Harriton Senior High School

Terrible leadership… the head of school, middle and elementary school leadership show an incredible amount of mismanagement. The teacher turnover is completely out of control leading to hiring of inexperienced teachers who stay 1 year (or less). Favoritism is given to students and families of donors and board members. The priority here is to the almighty dollar. The head of school is outright dismissive and condescending to families that aren’t large donors and just pay tuition. Don’t get me started on how they treat the families receiving financial aid! Not a very Christian philosophy if you ask me. Starting in kindergarten the children are given way to much homework. Much of the classwork given in lower years is busy work, worksheets photocopied from antiquated workbooks. They give the same work week after week with different vocabulary words. The is nothing innovative here. There are so many better options in the area.

Gladwyne Montessori—an amazing institution! It is pure magic how our two boys have developed the ability to reason intelligently at such a young age. It is surprising to see and know that they don’t just say things because they are kids, but things that make a lot of sense. My wife and I are trying hard to stay just one step ahead and not be outsmarted by them! We have been complimented on numerous occasions on how polite, well-mannered, and well-spoken our boys are. They have become so respectful, not only of other people, but of everything around them. It’s just beautiful. They have become so confident and outgoing. They are always first to introduce themselves and strike a conversation. I am seeing some future spearheaders and independent thinkers. Thanks again to the Gladwyne Montessori staff for helping to secure a firm base for the future of our children. (And they are eager to help if tuition seems out of reach!) There is so much, so much more positive growth I could talk about but we’ll cut it short... LOVING IT!

The culture of The Haverford School is toxic. The words on their walls, like friendship, justice, and character, are nothing more than comments on walls. Their stated virtues are absent from the culture and student experience. I can say with confidence, sourced from my personal experiences at Haverford, that the administration of the Haverford Middle School makes decisions that permit a culture of bullying and racism. I witnessed a dynamic of these two cultures working together where racism begets bullying, thereby creating more racism. Organizations deserve what they accept, and the Haverford School administration accepts bullying and racism based on their actions. I even received an email from the Head of the Middle School explaining how the bullying works at Haverford, thereby using the bullying dynamic to justify his decision. At one point, I asked multiple school administrators how many times can an 8th grader use a racial epithet before they are expelled. The administrators provide no answer. Based on their administrative decisions from the 2022-2023 school year, the answer to that question at the Haverford Middle School is more than once. There appears to be a history of tolerating this behavior, according to numerous others who have shared their story on this website.The Haverford Middle School demonstrates the leadership gap by saying one thing and doing another. The Head of the Middle School manipulates discussions to justify his desired outcomes. On one occasion, I asked the Head of the Middle School a question and allowed him to speak to my son about it. In that discussion with my son, he twisted the facts and renegotiated an outcome that contradicted my original request, then sent an email misrepresenting my son's opinion. I find this type of behavior grossly lacking in self-awareness and also very focused on doing what is in the best interest of the school, not the student. To say that the Head of the Middle School is asleep at the wheel is not an understatement, and that dynamic also played out in the athletic arena. When the Head of the Middle School asked me what I expected from their athletic program, my answer was simple. I expect the same experience in the field that I expect in the classroom. Challenge the kids and support their growth. My son was neither challenged nor supported to grow athletically.

Having spent six figures on Baldwin school, I can tell you with strong conviction that it is a waste of money. This school is for ultra rich people to buy preferential treatment for their kids. And money is the only parameter the administration cares. If your kid is smart, just choose one of the public schools in the area and they are all better than Baldwin. At Baldwin, your smart and hardworking kid will be bullied by spoiled, jealous and privileged class members who are emboldened by their parents. Do not believe all the marketing that Baldwin puts out there trying to paint a picture of perfectness. Other review sites do not even allow someone to share their experiences because they live on the marketing funds from such private schools.

Used to be amazing but now kind of bad. Terrible college admissions. Good sports. Episcopal seems to be the “it” school now. Agnes Irwin has turned into a feeder from the Catholic girls schools. Losing quality kids leaving the weak ones. Resting on its laurels.