• Parents' reviews of Albany High
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Parents' reviews of Albany High

Re: Affordable private school for struggling teen
I also have a 9th grader at AHS whose grades have plummeted this year. 9th grade is hard. AHS is a pressure-filled, academically demanding environment with lots of tiger-mom energy driving the curriculum, there is way too much homework IMO, and there has been a lot of extra chaos and drama this year, with teachers leaving and class schedule changes. Oh wait, lets not forget puberty! My son is also gifted in the arts, and you know what? That's good enough for me (for now). Having one thing he excels at and having lots of friends means your son is successful in ways that many kids are not. Taking that away from him as punishment for not getting good grades isn't a good strategy; if you must use a consequence, don't take away the music and social life that motivates him. Get him a tutor, remove yourself from the drama, and try to strategize together with dad-- sounds like there is a rift there, but if you can agree what the strategy and consequences will be, your son will respond to your unity on this issue. I think your expectations may be skewed regarding private schools. My son was in 2 different private schools (he has ADD) and neither of them was anywhere near as good as Albany. Call the principal, set up a meeting, get proactive. No one else is going to set the boundaries that you need to set. And remember... he's a teenager, he will likely settle down eventually and get to work if you are firm and settled yourself. Good luck, Albany Panda Mom

Re: Is it uncool to take lunch to high school?

I checked in with my daughter who is a Freshman at AHS. She reports that plenty of kids bring their own lunches. No one makes a big deal of it. The kids seem to understand diet preferences, cultural dietary requirements, as well as health-related dietary restrictions. Put your mind to rest and Bon Appetite with the healthy food! Jeanne I see lots of kids at AHS sitting down with their lunches on campus. Some buy, some bring. My kids have done a combination of both, and they are sort of middling ''cool.''

The campus lunch facilities are now indoors and much improved. There are usually vegetarian options on the menu. No candy or soda is sold at school, although desserts are sold as club fundraisers, usually after school.

AHS is an open campus, so kids eat in the park, go to Solano or the El Cerrito Plaza for food, or go to nearby houses at lunchtime. Hope this helps!

My son is in the 8th grade at Albany Middle School. I love the school, the teachers, the level of parent involvment, the sports, etc. However, I have worked closely with him this year on his classwork and I have watched him become increasingly bored and unispired by the curriculum. Math and science seem to catch his interest, but the humanities subjects do seem pretty bland and uninteresting. He is an avid reader and writer outside of school. He has a lot of natural curiosity and it's sad to see it left untapped because he's bored.

I'm thinking about high schools. I don't think he's the right kind of kid for Berkeley High (he struggles at times with focus), but we are considering Maybeck. I am wondering about other parents and (especially) student's experiences at Albany high school. I know it's a great place to go to get into college, but what about beyond that? Is it inspiring? Is creativity rewarded? Are kids challenged in other ways besides academic rigor (to think critically, creatively and to step outside etheir comfort zone)? How ''cliquey'' is it? How does the AHS experience differ from the experience at AMS?

I have read the archives, but the district and the High School have changed so much over the last 5 years. I'd be particularly interested in hearing from AHS students. Anon

For kids willing to 'join' there is a lot of activity at AHS. Football, soccer, volleyball.

PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Assn, with student members and student members of the school board), student govt and Leadership. Clubs ranging from service groups (Leo's and Building with Books), Youth & Govt (a very active mock legislature, managed by the Albany YMCA that sends kids on conferences to Sacramento and Monterey), Model U.N., Black Student Union, Jewish Student Union, etc. There is also a Pirates Club, Skateboard Club, and any student with an idea and a faculty sponsor can start a group. There's Career Day, Spirit Week (kids dressed in school colors and decorated the school every day of Homecoming Week), school dances, including 2 formals a year.

But most kids at AHS know each other from kindergarten, or at least from middle school. That means that old alliances linger - though friendships in high school do shift dramatically from the ones in elementary and middle school.

Its a fine school for my kids. Your kid could love it... or... AHS parent

I'm interested in getting academic/social input about Albany High School from parents whose children currently attend the school. I have an eighth grader at an academically rigorous middle school (private), but would like to send her to Albany High -- we live in Albany and it would be nice to finally have her at our ''local'' school. I guess I'm wondering how challenging the academics are at AHS. Also, does it have a 2-track academic system like Berkeley High and, if so, how does one get into that higher track if this is appropriate? Is placement based on testing and, if so, when does that testing take place? Also, how do parents feel about the quality of their kids' teachers? The administration? The calibre of the classes? And what is Albany High like socially? Any info on the school's strengths and limitations (diversity, sports, drug use, etc) would be much appreciated. Any info on what colleges AHS grads attend would also be helpful, although I can probably get this from the school. Thanks so much. Ready to switch to public school

AHS is a reasonable size (1200 kids), with very good administration, counseling staff and faculty, and increasing academic and elective opportunities. The school is now on modified block scheduling, which everyone seems to like - every class on Mondays and half the classes on MW/ TTh for 90-min. each class.

Kids test into rigorous advanced math and language classes, in spring/ summer. AP classes start in jr. year, and many require testing in; but some do not, incl. AP Art History. Homework is several hours, with more before tests and finals or group projects.

There's lots of "school spirit" and there are kids who ignore it. Dozens of school clubs & activities, including YMCA's Youth and Gov't (includes retreats), theater and major spring musical), music (band, orchestra, R&B group, jazz, chorales), golf, computer, service clubs (Leo's), ethnic student unions. The more active your student is, the better time they will have. merry

This year's experiment with a block schedule seems to be going well. I've heard both students and teachers speak positively about it. All students go to only 4 classes on Tues/Thurs and 3 different classes plus advisory period on Wed/Fri, plus all 7 classes on Monday. (Unfortunately, now there's NO way to avoid going to school at 7:40 AM. Students who were taking minimum schedules and weren't doing after-school sports used to be able to go at 8:30 AM and stay later, which is far less painful.) Albany parent

Dec 2003

July 2002

Parents need to maintain open communication with their kids about drugs and alcohol and to share their values about these topics for example I'd prefer a high school kid to have a glass of wine at home at a family gathering ( holiday, party or whatever) and not have it viewed as a completely taboo act , and to understand that drinking and driving don't mix/ to call home anytime a ride is needed etc. Also I don't believe marijuana is a "gateway" drug that will lead to more serious drug use/ it will be obvious if a high school student is using drugs that interferes with their functioning in the world Parents in my opinion need to be honest with their teenagers, to have an open and honest dialogue, to answer their children's questions when they ask about your own drug and alcohol use past and present, and to set an example by the way we as adults live with our teenagers, how we cope etc. Also to provide support and resources so our kids have exposure to involving activities to participate in whatever they are , sports, reading, music, cultural religious, political, social action, etc both in school and outside I have found that Albany High provides a safe enough environment and community for kids to make intelligent choices or at least have choices about what path they are going to take This is definitely anonymous as I respect my kids right to privacy

Many people have asked about whether Albany High School is a good option for students and parents. This, as with all high schools, depends on the individual student. If a family is looking for a small, academically-oriented high school, Albany High definitely has that to offer. It does have limited course offerings, because it is a small school. The counseling staff does appear to be helpful with the college application process. (I don't know first hand.)

Its shortcomings lie in the emotional realm. It places a strong emphasis on academic success and its reputation as a high school where a high percentage of students go on to college. However, it has little to offer in the way of nurturing and support for the individual who is having difficulties, either emotional or academic. Unless students fall in the rather narrow range served by the Resource Specialist Program, there is little in-school support or attention for students who are not highly successful in an academically rigorous environment. There are individual staff members who can be nurturing and supportive, but it is often a matter of luck if a student encounters them.

The attitude at AHS frequently seems to be, "If you are unhappy with what we have to offer, you can always go elsewhere. There are plenty of parents from surrounding districts clamoring to get their children into a school like Albany that is perceived as safer than most neighboring schools, while providing a pretty good academic program." Both of my daughters have had difficulty for these reasons at Albany High, over the course of the last eight years. I am frankly glad that this is our last year there.

Now, as far as school spirit at AHS--I don't know what events that family has attended, but I think spirit abounds aplenty! The class mascot building and subsequent parade was both fun and hilarious--the essence of small-town America. The grand opening of the new building was a great chance to hobnob and see school sprit at work. The Winter Ball seemed to be teeming with gorgeous gals and well-dressed fellahs having a great time. And the plays--I wish I had seen Macbeth, I heard it was fabulous, but the two "little" plays (The Lesson and Beyond Therapy) going on right now are fantastic and the kids do a wonderful job. They seem to have tremendous enthusiasm and spirit. In fact, I'm sorry my job requirements are such that I can't be more involved myself, so I feel that this is just a fraction of what is available in the way of family fun and school spirit.

Well, that's just my 2 cents' worth. And, because Albany is such a small town and my daughter would cringe (disown me?) if she knew I had written about her, please sign me Anonymous as well --although secretly I hope our paths might cross!