Covington Middle School

This is a fantastic school. From a few of the reviews below it appears parents mad about dress code (which your child, adult will follow one for the rest of their lives) and then throwing blame on school. Take reviews with a grain of salt. Most people who write reviews do so when they are mad no when they are pleased. P.S. some of these reviews are so old they are pointless. They discuss details that no longer apply to this school. If you want a feel for the school, visit it!
--Submitted by a parent

This school is horrible. My daughter was so excited to start middle school and now she hates going to school. She is an honor student and behaves in class so she is mercilessly picked on every day. The other reviews were spot on about administration. They are more worried about the over bearing dress code than the behavior of the students. I have tried to speak with the assistant principal and was dismissed and told if I didn't like the dress code I should attend the campus advisory counsel meetings. I also spoke with another assistant principal that said the exact same thing. Its like they have a script they read from when parents complain. It is very clear to me that nothing is going to change with this school. The counselor is great and does her best but the administration is so bad that nothing changes. I have tried to transfer to another school in my area that is a lot better but we didn't get the transfer because we were white and the only spots left were for minorities. Well I guess my white daughters education isn't as important as the minority students to AISD. It is very sad. I guess equality doesn't pertain to white students in AISD.
--Submitted by a parent

This is a school where discipline takes priority over grades. The administration staff are unnecessarily rigid and quick to punish harshly. You are lucky if you get a phone call from an assistant principal, I did not once see or speak to the principal dispite my attempts and you will never have communications with the teachers. I have been consistently spoken to as if I were to be handled and shown the door rather than have my concerns heard and addressed. This has to be the worst schoolI have been involved with. It's a shame that they don't put our childrens education first. There are some genuinely good and wonderful teachers there, but they are overshadowed by the horrible administration. Do not put your child here if you want them to learn anything.
--Submitted by a parent

Between the dress code and the staff, this school was a nightmare. Communication simply does not exist between the teachers, the staff and the parents. The assistant principal was quite rude and very condescending. Like most schools, some of the teachers are good, some are bad. However, it is difficult to keep up with what assignments are due or my child's progress when the parent connection information is not completed and there is little communication. We are moving out of this district as soon as possible.
--Submitted by a parent

this is my first year at covington as a 6th grader and it has been a blast so many oppurtunities you make so many good friends.the teachers make learning fun and the great thing was that i was always exited for another day of learning

There is much to be desired and I agree with some reviews that maybe the school is not as great as it once was but Covington is still a good school. There are many teachers that are good and I love the Band progarm that 3 of my children have been invovled with for the past 4 yrs. I believe you make it what you want of it and we've made it the best for us. As for the dress code I wasn't to happy about it at first but in all truth school is not about fashion it's about learning. The dress code is the least of my worries.
--Submitted by a parent

I think sometimes Covington gets a bad wrap but it really is a good school. My daughter transferred from West Ridge because we moved. She was put into AP classes and they really do try to challenge her. The band program is also amazing!!
--Submitted by a parent

I agree with other statements regarding the overly strict dress code. It is designed to sqelch any individuality a student possesses. My grandson wore nothing but grey shirts for three years. Even coats must adhere to the approved four colors, with no contrasting trim. Boys are disciplined for forgetting to wear a belt. The office staff is rude to parents, ignoring them as long as possible and then grudgingly acknowledging their presence. The only good impression I have of the school is the music program. The orchestra teacher there a couple years ago was great.

My second child is attending Covington this year as a 6th grader. I have to say after sending my first child there, that this school has absolutely gone down hill. I feel the staff has slacked off and don't want to handle the problems of the school. I would like to see the principal step up to the plate to correct the problems that have occurred this school year. What I have found after having two children in AISD is when problems arise, principals like to pretend they don't exist. As a leader of the school, I feel the principal should step up to the plate and take problems by the horns, after all, we spend good money to pay the principal of our schools. A great example of a principal is Craig Shapiro at Crockett High!
--Submitted by a parent

We moved from AZ to TX last summer and enrolled our son into Covington. What a mistake that was. The so-called dress code only makes the student body look like a juvenile detention center. The kids mostly wear black. White is not allowed, because they don't want the boys wearing the over sized T-shirts. Just absurd! My son is a honor student and just wants to learn, but finds it very difficult do to the out of control students. They bus a lot of the students in, and those the students that cause all the problems. The parents get upset that there kids can't go to the dances because of their poor grades, but don't get upset about their grades. Our son is not safe at this school and we tried to transfer, but were told because he is white, he can't transfer to one of the three schools we choose.
--Submitted by a parent