The Harker School

500 Saratoga Avenue

San Jose, CA 95129

31 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on July 14, 2024

I am a Lifer (K-12) alumnus. I would never put my child through what I went through at Harker, and every peer I have stayed in touch with feels the same. Harker's current head, Brian Yager, is one of the worst leaders I have ever witnessed, of any institution -- a remarkable lesson in what NOT to do as a leader.For the markers shown here of what makes a good school, Harker stands poorly on each and every one; even on safety, which one would expect a basic guarantee for a $60,000/year+ school. There were numerous safety issues during my time there: assault accusations against teachers, intruders onto campus, articles on which can easily be found in the news; exposure to drugs through student dealers, vaping on campus and even in class; and certainly a lack of emotional safety (scarring bullying from elementary school onwards, which only took different forms as we got older).Though parents like to comfort themselves with this assertion after spending $600,000+ on a Lifer education here, this is most certainly not the "best school in the Bay Area." I understand the value of private schooling. If you are opposed to religious private schools, consider the pedagogical approach and student experience at the other secular options in the Bay -- for instance, Nueva, Castilleja, Menlo -- in terms valuing holistic development, resources for student well-being, nurturing community and care for one another, and pedagogy that responds to what students really need to thrive in the 21st. c. Harker relies on a fading prestige as parents become more and more cognizant that nothing is worth such harm to their children's well-being. Harker encourages achievement for achievement's sake, harboring toxic approaches to life like poor health habits, zero-sum-game thinking, self-centeredness, a willingness to compromise integrity for perceived success/achievement..Sincerely, the consequences are life-long.Your child only gets one childhood. Do not let it be lost to this school. One parent in these reviews said a family value is to prioritize raising good human beings over relentless achievers. THANK YOU to this parent. I promise you, it is possible to do both. Your child DESERVES an education that treasures them, that will nurture both character and intellect. A Harker education is myopic and singularly-focused. It comes at the cost of everything that matters in life, that I would wish most for my own children if I were a parent. Please, consider other options.
Submitted by parent on March 27, 2023

Harker is a fantastic academically focused college prep school with great teachers, outstanding extracurricular activities(performing arts, speech/debate, journalism, STEM) and facilities. The support from teachers, administrators and staff is phenomenal. Students are provided ample opportunities to succeed in different avenues.But having said that, the program better supports students who are driven and fairly smart to begin with. Not so much students who may not be in that bracket. Their requirements for getting into AP and Honors classes in high school explains it all - unless a student has an A in the prerequisite class, they are not allowed to take the corresponding AP and Honors classes. And the AP structuring through high school is such that if a student does not start off in an Honors class Freshman year, they stand a very small chance of getting into APs through ALL years of high school. This work against students who mostly get Bs. They end up graduating with very few/no APs. Whereas, public schools do not have stringent prerequisite requirements for taking AP classes.Inspite of being a college prep school, the college counseling support is fairly minimal..the counselors meet students maybe 3 times through high school and provide information.. but don't guide the students. They also meet students junior year..which is too late to start guiding the students for college admissions. The education secured at Harker will possibly have long term benefits. But if acceptance at a top college is your only goal at Harker, this review might serve as an eye-opener.
Submitted by parent on February 09, 2023

It would be an understatement that Harker is a great school. In all my experience only Harker has the learning resources and teachers to truly advance your child in academics. I attended Harker for 13 years K-12, which is easily the best school in the bay. Harker is known for unrivaled programs and academics, which is clear the moment you enter a classroom. The teachers at Harker are amazing at what they do and like have 1on1 time with students to discuss projects and help them with what they are confused about. I have friends who attend public schools in San Jose like Chaboya, Challenger, and Mitty and when I compare my assignments to theirs it is clear that Harker is way ahead of the rest. The assignments and textbooks at Chaboya are nearly 3 grades behind those at Harker and comparing Harker with Challenger its clear that Challenger assigns a lot of work but doesn't nail the subject that they're trying to teach. Overall if you are looking for a private school in the bay area to send your child to The Harker School demolishes every other school on academics, athletics, and the overall community.
Submitted by parent on September 22, 2021

For lunch a school that markets themselves as a STEM school they have failed to use technology to communicate with students, parents, and staff. The school has 3 tracks for kids for math and language arts but they are not based on academic performance but the child’s executive functioning. The school can’t articulate the difference between the tracks for language arts. Diversity and Inclusion is a big issue at this school. They do not encourage different approaches to thinking and children are discouraged from approaching problems using their own mindset. The teachers are hit or miss just like public school. They have known issues with teachers that bully kids and they have nothing to address it.
Submitted by student on June 19, 2020

Best school ever. I have attended here k-12.
Submitted by parent on December 14, 2019

Probably the best High School in the SF Bay Area, with a margin. Outstanding facilities, excellent teachers and counselors, effective administration. Above all, an outstanding curriculum with excellent AP courses, and a rich set of extra-curricular activities. Downside: highly competitive, so there is pressure, and less diverse.
Submitted by parent on March 30, 2019

Good academics. Terrible for children’s social emotional development even very smart ones.
Submitted by parent on February 26, 2019

Not worth the expense. The longer you stay in this school, the harder it is to convince your child to move. The school does an excellent job of marketing and some in the parent community are complicit in this effort, even though they are unhappy with the school. It may be the right school for some kids, so take the time to talk to a lot of parents. Do not depend on the school or the parents that the school refers you to. Talk to ones who can give you the right feedback on what is right and what is not.
Submitted by parent on November 06, 2018

We have had several of our kids at Harker for a few years. We continue to be impressed by the quality of instruction, the varied subjects offered as well as levels of pace offered for the same subjects, allowing each student to really dig deep into the areas of study that they are particularly interested in. There are students who are deep into STEM, others deep into performing arts (drama, musical performance, dance, sculpture/art, etc.), debate, business, etc., & they all meld together in common courses and their advisory experience.We looked @ literally each of the private schools from the East Bay to South Bay to the peninsula up through S. San Francisco & continue to feel now that Harker stands out in terms of its breadth and quality of academic and extracurricular offerings, its incredible history of preparing students for college and post-college life, along with a level of interest by the administration and instructors in the student's welfare & success that feels great to us.
Submitted by parent on March 29, 2018

We plan on leaving the school, so I think that says a lot.We are prioritizing being "good human beings" over "achievers" but pretty sure we can find both elsewhere.
Submitted by other on May 24, 2016

It is very expensive. Most schools around it in cupertino, west San Jose, Los ALtos and saratoga are equally good.If a child has a learning disability, any private school is not required to provide IEP. We found the school counselor was not responsive to my child's needs although we did a lot of expensive medical testing and medication for diagnosed condition. A public school is legally required to provide IEP and we are switching next year.
Submitted by parent on April 08, 2016

We have really enjoyed watching our children thrive at Harker. One of the most important factors has been that each teacher takes a personal interest in our children's welfare and performance. The safety factor is huge--from personal observation we have seen how well the school maintains its facilities, and how after school staff monitors student activity. The academics are tough, but interesting and entirely doable by any reasonably intelligent, hard working child as long as the parents support the child's efforts and help with homework. We are proud to be a Harker family and know that these years, and this excellent education, will resonate with our children for the rest of their lives.
Submitted by parent on August 16, 2015

We absolutely love this school. Having arrived from NY we weren't sure what to expect but to say it is above our expectations is an understatement. A brilliant mix of academics, arts and sports. The school is very organised, believes is respect and community and has a high level of communications with parents. We could not be happier!
Submitted by parent on June 14, 2014

Based on my 15-year recent experience with Harker where my two children attended kindergarten through high school, Harker is a rewarding investment toward academic, extracurricular, and social excellence and toward admission in top colleges. Based on any metric, Harker is undoubtedly the best school in the Bay Area and is one of the best schools in the nation. The results speak for themselves.
Submitted by parent on February 17, 2014

When we were looking at schools, our goal was to find a community that would take a whole child approach to education -- nurturing their character and curiosity as well as their intellect. We're grateful to have found that at Harker. As parents I believe we all have the same dreams for our children For them to grow to be creative, independent thinkers who regard learning not only as a core strength but as a life-long passion. For them to be continually inspired, and in turn, inspire those around them. And most importantly, for our children to be happy and resilient as they grow to pursue their own path.. Every year, we watch our children realize a little more and more of those dreams with a sense of awe and profound gratitude. We are grateful for the teachers who carefully nurture their curiosity and encourage their out-of-the-box questions; the athletic, performing arts, and journalism departments that foster their spirit and sense of team; and their peer group who serve as uniquely caring allies. We have 3 kids with very different personalities/learning styles. One of Harker's internal mantras is "Challenged, not stressed" and we have found that to be true.
Submitted by parent on February 04, 2014

What I have been amazed by is how well my child's teachers really know her. For example, at parent teacher conferences, a few mentioned my reserved kid's sense of humor which is rather subtle. Teachers are quick to respond to parent emails and always go the extra mile to make sure my child is happy and confident. I love that she gets four days a week of PE where they really teach skills, and art instruction and music every week and a SEL component. The curriculum has age appropriate performing arts and public speaking opportunities starting in Kindergarten so the kids become confident in front of an audience. Finally, I was a little nervous about over intense academics and competition and cannot be more pleasantly surprised that it isn't the pressure cooker at all that I imagined. Harker stresses "challenge without stress" and there are three levels of language arts and math to meet their needs starting in K. My child started at the lowest level and has moved up after she learned to read (did not come in reading) and shown the ability to take on more challenge. Even at the first level, she was at least .5-1 year ahead of her public school friends. We are very pleased with Harker!
Submitted by other on January 17, 2014

Having graduated, I realize that Harker really is a special place. It has prepared me so well for college that all the classes I have taken at university so far have been easy. The details and facts every student learns in school don t matter, but rather, the way students think and analyze determines their success. When you get a job, your boss will not care about your GPA, but rather he will care about how you think. If I prize anything that Harker has taught me, it is that I know how to think. None of my friends at college understand how special Harker is, because in truth, nowhere really compares. Treasure every moment of your Harker experience, because sooner than later, you will graduate and you will be expected to live your own life, perhaps even to make a difference in the lives of others. I used to think that the Harker moto, K through Life was a little exaggerated, but now I see that we alumni will carry a bit of Harker within ourselves forever, and everything we do will reflect back on the school. That s something that can only be realized once you leave, so I urge all remaining students, make the most of Harker, because you will truly never be in a place like it again.
Submitted by other on August 01, 2013

If you want your kids to grow up with a love for learning, send them here. The "cool" kids here are the smart ones, and students legitimately enjoy helping each other and watching each other succeed. I attended Harker for many years, and I can confidently say that the classroom experiences and lifelong friendships I picked up instilled in me not only a passion for knowledge, but also a closely-knit network of amazing friends who are going on to do great things. Watch out in 10-20 years--many of our country's leaders will count themselves as Harker alumni!
Submitted by other on July 21, 2013

Fantastic school! Though it's very expensive and it pushes the students to the MAX, it's a great school where the students truly learn.
Submitted by other on July 17, 2013

Harker's learning environment is something unique. While I was a student, I always felt surrounded by creative, quirky, and passionate classmates and faculty. It was a great place to learn, challenge assumptions, and be challenged. The school offers quite a range of classes, and very thorough college counseling.