Amazing new charter school in Berkeley! Finally, an alternative to BUSD Public schools... with its vision and philosophy REALM has its head and heart in the right place! REALM = Revolutionary Education And Learning Movement. They have a 6-8 grade middle school and a 9-12 grade high school (currently enrolling just 6th & 7th grade & 9th & 10th grades). Located on the corner of Addison and 8th st in West Berkeley, off University. MISSION: to cultivate resiliency, develop critical thinking skills, advance knowledge through rigorous studies, and equip students to serve our communities and the world in the 21st century. Realm Charter School will serve diverse urban students in grades 6-12 using a student-centered model that features project-based learning, an emphasis on technology, research and action on concerns in the community and activities that develop emotional resiliency. VISION: to increase academic achievement and social responsibility by creating authentic and challenging learning environments based on four central program elements: (1) project-based learning, (2) immersive technologies, (3) mindfulness in education (Transformative Life Skills), and (4) participatory action research. We seek to develop in each student the ability and passion to work wisely and creatively in order to become life-long learners with the skills necessary to contribute to the betterment of humankind. This will be accomplished by immersing our teachers and students in authentic and virtual learning environments that require collaboration, inquiry, critical thinking, ingenuity, imagination, and active problem-solving. PHILOSOPHY: REALM is designed to be a project-based, technology-rich learning environment that promotes critical and socially responsive perspectives. This means that students will learn to think about the world as a set of interconnected systems that can be affected through rigorous studies and action. Students will navigate and create complex information networks, virtual worlds, and immersive learning environments by utilizing emerging technologies. Moreover, through culturally relevant instruction and curricula, students will recognize and own their ability to shape our world and to better humanity. BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Victor Díaz, President, Jabari Mahiri, Vice-President Tracey Sheer, Board Chair, Christyna Serrano, Secretary, Nancy Williams, Chris Knaus, Becca Prager read more

I hated the school it's so small to be a high shop the are no school teams and they have like one security guard named Greg he's hella cool with all the students tho. And the way the school looks is so bad it's ugly different color walls and there is big rats in the bushes I hated that place but only two teacher M.Reynaga and Ms.Ale where good teachers that's about it read more

Both of my daughters attend REALM Charter school. My eldest daughter has attended REALM Charter High School for the last 3.5 years, and she doesn't totally hate it ... the highest recommendation a 17 year old can give. Shes' been active in sports all four years, has been active in the music program, and the Black Student Union. My youngest daughter has been at REALM for the sixth grade and difference between her behavior, confidence, and demeanor over these last seven months has been nothing short of amazing, Kudos to the REALM sixth grade teachers for making learning something that my daughter actually enjoys. read more

Realm Charter School has the best teachers and staff. They are work closely with parents concerning students , ensuring a "family-like" atmosphere as well as a welcoming one. I can go in any time of the day and sit in on my child's classroom. Staff know parents by name and are friendly and accommodating. Teachers keep in touch via email, text or calling if your child needs extra help or about assignments. I love all my daughter's teachers, they are excellent teachers and really care about the kids as well as enforcing a respectful, balanced and conducive learning environment. I like that the curriculum is designed to make children think critically...out of the box type creative thinking-that leads to innovators and leaders rather than followers and uniformed "tradition in a box" type of learning that so many schools have resigned to. The school is alive with great approaches academically and instills self esteem, as well as self-examination in students to foster positive growth, awareness of self, others and the world around them. The after school program is wonderful-with a wide variety of choices of programs and dedicated teachers who strive to bring their students to excellence. A big thank you to Tanisha who has done so much for the program and has treated each child as a unique special person (which they are!) and encouraged them and coached them to be the best they can be. While this is only the second year for Realm, I hope Realm Charter School will continue to grow and expand as the learning process there is diverse and eclectic; the teachers and staff are professional and caring -and this is an excellent academic foundation as well as creative, to prepare quality human beings for the real world which lies ahead. read more

Realm Charter is a relative new school with an innovative teaching program and enthusiastic and dedicated teachers and staff. My grandson has had a great three years at Realm Middle school and is now moving up to the High School. He is naturally shy and would have been lost and left to his own devices in a larger school. At Realm, the teachers know him, the administrators know him, they know us. He had some issues at first because he is very bright and was getting bored in some of his classes His teachers have worked with him and his mother and have developed honors classes for the kids that need to be more challenged. At a larger middle school I doubt he would have been noticed since he is not disruptive, does his work and did not take any initiative to stand out or be noticed. Thank goodness his teachers took the time and effort to reach out to him and get him to take the honors and advanced classes. The Studio H program is amazing and my grandson's favorite class. The kids design solutions for real world problems. For those parents who might be scared off by comments about the dangerous neighborhood please don't. I live two blocks from Realm Middle school. We walk around our neighborhood day and night. I won't say it is the safest neighborhood in the world, but I have lived here for 22 years and feel safe and your kids will be safe. The neighborhood has improved vastly since I moved here. There are no and have never been drive-by shootings or gangs hanging out on the corners. The neighborhood is a mixed race, mixed socio-economic family neighborhood. There are two other schools, Rosa Parks and Black Pine Circle - (both are great schools). The kids from both Realm and Black Pine Circle are often seen walking as a group to the local parks or the frontage. They are engaged, happy, rambunctious, supervised and safe. I think their presence gives the neighborhood a great sense of "village". As to the quality of the students...well a lot of them come from Rosa Parks - the second highest scoring elementary school in Berkeley. One of them, my grandson, scored 100% on his math STAR test in his last year at Rosa Parks. He's not the only bright, hard working child at the school. Please note that none of the negative reviews come from people who actually attend or attended the school (the parent who put his kids right back in the car doesn't count). I did knock off one star for the lack of a playground in the middle school. The hardest adjustment for my grandson was not being able to go out and play four square and other games during lunch. I'm also not totally happy with the school's API rating - but it is improving and it is a new school. read more

I have two children that attend REALM Charter Schools, one at the Middle School, the other at the High School. My children have thrived at REALM! The teachers offer a safe, caring and nurturing environment. My children attended school in San Pablo prior to being accepted to REALM and I felt that they weren't getting the education they deserved. They have learned so much from the staff at REALM. The teaching style is terrific and challenges them in many ways. I see their confidence growing everyday. read more

Well happy new everyone my daughters first day of school here at Realm high school I pray its the right fit for her but to let everyone know my decision was based on a lot of the comments that you all had for the school so once again I pray it's the best fit for my child thank you all for the good reviews. read more

Wow! Where to begin? I'm not sure what particular axe you might be grinding , John of Santa Cruz, but I and my daughter have taken the tour at Realm and sat in on two classes there each and we both had radically different experience than yours. I can't give the school any sort of final rating because my daughter isn't enrolled there (yet). My overall impression, however, is that we would be very lucky to be admitted to Realm. I found the teachers and staff to be warm, caring, intelligent, and committed. I saw all the adults at Realm challenging the students to be hardworking, responsible, ethical, and inclusive. I witnessed a writing exercise in which the kids were asked what they were grateful for and was moved by what they wrote: expressions of gratitude and respect for their parents and for what their families have done to meet their needs. I saw their teacher, in words and deeds, hold his students to a standard of cooperation, thoughtfulness , and critical thinking. Not one student in the class was allowed to fly under the radar or impede his/her classmates in their learning. While I am currently a stay-at-home mom, I am a former professional with a Masters Degree, and Caucasian to boot, I would have to count myself and my daughter lucky to be admitted to Realm. I found your remarks to be racist, classist, hysterical, and deeply, deeply offensive. I find it hard to believe you actually set foot inside the school, met any of its staff, or bothered to do much more than judge people by their appearance using the most superficial and ignorant of standards. I would encourage anyone to go to Realm and actually enter the premises, speak with the Administration, the teachers, the students, the parents. I believe your experience will be much more like mine than John from Santa Cruz's. read more

Went here for middle school and am now a jr in high school and honestly this schools education sucks so bad. I am soooo behind in math and history it's not even funny. And I am a smart kid like I am pushing myself really hard in high school but the education I received at realm made freshmen year hard. Also all the teachers and staff are incredibly biased. Their lesson plans are based on feelings and not facts. They are so opinionated it's not even funny. I came here during the 2016 elections and the day after trump got elected WE HAD AN ASSEMBLY. LOL. Not to mention the assembly went on for about 2 and a half hours talking trash about America and how white people are privileged. Actual trash. Any school that tells you they're "open minded" steer clear from because you already know it's going to be a crowd of uneducated liberals trying to educate you with no evidence nor facts. Also in eighth grade I was selling raffle tickets to earn money to send me to a week long Christian camp, and I asked my favorite teacher and as soon as he asked for the reason of the raffle and when he heard the word "church" he said he "doesn't support that stuff". Felt really embarrassed and ashamed that I had to hide my religion when they can talk about crap and I have to agree with it or they will call you a bigot. read more

Great school and amazing teachers my kid goes to the realm high she loves teachers they are like family great atmosphere kids they sudsed the push them To great in all aspects i totally will recommend this school to . read more

They may be good with kids, but they basically steal from small businesses. They bought from our small company last November and will not pay the bill. They hide from the phone calls requesting payment. Small companies rely on their customers paying for the product they purchase. It is imperative they are paid in a timely manner, as they do not have deep pockets. They are using the radios they purchased daily but do not have they decency to pay for them. Warning to all Vendors.... get cash in advance from this school. I don't think I would want them teaching my children. Their integrity is severely lacking and children need a higher level of mentoring. read more

As a prospective parent with an incoming 9th grader..i am so confused after reading such differing opinions on the school. I have a niece and neighbors kids who attend and they seem content and happy. However i share a little of all the opinions posted for and against the school because i was a little concerned with the lack of solid structure and policy although the talents of the teachers are not questionable..they are hand picked and well chosen. Whatever works for you as an individual may not for someone else so lets try not to belittle race and class differences to justify our criticisms about what we choose not to pursue. Even the most low rated public schools produce many high achieving and gifted leaders for our tomorrow while other very expensive private institutions fail to do anything better. Good luck to those who care enough about their kids education to send them to this revolutionary program at realm, however for some of us, time will only tell if we can follow suit and see beyond whats lacking and concentrate on whats actually there!. read more

I am so surprised at some of the horrible and disgusting comments about this school that it makes me SICK ! First of all, this is a wonderful High school ! I had the opportunity to meet the principal and staff here. WONDERFUL ! This is the type of program that teaches kids in a new way. Not the classic textbook , Cookie cutter student way of traditional public schools. I bet you anything that if REALM was in Albany or Piedmont, There would be NOTHING SAID ! I'm putting my child in this school . Now, i will admit. The only thing that i do question about is the Safety of the high school students. If you're not in the main building, you have to walk out of the building and down the street a bit to your next class. The problem can be easily fixed. I do not want any pervert abducting any children, so i think it should be a fully enclosed campus. I hope that the principal addresses this important issue. Other than that, I love the concept of this school ! The remarks of the schools " Red Flag" and Thinking that its COMMUNIST RUSSIA is so silly. Get a grip ! Jim Jones ??? REALLY ??? Lol ! I will tell you what's SICK ! Albany Unified school district and their OBVIOUSLY racist superintendent of schools ! This PERSON has gotten rid of the majority of Black and Latino students who does not reside in the school district. THIS PERSON has hired investigators to follow these kids home. The very sad part about it all , is that there are East Indian, White and Asian students attending Albany Schools who resides in El Cerrito,Berkeley and Richmond. I have proof because i know their parents and they are using a relatives address in Albany. TALK ABOUT THAT ? I cannot even tell you the horror stories about West Contra Costa Unified School District. I'm very satisfied about Realm, They are INNOVATORS ! read more