Terrible experience with this school after 6 years of attendance. Edmonds used to have excellent schools that were funded well, but that has changed greatly over the last several years. The parent as primary educator model has become a way to shift responsibility for the system failing the child educationally to the parent when convenient for them or when they don't want to take responsibility for their role in providing a child the support and resources needed to thrive, learn and advance academically. Especially if your child is receiving special education services.
Be very careful before taking on this responsibility. The district decided to cut the early childhood center for children needing a special education. If this doesn't tell you everything you need to know about their priorities for children with disabilities, I don't know a greater example. My child did not get the special instruction she needed, and the people they hire for learning support have consistently been the absolute bottom of the barrel in terms of expertise and temperament (we've had to go private for these supports). The school counselor consistently does not return calls from parents, and isn't around when the kids need her. When I had an issue, I ended up getting assistance from the office manager.
My assessment is EH is absolutely not the place for ANY child above the 6th grade. The general attitude toward these kids is not only do we not want to hear from you, we don't want to see you either. Witnessing how this affected the older kids, this was heartbreaking to watch. It occurred after the arrival of a new principal with very rigid management skills. The kids were told they were not to be hanging out anywhere on campus unless they were in class, the library, or within a designated classroom at a designated time. These kids suffered greatly during the pandemic due to isolation, and came back to school having their opportunities for socialization and community taken from them. We also had issues with teachers and the librarian going out of their way to humiliate not only my child, but other kids- in front of their peers. No one was held accountable.
Broadly, are serious issues with safety and security on that campus. They share it with a program full of kids who have been in trouble with the law (Scriber Lake). There have been literally countless threats left on campus: threatening school shootings on the bathroom walls, gangs of kids coming onto campus and threatening the Edmonds Heights kids, a stink bomb went off in one of the buildings this year. None of the doors lock, and security is a older aged man who rides a scooter. One of the several memos we got from the principal was to tell our kids to be aware of their surroundings when they were outside. ON THE CAMPUS ITSELF. To stay away from the wooded areas, stay with others, and close to the building
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Aside from a couple teachers who were above and beyond, this place didn't measure up academically, or socially. And now with all the budget cuts, as well as the further stripping away of special education, it's a terrible place for an individualized education. My child has a severe deficit in mathematics I tried to address by enrolling her in their on-site math. When that proved incompetent, I tried getting her the support via an individualized educational plan. They still failed her. Both academically and socially/emotionally. Our pediatrician was very upset, with a letter directed at the school explaining how they failed to meet her needs. But we decided not to deliver it to them and just plowed through to the end of the school year the best we could.
A great deal of regret is felt about making the decision to keep my child at this place, particularly after the pandemic. If I could take this decision back and never take my child here, I would.
Ironically, we found what we need in our home district. We have a great dialog with the director of special education and counselors/advisors, and now have an individualized plan to meet my child's academic and social needs, with the supports needed.
I implore anyone who is looking for an alternative learning model to look at ALL your options. Every year more and more opportunities become available. If socialization is important, EH is not the place. The activities and events they do have don't succeed in keeping the kids socialized adequately, and forging childhood-long relationships. This is due to the fact the students aren't on campus enough, and they all have their own schedules.
If your child is gifted in areas, and average or struggles in other areas, this isn't the place for them either. The school doesn't have the privilege with the district of advancing the curriculum where needed. Which largely negates the idea of tailoring an individualized education.
If your child has special services, I absolutely implore you not to take them here. As exampled above, the issues go all the way up to the district level. read more
