Summit Public School: Rainier

1750 South White Road

San Jose, CA 95127

36 Reviews

School District

East Side Union High
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:20
Type

charter

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Reviews

Submitted by other on August 16, 2020

Sad but not surprising would describe the final year of Rainier. The higher ups in the Summit system ignored this school for years and the closure was inevitable. The teachers are fantastic, nothing bad about them at all. The students could fit into two groups, the ones who wanted a real school feeling and a real community(bless their heart) and the ones who did not care or worse acted out against the school. This is a FLAWED system, the summit system is. If you struggled in middle school, but have good habits and just need a smaller community and a fresh start, then the school is O.K. B average public school students can sleep through their 4 years and get a 4.0+. The you gets you INTO college, they do not teach you anything you will NEED in college. I do not know how the Summit system still exists, it is a grade booster for students who never would’ve made it into college in a public school. The habits you must learn on your own is far more relevant then anything summit can teach you. To long/ Didn’t Read-DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS TO A SUMMIT SCHOOL! BOTH YOUR CHILD AND YOUR WALLET WILL REGRET IT IN COLLEGE!
Submitted by parent on October 21, 2019

Having had 1 student graduate from Summit Rainier and a current student at the school, our family's experience has been overall very positive. They do not miss going to the large neighborhood high school that has almost 3000 students. They were able to make new friends at the school, despite not having their friends from middle school join them. And they were able to meet a larger number of students from a wider socio-economic background.
Submitted by parent on October 17, 2019

Amazing school!! We have a daughter that graduated & another currently enrolled.
Submitted by parent on October 17, 2019

Incredible! He has been happy at school for the first time ever. We have been so happy with this school and so glad he attends!
Submitted by teacher on April 16, 2019

I've never worked at a more collaborative school, where everyone I work with is student-centered and goes out of their way to make sure their kids are successful throughout the high school and college prep process.
Submitted by other on September 27, 2018

As a member of the first graduating class of Rainier, I do regret attending this school because of the politics of the administration that made its way inside of my classroom. In my opinion and in observation of my fellow alumni, those of which I still keep in touch with, a majority of them were not adequately prepared to attend college and, nearly four years from graduation, they are not on track to finish any time soon - certainly not on time. The best part about this school without a doubt is the teaching staff. They are the most hardworking faculty that I have ever had the privilege of sharing a classroom with. Unfortunately, every single teacher that taught me in the course of my four years here, with the exception of two, have left the school. In talking with a few of them before they left, they explained that Summit asked a lot of them but did not compensate them enough for their work.
Submitted by student on April 23, 2018

i would rate this school as a 4 out of 5.
Submitted by parent on April 18, 2018

As a parent I really like everything that this school offers..... I have my 2 kids in this school, one junior and one senior. The Senior has been accepted to the university he wanted to go, and I think it has to do with the classes, mentors and everything this school offer and off course with my kid.
Submitted by parent on June 27, 2017

As a parent of a 2017 graduate it was disappointing that the overall experience for my son was a constant challenge. If your family has conservative views not a school for your son or daughter. If a more hands on approach by teacher to student is an expectation not a school for your son or daughter. If your expectation is a staff of experienced teachers in a HS environment not a school for your son or daughter. If your expectation is an Administration that has leadership qualities that embraces teaching rather than personal political ideologies again not a school for your son or daughter
Submitted by student on November 08, 2015

This school lied to me, and I cant get those 4 wasted years back. Please do not send your children to this school, you will regret it. The administration is sloppy, the teaching staff is (mostly) horrible, and the teaching method itself cannot be practically executed with the resources they have. "college ready" is something a school says to get you to enroll. Unless you have been in college, you cannot actually be "college ready". They can try to set you up for it, but that is not something that I have seen this school even ATTEMPT to do. Teachers come and go each year, destroying the whole "Academic Mentor" thing, They consistently hire teachers that use this school as training for a real one, You can turn projects in late (which is bittersweet, considering sometimes teachers didn't even tell us that we had them), And finally, most teachers didn't even teach, they were too busy trying to make themselves feel in command for the first time (since most Rainier teachers are fresh out of college, or are first timers).To be brutally honest, I gave this school two stars instead of one because it doesn't have P.E. (If it did, I wouldn't even have considered staying.)
Submitted by student on April 20, 2015

As a four-year attendee, I feel I am justified to say that Summit Rainier has a flaw or two... or three, or four, or five. The school makes audacious statements that it is college preparatory, but from what I can tell, it is quite the opposite. You cannot turn in work weeks late in college, nor can you occupy your professor's time whenever you feel like it. Summit allows this, though. It is also next to impossible for the CEO of Summit to care less about the voices concerning these issues. A handful teachers are either inexperienced or unprofessional, using swear words enough for you to notice. For some, I'm unsure if there were even background checks performed on them. Finally, the teaching / learning model is optimized for students who would do fine with or without a teacher, while unmotivated students awkwardly flounder without any assistance or recognition by any of the staff. Overall, the only thing I'm happy about regarding this school is that I'm leaving in one year.
Submitted by parent on October 19, 2014

I am a parent of a senior at Summit Rainier. Anyone that says they don't prepare our kids for college is absolutely insane. I have seen students in our mentor group go from no hope of even graduating high school to being excited about their GPA and knowing exactly what they need to do to get into the college of their choice. The only other school that can hold a candle to Summit in preparing an ENTIRE student body for college is KIPP collegiate. Other schools have traditionally prepared a very small percentage of kids for college. And of course it is not all rainbows, no school is. But one thing I know for sure is that when I have brought the school a problem I feel like my concern is validated and the problem is addressed. I am so glad that we have a great option for our students. It is different than the "traditional" high school but give it a few years and I am sure more schools will follow Summit's lead.
Submitted by student on May 15, 2014

Teachers at this school are excellent because they are always willing to help you. If you want to push higher then the standard curriculum, they'll certainly help you self-study for AP exams. If you're behind, they are always there for officer hours. It's the dedication that matters and not that nearly all went to top universities such as Stanford and UC Berkeley. Curriculum is designed to be very consistent and fair, you're work is exactly graded to the curriculum. No biased, easy grading or quirks. That being said, students have a huge problem. I mean, teachers are great right, what else could be wrong? It's themselves. There is a culture of victimhood that infects most people. You will see many kids not actually trying and rather goof off until grades are turned in, then blame the school. Clubs are a mess since most (save for like two) don't do anything due to lack of participation by the greater population (thankfully we have plenty in sports). I mean, if you're an outsider kid who knows how to deal with people like that you'l be fine. They can actually be nice. I do think that the school will be better as more dedicated freshmen arrive. It's much better then most schools tbh.
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2014

This school has really been great for my child. The teachers are fantastic. They really care a great deal about the students and often help them after hours (on their own time). We have a lot of cf caring and dedicated parents that often help the school. They are very hands on.
Submitted by parent on January 10, 2014

As a parent and community member, I am deeply disappointed in Summit High School in San Jose. They have subscribed to a very radical approach across the board in their learning model. The students are in an independent study with little guidance. Regrettably, Summit San Jose does not emulated the Redwood City Summit School's teaching model of success.
Submitted by parent on November 05, 2013

I can honestly say as a parent what I wanted in a high school is a safe environment where the kids can learn and be happy. I found it at Summit Rainier. Not all high schools fit all kids but this one is wonderful with the most caring teachers I have ever trusted my kids to. Very happy.
Submitted by parent on October 24, 2013

I love the teachers and parents. There is a sense of community, which is wonderful.
Submitted by student on October 22, 2013

Rainier is a small school. This school is small because we value a tight, close knit community. After we moved to the Mt. Pleasant campus, we experienced some logistical problems. We were placed into portables (they are actually very nice) and were deprived of running water. Some of the science rooms have sinks that are operated by a pump, and the bathroom is far away. I am surprised about how almost none of the comments mention that every student has their own Chromebook, and with a 1-1 computer program, the majority of our courses are online, with the teacher acting as guidance, help, and support. Another great feature about this school is that we have some strong clubs, which are made and ran by the students. I want to address that issue that there are some individuals who do not take this seriously and take the program for granted. I want to say that this occurs in every public school. Overall, this school is definitely above average. The teachers are close to you and it is very hard it be lonely in this school. The academic program is different and technology based.
Submitted by parent on October 14, 2013

We really like the attention our daughter got from her teachers. We also like the fact that the students are doing a lot of practical projects to re-inforce the theories and textbook lectures. With projects, the students are gaining a lot more in-dept understanding of the subjects. The facility is not great, but it's a trade off. We are happy about the school !!
Submitted by parent on October 08, 2013

The teachers and mentors are awesome. They really care about the kids and consistently check in with them.