Classical Magnet School

85 Woodland Street

School District

Hartford
Grade

6-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:13
Type

public

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by other on February 27, 2024

This school is absolute terrible some of the teachers there are horrible they come to collect a paycheck and leave most of the students have hard times understanding the work that is given out and teachers will almost to never help these kids. Some of these kids destroy property with no consequences and have no regards to human life I would not recommend this school because it takes a tole and past children and staffs mental state. Not to mention the bathrooms are filthy and they have a rat infestation (said by one of the teachers there) are many hazards around the school and the staff just seem to brush it off. Often time I have seen the people that are teaching these kids use profanity and call these kids names this is a horrible school that NEEDS TO BE SHUT DOWN.
Submitted by parent on June 10, 2022

My older two kids have been attending Classical since 9th and 8th grade. They have had great experiences (much better than the suburban mostly white school district where we live). My third child will be attending 6th grade at the school in the fall. On the whole, the teachers are very smart and effective (although a little obsessed with homework and slow to enter grades in Powerschool). Love the Latin! All three of my kids are high level performers and are sufficiently challenged at the school. The coaches are great (track/cross-country & soccer). My kids have had the opportunity to serve on student government and find the majority of students to be nice and welcoming (which is the opposite of the suburban school they moved from). I love the diversity, but I would like less left-leaning politics in the classroom. Keep it neutral; you do not have to be a liberal to appreciate and value other people and cultures. The art program is excellent, and I have a deep appreciation of the English teachers. I would like more AP opportunities for better college acceptance.
Submitted by other on July 06, 2021

This is NOT a school you should send your child to!! I went to this school for all of middle school and I can not begin to tell you the effect it has had on my life. I have had to go to therapy due to the intense bully. The staff do not take appropriate action to discipline the students and let them run rampant through the halls destroying school property. No regard for authority in the slightest. Some teachers care while others just come to collect their paychecks. If I could I would have the school SHUT DOWN.
Submitted by parent on June 09, 2021

Very bad school with no disipline. They make it seem nice and fancy but it is actually terrible. Most of the teachers hate their jobs and don't care about the students. I learned very little in the time that I went here. The principal of the school is constantly changing which is likely the cause of some of the havoc.
Submitted by parent on March 08, 2021

Rigorous academics in a diverse, close-knit environment - Classical has been a terrific choice for our family. Diversity has been one of the best differentiators between Classical and suburban schools where students’ are exposed to a rich variety of racial, cultural, LGBTQ and socioeconomic diversity. In our experience a sense of social justice and tolerance becomes second nature through students’ Classical friendships and interactions as well as coached projects where students to use their creativity to explore social justice themes. Addressing negative reviews, I have a Classical graduate and one current high schooler and am happy to say the school climate has been restored after a couple of tough years where it still provided a rigorous college prep education but drifted away from its Paideia roots due to budget cuts and administration turnover. The past couple of years has rebuilt earlier excellence through a combination of the latest principal re-instilling adherence to Paideia methods and re-energizing staff and students morale. Classical has also strengthened the tie between Liberal Arts and STEM through a partnership with a global technology firm and a newly built Technology lab. In addition, Classical has the advantage of being a small school where you don’t need to be the best to get opportunities to participate a variety of sports, academic and arts extra-curricular activities. I highly encourage everyone to give Classical another look!
Submitted by parent on February 19, 2021

My son went there for grades 6-12. We could not have been more pleased. He had opportunities to meet people from different towns and has a strong sense of self. The teachers were great and deeply invested in his success. He had a chance to play varsity sports and lots of clubs and activities. The school deliberately does not offer AP classes, but instead offers classes at the honors level for everyone. This school is designed for great college acceptances, and the formula worked. His class had two kids go to Yale and one to Princeton. Most of his classmates found success in college and are now prepared for life after college. You don’t need to be miserable cramming for AP exams to be ready for college. Learn to Read, Write, Think, Problem Solve and Communicate. The liberal arts foundation combined with knowledge of the classics gives the students the chance to live up to the motto non scholae see vitae discimus rings true. While my son graduated in 2016, I hear the principal - a former Classical teacher is doing a great job to reinstill the Gladiator pride. His friends are great kids who are interesting and driven and they represent the diversity that makes our society stronger. If you want to pick a school based on AP scores, you will miss this gem of school, and miss the point of being at a magnet school in the first place.
Submitted by other on April 13, 2019

Attended this school for the full 7 years and am grateful I went here over my town's high school. However, I watched the downfall of a really great school environment as I got older and feel bad for the students that are still there now. I truly believe my graduating class was the last "good" class left and now it truly is a madhouse. The kids run around like animals and are really the ones that run the school. Complete lack of respect for authority as the administration is a joke. What once was a unique school is now on its last leg. There are a million other magnet schools that are brand new, try and send your kids there.
Submitted by parent on March 28, 2019

Horrible Don't support parents or students Zero discipline. Zero consequences for (sometimes criminal) behavior toward students and even teachers
Submitted by other on October 15, 2018

Horrible, worse decision I've made with regards to my child's education. Although my district school isn't that great it's a lot more holistic than the toxic environment that exist at Classical Magnet. Unfortunate but true.
Submitted by parent on August 03, 2018

AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Zero discipline. Zero consequences for (sometimes criminal) behavior toward students and even teachers. New principal is invisible, our son never saw her around. He felt unsafe and demoralized. We pulled him after the 2018 year. They talk a good recruiting game but the truth is all the kudos for the school are from years ago. Now it's just Lord of the Flies: The School. Good teachers but they spend most of the time babysitting. The school needs a real leader.
Submitted by student on December 13, 2015

(Scroll to the bottom if you wish to avoid my long review and get to what's most important to me) I give Classical Magnet 5 stars because looking back now, as a Senior, I can see I had and I'm still having a very pleasant experience here. Classical gave me the opportunity to create documentaries about our democracy through their partnership with the great Nonprofit CivicLifeProject. This experience gave me the opportunity to interview Governor Dan Malloy, Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman, Speaker of the House Sharkey and many more members of the General Assmebly. After creating two documentaries with CivicLifeProject, they have now hired me. Classical has given me the opportunity to serve within the Hartford District and at the State level, so I may advocate for students just like myself. The teachers here truly care about the students but they are human and have emotions like everyone else. One great thing is that the teachers here do not hold grudges against students that may have gave them a hard time in the past. In middle school I wasn't the most well behaved student but now my 8th grade teacher is helping me get into my dream college. The guidance counselors are amazing here. They take the time to get to know each of their students and check up with them throughout the school year. (Most important part) Classical turns students into leaders. Our community pushes students to stand tall and march to their own drum. I can say honestly, Classical has turned me into a leader and taught me how to think critically and express my thoughts effectively. Classical gives the students so many opportunities but it's up to the students to take those opportunities.
Submitted by student on July 24, 2015

I have been at this school since 6th grade. It was great until Mr.Sullivan left. Then we had random principles and finally our current Principal Dr.Gordon, who is a horrible Principle. Our Funds are not being spent wisely. There are so many kids who make it so much harder for the ones who want to learn, and they seem to have increased after Mr.Sullivan left. As for the teachers, the middle School teachers are great. But, may of the high school teachers need to go back to college and realize that they are still teaching children and teenagers. Some teachers are the worst at communicating with the parents and really some of the teachers do not care if the students fail. As a student all I want is to leave this school. I hope my opinion changes next year. I promise to keep tabs on the school when the new year is over. I just can't keep my mouth shut.
Submitted by parent on August 08, 2014

This school definitlety needs to find it's direction. The school has gone down over the last 2yrs and I think has drastically changed since the original principal Left. The administrators seem to be on a power trip instead of keeping the outstanding values the school held before. out of the 3 yrs my daugher attended that school the last 2 were the worst and the main reason she is no longer there. everybody has their own experience mines just wasn't a good one.
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2014

Dont go to this school. Some of the staff are great while most others arent. They did not know how to handle book problems until recently. So anything lost in the past is dropped on the student, due to the fact they just started giving receipt for books returned. Which in my cause makes this school a total failure for not being able to do something so simple earlier.
Submitted by other on February 10, 2014

This school has some great qualities and you learn allot about yourself throughout the 7 years ( middle school and high school years). But , To be honest I wouldn't recommend staying for high school. I say this mainly because I feel as a student that the classics is forced upon you,and there aren't many choices to fondle away; literally everything you do is Latin and Greek related. The great qualities about classical are that your learning Latin all your years there and also all your classes are honors; even if your not a honors student. Pass or fail that's a good look on your transcript when colleges see it. Also, the councilors there are very supportive , but some of the other staff are really mean or give off the worst attitudes! Classical magnet high challenges you to the highest extent ,and help if given when needed. The school only gets 3 stars because of some other issues within the school but other than that its an okay school.
Submitted by parent on June 07, 2013

This school need to find it's direction again. The administration does not appear to have the control over the staff and daily happenings it should. The focus is not where it should be. We need to educating the whole student, not just focusing on certain subjects. Math and science programs are very weak. There is no priority to bring these disciplines up to the same level as other core subjects. Students graduating are having trouble competing in these areas at the college level. There are a few great teachers here but something needs to be done to bring the rest up to the same level.
Submitted by other on February 20, 2013

I have been going here for five years and I love it. I would recommend this school because it not only challenges you and offers many opportunities but focuses on life after high school. I hope this school doesn't start going downhill because our goal-oriented principle Mr. Sullivan has left. I love all the great friends I have met here and I have learned some of the most important life lessons that I will never forget.
Submitted by other on March 25, 2012

Overall this school is a great school. It provides students with the academic credits they need to get into college. What is stressful about this school is their system of grading. It gets overwhelming because of the homework and projects needed to be done. Work is graded harshly though there are some opportunities to re-do work and tests, depending on the teacher you have.School ends at 2:30 but they let out the students at 4:00 because everyone is required to do an enrichment. Some are fun but others are unnecessary, instead of this kids could be at home doing their homework and trying to get their grades up. Sports end around 6:00 which makes it difficult for some kids to do their homework because they are already exhausted from practice. Though the school is very diverse, everyone still has their own cliques so not much interaction between the kids is shown. Classical Magnet has its ups and downs like all schools do but the downs are a bit much and makes the good things seems like its not even worth it anymore. Its a great school but it can drive kids, depending on the person, insane