I'm current student at Dominican University of California. Each week I go into two classes here to…read moredo my student observations. First I want to say how hard these teachers work at this school. They have so much passion for teaching and that is something i have not seen in other schools I have been to. I appreciate the six grade math teacher Mr.Promis a lot. He is very knowledgeable and kind to each of his students. As well as Ms.Ryan in the SPED department. She is so kind and respectful to each of her students. Both of these teachers bring qualities of a wonderful teacher. I inspire to be them -José

This is for the school year 2021 - 2022…read more There are different experiences for each student here. Some kids can have a relatively smooth experience with minimal friction. But on the other hand if you're perceived as different - you your child will be a target - which is NOT RIGHT. There are some very disruptive kids who are yelling out VERY inappropriate things (sexual, derogatory, etc), thus disrupting class for the rest of the students. And the teachers glaze over them and nothing is done. Bullying is also allowed - despite the fact that there is a policy saying that its not. Teachers/After School supervisors (DXL) do nothing to prevent the harassment/bullying when its clear that a student is being targeted. Students are allowed to continue with no repercussions. If its is brought up to these authority figures - they sweep it away - saying that they are learning their limits. But one has to ask, at the expense of another students well being? And yet nothing is done to help prevent this. Students routinely yell out racist rhetoric, and discriminate against students they perceive as different. If the student is "in" with the teacher - the bullied student is not believed. To top it off - there are teachers who participate in this harassment - blatant body shaming from some the PE teachers, and force competitions in an unhealthy way (one student is the best - you should be like them and not be lazy). There is also gender discrimination - where they blame female periods for the physical issues that may occur. These kids are going through changes and SHOULD not be shamed for things that are happening with their body. Lastly even some of the admin staff are very rude to the students - when they come in sick - they believe they are faking it and tell them to deal. There is no kindness from them. I will say, that there are some teachers and admin staff that really do care about the kids, but its overshadowed by negative. Things need to change. While I understand there is only so much that the school can do, there should be better measures to ensure mental health a TOP priority (especially in the current climate we are in).

I would never send a kid to this school as long as Skip Kniesche has any position of power. Having…read morebeen a student at this school first hand and experiencing Skip's form of leadership as a Vice Principal, this man will overlook any signs of distress in your child. If you have a kid who doesn't fit in completely, he will likely ignore your child and dismiss them. I even came back to the school 10 years later to request a specimen I had lent the school that had magically become a permanent fixture of theirs without my consent. Who did I speak to? Skip! And he was extremely rude and unpleasant. What did it take in order to get him to treat me like a human and return my property? My FATHER had to call. Yes. I was 18 years old and my father had to come to the school in order for Skip to get off his butt and treat me like a person. Shame on Skip. Shame on this school. If you have a kid who's an outcast, or if you have any personal home issues going on and are hoping for a school to be somewhat sensitive to those struggles, do not send your child to this school.

Terrible school. The people who greet you in the office are extremely rude, and can be heard…read moretalking badly about parents constantly. You can tell they genuinely dislike the job. Kids there are very judgmental, and teachers do little to nothing about bullying! It doesn't feel like a safe environment, and the education moves far too fast for most students. I would absolutely NOT recommend sending any students here. The older kids are quite rude to the 5th graders as well, and the electives aren't funded well enough at all. The PTA spends all it's money on "teacher appreciation WEEK". Yes, I said WEEK. They dedicate a whole week to giving to teachers who rarely help students. DO NOT SEND A STUDENT HERE. This school depresses many people, and personally, it brings me to a dark place remembering going there. I was immediately so much happier after graduating, I wouldn't even consider going back to visit even after all these years!

I'm always careful to speak out about Oak Hill School because my son isn't a "typical" attendee…read more He's ADD and not neurotypical, but never tested as on the spectrum. We went through four different public school Special Ed systems in different districts, tried multiple interventions and strategies, but his engagement with the curriculum in public school had ground to a halt by the time he reached seventh grade. Knowing he was out-of-the-box, I started looking for a place where he could thrive on his own terms. He's curious and inventive, but not one for marching to anyone else's drum. The public school system kept trying to "break" him, to make him conform - and I understand why! They have many students and they can't cater to each individual, but if you're trying to "break" my younger son, you'd better come to the table with a lifetime supply of patience and endurance because I've lived with him for seventeen years now and I've yet to see a crack in his persistence. It took eight months to entreat the district for a transfer. Since he didn't test as on the spectrum, they questioned why I thought it was a good fit for him, but within weeks, he was engaging with the teacher and staff. Over the last three years, he's gone from wholly unresponsive in public school to developing his own ice cream business with a fellow student, budgeting and making the product, participating in a Sonoma State University survey of non-neurotypical students to provide feedback for NASA's research on an astronomy course, participating in a student internship at a local restaurant and engaging with his fellow students. The staff and faculty is indeed like a family, as one of the other reviewers said. Only maybe better than most families. I can't speak from her perspective, but from my own, it's a place of tremendous acceptance. A place where the students are valued for their gifts, where they're encouraged to advocate for themselves and aided in expanding into their potential. Finding Oak Hill has truly been a turning point for our family. I found it at a point where I'd begun to despair that my son wouldn't make it out of the public school system in one piece, when the hurdle of high school graduation had felt remote and improbable. He's now approximately a year and a half from graduation and we've discussed college options. He's interested in science and engineering. Finding the right school for our children is SUCH a personal decision and one's experience can vary so much from the next. Many of the schools where my sons struggled were highly ranked. Quite a few of them offered programs I might've loved when I was their ages, but hypotheticals don't translate to the individual needs of our kids. All I can say is, Oak Hill is an incredible place with a staff and faculty of warm, thoughtful people and my son has become more thoughtful and engaged through his association with them.

This has been a wonderful school for my son John. He's struggled for many years, and we found the…read morefaculty to be wildly supportive. Charlie Beavis in particular has been an incredible counselor for John, both academically and spiritually. The positivity and light that radiates throughout the campus has been undeniable. We definitely made the right decision looking back over the past few years.

MA is a great college prep school in the Bay Area!…read more Great location near downtown San Rafael! Amazing school grounds and facilities! Excellent teachers who have a love of learning and want to share these passion with students! Great sports and a NEW AQUATIC CENTER has been built! Truly has a school campus feel in an urban environment! You student will be equipped for that next stage in school!

Ma is a pretty good school and you should definitely look at yelp reviews to decide what high…read moreschool you're going to.

I attended Redwood as a freshman and sophomore from 1967 to 1969. The math and English classes for…read moreAP students (they didn't use that term back then) were excellent. With about 1800 students, it stands to reason that quite a few would be academically outstanding. I personally knew two who went on to Harvard and one who went on to Yale. Virtually all of the students who bothered to study qualified for a UC or CSU campus. The rest went to community college and then transferred to university, or they had no interest in college and went into sales, the trades, the military, etc. I had attended a small private school and was not comfortable with such a large high school. I had no understanding of what people dread about large public high schools: cliques, bullies, etc. But for someone who wasn't particularly outgoing, I was treated reasonably well. I have always been interested in what is going on in education. I understand that Redwood chose to stop taking money from the state of California (am I wrong?). That would be a good thing. The more parents have control over what their students are learning, the better. Some people talk about Redwood kids being snobby. That was certainly not my experience when I went there. But large public high schools are much more forgiving environments for children who are goodlooking, athletic and outgoing than they are for students who aren't any of those things. I advise parents who have choices (e.g., public vs. private schools) to keep this in mind when they are selecting schools for their children.

UPSIDE - Best teachers around, especially Ms. Rubio who consistently works overtime to help her…read morestudents succeed. Top notch education for your children. DOWNSIDE - Lots of drugs, entitled kids and intense social politics; emphasis on money and status. Not too unusual for a high School, but this school makes the book Mean Girls look like child's play. Little or no participation by my daughters teachers concerning diversity week which is sad, because the kids I have met here show a surprising lack knowledge about people who are not white, straight, rich or privileged.

Graduated SRHS in 1972 and to this day I still have the fondest memories..In my freshman year of 68…read moreit was still uptight but by 69 all hell broke lose..We were smoking pot all over the campus, teachers, principle and deans were cool with it..Sometimes at lunch break we would have a keg of beer out on the soccer field..Teachers were great and we all went on to become successful..I'm still close friends with many and I was part of the 420 gang..Wish I could relive it again..

A school with issues that STILL produces fine kids prepared for college…read more San Rafael High School is a long standing (by long I mean founded in 1888) high school with tons of history. All students that graduate from here end up LOVING this school. I myself graduated in 2007 and I still have very fond memories of this school. Pros: A handful of teachers STRIVE and WORK non-stop to see these kids succeed. During high school I had EXTREME money problems and a professor even offered me 400 bucks to help me get by. I didn't take the money but, just goes to show you the lengths they'll go for their students. The music program is arguably one of the best for a public school (I mean, they even have their own recording studio and broadcasting station.) Furthermore, its a REAL school. You see your jocks, weirdos and gang-bangers all going here. It's not an isolated school and your child experiences true life. Also many ESL students go to SRHS and thus this school has large english department. From beginning English all the way up to AP english. Many school don't offer that. I personally fell in love with this school and will hopefully send my kids here someday. Cons: the school is so old that it was falling apart when I left. I believe now they are renovating it and it has gotten better. The school has many issues including a high turnover rate of teachers, seems like every year 5 teacher quit and 5 more are hired. Keep an eye on this school and don't listen to just the negative word-of-mouth comments.

The RVSD delivers quality education that I personally have experienced from a public school. Great…read moreengaging, amazing and experienced teachers. The school has a distinctive school status (10/10). I grew up and went to school here and the quality of education is still bar none. While there might be other choices such as the local Charter. They don't offer the same quality education that the Ross Valley School District offers. With over 2000 families that support our local public school, you can't go wrong with this choice.

I find it interesting than almost no one has left reviews. The real estate agents will brag on and…read moreon about how great RVSD is. Maybe so, if your child is a neurotypical learner. If not, you're in for a world of disappointment and heartbreak. I could write a thesis on how poorly the district and one elementary school in particular handled my child's struggle. Their lack of regard for special ed needs was archaic and a total disgrace bordering on illegal. We ended up leaving, moving far away to a district that embraces all kinds of learners.

My child went to MC and loved it. My niece and nephew will be attending MC in the future. As a…read moreparent, I loved the school PTA, the teachers, the coaches. We miss it terribly every day! Highly recommend!

Marin Catholic is a loving and caring environment. Both of my kids attended MC, thrived both…read moresocially and academically. Wonderful experience for all of us!