Research Shaker Heights High School public Schools in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

“shaker is one of the most distinguished schools in the united states. there is no other school as racially, economically and culterally diverse which has a comprable number of natl merit scholars, college attendance at major quality universities. to compare shaker with lily white suburban schools is a joke, half of the shaker students are racial minorities, many of the others are from diverse culteral and religious groups, yet this school produces winners. there is no other school in the usa that can produce students as ready to cope with the realities of our society as well as shaker, yes there are white suburban schools that have better statistics, but their students do not know about or understand the complexities of our society, they have not dealt with the issues of the inner city. Shaker also introduces inner city kids to the affluent society of doctors, lawyers, sports team owners.”

“You must be an aware, active parent at this school. There is no code of conduct or uniform discipline policy, just assistant principals making it up as they go along. Suspensions are a big favorite, even for minor first offenses. Be vigilant as it may have to be you who's in the principal's/superintendent's office complaining. Advocate not just for your kid, do it for all the kids -- some really need it! There are some great teachers, but strong community/parental involvement is needed.”

“I love this school. My three children received the best education in the world here. All kids should go to this public school. (One of my children spent their 11th year at a private school and HATED it). Plus it didn't have great education. Send your kids here!”

“This school is by far my favorite and I strongly suggest that you send your child here. After sending my child to an all girls private high school for the beginning of 9th grade, I came to this school, the best in the country. When she transferred to here she made friends quickly and received a great education. Now she is going to Kent State University and is excelling because of what she learned at Shaker!”

“Shaker Schools are over rated. Having raised 4 children in Shaker Heights and having our first 2 attend Shaker I can relate to some of the negative comments found here. Shaker Schools were deemed to not meeting AYP by the State Board of Education for their lack of helping poorer students. Even though we paid the outrageous taxes for this school district our last 2 children attended private schools, but the financial burden it placed on our family was well worth it.”

“This is an awesome school! When we relocated here from out of state, the PTO and counselor really went the extra mile helping us settle in. There is no exclusivity at this school, new students can fit just right in. I really think the school draws its strengths from its diversity and is very sensitive about not bullying. It is a large school, more city than suburban, and has strong links to Cleveland itself (some of the students come from Cleveland), Case university, etc. There are too many AP courses and extracurricular activities to mention, all in a beautiful garden city environment. Students do have to work, parents can't just leave it up to the school, but the opportunities (band, orchestra, theater, overseas trips) are amazing.”

“School should choose AP courses and teachers carefully; it causes harm to both students grade and scjhools score too. High school teachers do not communicate with parents or students so well; middle school is still not so good especially in science and math areas. Elementary system up to 6th grade is wonderful.”

“Shaker Heights High has its strengths: it can boast about its national honor students, getting accolades in the Wall Street Journal for its ability to crack the Ivy League, and achievements of its diverse student body. Yet there is still a reason why people leave Shaker for the schools further east. The reason is political correctness and the old story of the kids of average ability falling through the cracks (yes the honors kids and learning disadvantaged are taken care of). Music is strong, drama isn't great, the parents are very competitive, often to the detriment of the majority. There is a high-priced white-tie gala that many parents cannot afford to attend. Choose your kids' schools wisely.”

“As a parent to a 10th grader I am absolutely thrilled w/ the education my son is receiving. He has access to numerous AP classes, as well as interesting and challenging electives. Extra-curricular activities is also an important part of the school and there are many sports, arts and other programs available to students w/ broad interests. Finally, PTO and sports boosters are strong supporters of all student activities, both educational and recreational.”

“This school is an excellent preparation for success in college and beyond as its diverse student body yet high standards of academic acheivement make it a unique public school environment.”

“Great school, I attended for 4 years. The teachers were very helpful and friendly and the courses offered were varied.”

“The Advanced Placement program is excellent for high achieving children. Music and art programs are excellent. Theatre arts is very strong. Science is ok, but is largely built on very motivated students working outside of school framework.”

“Shaker has a great high school with an excellent AP program, outstanding arts programs, good sports teams and tons of extracurricular activities. Parents are involved in the functioning of the school, and most of the teachers are excellent. Shaker is a 'known quantity' throughout the country, and has been one of the top schools in the nation for years.”

“With no doubt on a purely academic level Shaker offers an excellent, college level education with many different choices available. However, despite what others may say about the school environment being open, accepting, and desegregated, this is far from the truth. I'm the first to say Shaker prepares you for SAT tests, but it doesn't prepare you for the real world.”

“The level of education was extremely rigorous. Best school in the area, and one of the best in the country.”

“I thank my parents everyday for choosing to move to Shaker and have me attend a liberal minded institution. After graduating from Shaker with Honors and going on to attend Miami University, I could always tell I was a step ahead of the rest. For one thing, kids I met in college had no experience or appreciation for diversity. Shaker did an excellent job of this. Secondly, the accelerated programs helped prepare me for college, beyong belief. I remember sitting in class freshman year (of college) thinking, 'wow, I really did go to a better a High School.' The Honors and AP Programs are the best in the state. Shaker parents and the PTA are strong and present in the schools. The athletics, music, theatre and art programs are some of the country's best. If you want to give your child a real world education, Shaker is the right place. -AML”

“I am a Shaker High Junior in Honors classes. The school is like a mini-college, there are so many options to choose from. This school is really diverse, and there are bright kids from many cultures. The schools are very safe, safety is the school's top priority. Mr. Griffith, the principle does a very decent job in maintaining the school's quality and he has made a lot of good decisions for the school. The teachers are of high quality (although they can be strict), students can expect to learn a lot from Shaker teachers. Extracurricular activies prevail in the school, there are over 25 extracurricular activies. The parents get reports 8 times a year and have conferences, parents have a loat of involement. Overall, the Shaker schools are perfect for those who wish to learn. I strongly recommend Shaker.”

“I am a current Freshman at Shaker and am blown away by the education I have already recieved. It has been an honor to be in the Shaker School District and will continue to enjoy it.”

“Shaker is the most racially diverse school in Ohio! The teachers are great. The sports are fantastic. There isn't any self segergation between blacks and whites because the the school is about 50% of both race. Foreign language teachers are good. The community surroundeing the school is breathtakingly beautiful! I am a student at Northwestern University and I can honestly say that I would not be here today if it wasn't for Shaker Heights High School!”

“Shaker is without a doubt, the number one school in the state of Ohio in regards to every aspect. Principal leadership is really strong. Unlike so many neighbooring high schools, Shaker was named as a 'top feeder school' for Americas most elite colleges including Harvard in the Wall Street Journal. In this 'compitition', Shaker was compared with the nations best prep and quacker schools. Diversity is strong and minority achievement is higher than any other school in the state. The school does have exchange students. The schools athletic system is also strong. Shaker is defiantly a parents dream school. Academics are stressed, but the graduation rate is 99.7%. The faculty is the best. Most students watch their teams beat their worst rivals, Cleveland Heights. It's like a Harvard-Yale game. Shaker is just great!”

“I am an former student of SHHS, and I now attend Harvard University. I come from a family of tripletts. My twin brothers attend Princeton University, and Yale University. When I tell people about how Shaker led my siblings and I to prestigious universities, they don't laugh at me because they know that is what Shaker is all about. Prestige and academic excellence! I love Shaker, and generations of Smiths will attend the school!”

“I am a student at SHHS and I love it! The community of students is so diverse and accepting. We have wonderful teachers that lead challenging classes for every level. There are alot of extracurricular activites and something for everyone. Overall, Shaker is a wonderful experiance and I am so glad that I attend the high school.”

“Shaker Heights has earned its reputation for excellence and achievement. I am a Shaker Heights High School Alumni. I benefited from the academic and scholastic excellence from elementary through my high school and graduate years. My superior education--literally took me around the world!! Without a doubt, my entire Shaker Heights School District education and social awareness of multi-culturalism prepared me for employment opportunities and world travels which I in a great part can attribute to my education and heightened awareness through social involvement within the community, which is a big part of the Shaker Heights School District curriculum. The area is beautiful! A definite Must See! Again, our motto speaks for itself: 'A community is known by the Schools that it keeps.' So, true--I'm a living witness--Successful and Blessed!!”