Henry Ford Early College

Another one bites the dust. Now we're measuring our principals by months, not even semesters. How stable is a school that turns over its leadership as much as this one. It shouldn't really even be a school in its own building. It's so tiny now that it should just be a program inside one of the bigger high schools so that the kids can have things like sports, plays, yearbook and all that. A graduating class of 5 this year doesn't do much to prove it is successful. Doesn't the district even care?
--Submitted by a parent

This is an academic program which is very challenging for the students. There are no free passes. You must do the work or you will not succeed. The school does provide various support mechanisms to assist the students but ultimately it is up to them. Once they are admitted to their chosen health care program the expectations of them are exactly the same as any college student who has paid to enroll in the program so why should HFEC expect less of the students and potentially set them up for failure??? Yes the school has gone through several principals and the program has been a learning curve for all with adjustments made as needed. If your student doesn't want to continue, listen to what they are saying but please don't complain because everyone knew what they were getting into from the beginning. That has not changed. My daughter is one of the initial group who will be completing the program this year and she is extremely happy she made this choice.
--Submitted by a parent

Overall, we are pleased with the school. Kids get individual attention. Teachers, counselors, even the principal herself have an open door policy and our communication have been very effective. Most of my kid's friends are 'non-arabic' and we all love exchanging our cultures. Never felt any bias towards race or ethnicity. Sure, the school is not for everyone, but if you do qualify and you've got what it takes to succeed, it is a good place to be. We are happy for having made this decision.
--Submitted by a parent

Henry Ford Early College is a great school for those students who want to receive a solid education with an emphasis in the medical field. Because of the rigorous class schedule, my son doesn't have time for extracurricular activities; however, they do offer after-school activities, which he has enjoyed. The teachers are extremely helpful and knowledgeable in their field. They have shown my son kindness and concern; when he was falling behind second semester, they called me and TOGETHER we worked out a solution. The counselor and administration are also extremely helpful and willing to work with parents and students. If your child is considering the medical field for his/her future, I would HIGHLY recommend this school!
--Submitted by a parent

SO DISAPPOINTED! When my daughter was accepted to this school, we were so happy and excited! That was short lived! They don't offer any extracurricular activities in an extremely rigorous program. There's no way for these kids to blow off steam. They don't offer any foreign language programs. This school is so transparent in their bias for the Arab Muslim students. I took my daughter out of this school mid-sophomore year. She was miserable there. They don't respect any other cultures outside of Middle Eastern. I believe the subject my daughter became most familiar with in this school was RACISM! How unfortunate. This program must be revamped to be a success. These kids get little to no help in these advanced classes. The only positive was the hospital immersion where the kids go to the hospital one day a week to learn about different fields in the medical profession. I would not recommend this school to anyone at this point.
--Submitted by a parent

This place is falling apart. I just took my daughter out of it for her senior year so she can have a real school experience. There is nothing happening in this school that isn't approved of in Islam. No dances. No movie nights. No parents involved. The PTA had promise then fell apart. They can't keep a principal. They are going on their 4th principal in 5 years. Everything caters to what is proper in Islam. Only 15% of the kids who started in the 1st class will be graduating next year. The kids are completely left to their own devices after year 3 of this 5 year program. If they don't make things happen on their own, away from school, it doesn't happen. Kids need to learn more than just what's on the test. Someone hit it on the head when they said this is a "program" and not a "high school". We are out of here!
--Submitted by a parent

I really feel this school should be rated better than average. My child was accepted to this school, which I believe at some point had to be better than average, as far as grades are concerned. Since about second semester at this school everything changed. Its no wonder Dearborn schools is now falling short of the proper on-tack / graduation rate. Its appears as if the only concern is summative (All Test) at 80%, and all, all other work...represents 20% of the student's final grade. I believe the counselor is not taking a proactive role, in light of this school/ district policy. I have not found an instance where a student may be falling behind and a program was implemented to address the student's shortcomings, the teacher's shortcoming's or the shortcoming's of the programs being offered at the school. It appears the only thing on track is allowing the student to attend school one day out of each week at the hospital...to help the child decide if a health career is something he or she would like to pursue. What about something in place to continuous motivate and strengthen the child in areas where he is not excelling, this school may want to consider online learning tool.
--Submitted by a parent

My son is in his first year at HFEC. So far we have been pleased with the program. The teachers and staff are very caring, involved and attentive to the needs of the students. The Principal is to be commended for her willingness to not only meet the educational needs of the students, but also her willingness to listen to the "wants" of the students and then make it happen. I've never met a Principal with such an open mind and passion for both her school and students to be successful, not just because it is her job. My son has found an environment that is nurturing and condusive to success and understanding, and a student body that reminds me of a meeting of the United Nations, a true representation of the world in which we live and work. We look forward to our years at HFEC and the many rewards we are sure to come.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter was the one who brought up going to Henry Ford Early College. When we went for the interview I knew we picked the right place. I am amazed how much the teachers care. My daughter has an illness that causes her to miss school alot and I always email the teachers and they respond right away. You can really tell that the teachers really care about the success of the students. I love the fact that the students have clinicals and lans on fridays. I think this school is not for everyone however. I hear all of the time that there is some trouble makers who take this school for granted. I think that is my one hatred. I know a lot of really good kids who did not get accepted but some really big trouble makers who do not care made it in.
--Submitted by a parent

HFEC is an amazing school with caring staff, students who truly want to learn and an administrator that has an open mind and is very involved. I could not ask for a better school. The benefits for my daughter exceed any other school I have checked out.
--Submitted by a parent