1086 Nichols Dr
Raleigh, NC 27605

I teach at Broughton High School. The number of passionate educators I work with is above average. No one is in this career anymore for the “summers off” because it is simply not tenable so for teachers to stay in education in the current climate, being at a supportive school is critical. I left another school to teach here and feel much more supported in my efforts and find joy in teaching again. I find the administration to be firm, fair, and engaged. I do not feel like many people in society understand what it is like to be a teacher in this current climate and feel my administrative team works to make staff feel valued and respected. The admins also care about supporting underserved students and have focused the school’s professional development around better serving those populations. There is a divide between the students who are supported and those who are not. This is a symptom of schools being utilized far beyond their means. BHS is going beyond to support students who wish to take advantage. Students at BHS have access to a school-sponsored tutoring lab twice a week, the WELL, and a food and clothing pantry. I’ve never taught at a school so seeped in traditions where the focus was on arts programming. It’s refreshing to see students being celebrated for what they create in arts and CTE classes.If you really want to see the school and develop your own opinion, get approved as a sub or school volunteer. Nothing will show you the character and heart of a community like being involved in it.

Our experience with this school is that there is very little warmth or joy here. Kids are expected to immediately start functioning as adults on day one in 6th grade. There is no “transition”. Lockers are not allowed, bathroom breaks not allowed between classes (kids must raise their hand and go during class), assigned seats at lunch, 15 minutes for lunch. Because of this rigid system our kids have found very little time to be able make new friends or even speak with their old friends from elementary. Some teachers give inordinate amounts of busy work for homework. When bringing these issues to the principal we are met with an attitude that it’s our problem. She is ex military. There are a few great teachers, so it’s not every single staff member, but the overall feeling is one of rigidity and lack of trust in the kids or space to relax into enjoying school. Our well-behaved kids are very unhappy there.

My son and daughter attend Wiley. We have had great experiences with their teachers. It's a diverse school with a strong PTA. We've been undergoing a long renovation, but the teachers and staff have handled it as best they could. Some families left Wiley because the new location was not convenient, which was a loss to our community. I feel like the families who stayed are very committed to the school. We are excited to see the new building when it's done!

This school is a terrible choice for parents and students looking for a supportive teachers. Teachers will rarely listen to or try to understand a student's point of view. The administration will ignore many student concerns without any investigation unless parents interfere. Many of the work handed is just busy work and rarely has an impact on student learning. There are some helpful teachers but there are even more cruel teachers. It's incredibly hard to fix grades that a student didn't deserve without parental interference. The courses offered are very restrictive as well.

I have had an amazing experience as a student at this school. This has made me not only ready for college but also the professional world. Throughout my four years here I was able to grow and learn through the help of the incredible students and staff. I can't wait to see what Wake STEM becomes.

While we have had a few bumps getting our boy engaged, the leadership have been great partners with looking at options. This school is a college prep school so there is not an emphasis in the Arts, but more a focus on core curriculum. We love that there are male teachers teaching our boy as they provide examples of strong role models. We love the uniforms!

All teachers are very attentive and helpful especially Principal Baker during this pandemic. We are very lucky to belong to a school who treats the children as their own.