Harrison High School

The school district has made a lot of changes in the last 5 years. Attendance is up, APs are way up, acceptances to colleges, including all Ivys is up. The IB program will start in the fall 2011.
—Submitted by a parent

If you read Walt Whitman's definition of how to teach a well rounded student, you will not find the answer in the Harrison School System. Teachers are let go before they can reach tenure, and more administrators are being hired at outrageous salaries. More concern is put on the overall rating of the school, then the actual teaching of the children. The Special Education program is kept at the bare minimum just to appease the state...
—Submitted by a parent

This school is on the move up and it has increased the numbers of AP scholars 400% since the year 2000. The school continues to push a rigorous curriculum and has teachers who committed to offering equal access to all students. The school has great teachers, a supportive community and a good administrative team.

This school is on the move up and it has increased the numbers of AP scholars 400% since the year 2000. The school continues to push a rigorous curriculum and has teachers who committed to offering equal access to all students. The school has great teachers, a supportive community and a good administrative team.

Harrison High School has become one of the most innovative and high performing high schools in Westchester County. The teachers are great -- lots of dead wood has been removed. Most teachers now really care about all of their students -- from the high performers, those in the middle, and those with support. The high school has a phenomenal principal in Dr. Ruck. And the International Baccalaureate (IB) program will be introduced in the next two years -- making a great program even better. Harrison High School is one of the unsung great schools in Westchester.
—Submitted by a parent

I think most of the teachers are bright and caring. But the administration is in constant flux with their mixed messages. They really need to focus on teh resources that they have and not on changing for the sake of change.
—Submitted by a parent

A school becomes an epitome of disaster when it starts hiring and firing valuable individuals to make 'fiscal' sense, even if it is at the expense of the student -after all, arbitrary ratings are what interests the admin the most.- If i really wanted to listen and take notes on someone filibustering, I'd visit the Harrison Police Department, merely one of the infractions of this society. While maintaining only a few good teachers protected under tenure, we can give points to where HHS deserves them. Here's a pointer: Instituting an impotent, 'hands-on' learning technique is a joke and helps with nothing. It's merely a distraction for us, and gets us a hop and a skip backwards. Stop buying TV's meanwhile we need textbooks.
—Submitted by a student

While it recently had some hiring problems, a new and innovative group of teacher have been hired and have filled the gap beautifully. Music and arts programs are thriving and the humanities have gotten an overhaul. My son has been served very well, and always felt safe and welcome. Great School.
—Submitted by a parent

The only thing Harrison High School had going for it was a few really great teachers, most of which have left, been let go, or retired. The administration cares more about itself and arbitrary ratings in publications such as newsweek, whose systems hardly take academic performance an account, than its students.
—Submitted by a student

My two sons thrived at HHS. They met friends for life, played Varsity sports, wrote for the school paper, participated in Mock Trial competitions and Model Congress, played in the marching band, and made high Honor Role throughout their high school years. They just had an all-around great time! Teachers were (usually) caring and wonderful, and if not, there was always room for improvement. Both boys are now in highly selective colleges (Tufts and Colgate) and they still feel like HHS in their second home! And, yes, parent involvement in the high school does lessen as your kids get older but there are still great parent booster clubs for all the sports and especially for the nd.HHS is as good as good or even better than any private school in this area. Just keep a positive attitude and you won't be surprised!
—Submitted by a parent

My two daughter went to Harrison High. Is excellent in academics and it has great extracurricular activities. It has every sport imaginable. The only thing that I would improve in this school is parent involvement, most parent are not as involve as when children were younger.
—Submitted by a parent