Love Elementary School

Feb 2008

Hello fellow BPN parents. My family and I recently moved to Alameda and are renting a home for the time being (waiting for our home to sell) in the Haight school district. I clearly was not doing my homework when I found this great home we are in, for the school(I believe) is not great. I attended K orientation night a few weeks back, and was highly disturbed with the lack of parent participation, low testing scores (they say are improving), and the fact that it is mainly a ''ESL'' school. Don't get me wrong, I love the diversity of the population of students. I Just don't want our child suffering/falling behind because the teachers are overwhelmed with larger class sizes and no parent support. In fact two out of the three K teachers admitted their student population is dropping rapidly and they are cutting back on grades each year. Does anyone have some feedback for me on this school? I am hoping to place our child on the wait list for other schools such as Otis, Edison, and Lum. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Concerned parent

Did you know that Henry Haight received an award for scoring above 800 on the API? What an accomplishment for a Title One school. This is a strong showing of the school staff and I would encourage you to check beyond your impressions on K night. parent and local school administrator

Having been a full-time substitute teacher in Alameda for several years, and having first-hand experience in classrooms throughout the district, I have to give Haight elementary very high marks. Not only are the students immersed in extremely high-quality learning environments, they are happy and safe at their school. The parents who are involved at the school are very involved, and they take pride in the achievements of the school, which are many. I'm not sure you understand the laws about class size - In California no K-3 classroom may have more than 20 students and no 4-5 may have more than 32. Please reconsider your thoughts about sending your child elsewhere. Haight will not disappoint you. anon

Where do I start? For the past four years Henry Haight has won an achievement award that only 15 schools statewide win. It is important to note that although it is a Title I school, it competes with and surpasses some of the surrounding more desired non-Title I Schools. Lum for example. The children at Haight come from all over the world and all walks of life. The kids respond to this diversity by being accepting of all types of people. Henry Haight is easily the most underestimated school in Alameda. My daughter is doing very well,has lots of friends, and loves the school. Incidently our friends on the East End are not moving at a faster rate or doing more advanced school work. The quality of instruction is the same. The PTA is a great bunch of people who work hard for the school. The community at large is very tolerant and kind.

In any case, before taking Haight off your list, you should visit the school during class time. You can get a visitor's pass and wander around visiting classrooms. I think this is the only way you really see how good the school actually is. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck. Henry Haight School Parent

January 2006

I feel silly asking this already since my son is only two, but I seem to have moved to one of the only bad elementary school districts in Alameda, Haight School. The online parent reviews are awful and all the other schools have mostly great reviews. My question is this, does anyone know of any K-6 Charter Schools in Alameda, or has anyone had experience petitioning to have a child attend a school out of your area? I am one block out of the Edison School district which is where I would love to have my son. There are at least four schools I would happily petition to attend. If anyone has had any experience in this area I would love the advice. Thanks! Better to be prepared believer. Leslie

Hello Alameda Mom, I have a child who is currently at Haight school. He has attended the school for 3 years and is currently in the 5th grade. We have had a great experience at the school. My son has had 3 awesome teachers and made many friends at the school. We live right around the corner and love being able to walk to and from school.

That being said-I do not recommend Haight school for k-2 grade. The Kindy program has had many staff changes and is lacking in parent involvement. I would apply during open enrollment to attend Edison or the other schools that you like. But keep in mind that during the next year major construction and school wide improvements will occur at Haight as well as staff changes. By the time your child is ready to start school it might be worth revisting! Good luck!
Haight Parent

Leslie, There are no charter schools in Alameda, and open enrollment is being phased out. But don't be so quick to judge Henry Haight school. It is a big school; this does have its own drawbacks, but it offers the advantage of having a choice of teachers. There are many good teachers there, and a new, positive principal. It's also incredibly diverse. You should try to meet some Haight parents, especially involved ones, and get their perspectives and recommendations. (I'm not a Haight parent, but I live in the attendance zone and know a number of the teachers. When I moved to Alameda, I was in the Paden zone, and my children went there.)
Michael