BHS: Arts & Humanities Academy (AHA)

Website: http://bhs.berkeleyschools.net/communities/arts-and-humanities-academy/

3 parent questions ▼
Archived Q&A and reviews ▼

Parent Q&A

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  • BHS AHA recent experiences

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    May 13, 2024

    Hello, I have read the past threads on AHA and it seems like the reviews on the academics are mixed to negative. Anyone have recent experiences or feedback? For a kid that wants to attend a top 20 university, is that possible coming from AHA? Are there academically rigorous courses (i.e. APs) available to them?

    May 13, 2024

    To attend a rigorous university your only options are AC and IB. The other schools are known for being less academically rigorous. 

    May 20, 2024

    Hello...My daughter graduated from BHS in 2022. She wasn't in AHA but she was in CAS, which is around the same size as AHA. It is also know for being "less rigorous". My daughter was academically motivated and got good grades. She took the AP classes she could but it wasn't a lot of APs. She got into most of the colleges she applied for, including UCSD, UCSC, and USD. She decided she wanted to study architecture so accepted her admission to Cal Poly SLO, know for being a rigorous program. She is thriving doing great there. All that said, I think kids from the smaller schools at BHS can get into great schools! My daughter did feel limited in the classes she could take in CAS and by the number of AP's, but it did work out for her in the end. I was happy to see her not feeling so stressed out in high school and still get into plenty of great colleges. She recommended her younger brother go into AC though:) 

    May 27, 2024

    My child graduated from AHA in 2022 and is thriving at a small liberal arts college. They had dedicated and caring teachers and appreciated the strong community. Although my own child was not interested in taking APs, I think it is probably possible -- if your child is interested in a small school, you may want to investigate the details of what is available before writing off AHA based on vague claims of being 'known' for 'lack of rigor'.

    Jun 9, 2024

    My child is in CAS with similar restrictions on how many AP classes they can take. Supposedly, colleges understand these limitations and take them into consideration. My kid likes CAS, but it is definitely less academically rigorous than IB and AC. They had a minute of regret beginning junior year when realizing they couldn't take more AP classes, but is totally fine now. I think it's hard as a freshman to know what kind of college they'll want to attend, but if they can, it's easier to choose the BHS school with that in mind. 

    Jun 10, 2024

  • BHS--recent experience with AHA?

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    Jan 9, 2023

    My 9th grader at BHS is interested in the AHA small learning community, and I was wondering about folks' recent experience with it. She likes creative writing and art, but does not engage in them much in her free time (i.e., she does not demonstrate great passion for artistic pursuits). She is a well-performing student overall, and academics are important to our family: we want rigorous academics and well-rounded options. I have a sense that AHA may be better suited to not-very-academic but very artistically talented students--is that accurate? Or would a high-performing not-necessarily-artsy student do well there as well, and be academically challenged? Is the academic rigor of the classes on par with those in AC? Thanks for any insights you can provide.

    Jan 9, 2023

    My very artistic child decided not to do AHA and she had absolutely no regrets. It does have a reputation for being less academic, and from what we could tell, that reputation was accurate. My daughter graduated last year and was in AC. She had friends in AHA who hated it. I’m personally glad she didn’t choose it, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad SLC.  It just isn’t for everyone, and I think if your child wants strong academics, AC would be a good fit. You get more electives than IB and BHS has some pretty strong art teachers. 

    Jan 16, 2023

    If academics are important, I would not choose AHA. My kids didn't do AHA but some of their friends did. I am currently housing/helping a 21-y-o friend who went through AHA. She is completely unprepared for any type of continuing education or working career. She can barely spell well enough to create a grocery list that someone else can decipher. No doubt she arrived at BHS as an 8th grader with poor academic skills, but she sailed through AHA all four years with passing grades, got her diploma, and then they enrolled her at Berkeley City College upon graduation. I assume this was to improve AHA's college attendance rates because it should have been completely obvious to any of her teachers that she would not survive a day in a college-level class, and now, she will not consider taking any other class ever again, not even an art class, because of the confusion and humiliation she felt when she attended BCC that one time. 

    A cynical person might say that AHA exists for the kids who need more help than BHS is able to or willing to provide. There are few resources at BHS for students with learning disabilities, especially kids who don't have parents advocating for them.  So instead of getting the help and support they need to succeed - the kind of resources that more affluent LD students have access to, like tutors and therapists, individualized instruction, vocational guidance, summer classes - they are parked in programs like AHA for 4 years and then sent on their way. 

    I think that a child who is self-motivated and well-supported at home would be fine in AHA.  But AHA does not exist to give students a high school education. Its target audience is the kids who can't do high-school-level work. BHS provides an excellent education for students who are motivated or have involved parents who make sure they stay on track and get the help they need. But what happens to the kids who don't have those things is shameful.

    Jan 24, 2023

    Hi all - I just wanted to give a different perspective about AHA. My son graduated from AHA in 2021 and he really benefited from the smaller community. There are some amazing teachers in AHA - Devon Brewer, Amanda Toporek, Miriam Stahl (RAD Women series), Andrea Sanguine, Mat Glaser, Laura Gorrin, Kate Garfinkel, among others. My experience with most of the team was amazing. It’s true that students don’t have access to all of the APs, but some kids aren’t interested in those classes. I’m on my second kid going through Berkeley High and my opinion is that the education is what your kid makes of it there. As with any large school, there are challenges. And as a neurodivergent family that accesses special education services, my kids and I have other obstacles to navigate. But I just wanted to give a different take on the small-school experience at BHS. 

    Jan 30, 2023

    I'm no fan of AHA, my son was assigned to it and hated it, but having read a recently posted response I'm compelled to comment on its inaccuracies about how students are assigned to AHA. It is not, as the writer suggested, that "AHA's target audience is the kids who can't do high-school-level work." The assignment algorithm BHS uses to put students into Small Learning Community (AHA, CAS, AMPS) is a black box that is largely but not exclusively based on student choice, but for certain placement into AHA is not based on a student's having a learning disability or poor academic standing. Berkeley High is a huge school of over 3000 kids, seemingly the right environment for Small Learning Communities; the reality is they lock students into taking most of their classes with specific teachers and a pool of 60 classmates for 3 years. CAS students seem to be the most satisfied as CAS lives up to providing a community. Unquestionably, regardless of whatever BHS learning community students are assigned to, those with parental support and privilege do better than many of their low-income peers who lacked these resources in elementary and middle school and won't find support much at Berkeley High.

    Feb 4, 2023

    My younger son graduated from AHA in 2012.  Many of the good teachers mentioned by the previous poster were there at that time--and they are good--at least as good as the teachers at the top private school my older son went to in Atlanta.  Plus the benefit of the small learning community is the teachers get to know the students and vice versa.  I was moved to tears at the AHA graduation ceremony when all graduates gave short speeches--many credited AHA with getting them to that point (and many indicated limited family support...). 

    That said, my son did "get by" with least effort possible.  He went to University of Puget Sound and did not have the study or social skills to manage, despite having a learning center coach.  I think it comes down to knowing your child and what they need to thrive--personally and academically.  BHS is a complex environment.  I have enormous respect for the teachers and students who try to make it work.

    Feb 6, 2023

  • BHS - recent experience with AHA?

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    Feb 16, 2022

    Has anyone had recent experience with their kid in AHA? I'd love to know what the experience has been in terms of academic rigor, in addition to their child's socio-emotional experience. My concern based on the school's informational video relates to the level of academics and learning. Also do people have a sense from their kids and friends of comparative experiences between AC and IB? Thanks.

    Feb 16, 2022

    I have one kid in AC and one in U9. My AC child is an artist and initially wanted AHA, but the general perception is that there is no academic rigor in AHA, and I think that has turned out to be true. In AC, you have access to all the AP classes, and that is apparently not the case in AHA. Her one friend transferred out of AHA as soon as she could. Another of her friends absolutely hated AHA. The students apparently don't seem to be as academically motivated in that small school, which is fine if that's what you want. My daughter has been able to supplement her AC classes with art classes taken outside of school - mainly at the Peralta colleges.

    Feb 23, 2022

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Nov 2015

RE: CAS vs. AC for math lover with ADHD

I would definitely advise you guys check out AHA. Get to know the teachers there who are all wonderful and share with them his experiences in middleschool and your family's desire for the best possible scenario you hope for. For us it was a comfortable community, so far the best my family has experienced at Berkeley high Best of luck 

Feb 2012

RE: How is the art program at BHS overall?
The Arts and Humanities Academy at Berkeley High was a wonderful fit for my son who graduated in 2011. He had took a variety of arts classes for the 4 years. The AP Studio Art class, which spans junior and senior years was fabulous. The caliber of the art work was very high and the teacher Ms Stahl is a truly amazing art teacher who is deeply committed to the AHA program. I found overall the AHA teachers really strong. The arts are incorporated in the academic classes as well. My son appreciated the community built in this small school, although at times it felt too small. Past complaints about some of the classes being too easy, I found not to be the case, especially in junior and senior year when students can take a couple of APs. I have two other sons who have taken a few art and photography classes in Academic Choice, and was not as taken by them. To me it seems that many students in the AC art classes signed up so they could take an easy class, while AHA is all about art. Wilma

March 2011

RE: Starting BHS next year - which small school?

Hi--to continue the discussion, our son is a junior in AHA, the Arts and Humanities Academy. We have really valued the experience because of the quality of the teachers (the arts teachers are remarkable--but so are the English, Social Studies, and Science teachers). My older son went to an outstanding progressive private school in Atlanta, and the AHA core teachers are as good or better than the teachers at that school.

The small school size also means that they know the students, plus the program ''loops'' so they have eg the same English teacher freshman and junior year. That was important for our son, who is very introverted and was coming from a small private school.

Negatives? The math situation depends on your child--see other threads on IMP math (our year math options were open, so we didn't do IMP) Also, the curriculum is as demanding as your teen and family make it--there are a lot of writing assignments, but kids can coast... Happy AHA family

Berkeley High- Academic Choice or AHA?

March 2007

Our daughter will be starting ninth grade at Berkeley High next year. Can anyone comment on the ''Academic Choice'' program, compared to AHA (Arts and Humanities Academy)? Our daughter is very academic, but is also artistically inclined. Somehow, it often seems like programs that cater to one of these is quite weak the other.
Looking forward to high school

As a parent with a child in AHA, I would say do not go with AHA. Your child can take art classes in Academic Choice and also continue her academic pursuits. Our child got placed in AHA and is bored and depressed by the classes. Our child has not been challenged by the curriculum. No papers or other sophisticated written work has been assigned since last November. It seems that many of the classes are having behavior problems. We have been dismayed by the busy work assigned to our child. It has been sad to see our formerly enthusiatic child ask to stay home from school almost daily. This is just our experience and I suppose it is possible that it is not a good fit..... anonymous

I read today's postings about the Academic Choice vs AHA debate with some interest. I am the mother of a Junior at Berkeley High who has been in AHA for two years. Having dealt with problems both academic and social at BHS with our other children, we were very anxious about sending this one to the school. We gave her a one year trial, at the beginning of her sophomore year, the AHA program was introduced. She signed up because she was interested in exploring art - specifically poetry and theatre. NOw at the end of her junior year, both she and we are very happy with the program. Here's why:

1. Her history and english teacher's have provided her with an interesting and challenging academic course. She is being asked to think critically and to look at history and literature from different points of veiw. She writes in different genres and with different purposes. Do we wish there was more traditional report/term paper type writing? Absolutely, and we continue to lobby for this at parent meetings, as well as appreciating the different styles and purposes for writing that she is faced with.

2. She is involved, and she - like any other student in a small school - has the opportunity to participate and be a leader. After whining and complaining a lot the first semester, we challenged her to participate and be a part of the solution. Since then she has stepped up and taken leadership roles. NOt always easy, but in the long run more satisfying and useful to her.

3. The teachers are committed and know their students. Our daughter was recently involved in a serious sexual harrassment incident. We contacted the AHA administration by email as soon as we learned of the incident. We had a response from the staff within 12 hours! Before the end of the next day we had met, discussed the incident, and the staff developed an intervention plan. Amazaing!

4. Finally, I have to compare the academic challenges this child faces to the academic challenges presented to our other children during their stay at BHS. In some ways the challenges are no different, in others they are higher. None of our other children ever wrote a term paper at BHS. Plenty of opinion pieces and ethnic autobiographies. Plenty of posters but only 1 teacher who taught vocabulary. Chemistry was a joke.

I guess I should confess that neither of our older children took AP classes - however, one has just graduated from one of the top 10 public schools in the US, the other attends one of the top 10. We chose not to encourage the AP route because we felt that they needed time to play, have jobs, and be involved in things that interested them outside of school. This decision, like the decision to have children in the first place is personal and depends of your view of the world. It's all good.

BHS is a big school which has faced enormous challenges in staffing, academics, finances and leadership in the last decade. Revolving door leadership, fires, fights on campus and loss of revenue to name a few. THings have stabilized in the last few years under Principal Slemp and even begun to improve and grow. The small schools are part of the vision of a large school which has found ways to include and challenge all students.

AHA is new, it is growing both academically and physically. The staff is aware of the need to improve the behavior of some of the students and raise the academic expectations for the students. They, and the parents together are working on this. This year is better than last, no doubt in my mind that next year will be even better.

We'd say take a good look at AHA - and get involved if you aren't satisfied. Challenging our student and ourselves to participate more has proved to be one of the best things we ever did for her. Happy AHA Parent

Editor note: Responses about Academic Choice were also received.

Daughter has the choice of AHA next year

Jan 2006

My daughter has had a very rough first year at BHS. Next year she has the choice of going into AHA (Arts and Humanities Academy). I'm interested in knowing how AHA has worked out for other BHS students and families. Melanie

I'm sorry your daughter is having a rough start. I, too, have a daughter in 9th grade. My daughter had a slightly rough start too. It was a big change for my daughter from the small private school she attended in elementary and middle school. However, I do think being in a small school helped her settle, and adjust to Berkeley High better than she would have in the large school. I would reccomend AHA to your daughter if she enjoys different types of art, and humanities. However, there is some debate about the English and History departments of AHA, some, myself included, think it is not challenging enough for some students. Also, I'm assuming your daughter is taking Freshman Seminar this year. In AHA, the freshmen this year are taking sophmore level World History, and World Literature classes with sophmores, and next year, will be taking an ethnic studies course with freshmen to fulfill the BHS requirement. I'm assuming your daughter will have to take another ethnic studies course-but I'm not sure if it will cover the same material as Freshman Seminar. I hope this helps your daughter make her decision.
Mother of an AHA Student