Tarkington High School

I am beginning to experience the bullying issue with my children; however, the school administration is telling me that they are not seeing the same issues my child is bringing to my attention. So maybe he s just trying to get my attention. In every incident that my child has told me about, not once has the teacher witnessed the problem; instead the bully is running to the teacher telling on my child and my child feels defeated so he doesn t try to tell his side of the story. He has told me that the teachers are huddled in one corner (on the playground) or in the classrooms so they wouldn t see the issues. I m just curious, if bullying/favoritism are such a real problem in Tarkington, why haven t formal complaints been made? I ve spoken to at least 3 other parents who say they are experiencing very similar issues with their children. I ve heard of bullying issues in our schools before, I just assumed they were being addressed; but instead it seems the trend is to just pull your child out of this school and relocate them or home school them. Why are formal complaints not being made and why are we not fighting/demanding that our school system addresses this issue?
--Submitted by a parent

Good school if you play football or cheerlead. But if y(ur gay or dont fit the "norm" theyll rip you apart from inside out, both students and staff.

Well, all of your issues are common, but at least Tarkington High School isn't filled with gangs and drugs. Other schools like in Houston are far worse and i think everyone should appreciate the effort everyone is putting forth. The education is great and everybody seems to know everybody.
--Submitted by a parent

I attended this school as a kid and gladly send my children here. The dress code is not ridicoulous, and is what young gentlement and lady's should be wearing. Now I'm sorry if I offend anyone but other school districts in the liberty county fail in comparison to tarkington ISD. As far as people getting unfair treatment - I think these claims are bogus. Children will tell their parents what they want to hear and some parents dont have the common sence to know when they are lying!
--Submitted by a parent

The people are very nice. However the school lacks diversity and good leadership. While the lack of diversity is a result of the location, the leadership is not. From what I have heard from my student, teachers often play favorites. Also the dress code is ridiculously strict. My major disappointment it's the lack of a good college counseling program, the school does not seem to motivate students to continue their education the way the school I attended in Houston did. The academics and administration may be sub par, but at least the students are not 'clicky' or mean-spirited.
--Submitted by a parent

my name is jenifer. I think this school is great but the dress codeis ridiculus. im a single parent so buying 4 children what they need to be appropriate at school is difficult. the administrators do not provide my children with clothing so why should they tell me what I need to buy?! but other than that its cool. l8r!!
--Submitted by a parent

I was an instructor there for over 7 years and watched the administration take this good school to a poor school. Playing favorites with students is not fair, working deals to get fake passing grades and punish some students and not others for the same offence is outright a pathetic. My program was cut as soon as B. Ellington was assigned principal. I ended up quiting and removing my children from that school. When my son gets beat up 5 times by 3 students and witnesses say what happened, and nothing is done about that, that is pathetic administration. Then new school being built is a waste of tax payers money, they should just add on to the older school.
--Submitted by a teacher