Cass Technical High School

I have a son in the 10th grade and I am also an alumni class of '91. I was excited and eager to have my son attend Cass Tech in the Fall of '06, however my excitment has turned into disappointment. The teacher/student involvement is cold and uninviting, teacher parent confernce set up is the pitts and recently my son's belongings were stolen from his locker. Cass Tech does have a very intense academic program and a very well maintained college prep curriculum, but the school has lost it's human touch. This will probably be my son's last year at Cass Tech.
—Submitted by a parent

Cass is an excellent school with an excellent music department. Hands down they have one of the greatest bands and orchestra ever. This school will forever be the greatest.
—Submitted by a student

i attend cass i'm a freshman,and cass is wonderful.the teachers are helpful,and the students are polite and intelligent.the band is amazing.
—Submitted by a student

I'm also a graduate of CT, class of 06. I thought the work was too extensive when i was there, but now that I'm in college and i see people who whent to other high schools dropping like flies, I'm very thankful for eminent (Cohen's word lol to those who get it)educationtional experience.
—Submitted by a student

alum of Cass '06' I'll just say the bad since everyone else elaborated on the good already. -The same things that go on in other DPS schools' still happen here, just not as much. -Principal is barely there, you will mostly deal with the Dean. -Don't expect your relationship with the staff to be as personal as in a smaller school. Still probably the best school you can find in Detroit.
—Submitted by a former student

My daughter is currently a jr. at cass and I am an alumni. The opportunity to mingle with other intelligent, motivated children is the single largest factor to send your child to Cass. There is no real teaching innovation. Simply kids that had already demonstrated perserverance and achievement and a program that thrives on their accomplishments. Very good extra-curricular activities and relatively safe in comparison to other Detroit Public Schools. I am hoping Ms. Ashford will remedy the situation of apathy with many of the counselors and teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

I am disappointed by the lack of teacher availability at Cass. Many teachers have web sites on Teacher Webb but only one out of my son's 7 teachers updated it and even the one that did, only updated it sparingly. Calls to the teachers, voicemails, emails, etc. go unanswered unless you drive up there and complain to the department head. I thought the teachers would welcome parental involvement but so far, that has not been my experience. I've been told that the teachers are 'busy' but I am also busy on my job as well. Being busy does not excuse never responding to a parent inquiry. I hope Ms. Ashford addresses this before the next school year begins.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a graduate of Cass Tech. Overall I rate the school 4/5 stars. The curriculum is excellent. Students are encouraged to choose a curriculum based on future interests. My curriculum was chemical biological. Some classes that I received based on my curriculum was honors chemistry, physics, algebra 1,2,3,4,5,6 geometry, biology, micro biology, pre calculus. The teachers are somewhat arrogant and focus more on academic bombardment than student success. The counselors are over worked which makes it hard to receive acceptable attention. Class sizes are extremely large so if a student is having trouble, its tough to receive help from instructors, although tutoring is available. Cass Tech's athletics are second to none. The school has won many championships in football, basketball, baseball, and swimming. The school ranks in the 90th percentile in the state in Meap scores. If you are interested in challenging your child Cass is great.
—Submitted by mike green, a former student

My daughter is a 10th grader at Cass. The students are great!They speak to adults as they walk in the building or as they are walking around the building. Some of the teachers are outstanding as well. (MATH, ENGLISH, and SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENTS) However, the administration in inept,especially the principal, the counselors are obscure and unhelpful, and some of the teachers are teaching as if they are in the old building. (SCIENCE DEPARTMENT IS AWFUL)My daughter is happy for the most part there,and maintains a 3.000, but I thought the building would be better run, and that they would take advantage of the building. It's a beautiful building, with great technology, so why are they using students to get students out of class for doctor's appointments? I really hope that they can get it together soon, I have two younger children who are hoping to attend Cass.
—Submitted by sonya, a parent

Lewis Cass Technical High School is a magnificent school for students that plan to further their education after high school.Cass Tech has separated their students in specific curriculums according to their future aspirations. My student will be graduating in 2008, since attending Cass Tech he has shown a significant interest in furthering education. Although class are a larger than normal the instructor really motivate the students. However, there is a program at Cass that has really change my student, and I believe this program will help my son reach his best. This established organization is the world renown Cass Tech Marching Band, under the direction of Ms. Sharon Allen. The Marching Band has helped make my student into a mature young man and a wonderful leader. I couldn't thank Ms. Sharon Allen and Cass Tech enough for it's huge impact on my child's life. Thank You!! Sincerely, D.Jones
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is currently enrolled in Cass. She will be in the 10th grade in the fall. I was so excited when she got in but things change. My child was told to get to school an hour earlier to avoid being late for class because of their security checks, and if the students were late after being in a security line of 20min they would get in trouble. The counselors are never availiable. I do think Cass has its advantages over other schools, but the focus need to remain on the students and not how great of a building their in.
—Submitted by a parent

I am an alumni of Cass Tech and my daughter will graduate in 2008. I must applaud the academic accomplishments of the students of the school. However, I am terribly dissappointed with the quality of teaching and the administration of the school. The teaching is largely uninspired and many of the teachers seem to delight in making the students perform academic gymnastics that have nothing to do with real or applied learning. The counselors are frequently unavailable or absent and unable to assist with basic tasks, such as scheduling changes. The principal is unresponsive to written communications or phone calls regarding legitimate concerns. It's more consistent with a college experience where tenure is the brass ring, rather than any demonstration of real teaching skills. I'm not sure what is measured, other than test scores. I don't see genuine concern for what the children internalize from their experience there.
—Submitted by a parent

My nephew is a Cass Technical High School graduate(2004)and will be a junior when he returns to college in the fall. He has never been on probation or asked to leave and has never not taken a class because he thought it was too difficult. I know that the academic challenges he conquered at Cass are the reason. I also like the way that students are encouraged to include other students from all walks of life. The diversity is such a wonderful way to be prepared for today's world.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attends Cass Tech and she will be one of the 465 senior graduates of 2006. Cass seemed to always give her a challenge and she managed to keep her G.P.A. at an 3.5 average. This school has wonderful teachers that give a challenge to the students and overall I feel that it is a very good high school.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attends Cass Tech. It is an awesome school that challenges her. In comparison to some of the surburban schools it closely ranks if not surpasses in some areas.I am very pleased with the care and genuine concern that some teachers give. Although this is a great school- beware of the Marching Band. Do not sign any contracts that is binding to the Marching Band. M.Brown
—Submitted by M Brown, a parent

Cass Technical High school in my view cancels itself out.Its staff is highly professional, they know how to cover the work and explain in so that every student understands it. They have a wide variety of extra-curricular activities, ranging from Japanese Anime Club to Marching Band to Women's Rights club to teams for every sport you could imagine. The work is extensive and thorough. Nonetheless, there are other factors from within the school itself that ruins its image. First off, the GPA requirement is set to 2.5, which allows a vast number of students to get by with mediocre grades and still be recognized as 'hard-working and diligent' simply because they go to Cass Tech. Less than half of each graduating generation obtains a 3.0 or higher. Students are also frequently placed in wrong curriculums, which forces them to take classes that hold little or no relevance to their career goals.
—Submitted by Maurizio, a former student

The school is not all it is cracked up to be. Teachers are contstantly absent and there is no coverage. Therefore, students go home early or roam around. Students are not challenged. They are given the work and told to do it. Teaching is just 'by the book' with no room for creativity. Too much drama at the school, especially with the girls. I guess compared to the other Detroit Schools, this is as good as it gets. Unfortunately, besides the crime rate, it's not too much better. Teachers need to learn how to teach to the students and not just let the books do their jobs. I expected so much more from the school.
—Submitted by a parent

Cass Tech is great, there is many extracurricular activities, and yes it is hard work but you can make it.This is like any other high school with the exception that every student here has the same goal, to succed in life. You should really send your children here. Are you worried about diversity , worry not this school is diversed you find people from aroud the world just people that I know are from Macedonia, Germany, Hungary , Spain, Mexico, Bengali, China, Nigeria, Kenya and many other places you should truly join this school and be part of the Cass Tech experience.
—Submitted by a former student

Cass is not all it's cracked up to be. The school is more concerned about minors things like electrical blinds than having soap and toilet paper in the restrooms. Many of the teachers are also unsatisfactory. They even go as far as taking personal phone calls during class time. Not only are teachers not good but the so called 'security guards' of the school are more childish than the students. In my opinion if the school was as worried about the other things as they were the school outward appearance it would be a grade a high school. Then the principle tries to show his intellignece by using words that only he can comprehend which isn't improving students knowledge but confusing them.
—Submitted by a student

I am a proud 1980 graduate of Cass Tech and have kept up with the school's progress through the years. I attended the alumni pancake breakfast in February 2006 and I am pleased to report that it was a full house with graduates from every decade, including the 1930s!. The new building is a palace despite some reported glitches that can be fixed. Even with the old structure, Cass Tech's faculty and spirit nurtured some of the most successful high school graduates in Detroit history. From judges to entertainers to engineers to politicians, Cass Technical High School has more than its share of alumni movers and shakers. With the updated facilities, I look forward to more success stories out of one of America's greatest academic institutions - Cass Tech.
—Submitted by a former student