I'll be honest - this place nearly drove me insane. It's not a happy place. I attended 2014-2018…read moreand I hated most of it. There were a few teachers I loved - but they are actually gone now (moved to different schools) such as Mr. O'Haire (math) and Mr. Seipel (PE - weights class) who moved to schools closer to where they live. The teachers, for the most part, were good and cared about the students to an extent. My issue lies with the other students. This place is infamous for the student community, which, in short, was not enjoyable, for the most part. While I did make some lifelong friendships, I do not miss 80% or more of the people I knew. As well as teachers, most administrators were okay. And DVHS has the best proms/balls in the bay area. Also, DVHS is academically superior. I was an average student at DVHS, with a GPA around 3.7, only a few Honors/AP courses. I had friends with over 4.5s, but also knew people with under 3.0s. I believe this place is a top 10 public high school in California, academically. The struggles I've had in high school made my time in college a breeze. College is so easy to me because DVHS was just so hard. I went from average at DVHS to (well) above average at my current school (which is certainly not prestigious like an Ivy League or UC school, but is a decent school indeed). If you plan on going to a small liberal arts college or a community college after graduating DVHS I think you will have a really easy time. I know many people currently (2020-2021 high schoolers) that transferred to Cal High or other schools because of how notoriously bad DVHS is. I actually switched to Venture Independent Study next to DVHS (public, part of SRVUSD) in the middle of my junior year and only took 2 classes at DVHS for the last 2 years (concurrent enrollment for AP calculus and a science class). My diploma is technically Venture and not Dougherty Valley. Of course I miss high school sometimes, but I am certainly glad to be done with that period of my life. Also, if you are 16-19 and know someone from DVHS, I would try to go to prom with them ;) My prom in May 2018 was memorable, definitely my most prominent (lol, no pun intended) memory of this place.

Former student here, would definetly recommend sending your child to a different school like cal…read morehigh instead. The staff is the biggest issue at this school. Teachers and counselors (apart from a select few) do not teach well and students end up having to basically self study whole courses. Staff also think students are beneath them and don't resolve issues that come up during the school year. The college and career counselor Mrs.Theobald, probably the most important person at that school because she manages internships and volunteering opportunities through the school, was the main reason I left this school. A mistake on her end (not telling me that the due date of an application was actually before the written date) made me lose an important internship opportunity, and when i went to turn in my application, she put the blame on me for not turning it in earlier (i turned it in 2 weeks before the date written). I even sent a long email to her about how i felt about the whole situation to which i got a one sentence response and no follow up or apology. That situation made me realize that i would never succeed academically if i stayed in dvhs. The school's staff has been kept based on seniority, not quality, so most of the teachers are bad, and counselors are very unhelpful and never actually try to solve problems that students have. The school might be rated high on a state level but it's because the students work so hard by themselves, so don't be fooled by the high ranking, this school has many issues.

I went here around 2011-2014 and I kinda miss it. I made some good memories. Loved Hancock geometry…read more(despite it being my most difficult class and not an A grade, it was fun), Osborn core, and band with Hoover! Last I checked, Ms Hancock teaches at DVHS, Mr Osborn became an administrator (principal or vice maybe), and Ms Hoover became an admin at DVHS so I guess my experience with them is no longer attainable. Great America and Disneyland with band, and Six Flags for graduation, was great!

I love Windemere Ranch Middle School. I am currently a student at WRMS!! I would say there are…read moreamazing teachers staff and great education. Though we are one of the top schools in California the lunches are a bit disappointing. Considering we are one of the top schools in California I expected the lunches to be better!

This place lowkey saved my life. I hated DVHS and transferred here, where I concurrently enrolled…read morein 2 classes at DVHS. It is free, public, and part of SRVUSD. It requires an approval which was pretty easy to get. You can go at your own pace so it's good for students who are either slower or faster than average. My diploma is from here technically. I think they have 6th grade to 12th grade, not sure about elementary. The staff is good - I liked the receptionists, counselor (Alissa Kruse), and teachers (I had Maureen Allison, most of them were really nice too). The independent study aspect of it meant that I really only had 10 hours or less of school a week, and the rest was just homework which I found pretty simple and straightforward. I attended here 2016-2018. They offer help for college applications if you need it, and since they have only like 200-300 students there is always time for students!

Basketball game time!…read more this campus is awesome! great gym, very clean and well kept adult basketball league plays here during the weekdays.

Terrible service here! The food tastes like plastic and…read more may as well be play dough. The teachers provide no help towards the service, yelling at everybody that walks in their way. For this reason it deserves a 1 star rating.

After years at The Athenian School, the pattern is hard to miss and it's not a positive one…read more Academically, there are visible coverage gaps. Teachers are reassigned across subjects in ways that feel reactive, not intentional, and it shows in uneven rigor and depth. Oversight appears inconsistent, with little indication of sustained evaluation or development to ensure instructional quality. Staffing stability is also a concern, midstream departures and changes have impacted continuity in the classroom or elective, which matters from a student and parent perspective. The rubric/grading shift, framed as "equity," ends up compressing outcomes. In practice, it reduces differentiation between students and lowers the ceiling rather than raising the floor. Strong students aren't pushed; weaker outcomes are normalized. It can also reward students who closely match what a given teacher is looking for, rather than those demonstrating deeper or more independent mastery, narrowing, rather than expanding, meaningful academic rigor. Communication is another friction point. Parents receive a high volume of emails from multiple sources, with information spread across messages and platforms. Important details can be difficult to track, especially for those already managing full schedules and inboxes. School climate is also worth examining. In our experience, our teen encountered peer interactions that raised concerns around inclusivity and respect for differences. We did not see clear communication or follow-through addressing those situations or, at best, limited transparency or parent dialogue when problems arise. More broadly, the student body and staff do not reflect a high level of diversity, which may matter to families. Programs like AWE are positioned as unique and distinguishing. There are committed people involved, but the program carries additional cost and execution issues (recurring when talking with previous parents). At the institutional level, the school feels adrift. We've learned of the loss of the boarding program this year, ongoing turnover, and shifting priorities all which suggest a lack of clear direction and raise a straightforward question: what, exactly, are you paying for? College counseling reinforced that concern. Guidance leaned heavily toward "safe" schools, with little appetite for thoughtful risk. We chose to override it and our teen was admitted to a school labeled "unlikely." Bottom line: our teen succeeded, but not because of the school's systems. It was largely in spite of, with limited added value from the institution. For families considering this school, go in with eyes open. Ask direct questions about staffing stability, grading philosophy, program execution, and how information is communicated to families. The answers matter, look for clear, concrete answers, not just polished or well-rehearsed responses.

The Athenian school is a special place. My son plays sports and I have travelled to many Bay Area…read moreprivate schools for matches. No schools have campuses as beautiful as Athenian, not College Prep, Bentley, or even Nueva. Athenian's 75-acre campus is at the foothill of Mt. Diablo, it is a bit remote but the beautiful campus rivals some small colleges. Campus aside, I feel the teachers really try to make learning fun, and the kids are all happy going to school there. The academics are pretty rigorous, but the kids don't feel stress out. In a small class of 12-15 students, my son can't hide or cruise. I see improvement in his communication skill and work ethnics in just a few months. Sports are a big deal in Athenian and get a lot of supports from parents. My son made a lot of friends from joining different teams. I have run into many talented Athenian kids in arts, musics and sports. Some get recruited into top universities in their junior years. The school puts out a lot of events for parents to participate, mingle with the kids, and get to know each other. There are parents bookclub, coffee / hikes, Student plays, Jazz night, culture nights, and homecoming night. Some of the performances are opened to the public, I encourage you to come and see for yourself. One review talked about director of admission. Chris has left Athenian a couple years ago. All the staffs I interacted with are nice and receptive to new ideas. Another reviewer highlighted guest speakers and domestic/international trips. I couldn't agree more. There are so many learning opportunities that made me jealous (I went to UC). Every semester, alumni would come back to share their college experience. One common theme is how well Athenian has prepared them and they are thriving in top 20 universities. If Athenian kids can survive 3 weeks camping in the Death Valley and the Sierra, other adversities will seem easy to them. If you want your kid to be well-rounded, resilient and have a diverse group of lifelong friends, Athenian is the perfect school. https://www.athenian.org/athenian-blog-and-news

If you, like our family, are looking for an alternative to traditional schools around East Bay,…read moremake sure you put Acton Academy on your list. We are experiencing an education environment we have been hoping to provide to our kid with an asynchronous learning style. At Acton, students learn at their own individual paces, together. Learning at their own paces, most of the time, but not always means accelerated. Sometimes, it takes a squat to leap higher. There are no teachers to lecture students on the same materials at the same time but guides to provide a guardrail to ensure students focusing on their goals each school year and milestones each session. We think Acton as a project-based progressive school. For example, in one session the elementary studio is learning oceanology. Students studied anatomy of gut and cleaned sardine, blew a tank of blue water to observe waves, created dioramas of coral reefs, and made dumbo octopuses by shredded papers. All of these are backed by students' own researches which were presented to their parents at the exhibition by end of the session. This review feels like overdue. We are very grateful to have an opportunity to learn and engage with Acton Academy. Kids need to feel safe, not judged, when they need more time to master a topic or make mistakes. They hold each other accountable to be kind, supportive, and inspiring. They bound with each other through music (taught by a musician), PE, and filed trips in addition to the science and art projects. Teamwork comes naturally because the students host seven exhibitions a year. In such a small community with ages from K to Middle School, everyone has something to contribute. I have to say the transition from a traditional school to Acton's learner-driven education model took our family sometime to embrace the differences. Now looking back, it was totally worth it. Part of me want to keep this micro-school a secret but I think it would be selfish if I do not share knowing other families may benefit from our experience.

Acton Academy is an amazing school. The teachers are passionate about fostering curiosity and a…read moregrowth-mindset in all the students. They want you to do your best and, they are there for you whenever you need help. The school provides a safe, supportive environment that challenges students to reach their full potential.

Expensive? You betcha. What price do you put on an education…read morefor your most precious asset? I have a daughter that was literally drowning in public school, I personally would pay twice the asking tuition based on her dramatic turnaround. By the way, this is day three. The acceptance process is arduous, and there are no underachievers accepted. Finally, a true college prep in the East Bay.

This school should be investigated for water damage and mold exposure, it is making students sick…read more When I reported this to the school they rewarded me by terminating my child's enrollment and didn't refund my money back. Parents and teachers- if you (your child) are sick , it could be the school responsible for it- please investigate and report. This is not ok and they cannot get away like this. Parents- you are not paying this much money for the school to make your child sick. Please do your own research. Management is a joke and need lessons in management. They failed to provide a safe healthy environment for my child to learn and grow. They mocked my doctor and my family and we had to go through unnecessary trauma. New families pay attention and avoid unnecessary trauma that we went through unfortunately. Keep your families safe!

- Good Academics, but the Social Scene is OK, you have to do extra digging in order to find your…read morepeople. Emerald High School actually delivers on good academics. If you just want to get your head down and learn, the curriculum is solid and there is a decent selection of teachers--some are boring, but a few know how to run a class without wasting your time. The facilities and tools are great for getting actual work done. But the students here cannot mind their damn business. The social environment is completely toxic because people are constantly obsessing over what everyone else is doing. Instead of just letting people exist, students are always looking for a reason to pick on people and start drama. Girls like Liliana Luci, Anushka Sindhar, and Sanjana Srinivasan are the perfect examples--they literally have nothing better to do than whisper, judge, and act like the school hallway is a reality TV show. Too many students here walk around with blinders on, completely hesitant to trust anyone new while holding petty, long-term grudges over nothing. Because of that fake, defensive vibe, you have to do extra digging just to find actual friends who aren't caught up in the nonsense. You really have to search for the niche crowds--like the people who are actually into Kandi and just want to have genuine fun--to find anyone worth talking to. I seriously cannot wait to leave this school once the class of 2028 is up. If you can put on headphones, tune out the constant whispering from people like them, and ignore the cliques, it's an okay place to get an education. But if you hate dealing with fake people and endless background noise, it's a daily headache.

I am a student at Emerald High School, and I have been here since the school first opened in the…read more2024-2025 school year. There have been four student deaths during this school's four-year existence, but I am only going to speak about the three friends and fellow students we lost within the span of eight months, throughout which I received little to no meaningful support. When the first student passed away, people were shocked. Some teachers genuinely tried to empathize with us. Others seemed to have difficulty recognizing the magnitude of what had happened, especially if they did not personally teach the student. Tests and assignments continued almost immediately, even while students were trying to process that someone they knew had died. The second student's passing happened over winter break, and returning to school was incredibly difficult. Once again, we heard the same things: "We care about you," "Call 988," and "Go to the Wellness Center." I have not been to the Wellness Center this year, but last year, my experience with it felt about as useful as going into an empty room and talking to an AI agent. This year, a few of my friends told me that when they went seeking support during the first week of school, they were told that this suicide was essentially a short dip in the road ahead. Are you serious? Is that seriously what you tell a grieving teenager who is actively looking for support? Resources like the Wellness Center and 988 matter, but simply having resources does not automatically make students feel supported. Grief does not disappear because someone gives us a phone number or because a day has passed. There is an immediate response, and then everything returns to normal. Classes continue. Tests continue. Expectations continue. We are not robots. We cannot grieve for one day and be completely fine the next. The third death occurred during the first week of this school year. This time, I have seen teachers genuinely trying to understand what keeps happening. Some teachers themselves have been deeply affected. I want to make it clear that this is not an attack on our teachers. The overwhelming majority care. Some are incredible at showing it, while others care but struggle to know what to say or do. My frustration is with the larger environment we have created. The academic pressure at this school is on another level. Anything short of a 4.0 GPA can feel like failure. Students feel pressure to take as many AP classes as possible, participate in extracurriculars, build the perfect résumé, get into the perfect college, and somehow balance everything else. I have personally intervened with three different students who were in crisis after doing poorly on tests. That should tell us something. And the pressure does not only come from school. Parents need to be part of this conversation too. It is easy to say mental health matters after a tragedy. It is much harder to live by those words when your own child comes home with a grade lower than expected. Students should not be made to feel like failures because of a test, a B, a C, or because they did not meet somebody else's definition of success. Bullying and student culture also need to be addressed. We cannot demand kindness and compassion after someone dies while ignoring cruelty, exclusion, harassment, and pressure while students are still here. Then there is the school's infrastructure. Emerald is a beautiful campus, and I am genuinely fond of the building and its resources. But its population appears to have been severely underestimated. Even during the first year, with fewer than 1,000 students, parts of campus felt crowded. Now, with four grade levels, passing periods can become so packed that students are regularly pushed around while trying to get to class within eight minutes. Emerald has good teachers, strong resources, and a beautiful campus. But those things mean very little if students are suffering underneath the surface. Four deaths in four years should concern everyone. Three deaths within eight months should force us to ask difficult questions. We need to seriously examine academic pressure, bullying, parent expectations, student culture, meaningful mental-health support, and how our school responds to grief. We cannot keep responding for a few days and then waiting until something happens again. Students should not have to lose another friend before adults decide something needs to change. Emerald and DUSD, we expect more. Please listen to us. Please take this seriously. Please do better. And to the teachers who truly care: thank you. You have helped and saved more students than you realize.

I didn't not attend California High School, but my Grand Son did. So it was with great pleasure…read moreand appreciation that we attended his graduation last Friday, from the grandstand and later on the field (for pictures) when the ceremony was over. My most touching recollection was watching all 800+ of them walking in at the beginning. I was also impressed that from start to finish (including speeches, passing out diplomas, Tassel movement) was a crisp hour and a half. And so the next step begins.....

this school sucks when they dont feel like helping your child they put them in special ed and have…read morethem fend for themselfs for the rest of high school.

(Date: 2023 - 2025 since this school might change)…read more As someone who came here from 6th all the way to 8th grade and just got promoted.. I can say that this is a great Middle School to take your kids in. Teachers are friendly and nice, Learning American History was fire, and lastly.. the wellness place was the perfect place to be if stuff goes kinda wrong. You'd be able to play with fidgets or draw on the whiteboard. Teachers in PT-12 carried me in 8th Grade and made good friends. Although.. - Pros: Nice Staff and INSANE Artists that draw on the whiteboard. (Most Art are from a Roblox Game called "Forsaken" and hey, it's nice.) - Cons: Students would roast the living hell out of you in the locker room, make false rumors, and gaslight. In conclusion, mind yo damn business unless if it's with your friends.

I'm not here for the school. But we have basketball open gym every Monday 7-10pm and Friday…read more9am-12am. Coming out of COVID this was a GEM of a find. It's literally 80-100 people spread out across three full courts for three hours. It's basketball heaven for almost any level of player (not for super new hoopers and probably not for former professionals). But it's a good mix of skill levels and most of the people are super cool. Made a lot of friends through open gym basketball here just over the past 8 months.