Kentlake High School

Reading another comment, I strongly agree. Many KL teachers would make you believe if you didn't make one deadline on a project you might as well give up and fail the project or even the class. I transferred my senior year not only because teachers were unhelpful, but also because the students really were allowed to be defiant and outright rude to faculty and other students with little or no punishment. (I even witness students cuss at teachers with no repercussions) Also - SERIOUS drug problem. Students smoke and drink and get high on pills at school and almost never get caught.
--Submitted by a student

I've taught at 12 of the 13 secondary schools in the Kent District, and of those 12, Kentlake is the only one with a serious attitude problem. The kids there act like they run the school, because they do. They have more power than the adults because the school is run so weakly. Example: I was talking to a security guard who said that security there never takes phones away from students by force. He said it could injure the student and that the students must be tiptoed around. Neither the adults nor students seem to realize its supposed to be the other way around. The result is a rude, defiant, dishonest student body despite their not being that way at the feeder middle schools. Test scores are OK, although they'd be higher if students cared and did their work honestly. Easily my least favorite school in the district since I love the other Kent schools.
--Submitted by a teacher

I had to stop by Kentlake when the bell rang for the day to end. OOPS wrong time to be at a busy high school. I was pleasantly surprised that the students were polite and did not run me over to leave. The office staff was kind and helpful. Then it was time to leave along with 1600 students. I was again surprised at the polite way the drivers (mostly students) took turns. They drove carefully and even allowed people from a nearby housing development to merge. I was proud of the students!! Today was teacher conference; the teachers were well prepared and very nice. I met with my son's school counselor; she helped him arrange a class he needed. Wow, it was painless. I am thankful my son has the opportunity to attend KLHS!
--Submitted by a parent

3 of my children graduated or will graduate from Kentlake in the classes of '09, '10, and '11. Overall, I feel there are a few good teachers that care about student progress and one administrator that puts the students first . There is a new principal this year and it is too soon to tell if there will be any improvements. But, during the years my children were at Kentlake, there was a definite disconnect between administrators, teachers, and students. Numerous teachers made it very challenging for students to seek help from them, were apathetic when a student was struggling in class, and favoritism was prevalent at the school. Teachers were also allowed to dock a students grade for non-academic matters. I found this to be ludicrous and received no support from administrators when I attempted to address the issue. Academics are the only thing that should be reflected in a grade. I will say this, if you want to be an athlete, attend Kentlake. Sports and the athletes are favored here.
--Submitted by a parent

Poor leadership and direction and focus. Lack of diversity in teaching methods and materials. Teacher apathy and minimal effort exhibited by majority of staff. Heavy presence of cliques and grouping by stereotype, or ethnic heritage. Kent schools in general are below average, if you want evidence check the state department of education web sites
--Submitted by a parent

I am a student at Kentlake and this is my first year and so far i strongly dislike it. The teachers expect you to be perfect and never make a mistake. They mess up on attendence all the time so if your parent checks skyward alot you get in trouble! Alot of the teachers favors the students who are into sports and cheerleading. So if your someone who doesn't like stuff like that then your not going to really like the class. Alot of the students have drug problems so that was another downer. I don't really like the school because a) out in middle of nowhere' b) administrative makes no effort on concerns c)students are rich stuckups d) gotta watch teachers closely
--Submitted by a student

to me kentlake is the best school i had ever been to. The teachers are so nice and they dont grade you as hard as you would really thnk they do.Its almost the end of the year and this whole year i had kept my grades up to like A or A-. I love the teachers. They dont give as much hw as someother schools. And the students there are the best..... come to this school and you will see what im talking about....have fun
--Submitted by a student

Kentlake is a great school. Extremely sprited. i really enjoyed my time their this year.
--Submitted by a student

What happened to teaching children to make them well rounded, educated individuals? Focus here is on WASL preparation. Each teacher is given latitude to create their own rules and policies so students must try to remember six different sets of rules and policies. Students can be punished academically for minor class disruption. Message given to students is if you miss one deadline in a large project you might as well give up because if you miss one deadline you get a zero on the entire project. Wow! This is not the message that our children should be given by those in charge of educating them. As for the principal, do not expect her to respond to your concerns in a timely manner. After three months I requested that someone else assist me with my concerns. The assistant principal did not even give the courtesy of being prepared for a scheduled meeting.
--Submitted by a parent

Kentlake is an astounding school. I have just transferred in, and yes, there are a few things that need furtherance, such as how papers are graded, however, the teachers and students are welcoming and helpful. Kentlake overall has been a great experience for me.
--Submitted by Bree, a student