Bret Harte Middle School

3700 Coolidge Avenue

School District

Oakland Unified
Grade

6-9
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:11
Type

public

School Map for Oakland Unified School District

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 student on February 12, 2025

MS G IS THE BEST AND I DONT EVEN LIKE ENGLISH THAT MUCH BUT SHE IS REALLY COOL AND NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Submitted by other on December 20, 2024

Bret Harte is a place for all. Students are loved and consistently checked in on. Classrooms are full of lively conversation and students are able to use their voice and share their thoughts regularly. Kids can be who they are at Bret Harte.
Submitted by parent on December 11, 2017

Our family is in our fourth year at BHMS. The school continues to improve each year, and the academic offerings have expanded significantly. The teachers are immensely dedicated, and the leadership is solid. Both my daughters have shown significant improvement academically each year.
Submitted by parent on December 09, 2017

My sixth grader is proud of his school and loves his teachers and friends there. It is wonderful to watch him become more independent and more enthusiastic about learning. He gets ready for school without complaint and comes home excited about the things he is doing and learning. We are very happy that he is attending Bret Harte!
Submitted by parent on November 07, 2016

Bret Harte is a vibrant middle school with a lot going for it. I have 2 kids there, 6th and 8th and they have had a great time. The school is much smaller than many of the middle schools in Oakland and with 7 periods instead of 6, the class sizes average 20-25 which has a huge impact on the quality of teaching. The teachers and staff know all the kids, and we have seen low turnover of staff. The 2 electives for all grades have given each of my kids a class which fits their interest- art and computer science. Overall it has been a great school, and it has been getting better each year.
Submitted by teacher on January 14, 2016

Bret Harte Middle School in Oakland CA is a great school. I should know, I teach there! I may be biased but hear me out. Our school was featured in a video about the EducationSuperHighway, a not-for-profit dedicated to bringing better broadband services to schools. This video featured several of our dedicated teachers. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, was inspired to donate $20 million to the non-profit, and posted the video to FB. And the White House re-posted the video after that! Please go to our website, ousd.org/bretharte, and check out the video for yourself. Also, at President Obama's last State of the Union address, he stated that he wants every student to learn computer science. Next fall, Bret Harte is adding a computer science class to its schedule. How cool is that? We have a diverse campus population, including students from the surrounding neighborhood, and students from all over Oakland. We have several special education classrooms and newcomer classrooms. We have veteran teachers and new teachers sharing best practices and giving support to each other. We have a nice campus that is enhanced by beautiful murals and mosaics completed by our own students with the help of dedicated volunteers. We are petitioning for a turf field to be installed. We have a fantastic music program. Come by and visit and see the great things happening at Bret Harte Middle School, in Oakland CA!
Submitted by parent on January 12, 2016

Top 5 Reasons to Send Your Child to Bret Harte!1) Great Teachers! Our daughter has had great teachers every year who inspired her in her studies. Has she ever had a class that was "just OK?" Yes, a couple in three years. Think back to your middle school. Did you love all six of your teachers each year, every year? If you are worried about academic rigor or test scores, we can only speak from our experience: our daughter has thrived in this environment -- her last test scores were the highest she's ever had.2) Great Administrative Staff! We were worried when the amazing Tom Hughes left, but Principal D has picked up where he left off and is building on the amazing foundational work he did. We are convinced the school is going to soar to new heights under her dedication and innovation. At the same time, this is not a school run by a single leader. Attend a few events and you'll see it is run by a team of dedicated support staff who consistently go above and beyond their daily job description, which helps gives Bret Harte its family feel.3) A Great Neighborhood Public School! We cannot emphasize enough how wonderful it has been to have our daughter walk to and from middle school for the past three years. Its brings down family stress, deepens our connection to the neighborhood and is healthy and good for the planet. It is also wonderful for maintaining (and strengthening) relationships from elementary school. 4) An Excellent Music Program! Mr. Worm works wonders. This last Winter Concert left us amazed at how far the absolute beginners had already come in only December, not to mention the ever impressive advanced musicians in Jazz Band and the other classes. The brand new Bret Harte Choir was also completely fabulous.5) All The Extras Keep Getting Better! Bret Harte is really starting to hit its stride. The cross-country team, which meets after school, won its first track meet at Skyline this year and plans to participate at the Oakland Running Festival, there are improv theater classes at lunch, there is the bike club, the new choir, the Gay-Straight Alliance, the Bret Harte Pioneer newspaper and much more!If you believe in neighborhood public schools, please channel your concerns into positive action and join us at Bret Harte!-A Bret Harte Parent
Submitted by parent on November 02, 2015

I transferred my son from a private school in Berkeley to Bret Harte in the 7th grade. My son has a IEP and is and was placed in the SDC program there. Each teacher my son had, provided more than support and encouragement, which placed me at ease. Now my son has strived to general education classes and is doing well socially. This was all by the support of administration & staff! We are very happy at Bret Harte
Submitted by parent on October 25, 2015

I have been a Bret Harte parent for 3 years, and have been really impressed with the effective and engaging teachers as well as the strong leadership from the administration. My daughter is very enthusiastic about the classes and social environment at Bret Harte, she likes her classes, (and loves a couple of them), and is growing intellectually. This is a diverse school, with students from all kinds of backgrounds, and the school works tremendously hard to make this a place that feels welcoming, supportive, and challenging for all kinds of students. I really appreciate this - it is very hard to do, and is part of the ongoing challenge facing urban public schools that serve ALL children. I am very satisfied with Bret Harte, and encourage parents and students to check it out.
Submitted by parent on February 24, 2015

So disappointed in this school. Dress code isn't followed. It has a high truancy rating as well. Grades are inflated. There is no true way to see homework assignments, as the system they use teachers do not update and many do not use it. Its going to take a while for this school to turn around.
Submitted by parent on October 09, 2014

We are a new Bret Harte family whose daughter entered 6th grade this year. Supporting our local middle school was important to us and as it turns out we couldn't be happier with our choice for our daughter to attend Bret Harte. Our daughter is extremely happy with her classes, her teachers and her wonderful & supportive school community. As parents, we are impressed with the experienced and innovative educators who bring blended learning, the latest teaching strategies and inspiration each day to the students at Bret Harte. With the amazing leadership of Tom Hughes, the principal, Bret Harte is in good hands to help all of our students succeed. Some highlights of our daughter's first year are the amazing Jazz Band, learning Spanish through songs and meeting many new friends! We 'heart' Bret Harte!
Submitted by parent on September 28, 2014

My son just began school at Bret Harte in the Fall. We were committed to supporting our local public school, yet worried about it being a safe, academically challenging program for our child. So far we have been thrilled. He loves his classes, is both motivated and challenged by the work, is making friends, and looks forward to school each day. The principal is charming and always available. Kids know that they can approach him about anything. So far, Bret Harte is exceeding all my expectations. Please take a look for yourself and consider Bret Harte.
Submitted by parent on September 28, 2014

My daughter is heading into her second year at Bret Harte and loves it. She has been engaged and challenged by and learned from the awesome Jazz Band, the wonderful Gay-Straight Alliance and the super cool Journalism class, and had a solid group of teachers throughout. As a veteran OUSD teacher myself, I am not only greatly impressed by the teaching staff at Bret Harte but, above all, by the principal, Tom Hughes, and what he has done over the last few years to really create a cohesive, comprehensive administrative team. He runs an incredibly tight ship, whether it's getting everyone to class on time or helping students solve problems through the Restorative Justice program. This is a very good neighborhood school on the cusp of becoming great as more parents get involved and as the effects of several years now of positive, forward-thinking, excellent leadership take root! Join us!
Submitted by parent on November 11, 2013

I am a new parent to Bret Harte, and so far, I have been really impressed with what I have observed myself and heard from my daughter. The school is well-organized, well-led, academically challenging, and culturally rich. My child has been fully engaged in her classes and is learning critical skills around study habits, organization, and responsibility. The Bret Harte community seems committed to creating and maintaining a very positive and inclusive culture that empasizes their core values or respect, resilience, and hard work. My daughter is regularly bringing home interesting topics from class discussions. I have also been really impressed with the principal, who is in his 3rd year at Bret Harte. He is extremely accessible, intelligent, and committed, and speaks honestly about the school's strengths and challenges. He handles problems efficiently, and has great energy and savvy in working with middle schoolers. This is definitely an Oakland middle school that is under the radar with a lot to offer. I would recommend that Oakland parents take a closer look!
Submitted by teacher on September 25, 2013

Being new to this school (though not to the district), I have found the staff of Bret Harte to be a wonderfully motivated, inspired, and hard-working team. There is a lot of work being done to instill students with a sense of pride, accomplishment, and true scholarship. I'm very excited about the opportunities for students to engage in the development of leadership & social-emotional capacities through programs such as Restorative Justice and the Latino Men & Boys program. This is a great place for students to become well-rounded young adults.
Submitted by parent on September 24, 2013

I have one child who just started attending Bret Harte and another child who attended the school from 6th-8th Grade. My older child had a very positive experience at the school. The teachers and administrative staff are very engaged with many teachers who have taught on the campus for over 10 years. The campus is clean and I feel that my children are in a safe environment. The student body reflects the diversity of Oakland in which my children can interact and work with students off all backgrounds and cultures. The principal is proactive and excellent with the staff, student and parents in terms of empowering them to do their best and address their concerns. The music program is amazing which is one of the treasures of the school.
Submitted by parent on September 24, 2013

We have had nothing but positive experiences at Bret Harte Middle school - My daughter is in 7th Grade. She is engaged and sufficiently challenged. She feels safe and supported by the teachers and administrative staff. We have become involved in the PTSA and SSC, School BBQs, Cleanup Workdays, etc. Most importantly my daughter has learned to interact with kids from ALL backgrounds - an extremely valuable life skill. Consider Bret Harte! Go Bobcats!
Submitted by other on August 19, 2013

Bret Harte Oakland is the one of the great jewels of the OUSD system. The staff (both academically and administrative) are caring and encourage students to excell.
Submitted by parent on November 11, 2012

Both of my daughters attended Bret Harte, and had very positive experiences. It was quite a change from their cozy neighborhood elementary school, but what they learned is that they can successfully adapt in a large economically and racially mixed environment, and thrive. Plus, they got outstanding academic preparation for high school. Bret Harte prepared them very well for their transition into high school (also large, urban, diverse) and I would say also into REAL LIFE. Bret Harte IS a slice of Oakland, which is fabulous and full of challenges at the same time. As parents, we struggle to find the balance between preparing our kids for "the real world" and also wanting them to always be safe and cared for so that nothing bad will happen to them, right? What I found at Bret Harte was a genuine combination of "real world challenges" of dealing with all kinds of kids in an environment staffed by alert, engaged, and caring adults that were prepared to intervene, but not to coddle. For us, it was a winning combination. I feel my girls are more savvy, slower to judge their peers, have a broader range of friends, and a solid academic foundation, thanks in large part to Bret Harte!
Submitted by other on November 04, 2012

I am a former student - and Bret Harte was a great school who cared for students and had teachers who cared!