Research Billings Middle School private Schools in Seattle, Washington

“Exposure and insight abound! As the parent of an eighth grade student we have been delighted by our son's middle school experience at Billings. The school has exposed him to both variety and rigor in academics as well as offering a diverse set of extra-curricular activities. As a result the staff has tremendous insight into our child's strengths and limitations. This is where we see the impact Billings has had on his development and growth as an adolescent. The teachers are very thoughtful about the curriculum and cross-integrate key concepts into nearly every aspect of learning. We are consistently amazed at how intimately they understand our son and provide feedback about how he can aspire to the next level. 5 stars!”

“We won't be going back. Terrible experience for us from beginning to end. The administration and many of the staff were unwilling or unable to respond positively to our requests and concerns. Defensiveness often turned to avoidance. Class expectations and assignments seemed all over the map, and there didn't seem to be any coordination between teachers. We also had some safety and social climate concerns. Some people seem to feel good about the 'self-advocacy', but in our experience it was the instant defense to any request, passing responsibility from the school to the student. As many have said, middle school is a transition period. It is not, however, a time to throw up our hands and dump all the responsibility on 12-14 year olds.”

“I am the parent of an eighth grade girl at Billings and I have to add my enthusiasm for the school to the list. My daughter came to the school as a bright, curious and socially unsure child. Her many fabulous experiences with the extraordinary Billings faculty and the amazing things she has accomplished with her peers have prepared her not just for high school but for life. 'Self Advocacy' is not just a buzzword it is a deep value which when taught allows kids to be who they want to be in relation to their peers and adults. My daughter will be able to ask for what she needs and know how to stand up to people who don't have her best interest at heart. What's more she's had fun and was accepted at all of the high schools she applied to.”

“We love Billings Middle School!! it is the best three year investment you can make. I am the parent of a sixth grader, as well as an alumna who is off to college this fall. Middle school is the time students begin to exert independence and yes, begin to learn self-advocacy. Billings provides a safe and supportive place to begin learning these skills. There are always adults around to help, but sometimes middle schoolers need to begin to learn this on their own and sometimes there are hard challenges to overcome. There are bright and highly capable students here. Our oldest left Billings ready to enter Integrated Math II, Spanish II, Honors LA, and is ending highschool with Calculus, Adv Physics, AP Spanish, and AP European History. I expect our youngest to be equally prepared, Not every school is right for every kid. Check it out, it is worth your time.”

“Billings Middle School has been a very expensive mistake for our family. Yes, the teachers are very nice and the kids seem to love all the fun field trips. I would also agree that there are some very nice kids and families here. However, at the high cost of tuition, we expected a lot more. When we interviewed with the Head of School we were impressed by his keen insights into our child's personality, learning style, and academic strengths and weaknesses. We also really liked the school's promise of personal attention and guidance. However, in our experience, this was a promise without much follow through. We found the staff, including teachers and administration very inflexible, and were dismayed by the lack of communication between staff about our child, and felt the communication with parents was especially poor. We,too, have been extremely disappointed”

“Billings has not been a good experience for our family. We are currently in the 6th grade, and will be returning to public school next year. In reading the recent reviews, I noticed that the highest rankings are from alumni families, while those giving the lowest marks are from current families. Our family is experiencing many of the problems discussed below, including bullying without any effective solutions, defensive teachers and a curriculum that is not integrated and does not show a good understanding of age appropriateness. We feel that our child is falling seriously behind and have hired tutors to prepare our child to re-enter public school. We chose Billings based on impressive marketing materials and convincing conversations with the administrators, but we have not seen much of it in action. When discussing these issues with teachers/admins we hear a lot of understanding, but have not seen follow through. Disappointing.”

“My older daughter graduated last year from Billings and my younger daughter will attend next year as a freshman... I've continued to volunteer during this past 'gap' year, because Billings is too great a place not to stay involved. One of the best parts of volunteering has been the opportunity to watch the staff work with the kids outside of the classroom. The interactions are skillful -- even masterful -- at creating inclusion for all the diverse students. The teachers know the students inside out after the first few weeks of school, and work carefully together to create a comfortable cohort. My older daughter and 5 of her Billings cohort were accepted by the prestigious Northwest School. Four of these students chose to attend, and all are thriving thanks to the preparation they received at Billings.”

“I enthusiastically recommend Billings! I am an alumni parent, 2007 & 2008. I can not say enough about what this school did for both of my children. Billings has a strong curriculum, a passion for self advocacy (that I didn't fully understand until they entered high school) and a staff and administration that goes above and beyond the call of duty. While my friends were relating their horror stories of the 'middle school years' we had happy, successful kids. Upon entering middle school, both of my kids suffered from what I call an 'educational lack of self-esteem.' Boy did that disappear quickly! By the way, I am a certified Trainer for the Johnson Institute's No Bullying Program - professionally speaking - this school does all the right things when these problems are brought to their attention. Billings was the best thing we did for our children's education to date!”

“This is a really great school. My son has a diagnosed language-based learning disability. Billings embraced his learning challenges and helped him figure out how to overcome these. I am thankful for the attention that the teachers devoted to him - I know this has made a difference in who is today. I think the school could improve their communications with parents but I am very happy with the education my son is receiving.”

“Our son entered Billings with all of the trepidation a sixth grader could have. He was shy, a little behind in his reading and math, and blessed with a touch of ADD. Enough issues that the public school system, and most private schools were simply not prepared to help him through the adolescent years. Billings not only embraced our son and his learning issues, they virtually became a non-issue for the full 3 years he attended (graduated in 2008). As a parent, you want the middle school years to bolster basic skills, teach your child to apply those skills, advance the child's understanding of where they fit in the world, and advocate for themselves in a broader context. And by the way, deal with mass hormones, incredible physical growth, and a new awareness of their own bodies. Billings did all this and more. I cannot recommend the school more highly.”

“I can't say how pleased we were with our son's educational and personal growth while he was at Billings. He is a bright boy who needed some extra support with time and attention and he received both generously. He loved to go to school every day! He learned how to advocate for what he needed and developed deep relationships with teachers and administrators. His ability to advocate for himself has really helped his transition to a large public high school. Teachers encouraged his musical talents and helped build his self confidence which transfered over into his academics. Billings was a wholeheartedly positive experience for our son and our family.”

“I cannot speak more highly of how Billings educates middle school students. Both my daughters graduated from Billings. My eldest child was highly academic, but she needed to find an outlet and experience more joy as a student. At Billings, she grew academically, but she also discovered a love for drama where she combined her love of reading with using her physical body for performance. My eldest daughter s love for literature, political affairs, and nature developed while she was at Billings, and she has since flourished in college. My youngest daughter came to Billings as someone who needed to develop her independence. Her experiences in the outdoor program gave her confidence and great pride in her achievements. In 8th grade, she went to Turkey with a group of Billings students representing the US as a student ambassador through the United Nations. She is”

“Billings has been a godsend for our family! We pulled our kids from public school after my older daughter had an academically vapid and socially dysfunctional experience at a Shoreline Middle School. Middle school is a difficult transitional stage (for parents too!) and we knew we needed a nurturing environment that could teach to a variety of learning styles - not just to The Test. The faculty at Billings know our daughter well, know how to reach her and how to teach her. She is thriving in a close knit, supportive community. The Head of School has an amazing, intuitive understanding of adolescents and a gift for communicating with them and with the parents. We have been involved with our daughter's education in a way we never were allowed to be in the public middle school miasma. Nurturing, experiential, conscientious, preparation for life. What more can you ask?”

“We are totally disappointed with every aspect of this school -- Lots of high-level chatter, but no follow through. Arrogant, ignorant, frustrating, and honestly, damaging to our child. Worse than any public school experience I could imagine.”

“I'm glad someone is having a good experience at Billings. Our experience, however, has been a nightmare of bullying, bad mouthed kids, and arrogant, dismissive teachers and administrators. If I hear one more time that my chid needs to 'self advocate' when faculty or admins should be taking responsibility, I just might explode. The faculty doesn't talk to each other, and certainly not to the parents. So much for 'personalized curriculum.' What's worse is that there is very little education going on here. Public school has never looked better. Don't send your child to Billings. Based on the reviews you have at least a 50% chance of being very, very sorry if you do.”

“I had to double check that I was reading about the right school when reading some of the reviews here! Our student is in 8th grade this year and is growing into an amazing young adult thanks to the individual attention and mentor relationships she has made at Billings Middle School. Our daughter was assigned an advisor, who manages her social, emotional and academic successes and works as a liaison between teachers and parents. Teachers are always available to talk about what is going on in our daughter's life, even if we don't get to hear about it directly from her. The Billings faculty not only help our student, they are helping us learn how to parent a teenager - deep breaths are required as I learn not to micro-manage my independent daughter's entire life.”

“I agree with the parent who advised people considering Billings to 'take their money to another private school.' Billings seems to have too many behavior problems, and as others have said, the staff and leaders can be defensive or just plain unresponsive. They put way too much emphasis on student 'self-advocacy' which seems to be an excuse to dismiss or ignore parents. If one of the reasons you are considering private school is because you expect a more adaptive and responsive atmosphere, then Billings probably isn't for you.”

“Middle school is a difficult time as a parent - no matter where you decide to send your student. This school specializes in recognizing the developmental needs of 11-14 year olds and providing experiences for students to succeed (and yes, sometimes fall short). I agree with a previous reviewer about the shabby facilities, but am confident that the school is putting as much money as possible towards lasting lifetime experiences for my student: trips, guest speakers, computer systems, unique PE experiences and amazing faculty. This school is definitely NOT for everyone, but if it is a good fit for you and your child, then expect to graduate with a well-rounded, thoughtful young adult who challenges the world around them and has stories to take with them through life.”

“I am a 7th grade student at Billings and I absolutely love it! It's confusing at times and the homework is sometimes too hard, but it's still a great school. The teachers are nice and the classwork is great. The only thing bad is the fact that there are 4 different buildings separated by streets that a teacher must cross with you. On the plus side, it's great exercise! It's also really ironic that you misspelled 'expectation'...”

“Our son is in 7th grade at Billings and we love it. The academic program is rigorous and he is clearly being well-prepared for high school. Our son is into science and math, and Billings is providing him with excellent classes in these areas. He also loves the tech class (all the kids favorite!) and the geography/history teacher is so amazing that he s developed a great interest in these subjects too. Billings has a very cohesive staff and parent group the parents all know each other, there are many ways to be involved in the school, and the teachers are easy to talk to. There s truly excitement about learning and growing up at Billings the teachers and administration are committed to making these three years a positive experience. There s no reason to simply survive middle school kids deserve a terrific experience and that s what they get at Billings.”

“My daughter had a great experience at Billings. She needed a smaller setting due to lots of illness during elementary school. By the time she finished eighth grade, she had grown so much and was really able to advocate for herself. Best of all, was that this school keeps kids moving. Lots of outdoor experiences. It was holistic in its approach and was very well-rounded. The staff was very helpful, though occasionally one or two times. Go in and see that person and tell them what you're not satisfied about. They will listen.”

“Billings Middle School was the right fit for our family. We looked at all the schools and decided that we needed a small environment for our child to thrive. The staff challenges the students to achieve their personal best. They require the children to take responsibility for their actions and foster independence. The curriculum is challenging and rewarding. The staff is truly caring and looks out for your child. I have not had the experiences mentioned in previous reviews about arrogance or lack of communication. We have had just the opposite experience. We have had ongoing emails with the teachers as well as conferences when we requested them. We were proactive when we noticed our child having problems. The students at Billings are asked to step up and advocate for themselves when they encounter difficulties. Caring for the Middle Schooler emotionally, socially and academically is what they do best.”

“I loved billings. The outdoors program was great, and the teachers have time for each kid. I really loved the drama program too.”

“I excelled in the small class sizes and indivual attention I recived from the teachers. Billings created a diverse learning enviroment and great hands on learning techniques. The emotinal and physical soupport Billings provided me with was fantastic! Billings taught me that learning is fun and now i love to learn!”