The Bush School

Just fabulos. It takes a lot of work to transition from public to private school but , int the end, it pays off.

This is a top notch school with fabulous teachers, students, and parents! Our son is in the first grade and we have been so impressed with the commitment and enthusiasm of the teachers -- and at times floored by how well the teachers understood our son! Academics are challenging and tailored to individual kids. Everyone -- the teachers, administrators, and the parents work together very hard to ensure a supportive and nurturing learning environment. The kids, as a result, are confident, caring and enthusiastic learners!!
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers, particularly in the Upper School, some now retired, are brilliant, passionate, and utterly caring about students. Bush excels in creating critical thinkers, community servers, and foreign language-speakers. As a former parent, I attest that, infused with Bush's signature traits, students flourish in college and beyond.

The Bush School is one of the best schools in the country. Though I am a little biased as a high school student there, here are the reasons why I feel that Bush is so awesome: The Teachers: The teachers at all levels are amazing. Instead of being your typical by the book teacher, they are people who have a passion for what it is they are teaching. Many teachers hold an advanced degree or a doctorate. It s so amazing to have a teacher get excited when they are teaching something to you. The academics: The school is really tough (though I suppose with great teachers comes hard academics). All classes at Bush are taught at an advanced or AP level. At night I find myself doing multiples hours of homework a night. However, it does pay off. The teachers don t just assign homework to assign homework.

Bush is a school that 'walks the talk.' They talk about ethics, and cultural competence, and critical thinking as their educational foundations, and at a lot of other schools you'd think 'sure, sure.' But Bush really lives these values every day, and our kids (now in the high school) have grown so much -- not just as students but as human beings. I also feel Bush teachers work hard to understand each individual student and respect their unique gifts as much as their unique idiosyncracies. Bush never takes a 'one size fits all' approach. Parent community is great -- diverse, very involved and supportive.
—Submitted by a parent

While I no longer attend this school (this past year I transferred to Lakeside for high school) the lower and middle schools have been excellent for preparing me for high school. Entering as a new student at Lakeside, I felt much more prepared not only academically, but also in my work ethic than many of the other students also entering from many different private and public schools. The lower school was a great fit because it challenged me to take myself out of my comfort zone, try new things, and stretch myself to try and undersand new and challenging concepts. The middle school, for me, was great in helping me to prepare for high school. With each grade, I felt the teachers expect more of me, but not the point where I was completely stressed out. I had an amazing experience.
—Submitted by a student

This school is amazing in every way. My son is in his last year of the middle school, and attended the Bush lower school before that. The academics are strong, the interdisciplinary, experiential curriculum is superb, the way Bush handles social and personal issues is respectful and effective. The school is full of not just good, but great teachers. The kids are learning an appreciation for the larger things in life such as global sustainability, acceptance of diversity and fundamental ethics. The wilderness and international programs are wonderful and life-changing. I read the review from 3/11/08 and have to say that family's experience is nothing like our own. Our family's perspective is Bush is a fantasic school for girls AND boys... cliques are actively discouraged among students. An acceptance of diversity and differences among us, is an overriding theme of the school.
—Submitted by a parent

We have 3rd grade and 1st grade girls at Bush. We love this school. When selecting a school we did the full tour, and felt out of place at every other independent school. We'd never heard of Bush before we attended the open house, but once we heard the pitch my wife and I were sold hook line and sinker! 4 years into our experience we're still very happy. We value the fact that the schools values are focused on teaching the kids to be contributing members of a global society. The academics are top notch, but even better they are presented in the context of critical thinking, results focused action orientation, and a genuine tolerance for alternative perspectives.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children at Bush, one in 3rd and one in 5th grade. We were looking for solid, non-trendy academics (a challenge in Seattle, home of the flavor of the week education styles), involved parents, and a culture of respect and civic participation. The academics are not flashy and will not appeal to parents looking for 2+ hours of homework for 2nd graders. They give them more and more each year, building upon the year before, and also require them to step up in the community, be involved, and respect their classmates. By 5th grade, the work is quite challenging but there is still time to be a kid. Parent community is high octane professionals but the attitude is low key and friendly. Diversity is a priority and they are making headway. High schoolers are extremely considerate of the younger grades, great outdoor programs for middle school & up.
—Submitted by a parent

An excellent school, all-around. However, we have lately become a bit disillusioned with some aspects. In our experience this is a better school for girls than boys. Much normal boy behavior is pathologized, particularly in the elementary grades. That, plus the identity politics and the culture of 'cliquishness' encouraged among both students and parents, prevent me from giving a 5-star rating.
—Submitted by a parent