Highland Ave
Brooklyn, NY

am a parent of a child at this school, and I am very concerned about student safety and the overall environment.There are multiple serious issues:•The principal, Mr. King, does not appear to maintain proper supervision or a safe, respectful school climate.•Students have been given food and drinks that appear spoiled, which is a health risk.•Some security staff speak disrespectfully to students. I have witnessed security guards speaking harshly to children and calling them inappropriate names.•Certain staff members appear to target or intimidate students who are quiet or unable to defend themselves.•Bullying among students, including cursing and aggressive behavior, is ongoing and does not seem to be handled effectively.•I am deeply concerned about reports of inappropriate adult behavior toward students when other adults are not present. Schools must have strict supervision and professional boundaries at all times.•Parents are not allowed to be with their children inside the school, which makes it harder to know what is happening and raises further safety concerns.Overall, this school does not feel like a safe or supportive environment for children. These concerns deserve immediate investigation to protect students.

I'm a senior here. I was planning on going to another middle school, but I am so glad I chose Mark Twain. It has amazing academics and teachers who motivate you and really care about your academic success. The talent programs are really good and there's so much going on extracurricularly. The music talents have concerts twice a year, and there's a talent show and plays. Most kids are pretty nice. It's very busy, so if you're looking for a smaller school, this might not be the best choice. But my elementary school graduated 60 kids a year, which I enjoyed, but I still had a great experience in this huge school. There's plenty of clubs, ranging from acting to crochet to history and podcasts. There's a thriving school newspaper too! There are some teachers who are not the best, but if you have them, you'll still have plenty of really good, smart ones. They offer free classes for the SHSAT for people who can't afford it. The field trips are top-notch and, especially in creative writing talent, pretty inexpensive. I have learned so much here and made lots of friends. I really hope you pick this middle school - it goes above and beyond in so many ways!

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