Greenbrier High School

I moved from Davidson county in 1990 just so my kids could attend their neighborhood schools. Both my sons attended Watauga, Greenbrier Middle & Greenbrier HS. They graduated with kids they went to kindergarden with. Can you say that about other areas? That alone means alot but all through their time at these schools, they had wonderful teachers except for maybe 1 or 2 here & there but you get that at any school. My youngest graduated in 2009 and we are very proud of all the schools and strongly recommend them to anyone.
—Submitted by a parent

I work with a very professional group of educators. The atmosphere is very upbeat and condusive to the students learning and safety. As with any school, the student will get out of it equal to what they put into it. The student that is there to learn and have a positive experience will do so. The student that is there to cause problems will do so and bring problems on himself. Attitude is everything.
—Submitted by a teacher

I think it's interesting to read these comments, however, I wonder how many truly haven't experienced GHS firsthand and are just writing out of spite. Regarding the post on December 13, stating that GHS is lacking in teaching and preparation for college, I have a rebuttal. I have 3 graduates from GHS. My first struggled with Math skills but was offered tutoring after school by the late Sherry Freeland. With her help, my child improved greatly and graduated to go on to become a business professional. My second and third were active in many leadership roles while scoring mid 30's on ACTs. They both were awarded many scholarships, and went on to do well in college. My last has maintained a Summa cum Laude rank throughout college years. This is only from the base starting point of teachers that showed how to succeed and the desire to learn which GHS teachers instill. As far as sports favoritsm, everyone likes a "hero". But I do not ever "run into" any teacher that my children have had in the past (many years later) that those teachers do not ask about them or their current lives. That is the difference of a teacher and someone that cares. GHS has both.
—Submitted by a parent

As I read through these comments, I was literly shocked by some of the comments on here. I have had my son in a couple different schools, and he now goes to GHS, and is excelling beetter there than with any previous school. It is a safe school, the teachers truley care for their students from what I have seen, and to hear other parents bash this school truley amazes me. Maybe if your kid wasn't lazy, and didn't try to succeed, maybe they would have done better. GHS is a great school, try sending your kid to Two Rivers, and see how that one goes over!.
—Submitted by a parent

I am an '08 alumni from GHS and now attend the University of Tennessee at Martin. I feel that GHS did a wonderful job at preparing me to go on to college except in the writing department, yet I still make A's on almost every paper I write. I did not participate in any sports, nor am I related to anyone that works within the school system and I graduated 11th in my class. The favoritism that some of the others speak of is probably because their peers look up to the athletes, not the teachers. All the teachers I had at GHS treated every student equally. I never once faced a problem of favoritism. The teachers also genuinely care about the students. They are hands on with their teaching methods which seems to get students more interested in what they are learning. I love Greenbrier High School. Go Bobcats! <3
—Submitted by a student

I have a son at GHS and over all, it has been a good experience. The principal is involved and available. The Math Department is top notch. The English Dept...not so much! The english teachers are quirky and just plain oddballs. They also cant teach english! Spelling errors on papers they hand out frequently. I recommend that you do NOT use the Guidance Department for any reason if you can avoid it. The 'guidance' they offer is poor at best. They will recommend classes that kids are not equipped to take without seeing what the preparation is for said class. They literally are there to put in their 8 hours and get home. I have been stood up with appointments that i left work for on two separate occasions, with no appology at all. Most of the teachers are there for the right reasons though and will help.
—Submitted by a parent

I would have to agree with the other comment regarding the three good teachers. My child is also a senior this year and it has been a very difficult four years. There are some teachers who genuinely want to see the child succeed, but many there that I spoke with acted as if they simply could care less. We were really glad to get to send him to Greenbrier because we had heard good things, but we have been extremely dissapointed. There is such a focus on athletics there as well, that if you don't fall into that category there isn't much left for you. I would strongly consider private school before sending another child there.
—Submitted by a parent

Greenbrier may not be for everyone. Small school compared to most, and most teachers were raised in the area from what I've been told, however, with that comes pride in their own alma mater. I disagree with the comment regarding that there are only three 'good' teachers at the school. I think to judge a teacher, you have to live a teacher's life and see the things they see and receive the little gratitude they receive while dealing with your children for many hours a day. Students tend to be bolder in a peer setting and may act out more than you realize. Otherwise, I feel GHS has a lot to offer if a student is willing to take advantage of it. GHS is not private, not a magnet school but neither are the neighboring schools where you wish your children had stayed. Believe me, they have problems too.
—Submitted by a parent

Greenbrier is a very good school. Greenbrier offers AP classes and a Gifted program. Like most public schools, opportunity is there, you must embark.
—Submitted by a parent

Greenbrier Highschool is a very poor place for academic achievements. The curriculum has such low standards that it is impossible to be prepared for college or a literacy exam. All most none of the teachers care about the students or speaking proper english. The only goog thing about this school is you most likely will not get shot or stabbed.
—Submitted by a student

My son has been at Greenbrier since the 9th grade. I wish we could have kept him at White House instead. This is his last year there. Our 5 year old goes to a private school because of this. I have only met three teachers that really teach. The rest are there to get their 8 hrs and go home. I would not ever send another child to Greenbrier. I believe this problem starts with the top, the school principle
—Submitted by a parent

I've never commented before but feel it's time after this week when two students have lost their mom to tragedy. We've lived here for a few years and my two children attended all three Greenbrier schools. The education has been good but I am writing on the atmosphere. After seeing personal losses of family members, a teacher and two students the population of this school have endured, and the way the community has surrounded them and shown support, I think you can find no better school. This school not only teaches, but it cares about it's students.
—Submitted by a parent

Love the school, administration, programs they have to offer. We have only been in this area for a couple of years and are very pleased.
—Submitted by a parent

Obviously it depends on each parents perception, but regarding the last post, three of my children have passed through GHS, and I have never had one issue with safety concerns there. The education, also depends on what a student wants to get out of it. My children all graduated with high results from teachers with high standards. I am not degrading another school, but there are issues at every school, including the 'better' school mentioned. All you have to do is read the paper. Again, it all depends on what you put in to get a good return.
—Submitted by a parent

Teachers, education, and safety wer all terrible. We moved to White house heritage which is a much better schoo than GHS
—Submitted by a parent

As a former student of GHS, I feel that my high school experience was one of the best around. The school has a comfortable a safe feel about it and a wide variety of extracurriculars, sports and otherwise. The comments regarding the favoritism to athletes and those with the 'right name' seem ridiculous to me. I did not play sports or have a favorable name and excelled in all areas at GHS. The faculty and staff at GHS are Amazing and go over the call of duty to help all students succeed. The community involvement at Greenbrier is very beneficial to the futures of all graduates. I would certainly encourage any prospective students/parents to give Greenbrier an un-biased chance, despite some of these reviews.

A really great school and a great environment for students. The new administration is fantastic. Looking forward to another year.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has done very well here. The teachers are not only teachers inside the school, but friendly outside of school in other venues that we may encounter them. They are always interested in how he is doing and always tell us to call them with any concerns. I wish we'd found GHS sooner.
—Submitted by a parent

I like the school here but I think that when it comes to major awards the students who have teacher/coach parents always seem come out on top. 'Strange' but it keeps happening. See for yourself and look back. If they think nobody's noticing they are wrong.
—Submitted by a student

We've been at Greenbrier two years. My children are happy to be at a school where they don't worry about their safety, and where they feel that they can talk to their teachers in general conversation instead of everything being about a school subject. As a parent I'm glad to see the student support for sports because I believe extracurricular is the best way to keep the students involved and occupied. We've asked about the NCLB status of Greenbrier to find that it has been rectified, but that doesn't show on the State Report card yet. The graduation rate was the only reason GHS is on the target list and nothing can be done when a student turns 18 and then leaves home while they are still in school, or decides they want to complete school quicker with a GED. Our children are happy and safe at GHS.
—Submitted by a parent