Juniata Valley El School

I have attended this school district since Kindergarten. 7 years in elementary school and as a junior in high school- 5 years at the time of this review. The reason I give a poor review is not for the school itself, but the population of students within. Most of the kids here are farm kids, sheltered, and arrogant. They have a work ethic for everything BUT school. You get bullied for caring about what you're learning. If you dare participate actively in the lesson, answering the teacher's verbal questions, the kids sneer at you. If you don't follow gender norms- such as tight-fitting clothes as a female- you're actively talked about and bullied because they think you're "trans." Wearing baggy clothes as a female gets you harassed. People will mockingly ask if you're a boy or a girl, even if they know the answer. All their friends laugh. Discipline is always given to the wrong party in a disagreement. If you get in a situation where someone is being mean to you and take it as long as you can- as soon as you snap, it is YOU who gets written up. As much as this school claims to be in support of a "strict anti-bullying policy," they do nothing about bullying. When I tell them this, they disagree. Just because you pull the person in question aside and ask them their side of the story- that doesn't count as taking action against bullying. They don't move problematic students- they move the people they bully after the victim lashes out at them. Kids with learning disorders who aren't sped kids are forgotten and teachers will call you out if you miss something. The class will laugh. Teachers rarely stop these behaviors. If you're reading this, Juniata Valley, please fix these things. Thank you.