McClure Middle School in Seattle, Washington

“I am a student at BHS currently and had my last year at McClure Last year. Coming from John Hay the transition was quick easy and painless i met great people and had great grades. But after reading through all of these reviews im a little appalled and actually laughing at alot of the bad review, McClure (as with all middle schools) is what you make of it. People are bussed in all throughout the city making it amazingly diverse and multicultural. In my graduating class from this school i do not know one person who actually tried to get good grades who didn't get the grades. The teachers are amazing i had a great experience being a t.a. for a year for the autism teacher (great program look into it!). Ms.Pritchett Is Fabulous and all of the other administrators are too! Don't listen to the bad rep this school gets!”
This review was posted by a student.

“We have a daughter in her last year at McClure, and a son who will be in 6th grade at this school next year. Our daughter has had a very good experience at McClure and has benefited tremendously from the variety of students that attend there. We have always felt that she is in a safe and secure environment. We also believe that she has progressed very well from a social and academic standpoint. She is very ready high school. The vast majority of the staff seem very enthusiastic, sincere, and engaging. The new principal, Sarah Pritchett has really stepped up to the challenge and displays a great deal of energy. I have witnessed Sarah as she deals with the various students and she exhibits a natural ability to relate to the youth, and also displays a sensitivity to the differences between the various levels/grades of the students.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We love McClure. We were at first skeptical of the school and had heard negative reviews. We decided after meeting the new principal and the rest of the McClure team, we would give it a try. We can see the changes and improvements being made, and the community/parents are helping to do this. Our son comes home everyday saying what a great day it was at school. I am glad we made the choice to support our neighborhood school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The teachers are dedicated, the student body is racially and economically diverse and there seems to be burgeoning support from the parents. I'd say McClure is a rising star. We've been pleasantly surprised with the experience of our 6th grader this year. Sure middle schools have their problems, but the leadership here -- especially the new principal and vice principal -- is taking care of business. We think McClure is only going to get better.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We had heard negative comments about McClure, but none were from people who were connected with the school. They were from parents of other schools, who typically would say, 'Oh, I heard that McClure is (such and such...)' The positive comments were not only from the teachers themselves, but from external organizations that worked with the school -- and that spoke volumes to us. We were happy to find the educators committed, engaging and enthusiastic about teaching. It isn't without its problems. Low parental involvement and funding keep it from becoming the top-notch school it could easily become like its neighboring grade schools. But, the good news is there's strong momentum going forward and we're proud to be part of it.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This is my daughter's third year at McClure. I will have a sixth grader next year. I have found many of the teachers to be exceptional esp. Language Arts/Social Studies. Teachers and counselors are great communicators and seem to genuinally care about my daughter despite her cranky, teen-age attitide. This is the librarian's ( Ms. Gale) third year. She is fabulous and has transformed the library to become truly the heart of the school. We have met kids from all over the city and the world. The school is small so staff really know the kids. A small army of parents, staff and kids have rejuvenated the school with paint and lots of elbow grease! The principle is involved and comitted. I urge people to give McClure a chance. It breaks my heart that people who live in QA/Magnolia don't sent their kids there.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Like many people on Queen Anne, we were skeptical about McClure. However, from the first day of school, our child has transformed from elementary school student to an independent middle schooler! He is accountable for his work and his teacher's allow for them to fix their mistakes to raise their grade. This is teaching. The principal has done so much to support the staff and create a great learning environment. The teachers have been great and the school is a nice community that reflects diversity from all parts of Seattle. It is a shame that the Queen Anne Community who outwardly support our nation's first African American President, shun a school because of the diverse faces. It is exciting to see the changes going on at McClure. People in the neighborhood need to take notice and not jump on the bandwagon when the school becomes a success!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This is our second year at McClure. Our first year was good, but this year seems to have great energy and a wonderful momentum. My child has thrived at this school and thoroughly enjoys going to school. Communications from the teachers has been good (I appreciate how they respond to my emails quickly). The PTSA seems strong and energetic.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Fabulous school for any arts-minded students. Great diversity in a small inner-city school. My daughter came from an elementary school where she was falling through the cracks and now she is full of confidence, attaining higher grades and learning to make better choices. She loves McClure!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We were against this school. It was really our last choice. However, after deciding that staying in the neighborhood and supporting this school would be a great option for our child, we decided to go for it! Our son loves going to school and it is not very different from elementary school because there are so many neighborhood kids enrolled there. There is a good representation of Hay and Coe graduates, as well as surrounding neighborhoods. The 6th grade transition has been so smooth because there is not much to transition into. He gets to walk to school and see friends from elementary school and make new ones from other schools. The principal has definetely been a force in getting the students, parents and community involved.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“McClure middle school, is a horrible school, the staff do not help my child when he needs it i always either have to call or personally ask. My child was doing very well in elementary school A's and B's since going to McClure it seems his want for knowledge has dropped dramatically. I would never recommend this school”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Do not send your child to McClure. My daughter has been attending since sixth grade, and the school has only worsened over the years. She is in eighth grade and many of the teachers are sub-par at best. The new principal is very dissapointing, trying in vain to place 'positive discipline' into the school. The only difference is that there is no longer a reward system in place. Also, they are intoducing a new form of discipline known as 'speeding tickets' where kids get detention if they are caught rushing to class. Normally this makes sense, but the eighth graders have to go from one end of the building, grab their stuff, WALK up a staircase and cross the whole length of the building again to get to class-in 5 minutes. Lastly, this school looks like a prison-from the cottage cheese columns to the mystery meat lunch and unfriendly staff.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“McClure is disappointing. Currently, we can't find few parents from local elementary schools who want their kids to attend. The principal is green and has difficulty relating to parents. The kids are are fairly normal middle schoolers: a bit out of control and rebelling against a system of uneven punishment that the superintendent and school board promotes.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My daughter is a 6th grader at McClure. We did not sign-up for the school and were nervous about going there. We heard bad things about the Math/Science teacher. When school started we found out that teacher is no longer there and was replaced by a great teacher who is now my daughter's favorite. At such a critical juncture for girls in Math and Science we are so pleased that she is having a positive experience. Additionally, the teachers seem to work together so there is a cooperative feeling. The school is much smaller than many other middle schools in the area. At my son's 6th grade conferences at Washington Middle School were given 5 minutes with each teacher after waiting in a long line. At McClure we had the opportunity to have a 20-minute conference with both her LA/History teacher and Math/Science teacher.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I'm a student at mcclure middle school and I think this school is a really great school and also a really challenging school as well. I'm an honors student and enjoy being here. This school I think from my point of view will help any student that goes here become successful in their future.GO MAVERICKS!”
This review was posted by a student.

“My child has done very well this year being in honors. The new principle is excellent and is working quickly and hard to change the perception of this school. It is diverse, small and operates like a microcosim of the world. The learning is excellent and not at all sheltered like other schools. The effort is up to the child and families. Seeing the kids here learn and develop has been very rewarding. They are not fueled by money or fortune but great hearts.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I like McClure a lot, and I am getting challenged enough and the teachers are very good. I think that some teachers and substitutes could discipline children a little bit better and more, especially when it comes to referrals, I think teachers just keep giving 'warning' but never really do anything drastic. Overall, though, I really like it.”
This review was posted by a student.

“If I had known what I know now about McClure, I would never have sent my child there. My child is in the 8th grade, and there are numerous kids who are disciplinary problems in the classroom and hallways. So far she's learned lots of new words, none of which are repeatable in respectable society. The school fails to deal with problem children, who take up much of classroom time, and bully others. Discipline is extremely lax, nearly nonexistent. Academically, my child has gotten further behind since going to McClure, and has lost motivation.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I am a student at mcclure and I think it is ok... I feel I am relearning things. It is very annoying. I would like to be in honors, but it is full. I turned in a packet so that I would be able to at least have harder work, but that never happened. My teacher never took care of that. It can be annoying.”
This review was posted by a student.

“If your kid needs to dampen their motivation and gain an appreciation for the darker side of humanity, this is your school. McClure is lack luster at best and frightening at its worst. A couple of the teachers are excellent, and the rest seem to have a motivation on par with their out of control students. Actually, the school has a pretty good representation of troubled kids of every creed.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“How impressed I was at curriculum night. The Acting principal (can we keep her) is a leader with excellent communication skills and a savvy use of the in-house technology. 7th and 8th grade special ed kids are integrated with mainstreamed kids in LA/SS and Math/Science. With the addition of their resource room teacher in these 4 periods, the kids have a fighting chance to thrive and grow as learners. The positive discipline model is excellent and indeed is teaching life-skills at a time when hormones tend to overtake common sense. How refreshing. This is the school that I picked. So, what a difference true leadership makes...”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Our experience with McClure has been rather inconsistent. Several teachers have been stellar (6th grade especially), while our 7th grade experience was definitely disappointing, due to the core teachers my child had. 8th grade is looking promising. Compared to our experience in the elementary school our child attended, the teachers seem less happy and the academic standards seem lower. Our child's scores on standardized tests have dropped while at McClure. I can't say whether that is McClure's fault or hormones, but my child has become much less motivated to achieve since at McClure. The after school programs have been great for our child, due to the Seattle City Parks & Recreation Grant. I would describe the parent involvement as excellent. I have not experienced the parent volunteers as exclusionary at all, but there are certain parents who seem to be involved in everything (bless them!).”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My child was much more challenged at her elementary school. In addition, she reports that the classes are loud and unruly. It's not a particularly bad school, just one of the mediocre schools we've come to settle for.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“McClure has an excellent reputation this year with a strong principal. My friends daughter graduated from 8th grade two years and highly recommended it, even though it wasn't convenient to their North Shore home.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We are new to McClure this year. Our student is in the 8th grade. We have found the principal and vice principal to be very helpful in getting us acclimated to the school. Our student approached the school counselor after school started to change her elective course. She was given the opportunity to explain why and then was able to change to a class more fitting to her interests. We feel they are making every effort to make her learning experience the best it can be.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The quality of academic programs are good, although they do vary with different teachers. In art and extracurricular activities they fall short. The parent involvement seems to be a core group of parents that don't seem to be very inclusive.”
This review was posted by a parent.