93 Commonwealth Ave #30
Concord, MA 01742

The school building itself is a ancient building. The bathrooms are broken and some of the stalls are overflowing. The building itself was made in the 1960's, and they never tried to fix it. The ceiling tiles sometimes just fall out, because nothing is holding them. The teachers don't really care about teaching the students either. They give us packets about topics we never have learned before, and require us to do 3-page homework packets for only 30 minutes maximum. Some of the teachers are very nice, but most of them get paid so little, that they don't really care about anything. The special education program is also "not the best". I have seen many children with special needs out in the halls, alone, crying, nobody even caring about them. They forbid us from touching snow, but apparently bullies are not against the rules.All in all, the school is complete trash.

I've had 3 out of 4 kids attend this school. 2 of the 3 received IEPs that they likely would not have received at other schools. As a result, all my kids have flourished at Thoreau. The teachers, assistants, staff, and administration are all wonderful and truly care about your kids. Test scores are secondary, even though they are quite good as well. Teachers and staff want what is best for your kids and are willing to help your kids get to the next level. We have loved every teacher we've had so far and hope that continues. We've had experiences at other elementary schools that have not been nearly as positive so Thoreau is a pleasant change for us.

I attended CCHS for 4 years. They were honestly terrible. The school puts so much pressure on you to attend "good" colleges from an early age. Peers are worse - they judge you when you are not at the top academically, go to a school that is not top-tier, etc. I don't think a single student has left that school without some sort of mental health problem (anxiety, depression, etc.). Also they have no diversity in any way, shape, or form. They provide no support for students. On the bright side, I did go to a very good college and found it pretty easy because they really prepared me by pushing us to take on such a heavy, difficult course load with hours and hours of homework every night that college was a breeze!