids as if it were time to change classes. The administrators were just walking past them as if this was normal.
--Submitted by a parent

This high school is the pits!!!!!!!!! This high school needs better leadership!! It's sad when the students run the school!!!!!
--Submitted by a parent

I am a proud parent of a child who attends Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School. The teachers are very motivated and appear to be very happy here at the school. Before I enrolled my child in this school, I asked other kids and parents in the neighborhood what they felt about the school. I was pleased with the feedback I received. Now since my child attended the school for the school year, I must say that I am very impressed. I have run into so many staff members who are so positive. My child's grades haven't been this good since elementary school. He is excited about getting up and getting ready for school. They have so many courses to choose from that my child has been exposed to a plethora of instructional activities. Yes, I am not going to lie. There appears to be periods where fights break out,
--Submitted by a parent

This is our child s third year at Wise High, we have experienced on SEVERAL occasions that he was given the wrong grade. They were corrected in the end, but this just should not happen. We have also experienced lack of call backs and communication from our child s guidance counselor. Seems a little disorganized as the teacher tells us to schedule with the counselor and the counselor tells us to schedule with the teacher. We love that the school has a uniform policy, however we would like to see it strictly enforced. We do love the new communication system that the school is using where they call and leave blast messages to all parents. This is very informative and gets the information out to us quickly.
--Submitted by a parent

Excellent school with excellent teachers! We are very pleased with the level of communication with both teachers and administrators.
--Submitted by a parent