Ridgely Middle School

It's disappointing that this school is the highest rated one in the area. The kids are cruel, some of the teachers are blatantly sexist and "too uncomfortable" to teach certain topics, and the cafeteria chicken has given some kids food poisoning. The environment is okay, and sure some of the teachers care, but the principal is very ineffective, and the asst. principal does more than he does to be honest. The new counselors aren't very helpful, and there isn't enough work given to challenge the students. If you REALLY want your kids to be high school ready, or even remotely college ready, enroll your kid in private school.

GT program was incredible and teachers cared

I hate this school. I had a whole breakdown because of this school. I haven’t even been there for a full year yet I still despise it. Teachers give WAY too much homework, they expect me to fill a whole chart for a class at home when I have homework in four other classes. Then when I don’t turn some of it in because I need to take care of myself, They blame ME for it. The counselors do nothing, I reached out to one in September and now it’s February and still not one reply. And not to mention the kids hate diversity, Some kids are racist. I know staff can’t control that, but the least they could do is prevent racist comments.

My daughter’s experience at Ridgely Middle School helped us to see how clickish and unaccepting of diversity the students can be. Beyond the normal middle school behaviors of students choosing to associate with friends, the students choose regularly exclude other students that do not look like them. My daughter was a transfer African-American student, who came in with an A and B average, never had discipline problems or issues making friends. When she got to Ridgely however she experienced routine exclusion. During gym, she was the last to be picked for team sports. During lunch, she would approach a table and was told that students were saving the seat for a friend - often times no one ever took the seat. She ended up eating with teachers in class to spare the feeling of not being accepted. When she rode the bus, students would place book bags on the seat to prevent her from choosing the seat - despite it being a crowded bus. I have taken these situations to school teachers and others only to have them dismissed as it takes time to make friends and perhaps she should ask nicely if she could sit with someone. When I asked the gym teacher if he could choose teams to not make any student feel excluded, he responded with he didn’t want to take the student’s choice away. After a yer of that treatment, we were happy to move on to a new school. My advice to Black parent with a child that is new to the area, this school is not the one to send your child to. The blue ribbon education and the great neighborhood is potentially a draw, but they have a great deal of work in the space of DEI.

Ive gone here for all 3 years of middle school, and its horrible. ive been assulted at school 2 times, some kid fell through the ceiling of the bathrrom, and some days im scared to go. for reference im in my 8th grade year here, and im failing school due to the pandemic and stuff. teachers dont help they just give us more work. i hate it.