Bret Harte now and future
Hi parents,
I've noticed that many middle school scores drop. I know that parent /teacher involvement tells a greater story, but in comparison to the elementary scores, it's quite drastic. What are thoughts on Bret Harte? It's score currently is a 2/10...Does it have a promising future? Is it worth it to invest living in the area knowing that will be your designated school? Would love to hear from current-ish parents attending or thinking of attending.
Jun 15, 2017
Parent Replies
For middle school scores in general, first, the new tests have had a lot of logistical problems such as the schools' computers not working well enough to support the online tests, so the kids give up. Second, by the time kids get to middle school they have figured out that the tests have no impact on them personally, so they don't even try. The tests don't impact their grades and teachers don't look at them. The biggest impact of scores is property values.
The middle school scores drop primarily because many affluent families leave OUSD by middle school. Test scores are highly correlated to income, for a variety of reasons. Some families choose charter or private schools for middle school, and others move away to other districts.
Our oldest is in 4th grade, and the biggest question that parents ask each other is "What are you doing for middle school?". Some families choose an OUSD middle school, but many do not. If you want your kids to form friendships that can last from K-12, Oakland public schools are not the place to do it.
Only you can decide whether Bret Harte is a good fit for your kids. There is more to a school than the test scores, so you might want to tour the school to decide whether it might work for your family.
Good luck!
I have been a teacher for over 20 years and I am not worried about the test scores at Bret Harte. I teach middle school and I think the tests are awful for many reasons! The school has a high percentage of English language learners, and scores are always lower for ELLs. My child will be going to Bret Harte in the fall along with many other awesome Sequoia kids, and I am really excited to join the Bret Harte community. I know many students who have moved on to high school after having wonderful experiences at Bret Harte! The principal is a rockstar. Morale seems high and all of the teachers and staff I have interacted with are really friendly. Every time I tour the campus I am impressed with how mellow and on-task the kids are. The library has been updated recently and is warm and welcoming. The music program is great! The school was restructured so that there is now a 7-period day, which means class sizes are low and all kids get to have two electives instead of one. So yes, Bret Harte is promising. That doesn't mean there is nothing to worry about, but I have found that getting involved in a school can help you see what it really is and isn't, can help improve it, and can reduce parental anxiety. I love my neighborhood! This has been a wonderful place for my kids to grow up. I heartily disagree with the idea posted earlier that children in OUSD will not form friendships that last from K-12. That has not been the case (so far) for me or many of my neighbors.