Rainier Beach High School

This high school is going downhill fast. It was already in crisis, and this last school year has been the worst yet. There is no accountability for students' behavior. The administrative team and dean of students have all been fired or transferred, and 90% of the staff requested transfers. It is impossible for teachers to teach in this chaos. Students run the show and they know there is no consequence for their actions. The climate is abysmal. I would not recommend sending any child to this school. Classroom behavior is appalling and fraught with disrespect, and students "hang out" in the hallways while swearing, pushing, shoving and doing nothing constructive. No presence of any administrators in the halls. This year's assistant principal was afraid of the students and did not hold them accountable, nor did the dean. Only one of the two principals was every visible, and even then only some of the time. Test scores have gone down every year. Everyone asks why the district leaves this failing school, with low enrollment, open?
—Submitted by a parent

Rainier Beach High School students lack respect for themselves and others including staff members and students.Students also lack discipline.Profanity is used in almost every sentence they use and students aren't treated equally when it comes to disciplinary action based on what "sports you play" or how well does your "parent knows your teacher" kind of thing. Some teachers try their hardest to help these students some teachers don't.I think some of the teachers are too afraid to discipline a student like giving detention or sending them to the main office. So instead of giving that student detention,he or she(teacher) just sits there and do nothing. The securities barely do anything to the students who do get into trouble. They just have them sit down in their office and wait till class is over. There is also a high percentage of students hanging around the "half circle" across the street between the Lake Washington Apartments and Sear's Market Place. Its a based of drug dealers and students from Rainier Beach High School and from other schools who've dropped out or skipped class.
—Submitted by a student

I loved rainierbeach i graduated from there in 85 and yes it was mainly focused on sports back then like it is now. I ran on the track team and every year we won state. We could not be beat...

I love Rainier Beach. The teachers try their hardest to help the students succeed. People misunderstand the school because of the neighborhood. Majority of students try their hardest to graduate and seek higher education. Yes, the school has bad seeds, but what school doesnt? Rainier Beach is like a family to me and im devastated that I attend a different school.
—Submitted by a student

I rated this school based on academics, basic student behavior, and overall atmosphere. As a student attending for a year at Rainier Beach, I was deeply disappointed in the lack of support for students academically. The school is in all, a SPORT school. Meaning that athletes are regarded highest, even with grades bordering D's and F's. It is hard for a student to receive help in a majority of the classrooms. Student behavior can get severely out of hand. Profanities are let slid, and female students are not enforced to proper school wear. Teachers are seldom helpful; far too lenient when coming to late assignments(sometimes a month) or plagiarized essays. The school does have (as stated above) many sports available, a bright spot on an otherwise dim appearance. Conclusively, I myself would not recommend sending your student here if a challenging, appropriate and helpful school is what they need.
—Submitted by a student

I think the school is amazing. It is full of many hard working, academically driven young people. Some focus to much on sports, and that is because they need more encouragement from those around them that they can survive and make a living without the use of a ball.
—Submitted by a parent

i am a student at Rainier Beach High it is a great school and there are many activities to get into...many people misunderstand this school when really its one of the best schools in Seattle
—Submitted by a student

I'm a student at Rainier Beach High School. I am proud to be a student here. There are a lot of issues within the students here and the learning techniques. Some students here are very smart intelligent young adults and it's a shame that the school district deprive them of being all that they can be. They can do a lot more to help the students then what they are doing. This school has potential and there is no way for it to be shown if people outside the school and the school district keep putting us down. Instead of doing so they could help us. Other schools have their support but we aren't receiving ours. Then some people wonder why kids tend to struggle or they feel that there is no point to accomplish anything, then you want to complain.That is a put down for a lot of us.
—Submitted by Jasmine Robinson, a student

I am a teacher at Rainier Beach and also a graduate from the class of 1999. I have read the other comments about Rainier Beach and am totally stunned about the lack of pride and tact for this school. Rainier Beach has the potential to be the best if not one of the best high schools in the Seattle area. We are very small in number, but large at heart. There is a dedicated staff that works long and hard to make sure that each student has what they need to make it to the next level. Rainier Beach needs a lot of work, and so does the rest of Seattle schools, our short comings happen to always be put in the public limelight. I wish people would roll up there sleeves and help us instead of dragging our name in the mud. I am a proud product of RB.
—Submitted by Makela Steward, a teacher

This school seems to be entirely sports-oriented even though it is advertised as a 'magnet' school. It offers AP classes, however, these are not the students that receive the support and resources necessary. The sports teams and their members receive the greatest amount of attention. What about academics?
—Submitted by a parent

i am a student currently enrolled at Cascade High School in Everett, a primarily white school. I have met a few students that attend RBHS and it seems like a great school. I am really trying hard to make arrangements to transfer schools and stay in S.Seattle with my dad. The only concern i have about the school is their lack of books and they seem to focus on sports rather than on education. I would love to experience a school where i would not be the 'minority' i think that i am at a time in my life where i need to feel 'accepted' and i feel that RBHS is a great choice for me. Although i am currently attending an all 'white' school it does have its advantages such as new books, and the most recent and up to date computers and software BUT i feel that i am always being singled out for being black just like the other 20 black students that attend Cascade High school out of 2500.

I attend Rainier Beach H.S. as a student. It's not the best school but neither is any other school. Rainier Beach does need a lot of improvements and different areas for different reasons but, I'm sure every other school can say that. Everyone who speaks bad about rainier beach doesn't see it for the inside. Rainier beach is not horrible but our academics are. Why? do you ask. Because no one cares to give us better book or updated computers. If one person's words can make a difference i wish mine makes a big difference in Rainier Beach. I wish that people will take the time to read this and help. Because the voices in Rainier Beach are not heard.

I am not a parent, but a student at Rainier Beach High School. The principal barely resolves problems, and the teachers talk about the principal behind her back. As you can see from the percentages, we have very little internet access for our school. We had a protest last year that showed we didn't have books either. Nobody listens to Rainier Beach, they think we are only good for our sports. If we had things to let us work better academically, like books, computers, and better teachers and tutors, then we would be an above average school. I work hard at my school, and nobody recognizes that because they are too busy recognizing how much better other schools are. Just because we are a primarily black school doesn't mean we can't learn. Teach us. I don't want to leave high school knowing almost nothing! I recently attended Business Week, and they taught me alot of things that I did not learn at school. Please give us some things to make us learn. Why get up so early to be treated stupid? I hope someone read this.