Brandon High School

The emphasis at Brandon High School is rigid adherence to rules. There is a greater concern about sports, dress code, and attendance than actually teaching students. What's worse is that there is a lot of bullying, and the staff turns a blind eye to it. Students get very little feedback to help them improve their learning. There are not enough textbooks for MANY classes, so students do not have the materials needed either. Test scores on the MEAP and ACT are marginal, especially for Oakland County.. The enrollment is dropping and will continue to drop until Brandon High School starts putting learning first.
—Submitted by a parent

It is a really good school. This is the school that I am going to right now.
—Submitted by a student

I graduated from Brandon this year and I can tell anyone interested in this school that if you only want to do minimal work in school and only want to take maybe 2 years of maths classes, then this school is great for you. However, if you want to apply yourself and take AP glasses and calculus/physics classes, then this school is also perfect for you. You can choose easy and simple classes, and not be involved in the school activities, but that's your decision. A teacher isn't going to force you to do your best. This school offers as many AP classes and activities as any public school will, but it's your choice. I enjoyed my time at Brandon because I applied and challenged myself, I joined activities and did well in school. They gave me options and I chose the best for me.
—Submitted by a student

this school is okay. i recently switched to it this year but i dont know if i want to say. the classes are really easy and the teachers are really young and not the greatest. the language department is terrible, the rules are ridiculous, the bathrooms are disgusting, and the office people are rude. the people there are okay, they seem like they've all known each other for a long time and don't want to talk to new people, there seems to be a lot of fights too. the computers are poor, and don't work very well and the library isn't something open that you can use. the clubs seem lame and the sports don't seem to do well. its an okay school, but i;m sure you could find something better.
—Submitted by a student

I graduated from Brandon a few years ago. I was in several extra-curricular activities as well as many Advanced Placement courses that really challenged my academic level of commitment. I am grateful to the teachers there who stretched me past my limits, upheld good morals to give me good examples to follow, and cared about me as a person. When I was shy about joining a team, the coach called me several times through the summer to be sure I was comfortable and had the equipment I needed. He had plenty of good atheletes, and it showed me that the faculty at Brandon cared about me. I am in my last semester at an out-of-state college (bachelor's), and I feel almost ashamed to say that college work has been easier and I have a higher GPA. I know it is because I got a better education at Brandon.
—Submitted by a former student

The administration inside the school cares for the kids and tries to provide an environment conducive for learning. Knowing many of the teachers (being a JV Boy's Soccer coach), they do prepare children to become young adults and want to see kids succeed. If there is an area which would shift this school to greatness would be parent involvement. If there is blame to be placed for drug and alcohol abuse it would fall on the parents, since when has it become the educators responsibility to police and raise other s children? There are great kids at these schools too, just like the rest of the world they need to be guided and invested in. To anyone who feels a need to express an opinion please have the courage to sign your name, especially if you feel the need to berate something which will take your effort to fix.
—Submitted by Broc Barnes, a former student

My daughter is an A student, has homework, and is involved in the band and in sports. Her friends (juniors) are polite and courtous, if any are on drugs they do an excellent job of hiding it. Yes, I was a teenager once myself and do recongnize the signs. The parents are active and on parent teacher meetings the place is packed. I do agree that some of the younger teachers are just putting in their time, they need to teach more and be a 'friend' less. All in all I rate Brandon High School a B+
—Submitted by a parent

I'm currently enrolled in brandon high school as a senior. This is my first year hear and it really has not been that great. the classes at brandon are extremely lax and there is little or no teacher involvement with the students. I really dont think this school does a good job at preparing kids for life and education beyond high school, and im sure im going to have a hard time progressing my education beyond this. Im extremely thankful that i've only had to spend a year here and not more. I've yet to find a reason why this school is a school of choice or a blue ribbon winning school.
—Submitted by a student

I am a recent grad from Brandon High school. While attending I was high involved with basicaly everything from the 4 years of class to other leadership roles with heavy school involvement. The school itself is not that good but also not that bad. There is a major drug use and drinking problem that is being over looked. The classes are very easy. Now that I am at college I have seen just how unprepared I truely am becuase of Brandon. The older teachers do a very good job of educating and caring about their student but it is these teachers that are being boght out. The new younger teachers are the biggest problem going there. If I had to do it over again I wold change schools. The problem is that there aren't any public schools around that don't have the same problem Brandon does.
—Submitted by a former student

Although I haven't been in the school for nine years I still have ties to the community and many of my former teachers are still teaching there. I would say that after being a teacher in different places in America and being an attorney involved in education cases, that Brandon schools are great. I received an excellent education (though I was in the AP/accelerated programs) and I felt safe to be a kid. I would say college was actually easier (though I was older). Alabama Law School (again, though I was older) was about as hard. While I agree there was a 'drug problem,' it wasn't pervasive and the vast majority of kids weren't using. My teachers cared and were great educators. I just think that nay-sayers often are the ones who speak up. I hope to one day have my children (if I can convince my wife) at Brandon.
—Submitted by Michael Forton, a student

Very few of the teachers show interest in how the students are doing. The curriculum is very low; do not expect your child to become highly educated. My child is an 'A' student, yet never has any homework, and cannot reiterate what they have learned. I fear that when my child goes to college, they will have a very difficult time because of the above issues.
—Submitted by na na, a parent

As a recent former student of this school, I know what has gone on there and still continues too. Personally, while I think the system in general is all right, I don't believe this school is anywhere I would want my children to go when I'm older. I chose to leave the school myself, due to the way students are treated and stereotyped there. The school might be pretty safe from violence, but there are serious issues on drugs there they refuse to pay attention to.
—Submitted by a former student

Brandon is an awesome school district. I would highly recommend it to anyone, and I've been in or had kids in 5 different school districts.
—Submitted by a parent