11/24/05

If there's anyone out there who has a high school aged kid who is unhappy, bored, listless, unchallenged in school, I'd love to recommend Maybeck High School in Berkeley. I have a kid with some minor learning differences who is totally in love with school; who is challenged academically, who is involved and happy socially. I couldn't be more pleased! A teacher-run coop, it's been in business for 30 plus years and these people really know kids and have built a wonderful community. I'd be happy to talk with anyone who's interested.

Debbie debbiepk@sbcglobal.net

11/18/05

Maybeck was my son's third high school. After trying a large public school for one semester, and then a smaller, less academically challenging private school for the rest of his freshman year, coming to Maybeck was, for him, like an infusion of pure oxygen. The school is small, safe and personal, with a rigorous anti-bullying/tolerance policy which everyone takes quite seriously. While the academics were tougher than he was used to, the classes were small enough, and the teachers demanding and supportive enough, that he was able to grow in confidence and competence. What especially excited him was that he was treated as an adult in most of his classes. He was expected to manage his own work load, keep up with the curriculum, and do extra work. Many teachers set aside time outside of class to meet with students. If he found him self falling behind, the burden was on him to ask for help; in this way Maybeck is more like a junior college, where parents are peripheral,than like a middle school, where the parent is very much in the academic loop. Parents can be involved in their kidís academics at Maybeck but, in my experience, they will have to take the initiative for that to happen. This sudden burden of personal responsibility can be quite stressful for some kids - it certainly was for my son. It was the dedication and encouragement of his teachers, many of whom let him redo assignments, that pulled him through that rough first semester.

Anna Griffin snarlyelf2002@yahoo.com

11/18/05

Our daughter is in her 4th year at Maybeck High School. Our family will be forever grateful for the education we have ALL gained during this time. In the new parents' orientation session, we heard, and took to heart, Maybeck's message that students accepting responsibility for themselves is a critical component of the Maybeck experience. It is a college prep school. (Somedays I think it is a college.) Just as in college, any student floundering is to approach the instructor(s) involved and ask for help. Some instructors are able to wait for the student to approach. Some reach out first. Parents are not encouraged to be involved in the kids' work. We are gently encouraged to start letting go. That said, there is a process for intervention on a student's behalf, and the school does have a process to alert parents of impending failure. Good communication with the student, at home and at school, is critical to fully appreciating Maybeck's strengths. The reward is an exceptional education, lengthy community service, travel opportunities, potential life-long relationships with excellent instructors and a strong preparedness for college.

Kathie Fagan

11/8/05

Maybeck suffers from the following misconception: ''We thought we were enrolling him in a small arty hippy type of school-rather it was very academically challenging''. The result of this misperception was an unhappy student who struggled academically before transferring out and finding a likeable fit. My son is now in his junior year at Maybeck, having attended since the start of his freshman year. He loves Maybeck. He has received incredible support from his teachers, including especially intense development of his writing and critical thinking skills. He continues to be inspired and supported by his instructors and fellow students, and receives excellent counseling related to his academic development and college considerations. All of his class sizes are small, ranging from 4 students in Spanish IV to 18 students in Pre-calculus. His Greek Literature class is taught by an inspiring teacher, whose Ph.D. thesis dealt with some of the texts that the class is reading. The students love to have him read Homer from the original Greek (in class) and to compare his translation impressions with the translation that the class read. I think word of Maybeck's academic rigors really needs to get out to the community (and especially to Middle school counselors - that make high school recommendations to students/families). Although Maybeck is often misperceived as an ''arty hippy type'' of high school, it is actually an incredibly academic learning institution that really engages the student, resulting in remarkable achievement from its students (many of whom, for example, produce college level papers during their required 10th grade Literature class). Students looking for an easy ''arty hippy type'' of school are destined for a rude surprise, which may result in an academic struggle before they transfer out to a less rigorous school. However, Maybeck is an outstanding school for students interested in a strong small college preparatory school with a safe, lively, engaging, and tolerant social environment, located on Bancroft across the street of the UC Berkeley. I would be happy to discuss Maybeck with any family considering Maybeck for their student.

Reuben Hale rhale@responsedynamics.com