Wakefield High

This school is going downhill because the administration is not supportive. The principal and her assistant are all about their EGO. They are not good listeners to parents' concerns. The principal "Chell Smith" is creating an atmosphere that makes the teachers stressed out, afraid, and not teaching at their full capacity. This school needs better leaders so kids and teachers can show better progress.Leaders in Wake County need to keep a close eye on the administration in this school; they are all covering each other against any negative concern, denying the incident, and acting very rudely.

Parents should focus less of schools overall education performance numbers and focus on the diversity rate percentages. There’s a reason Wake Forest Heritage Elementary is 18% Black and/African American.

The current principa is better than the last, but she is leaving this year after only two years. No one knows who will replace her yet. She is ok and the school is ok doing afterschool activities for families a few times a year like Bingo night, reading night, multicultural night (she is big on everything mutlicultural, but teaching the kids to show respect for the actual country they live in not so much...). However this is a sugar coating for the rot within the system below the surface. Too many teachers are missing many work days for personal reasons, and we're not talking about maternity leave or serious illness. They are constantly taking days off to run errands. Substitute teachers only need a pulse and are very unprofessional, even when substituting for extended periods of time. Too many teachers that share their political and personal idealogies with the students. Violence and use of profanities among the students. They have now brought in a new vice principal to try and control them. Math level is bad and way below what I have seen in other parts of the counrtry. They do not encourage socialization during the school day, just following of rules like soldiers especially with the older grades. Then administration does not understand why kids are climbing the walls when they have no outlet for their energy and their natural needs for socialization are not meant. Communication with the school is only good if you want to compliment the school. If you have any concerns about your child they will listen, but not do anything to help them or come up with an actual plan of action. People sell the joke that WCPSS has good schools - anyone who has lived out of NC knows that the public school system in NC is horrible. If you can, get your child into a private school. If you can't afford it you are stuck with such horrible schools. Keep in mind that all the emails, talking point messages and flyers telling you why FPD is so wonderful does not actually make it wonderful in reality. Your kids will be completely under prepared for middle school ... which also are horrible in WCPSS.

North Forest Pines is a fabulous year-round elementary school. The teachers and administration are experienced, compassionate, and enjoy being there. We have two kids there, one of which is moving on to middle school, and have no complaints.

One of the best parenting decisions we’ve made is sending our kids to St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School. Beyond the strong academics and faith formation, my kids have felt an overwhelming sense of love and security.It’s a community that genuinely cares - not just about building solid study habits, but about shaping good people. And the passion and commitment go beyond the classroom, with teachers and staff showing up for our kids even outside of school - cheering on our kids years later at high school activities.We will miss this small faith-based community - and I will miss the “no phones” rule. No place is perfect, but this one has been a true blessing for our family.

We couldn’t be happier with our experience at Thales Academy of Wake Forest ! From the moment we joined the school community, we’ve been consistently impressed by the outstanding leadership of the administration. They are approachable, deeply invested in the success of each student, and always forward-thinking in how they support both academic growth and personal development.The curriculum is thoughtfully designed—rigorous enough to challenge and inspire our son, yet completely achievable with the right support. We’ve watched our son develop confidence, curiosity, and a true love of learning thanks to the dedicated teachers who bring energy and passion to every classroom.One of the most special aspects of the school is the sense of community. The families are kind, engaged, and genuinely supportive of one another. The students form strong, respectful friendships, and it’s clear that the school fosters a culture of inclusiveness and mutual care.We feel incredibly grateful to be part of such a nurturing, high-quality educational environment. Thales has exceeded our expectations in every way!

This school is amazing my child would always be excited to go everyday and all the teachers are amazing and very sweet.