Hand Middle School

What you see depends where you look. New renovations are happening and the new rooms will have air-conditioning and excellent technology. Around 30 parents went on the field-trip to Washington this year. The Edward Hand History Night was the biggest and best ever this year with food, History Displays, and a play. Over 150 people of all ages attended. And of course the December music performance filled the auditorium like it always does.
--Submitted by a teacher

The teachers do what they can but the discipline is horrible. There is no recourse for student behavior and students are well aware of this fact. The 2004 reviewer said that morale is at an all time low- well, it has gotten worse. There are no teachers that would stay if given the opportunity to leave. The principal is manipulative and disorganized and teachers are disgusted. The PSSA test scores are FALLING, even with small class sizes. I understand why so many families try to get their kids into neighboring schools.
--Submitted by a teacher

This school has gone straight down the tubes. We have an assistant principal that refuses to do any work that typically assistant principals handle such as discipline. Morale is at an all time low! It is no longer a safe school. Many violent incidents yet the police are rarely called to handle the violent perpertrators. Though this may be typical in most middle schools at hand these incidences were very rare and far in between. The school has become an institution with extreme punitivite consequences and zero tolerance and no compassion.
--Submitted by a parent