2023 Needham Dr
Allen, TX 75013

As parents in a beautiful neighborhood in Plano and a top Great School's rated elementary school, we were trepidatious about the size and overall metrics of Plano Senior, however our Junior has had an excellent year. The AP courses and test-readiness levels / focus on SAT are excellent. Counseling is flexible and supportive. One area of opportunity is in funding for academic teams and fine arts -Debate Team/ Orchestra/etc., these groups are under-funded compared to sports and band which receive the limelight and the funds- which is not unusual for high schools in Texas. Fortunately, the commitment and coordination of the Administrators that oversee these programs is exceptional, as is their commitment to diversity and inclusion of all ethnicity, academic levels and socio-economic status. Our child was able to partner with a peer and bring Model UN to the school relatively quickly and with great support from the administrators. As parents, when we had a concern with the feedback we were hearing on teaching methods of a specific teacher the assistant Principal was communicative and met with us and our child, as well as others in the classroom to validate and ensure the brand new teacher's methods were aligned with the values and strategies of the school. I would rate the leadership and administration of this school a strong 5, as well as the quality of instruction. That- aligned with strong parent involvement is the key to a Great School, in my book.

The Principal at Clark High School is phenomenal, creating an inclusive and supportive culture for this excellent school, and driving strong teacher commitment to do more- resulting in impressive teacher loyalty and retention. Our son had a strange year with School-at-home his freshman year, then re-acclimating to in-person school for grade 10. The administrators were both aware of and prepared to help students both academically and socially thrive among their peers during and post COVID. I cannot say enough about teacher excellence at this school, and a variety of interesting course offerings... our son was impressed with the Chinese Teacher at the Open House (which I would strongly encourage all students and parents to attend in 8th grade) and ended up enjoying 2 years of learning the Chinese language, along with playing violin among his Clark Orchestra community. The diversity of ethnicity at this school is strong, and it is a great opportunity for the kids to have exposure to a broader diversity of their peers than they experienced in their neighborhood elementary school.

Zero stars isn’t low enough for this school. It’s honestly unbelievable how a place that’s supposed to support students can feel so hostile and uncaring. No matter how many times students speak up about problems, nothing changes. It’s like administration hears you—but chooses not to listen.The atmosphere here is exhausting. Instead of feeling motivated to learn, you just feel drained, stressed, and stuck. Every day feels like something you have to survive rather than experience. That’s not what school should be.The staff make it even worse. Some are dismissive, others are straight-up rude, and a few go out of their way to embarrass or shut students down. It creates an environment where people are afraid to ask questions or be themselves, which completely defeats the purpose of education.And the teaching? Completely ineffective. Lessons are confusing, poorly explained, or feel thrown together at the last minute. When students don’t understand, the blame somehow gets shifted onto them instead of fixing the actual problem.Overall, this school doesn’t just fall short—it fails students entirely. It lacks empathy, support, and basic respect. No one should have to feel this miserable just trying to get an education.

I have 5 children who went through Beverly. Not only were they academically well-prepared for middle school and high school, but they felt extremely loved and supported. You can feel it walking into the school. My kids tell me that most of their study and academic self-discipline skills come from what they learned here. I feel extraordinarily blessed that our children were able to attend Beverly Elementary.