Firestone High School

I don't know who is in charge of it, but someone needs to look into a few of the teachers. Some are a bit crazy and probably shouldn't be teaching. Overall, even though I have had some dreadful teachers, I truly loved my experience at FHS. The school is huge and there are so many different groups of people that you will always find a group. I never myself had troubles with bullies; I wasn't the most social and really didn't hang out with people I didn't like... Haha. I had a few teachers in particular who I can honestly say were excellent people. Although I had some tragic experiences with certain teachers, a lot of them were exceptional people who taught me so much and really helped me with my life. Overall, I wouldn't change my FHS experience with anything. I am so thoroughly grateful that I chose this school. Thank you to all the teachers and principals who helped me so much! I truly don't think I would have succeeded without your help. :)
—Submitted by a student

Bad behaving, rowdy students. Not as good as it used to be. Was once excellent. Now is chaos. Inner city school. No class anymore.

Firestone has a large mix of good and bad. The I.B. program is wonderful, filled with hard working students that are pushed by very capable teachers ( my niece was in this program). The performing arts program was a great way for my daughter to expand her interest in the Arts ( theater and dance) . I personally believe they need to hire more teachers for this area. Much gets neglected and it is because there are not enough full time paid staff. Basically the whole theater program rest on the shoulders of one teacher. There is a lot of unruly behavior and the school falls below most state minimum scores. The low scores are not a problem if your child will be in the I.B classes, but if your child is in the general population classes there are a lot of poorly behaving teens that don't want to learn anything and they are only there to hang out and cause problems. I will not be sending out next child to Firestone --which breaks my heart , since everyone in my family has been a proud graduate. The school has just gone so far down hill it is unrecognizable. My hope is that more money, new staff and some hands on learning initiatives will miraculously appear. you tube: Firestone.
—Submitted by a parent

I love it here,there are so many opportunities here at 333 Rampart class of 2014
—Submitted by a student

Wonderful performing and visual arts programs of a caliber rarely found in schools today, plus an International Baccalaureate program. We also appreciated the ethnic and economic diversity of the student body, which we feel helped our children be better prepared for the future.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter went to BYU, which is a pretty competitive school. Her first semester, she took an advanced art history class, where most of her classmates were juniors. She had the number 2 grade in the class, and she knows that she wold not have done that without the background of Firestone. I am so glad that we stayed in Akron for my daughter. She is head and shoulders above her classmates, and I contribute everything to her experiences at FHS.
—Submitted by a parent

There are a lot of diffrent behavior problems that arent adressed when they need to be.
—Submitted by a student

I cannot imagine my high school experience being spent anywhere other than Firestone. I was a VPA student, and had to drop IB and just do AP in order to to VPA, but it was well worth it. The IB and AP classes pushed me, and the art and music classes made me gain a great understanding and appreciation for all things art. Now, in colege, I am breezing through my first semester, and have the highest grade in my Humanities class, all thanks to Csjetey's Art History class, and Spondike's Music Fundamentals class. Take those classes. It is such a blessing to have those opportunities in a public high school.
—Submitted by a student

This school won't open doors for you, but it has all the tools you need to open doors for yourself--which I would argue is better. The teachers are fantastic, the classes are great. My only complaint is that the school was over crowded when I went there. Some hallways you felt claustrophobic because so many students were trying to move through them. The building could use a renovation, but then again, don't all schools?
—Submitted by a student

Teachers are great. People are great.Enviornment?Great.....but no A/C.IB is hard, but if your kid is willing to 'suffer' then it should be worth it in the end.
—Submitted by a student

Great International Baccalaureate Program!!!
—Submitted by a parent

We have been very impressed with Firestone. The IB and AP programs give students an opportunity to exceed in learning. Coupled with the extracirricular activities give a student the well-rounded educational experience that is essential in a smooth transition to college and life, in general. Diversity is embraced and makes the experience real for a student. Life is not always a white picket fence and it is good for a student to see and experience this in a controlled environment rather than when the start college and are our of the eyes and ears of parents. We have been very impressed in the passion that each and every teacher at Firestone has in teaching the students. They want students to learn and move forward in life.
—Submitted by a parent

Great school for opportunities in the arts! Awesome varsity and jv sports programs! All around excellent learning experience...
—Submitted by a student