Westfield High School

I currently have three children attending Westfield High School. I want to believe in Westfield and the public school system in general. Westfield has had a very hard few years. Katrina resulted in several years of descending academic achievement and over burdened staff. Overburdened staff result in less enthusiastic and less successful classrooms. I see slow progress in the school, but still progress none the less. I believe there is a core of good educators "running uphill" to make a difference. I want the school and community to understand that pulling together we can turn the achievement curve of our future. We must put education first, education first, education first. Education is knowledge, Knowledge is power. Power is success, Success is a positive future for parenthood and careers. This starts a new cycle....Put education first....If you want the best for your kids and your community., good communities have better values to bring people with better values....a better cycle...Everyone of us make a difference, positive or negative....everyday. Which difference do you make? I think the staff of Westfield has more positive days than negative. You can help
--Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of a Westfield freshman and the issue I have is not with the administration but the parents. Parents are not as involved in their kids education like they used to be. I have been up to the school and hear a parent get upset with the front office because the school was asking the mom to come up there and bring an extra set up clothes for her daughter to change into, dressing inappropriately or in club gear is not for school, they are there for an education not a fashion show. Parents need not to blame the teachers nor administration because it starts at home. I don't feel that its all the responsibility of the teachers, that also starts at home. The teachers are there to educate not babysit. Maybe if the parents would pay more attention to whats going on with their children then there wouldn't be that big of an issue. Secondly, the district should start fining those parents whose kids are not in attendance like they should be and maybe that will be an eye opener as well. I am in contact with all of my kids teachers, I make it my business to be involved. Education doesn't end at school because it starts at home.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a staff member in Spring and a parent as well. I have my concerns about Westfield but I am confident that I would have the same concerns regardless of what school my children attend. I am a firm believer that people help those who help themselves. If a student wants to be successful at Westfield they have every opportunity to do so and I believe there are teachers who are still in the business of educating students who want to learn. It's a fact that the older the kids get the less involved the parents are. Teachers and administrators can not take on the task of educating and raising students alone. Parents must be actively involved in the process. Students should know the expectations of school even before they arrive because parents should have placed those expectations on the student. We all need to work together as a community to ensure the success of each student. Westfield is not a perfect school but it has a lot to offer if a student wants to be successful.
--Submitted by a parent

Even though I don't always feel safe, some of the administration is terrible, and some teachers are nut cases...I love it. The AP classes are fantastic, and every endeavor you wish to pursue will be supported by someone. You make your own education at Westfield, and if you chose to work hard the teachers will support you whole-heartedly. This student population is spirt-filled, and the Band Program is awesome. The school teaches you good life lessons, and doesn't confine you in a disillusioned bubble.
--Submitted by a student

Somebody call this school here 'jungle' it's true. I'm tired seeing the boys with this ugly pants every single day, they can't barely hold their pants. The girls coming to this school just with a little bag, cell.phone, ipods, I'm just wondering what are they doing there without books, or notebooks. Look like they are going shopping. But make-up and short skirts look like so cheap and they think they look perfect. Bad education, low grades, sending e-mails to the teachers about the grades or something no response, Principal I never met, one day had a question send him e-mail until today any answer. My daughter is in that school since Feb.21, 2010 I'm so sorry about her, she is not happy in this building. Not even she is enjoying the Art class, because they don't do not much. PE is other story, he is doing anything.
--Submitted by a parent

From the a students perspective, much of what has been said of westfield on this site is true. Westfield can be either good or bad, but so can many things. Westfield is a school that offers a great variety of extracurriculars and AP/Honors courses. These courses help students who take them quickly outrank their non-AP/Honor counteparts- even if its only one class. So if you want your child to go to a relatively ok school and get a good ranking for college without them doing much work (students work hard, but I've seen others work even harder) then westfield is what youre looking for. Also, the school does have a racial majority, but the minorities standout and create the appearence of diversity which is nice.
--Submitted by a student

I believe that Westfield can be either good or bad depending on which type of people are observed. To me, our AP, and Honor students are amazing with much talent that has been discoved quicker than most kids. They are both intelligent as well as socially accepted, unlike how sterotypes make us seem. Our extracuricular activity programs are also amazing. They all strive to be their best, may it be the sports teams, the drama club, choir and even the band. I can recall the band being Grand National Champions in 2003. On the other hand, the bad side of Westfield over takes the good kids that attend Westfield. Which evidently will lead to our bad review... ):
--Submitted by a student

This is one of the best school I personaly attended
--Submitted by a student

I have a son who is attending Westfield this year,.With him coming from another State where the School system was a disgrace,.I've found Westfield to be a charming and helpful School,.Like one parent mentioned in a previous post,.The Teacher's are there to Teach,.They are not caretakers or babysitters,.As students prepare for the next step in life,.We as parents must prepare our children with self discipline and respect for their fellow teachers and classmates at home,.We can't as parents expect our teachers to become miracle workers for us,.Overall me being a single male parent am impressed with the counselor's and staff there,.Mrs.Baker for one has been very helpful to my son and I,.She has offered and planned good strong advice for his future,.Now on the other hand I do feel that the personal within the Registars office could use some sort of humanity training,.But that's only a small portion of the puzzle,.
--Submitted by a parent

Parents need to get involved, I have noticed a decline in involvement. Westfield is the real world. My children that graduated got an excellent education and have prospered I now have a senior, she is also doing very well and yes I am very involved in the school.
--Submitted by a parent