The Park School

171 Goddard Avenue

Brookline, MA 02445

13 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by student on January 27, 2025

Amazing teachers are great parents are nice
Submitted by parent on April 23, 2024

At The Park School, excellence permeates every aspect of the educational experience. The learning environment is vibrant and engaging, with students visibly excited about their academic journeys. Teachers at the school stand out for their respectful and supportive attitudes, consistently motivating students to reach their potential. Importantly, the school places a strong emphasis on social-emotional support, ensuring that students' total well-being is prioritized.Safety is paramount at Park, with the school maintaining a secure environment free from violence and discrimination. Furthermore, family engagement is notably encouraged, with the school actively involving families as partners in the educational and community building process. This holistic approach to education not only enriches learning but fosters a supportive community that enhances every student's school experience.
Submitted by parent on October 08, 2023

This school used to be wonderful. I had several family members who attended and sent their children here. While there are still a handful of smart, caring teachers the entire current admin team seems way in over their heads. They don't seem to understand current best teaching or learning practice, or even like children. There used to be innovative, progressive teaching and curriculum. Now, you can find the same packaged curriculum you'd find at any nearby public school for insane money. You'd be much better off saving your money and letting your child get to know the kids in your own neighborhood.
Submitted by parent on November 30, 2022

We feel so lucky to be part of Park's close-knit community. Inspiring Faculty and administrators. Nurturing environment. Beautiful campus. Excellent resources.
Submitted by parent on September 12, 2022

Our daughter is starting her fourth year at Park School (she entered in 2nd grade). We love the small class sizes, the attention to our child's specific strengths and weaknesses, and the academic prowess. More so, we love the diversity of the school body AND staff. (It's hard to find a level of staff diversity that matches how diverse the students are.) The best part of this school is how warm and nice everyone is. Very inclusive. I've never met a Park kid that wasn't polite or including of others.
Submitted by student on January 27, 2020

Terrible experience. This school is filled with bad teachers. The good teachers are just wasting their potential working here. The teachers barely teach anything in school and in result of that, give us a lot of homework. I've learned more from homework/actively reading info packets than from classes. The music curriculum is slow and WAY below average, so people learning music theory and/or taking learning an instrument outside of school will be bored. The grades that you get are not an accurate representation of your knowledge of the material. One of the only good things they have is TEACH. This is a time where you can get help from teachers, but it isn't really helpful because half of the time the teachers are unavailable. I wouldn't go to this school, and I deeply regret transferring to this school. The diversity of this school is horrible, as over 60 percent of the students here are in the upper class. Middle to lower class students has felt discouraged about this, as they cannot fit in. A lot of students get bullied for being different or just being sensitive. Do not come to this school. Chances are, you're better off staying in the school you're in right now.
Submitted by parent on September 30, 2017

We moved our child from a strong public school to Park two years ago. What we have loved about Park is that the arts are very strong (great music, visual arts and theatre) and sports are great for all levels (soccer and track etc). The teachers in general are very strong and the intellectual environment is stimulating and creative and innovative. Park prides itself on diversity but it refuses to let the smartest kids accelerate so many smart kids leave after 6th grade. They also let in black and hispanic kids who are way behind academically-- not sure why they are not finding the top kids of color. They also let in many kids in kindergarten who end up being not that smart and they tend to cater to the richest families. Still, no private school is perfect. This place really cares about its students, the class sizes are small, and it's so much more impressive than what even the top public schools are doing these days-- catering to the very bottom and to special needs, and ignoring the kids at the top. If you push a little, your child can get the teachers who will challenge him/her. Beware that there is 2 hours plus homework per night in middle school, but placement is effective-- Park students go onto great schools.
Submitted by parent on November 19, 2015

Great curriculum, great teachers, good support. But........this is a privileged white school with engineered diversity, it is not particularly progressive, limited differentiated instruction....which means they will lose (or squash) some of their brightest most creative kids. And....if your child is a kid of color be sure you are ready to relinquish them into assimilation and self doubt. Better schools in Cambridge :-)
Submitted by parent on November 21, 2014

This can be an extremely destructive school for above average students from traditionally disadvantaged or minority communities. The school has a commitment to being a diverse campus and has an academic and educational model that empowers children and encourages their self-expression. Unfortunately, the administrators and some veteran teachers set about teaching your child to negate their culture and to fit in in a way that robs the student of their self-esteem and their social and intellectual confidence. This is being done while the teachers are creating a safe and nurturing environment for the grade as a whole. This dichotomy leaves the minority student feeling like they are under a magnifying glass and must strive really hard to fit in even though they cannot change the color of their skin. They really want to be a part of the inclusive community but are on the outside. The biggest problem is the school routinely accepts above average students from traditionally disadvantaged communities and then puts them a grade back. After the student is put a grade back they are coerced by administrators not to stand out and not to do better than the other students in their class.
Submitted by parent on January 20, 2014

WOW!! Nirvana. Kids are fortunate to have amazing teachers, small classes, beautiful environment. Can't say enough about how caring the faculty is. Kids supportive and non competitive they are given the true gift of an amazing education.
Submitted by other on September 27, 2013

Having started in 6th grade it was difficult fitting in, and previously being from public school, Park is sort of like a giant bubble protecting you from the outside. But in the end, your grade becomes your family (a cliquey one...but you've gotta love em'). You make life long friendships and some of the teachers are amazing, really amazing. The academics are good...not great...but good. The athletics are great...although gym class can get a little intense. The theatre and art programs are great...and I LOVE the directors. Overall, I would really recommend this school to anyone looking for a tight nit community.
Submitted by other on November 01, 2011

I am a former student, and have now completed my first quarter at one of the most competitive high schools in the nation. It is safe to say that the humanities do not prepare well for writing, as I received As and A-s on papers w/ the rare B+. My best grade now is a B+ and my paper avg. is a low B. The math is awful at Park but I've never had a problem. I agree that the department is stubborn about acceleration. Most kids from Park would have to be in one of the 2 lower level math classes to get above a C. The language department prepares well except that classes are not conducted in the language until 9th grade. That can be a shock in high school. The history department is not very good as most classes are lecture and presentation based w/ papers that encourage long hours over thinking. I cannot say how the science department did on preparation as I am not taking a science yet. But, the 7th grade science is awful. 8th grade science can actually be fun. Park's social environment is good for normal kids, but super-nerds do not thrive. The secondary school counseling program is stellar as many unqualified individuals attend fantastic high schools. Many do attend worse ones though.
Submitted by other on November 30, 2010

I was bullied within an inch of my life at this school. Yes, academically it was good, but I would give anything not to have gone there. It has permanently scarred me