Falk Laboratory School

4060 Allequippa Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15261

13 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 01, 2022

I have faced microaggressions in this school as an asian, and one teacher assumed my race
Submitted by parent on June 04, 2019

Not necessarily a prep-school experience like you might find elsewhere in town. I personally see this as a good thing. If you'd otherwise see yourselves as a public school family but you are dismayed by the garbage happening in PPS, you'll be a great fit for Falk. It is an easygoing culture that fosters student independence. They'll graduate ready to think for themselves and assert themselves and face any problem thrown at them.
Submitted by parent on April 18, 2017

This school is full of creative and well-rounded children. Falk not only teaches kids to be academically ready for the next stage of their lives, but also to be KIND and loving people. The world always needs an abundance of kind, loving people.
Submitted by parent on March 28, 2016

Hands down the best elementary school in Pittsburgh. Unlike anywhere else and unwaveringly committed to what is good for kids. You need to see it to believe it. More on par with the types of schools you see in Manhattan or on the West Coast. Innovative and progressive. Check it out. We couldn't see our kids at any other school!
Submitted by student on March 02, 2016

Falk is truly a wonderful school. The teachers are dedicated and willing to help each and every one of the students. Overall, it is a wonderful learning environment and a great place to be.
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2015

To the parent below who seems bent on trashing this amazing school, I am responding because I wrote the review from December 2014. Yes, to answer your question - it is legitimate. It is based upon my children's and my family's personal experiences at Falk. I did not quote any promotional materials or tour scripts. What I wrote honestly reflects my experience, and it's just how I write. At this school, curiosity and divergent thinking are highly valued, creativity is woven through so much of the curriculum, and our children's teachers have been outstanding examples of intelligent, sensitive, engaged educators who take the time to KNOW their students and develop a responsive classroom/curriculum. To the 'former parent' below, I am guessing that Falk was not a great fit, for your child and your family? It is a unique place, especially in its orientation of support rather than competition as a community value. For some parents, accountability is everything, and numbers - scores and grades - guide learning over all else. That is not Falk. Some parents and families might have a hard time with that. For me, it is a gift, because it is extraordinarily rare in school choices in this city and region. By all accounts I have heard, Falk's 8th grade graduates leave the school and go on to success at a diverse collection of public and private schools, so I don't think that there is a school-wide 'accountability problem,' unless, that is, you are a parent who wants to see lots of test scores on par with the over-tested typical Pennsylvania public school experience. Falk isn't a 'prep school' and it's not trying to be - instead, in my experience, the teachers value who the students are TODAY, celebrating the child and not trying to fit her into a box, like many other school environments do. The outcome is much more powerful and resonating than a prep school: Falk produces really, really interesting graduates, really interesting *people* who are passionate about learning. I could talk about the mindfulness/yoga program, about the cross-discplinary collaboration last year between Music, Art, Spanish, or about the computer animation my child produced with her classmates... there is so much amazing work happening at Falk. Anyway, I said it in December and I will say it again, because it has been true for us: Falk is a treasure of a school.
Submitted by parent on June 30, 2015

First of all, read the posts from April 2014 and December 2014 with some degree of cynicism. Does the one from December sound legitimate to you? To me, it sounds almost verbatim like the lip service delivered when faculty and administrators tour prospective families through the school. As a past parent from the school, I recognize the one from April as a parent that is also a faculty member and team leader. This person's interest in writing the review is for their own professional gain, rather than to provide reliable information to families searching for exceptional education for their children. While there are certainly some wonderful things that happen in this school, academic rigor (in particular reading and math) is not one of them. If you are considering this school, demand to see the school wide performance results. You may find that there is no true accountability for student performance.
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2014

This year, an exceptional new director/leader has taken the helm of this special treasure of a school. Dr. Suzik understands what is unique and innovative about progressive education, and he has injected the Falk community with a palpable energy and purpose, simply by articulating its culture and its history. This school is truly a gem, unlike any other in the city and region. Parents are valued as partners & collaborators in the education of their child. Students stay curious, engaged, and enthusiastic about learning, from K through 8th grade. Questioning, wondering, and creative thinking are all valued and encouraged. Teachers support individual learners, and they consistently invest in getting to know the students' learning styles and constructing creative, meaningful educational experiences. For example, the K-8 technology curriculum is without a doubt the most innovative one in the city, with programming in middle school, circuitry and electronics in primary, and intermediate students learning (and building) simple machines. In short, a very, very special, intellectually-rigorous, and creative school, filled with inspired, nurturing teachers and a wonderful new director!!
Submitted by parent on April 21, 2014

Falk School is a truly amazing place. I disagree with prior negative reviews. I know many parents that have moved their children here because bullying is not tolerated. The school has a supportive community feel. The teaching is really amazing. The students learn how to ask questions and how to learn. That is true for all subjects through middle school. I did not realize what an amazing education my daughter received at Falk until she enrolled in a very competitive high school program and quickly learned that her Falk training prepared her extremely well. I also learned that high schools are thrilled to have Falk students enroll because they are given the tools to really succeed. My daughter had a clear advantage over her HS classmates as she had learned to complete research papers independently, how to think about scientific experiments & write-up organized science reports & to understand the concepts behind literature & math concepts because of the way it is presented at Falk School. The retiring director has been an amazing leader & knows all of the students by name.
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2014

Everyone seems to agree that the art and music teachers are great here. However, for the most important subjects such as math, science, social study..., the teaching is very weak here, especially in the Middle school. Basically interns are teaching. Lots of complaints from students and parents.
Submitted by parent on August 30, 2013

Bullying is a big problem in this school. Instruction is weaker than many of the leading public schools in the area. There are many wonderful teachers especially in the arts. School leadership is confrontational with parents rather than collaborative. This was a great school before the current director.
Submitted by parent on June 16, 2013

I was actually one of the higher ratings before. The school was far better prior to their recent expansion. It feels like some staff are nonchalant and often don't know what is going on with the now larger population of students. Socioeconomic diversity has also declined. Leadership is lacking. There are many great teachers here though.
Submitted by other on June 01, 2012

Falk is a school like no other. Each day is great because there is no other school that I would want to be at. The Middle school focuses on connecting subjects together to get a better understanding of learning and a community by going to an environmental center for 4 days, 3 nights. Now as an 8th grader I am very sad to make my departure but one of the best things about Falk is that you can come back and visit at any time.