Oak Park High School

It breaks my heart but there is no way that I could recommend Oak Park High School as a viable educational choice. The Board and Administration's emphasis is not on academics but dress code, quietness and focusing upon discipline. This would be wonderful if they were running a prison. Their communication with the parents is non existent. The teachers and counselors are great but I get the feeling they do not receive a lot of support. The Board is inadequate but the public keeps voting for them.
--Submitted by a parent

I found the teachers of my child engaging and knowledgeable. There is a lack of parental involvement in this school as it is in most schools in the metro area. Security is good and the teachers had a frank discussion about my students progress or lack of. progress.
--Submitted by a parent

I'm a sophmore attending Oak Park high school and I feel like I really don't belong there. The people aren't serious about their work and it's really hard to focus on my work when I have classmates in all of my Pre-AP classes that shouldn't be there. I, in my opinion, am a great student and it's hard to fit in with the students because I'm different. I want more from Oak Park High, I would like to see more diversity, academic challenges and a change in the dress code. The school is still a 'fashion show'. It doesn't make sense that a kid is suspended because he/she isn't wearing a collared shirt, your just depriving students from an education because of what they're wearing (people can dress innapropietly a still be in dress code). I wish I never went there...
--Submitted by a student

I go to Oak Park and I have to say that though we have had our many difficulties, we are still a good school. Also, negative criticism produces negative actions and with the excessive negativity that is shown from the students and published in the news, it isn't probable that there will be any positivity. But, on the contrary, school is what one makes it and I, for one, make the best of each day I'm at school. There is leadership amongst the student body and progress will come. I choose not to point the finger at the class of 2011 because whether they are the center of Oak Park's regression, they are still apart of our school. Every tree has it's bad apples, yet still it continues to grow and produce more apples. Oak Park may have a more bad apples than some, but we will continue to grow!
--Submitted by a student

I visited Oak Park last year on a school exchange from Seaholm High School. I would have to say that first and foremost the school dynamic needs to be changed, and I would love to see the administration become more involved with the students and spend more time educating students about the possibilities for their future. I feel that most students are not aware that there are many opportunities after high school and so they do not place an importance on academic success. The students have to have an incentive to learn and care about their education. If they do not feel they are working towards anything, then they will not work at all. The school atmosphere needs to be transformed so that students are given more knowledge about what they could make themselves into. It should be reinforced over and over again that knowledge is power.
--Submitted by a student

Very few parents show up to support student athletics and this has had a devastating effect on the moral of Oak Park Students; especially when they look at the support other Oakland County students receive from their parents and families. Oak Park High School's Tardy Policy: The school prefers that a student miss an entire day of class if they are five minutes late. It doesn't matter if they have a written statement from their parents--this is inexcusable and irresponsible on the parent of the administration.
--Submitted by a parent

When i seen a letter from greart schools in my inbox it just reminded me to comment on how this year has been going thus far. Every since the Detroit Public School teachers have been on strike Oak Park High has just been accepting kids like theres no tomorrow. I know their happy that all the [Parents]are running to register but least do they know that if their kid doesn't make it to school on time then they wont have a chair to sit and have to write on their lap all hour. I can rally go into much detail due to the word limit but i do give it up to Ms. Phillips (new principle) for coming and making a difference at OPHS. Thnaks for the Llyod Banks assembly real nice to have a celebrity come to your school.
--Submitted by a student

I just graduated from oak park high school this may, and though i may agree that the school seems like an on going fashion show, here are some pretty decent teachers, i know that if it was not for Mr. waldron, my pre-cal teacher, i would not be going to the university of michigan in the fall, he helped me to get a 32 on the math section of the ACT, and my other teachers as well helped me to get high scores
--Submitted by a former student

I am currently a junior going into my senior year after summer break. I have been at oak park for 3 years now, and I can agree when others say that this school is nothing but a fashion show. I can count on one hand, the teachers that actually take the time out to instruct you and go back to make sure you understand it.
--Submitted by a student

My brother currently attends Oak Park High and I feel that the curriculum is way to easy for the students. They don't have enough homework and it seems as if the teachers din't care. There test scores from the meap show that the kids aren't learnig what the average student should know. And I'm not speaking about all kids. I feel that the students need a challenge so they can be be prepared for college. Since, Oak Park Hig is the only school in Oak Park and because it's an open school the Oak PArk School Board should enforc a better curriculm and teachers should follow the no child left behind law. Remember Education is the Key to success.
--Submitted by a parent