826 Oakbrook E
Rochester, MI 48307

My husband's job transferred him to Sterling Heights, Michigan last summer from Northern Virginia. I had began looking and interviewing schools in the surrounding area the preceding October since my girls' school would determine where we bought a house. After initially narrowing down the schools using the internet, my husband and I interviewed Troy HS, the International Academy, and Stony Creek HS. Our three girls were entering the ninth and eleventh grades (yes, the two youngest are identical) and required both special education support as well as advanced placement coursework. The girls wanted a strong swim team and band experience. Mr. Ferden happily supplied them with over $8000 worth of instruments before the school year actually began while Coach Tim absorbed the two youngest onto his swim team and eventually pushed our daughter into earning her varsity letter while still a freshman. Our oldest daughter was taken under the wing of the school's outstanding theatre teacher as stage manager and managed the summer musical production complete with an on-stage orchestra. Oh and by the way, the academics have been outstanding; Algebra II through AP Calculus, Biology through AP Environmental, AP US History, as well as Spanish II and III. My girls have been supported by a very professional faculty - even when their mother and teachers are shaking their heads and saying, "well, I guess they can do that too." We are all very happy we chose Rochester Adams HS.

The principal and teachers at West are really caring and thoughtful. Each teacher finds creative ways t o keep the teachers engaged. My children enjoys going to school.

Not great. Some of the teachers are good, others are not. Communication is very inconsistent and it’s hard to know what’s going on with your individual students. Special education is severely lacking, not because the resources teachers aren’t trying. There’s simply not enough of them to provide what kids need. The classes are way too big for the teachers to provide anything close to individualized instruction. Instead of paraprofessionals, they have intern teachers from the local university. While it provides extra hands, these are brand new teachers who have not yet learned how to support every kind of learner. The principal is okay, the kids seem to like him. I find him to have the personality of room temperature soup. This is our 4th ever elementary school between our kids and moves, and the most lackluster. As soon as our middle finishes up elementary, we’re hoping to move out of the district or switch to private schools.