I had a very negative experience with this school back in 2018, but luckily I managed to get myself…read moreout within a few months. Before I state my opinions, I will give you a rundown of a typical day at this school.
I'll start with the morning. A staff member comes to your house to pick you up in an SUV. My driver had something against me, I don't know what I did but she hated me, which sucked cause she seemed really sweet in the beginning. To my displeasure, everything that came out of her mouth was passive-aggressive, she was overall unbearable to be around. Her name is Mrs. Amy, to sum it up, she's just a very bitter woman.
When you first arrive, they put you through a metal detector, take off your shoes, and look through everything you have. You can't go anywhere or do anything without being escorted by a staff member, to cut this part short, they'll stand outside the door when you're in the bathroom. I'm sure you can imagine that the rest of it is just as ridiculous
Now and then you hear screaming from out in the hallway. They're usually dragging a kid to the "quiet room". A small white room with nothing in it, just an uncomfortable tile floor and a massive metal door. They use this room for almost every problem they encounter, I don't know whether that's the protocol or just plain laziness. Either way, it's always an uncomfortable experience and generally leads to more trouble than actually needed.
A typical school day is as you may expect from what I've already written, absolutely wretched in every way, no contact with the outside world, very violent, and very strict. You may not speak out of turn, you may not leave your seat without asking, you may not be alone at any time, you may not disagree with the staff in any way, and you may not complain about mistreatment. You can't even stand up to stretch, you must ask for permission every time you lift yourself off of your seat if even for a second. All of these things will get you screamed at, and if they feel like it, they might throw you in the quiet room for it. Complaining about mistreatment is a one-way ticket to the quiet room, there is no tolerance for any type of confrontation with the staff. They tell you to "be respectful", but their faces say "worship me like a god." And going home is just a repeat of the morning, I won't get into that.
Here are my thoughts on the school.
I'm sure most of the teachers here very much love the power trip, as anyone else would see that this place is cruel and borderline abusive to its students. It's all nasty women who seem to love yelling at kids, you can see the enjoyment in their faces, it's not discreet at all. They stand there smirking with their arms crossed after they've sent some poor kid to the quiet room. I'm sure it's because they feel they lack power in their lives, which I understand. But put that emotion into a hobby or something, don't use it to leave lasting trauma on children's psyche. I feel terrible for Mr. John, he obviously means well, but he can't seem to understand how unhealthy this school is for the mental well being of every student there, which is already unstable for the vast majority of them. The reason these kids end up in these schools is that they're unstable and need help. High Road's system is built specifically to break students. This system bears a striking resemblance to that meant to train aggressive dogs. This system will only repress their student's problems and let them build up inside, these problems will only come out later in life, possibly in some huge outburst, possibly putting themselves and-or others in danger. These kids don't need this, they need an environment of love and support which this school lacks entirely. These problems need to be dealt with at the root. You can't just break kids until they fit into the system. It doesn't work. In all, this school needs to be shut down.
Arrow Center for Education is a wonderful example of a school that uses love to rehabilitate its students. The teachers truly have a bond with their students and as a result, the majority of the students have a bond with them. This school completely turned me around. I went from skipping school and doing nothing, then to having mental breakdowns at High road, then finally to being motivated to get my diploma at Arrow.
There's actually a lot of irony involved in the state of High Road. Contrary to High Road's theory that harsh treatment yields good behavior, it is by far so much more violent than Arrow, yet it houses the same type of kids.
Parents, as a neurotypical, albeit depressed person who went through this, take my advice. Anywhere but here. Please. Your child deserves so much better. High Road was just nightmare fuel for me, I still have horrible dreams about this place. Literally, most of my dreams have plotlines that involve escaping this school. I wake up covered in sweat. The same lasting trauma doesn't need to happen to your child.
