| Date | Who | Comments |
| 8/3/2012 | parent | I moved my family to the Brookwood Cluster 10 years ago as my son began 1st grade. He has continued through the years to recieve an examplary education including many offerings not provided by some of the private schools in the area. Scheduled to begin his Sophomore year at Brookwood High School next week, my wife and I are still very happy. Debra Dees, her staff, the teachers and students all contibute to making the school the premier public school in the county, state and one of the top in the nation. I believe you get out what you put into something, as such, my wife and I are very invloved with the school and community, and see the results we expect. WELL DONE BROOKWOOD!!! |
| 8/2/2012 | other | It is not all of that, there are other schools that are good,too Too, much bragging going on!!! |
| 11/3/2011 | other | Debra Dees is an outstanding principle with a great adminstrative staff! She knows how to work with the teachers to achieve the best results for all students. All new and experienced teachers there rate her as the best leader in the Gwinnett County School System! |
| 11/1/2011 | student | I used to go to a small private school, about 300 students, upon transferring, i wasn't overwhelmed, but the students here aren't very open to new students not are they easy to talk to, and very easy to be judging. I do not recommend this school to students coming from an environment in which they have been in for a substantial number of years. |
| 5/3/2011 | parent | I simply LOVE the Brookwood School district! I've lived in Snellville for the past 10 years and my children were enrolled in 'not so desirable' schools in Gwinnett County. I moved further out in Snellville to become a resident of this school district to afford my children a quality education without having to enroll them in private schools. My daughter is a Freshman at Brookwood High (soon to become a Sophomore) and is doing quite well in the gifted program as well as excelling tremendously in their Orchestra program. Any time I talk about Brookwood High, Brookwood Elementary and A.C. Crews Middle Schools, they all get rave reviews!! As a single parent, the housing costs are a little more expensive, but it's well worth the quality education my children are receiving. |
| 3/9/2011 | other | Dr. Michael E. Schmidt was the head of a committee of three students who were chosen to select the school mascot and colors. The Brookwood school song and fight song were selected by Dr. Michael E. Schmidt and Brookwood's first band director the late Stewart Hughes. Laura Zieker BHS' first choir teacher wrote the words to Brookwood's school song. Both songs were based upon the songs from Tucker High School. Dr. Michael E. Schmidt arranged the first arrangement of Brookwood High School's fight song. The colors chosen were maroon and gold which were based upon the colors of Florida State University. The runner-up choice for Brookwood's color was Carolina blue. The original Brookwood HS logo/mascott selected by the three student committee was a full bronco surrounded by a horseshoe. The current logo is that of a bronco head. The second choice for the school mascot was a bear. |
| 9/28/2010 | teacher | I worked at Brookwood prior to my retirement and I feel that it is one of the best schools I ever taught at. The administration is dynamic and caring towards students, faculty and the community. |
| 6/28/2010 | parent | This is the school to attend in Gwinnett! Everyone knows about Brookwood all over the state. Great academics, high test scores,great sports program, enthusiastic and loyal student body, exceptional teachers, and exemplary parent support. |
| 4/30/2010 | student | Brookwood is a great school but when it comes to time its really bad.I get up at about 6 to go to school because school starts at 7 20 |
| 10/4/2009 | student | I love Brookwood because it is a really great school and they give us a lot of freedom. |
| 8/25/2009 | parent | this school is really bad when it comes to time..... my son gets up about 5 and comes home super tired... |
| 8/6/2009 | student | As a Brookwood graduate and a current student at one of the top universities in the nation, I believe my experience at the school was a wholly positive one. The school is not perfect. The counseling staff is subpar in terms of handling student application to college, and the large student body makes personal relationships with guidance counselors next to impossible. Furthermore, we as a school have poor relationships with the top universities, which bars BHS's top students from gaining acceptance. The school has problems, mainly those of drinking and drug usage, but these are sporadic and (contrary to Hollywood depiction) not the norm. I had some of the best teachers while at BHS, who inspired me to love learning. BHS is a first-class store situated in a last-place state, but it is still fabulous. |
| 6/10/2009 | student | Not just the best school of the county, but perhaps the best school in Georgia. I'd only attended that school for about 3 month before transferring to another school and I really regretted Brookwood. |
| 5/15/2009 | parent | I attended school in the North and I could only have dreamed of attending a public school as fine as Brookwood. When one considers the quality of academics, and the vast extra curricular offerings, it is hard to find a more well rounded school. Parent participation is fabulous. Teachers are always willing to go the extra mile to help them if the student shows the desire for help. Perfect? No. But as in life, the students get out of school, what they put into it. I am very proud to be a Brookwood parent and am extremely happy I live in this district. My children are as prepared as they can be for college and for life. I feel grateful that my children could attend such a fine cluster of schools and know they will look back fondly on their school experience. |
| 4/22/2009 | student | Excellent school. I know that it is in one of the lowest scoring states but it still produces results high above the national average. I feel very safe there. The good thing about it being such a large school is that you will find a friend. The studious types don't need to be worried as there are many high acheivers to comfort them. |
| 4/2/2009 | student | I am a current student here, and i really dislike it. I feel like they only care about really smart and over achieving students and not the average ones, like myself. Also the school rules i really hate, they are ridiculus |
| 3/24/2009 | parent | Oh please, The negative comments are ridiculous. This is a fine school. The writer below who wrote 'you get out of it what you put into it' is right. The person warning parents of color ought to be ashamed. Color doesn't have anything to do with it. All parents should be active in the school and community. If you're a good parent, and raise responsible children - you will love this school. |
| 3/3/2009 | parent | This school has great opportunities but falls short in terms of recognition and appreciation of diversity. Caution to parents of color to avoid passive interactions with faculty and staff and instead to become very active in the school and community life. Pay particular attention to the curriculum and ensure that your child is enrolled in the most rigorous courses possible. If enrolled in the feeder for many years, you may be at a disadvantage and missed opportunities. Tutoring and additional support may be needed to get your child up to the level of meeting all the artificial guidelines for enrollment in advanced coursework. Advocate for your child and remind administrators that this is in fact a public school and that children have the right to make a 'C' in challenging courses. There appears to be many gatekeepers and barriers to access and equity around rigor. |
| 6/24/2008 | parent | There's an old saying: 'You get out of it what you put into it'. Brookwood offers a fine education. Fortunately, my child is taking an all-AP schedule in her senior year. We are thankful for all the opportunities this school has given to her. Looking forward to graduation with honors in '09. |
| 4/23/2008 | student | This is a terrible school. It is a very unsafe environment filled with troubled kids, druggies, and an administration that is unhelpful if you were to need them. |
| 4/20/2008 | student | I am currently a junior at Brookwood and this is my first school year here. Coming from a highly rated (to 10) public high school from Massachusetts (which ranks 2nd in the nation), I would say that Brookwood is an great school but could use some serious improvement in some areas. Don't completely belive statements from people saying its one of the best schools in Georgia because they're talking about a state that ranks 41st in the nation for education. Being a gifted and AP student I would say that the gifted/AP teachers are highly qualified and now what they are doing! A plethora of clubs/organizations and excellent athletic program to participatein . Note that some negatives include a large percentage of low-achieving students, drug use, some non-caring teachers (especially at the CP level), way too leanient requirements for taking AP courses, and excessive amount |
| 3/28/2008 | parent | I have 4 children that went to BHS, It is a great public school. There's adequate money in the area. Parents support all the programs with time and money! This makes Brookwood one of the top schools in the country! the best in the south. |
| 3/13/2008 | student | My experience at Brookwood was a very negative one. The teachers I had were not very interested or interesting. The sports programs are filled with nepotism, so many good atheletes are not able to participate. Bullies and fights were very common! Drug usage and drinking is common as well. I only knew how bad this school was after moving and attending a really great school, and realizing I was in a micro-managed, over-rated, and completely phony educational environment. The kids who like it there don't know any better. Newsflash: 48th in the nation is not a good thing, and the lies about Brookwood being the best in the state are simply self-propagated propaganda, necessary to keep everyone their thinking all is well. Will be attending medical school upon graduation........No thanks to Broke-wood. |
| 12/27/2007 | student | I am a freshman here at Brookwood. I couldn't wait to come here. It is just like elementary school the kids and faculty are nice. You also feel alot safer since their are cameras, so bullies beware. Their are peer leaders all over helping people. Our sports teams are the finest in the states just like the test results. |
| 8/28/2007 | student | Brookwood is a good school but could be better if you had more time to change classes |
| 3/29/2007 | student | I am currently a student at Brookwood, and I believe that Brookwood is a good school considering it is in Georgia, but compared to the schooling in other states, it is not as good. The best quality of Brookwood is the gifted program, if you get a teacher who treats you like a Gifted student. A good example of a teacher at Brookwood is my current Biology teacher, he presents students with many challenges as Gifted students and treats the students like College level students, preparing us for our years ahead. |
| 2/24/2007 | parent | The school is mediocre. I think the grammar and spelling of the alumni who have posted on this site tells the tale better than I ever could. |
| 1/8/2007 | student | As a student at Brookwood I think the school is absolutely horrible. Most of the children at that school have their own set of friends and do not feel the need to make others feel welcome. Some of the teachers are very nice and then you'll run into some others who just want to ruin your day. |
| 6/16/2006 | former student | as a brookwood alumni and in the usaf i love brookwood. i think that it is probably the best school in the state. all of those who say that the school is stereotypicle are wrong. i went there and it is but it is not. it is all where your chold wants to fit in. i played football for brookwood also. and the one person that said that the athletic programs where not as good as they seem is totally wrong. i would not be able to do what i do today if it where not for the football prgram at brrokwood. if your son or daughter does not have the drive to excell then take them out of the school and bring them to another like parkview. brookwood leads the way in the area and if you do not believe so then leave the school. |
| 2/10/2006 | student | I am a brookwood student and personally think the school is fantastic. It is academically competent and is well rounded. However I am slightly disturbed by the number of students that are currently enrolled. Projections for next year show that over 3,400 students will call brookwood their alma mater. Other than that the school is absolutely fabulous |
| 10/21/2005 | parent | We have three daughters who graduated from BHS and have also graduated from the colleges of their choice. They were very prepared for college, having taken honors, gifted, and advanced placement classes in high school. We were very involved in all of their activities (sports, the arts, and academics),attended every meeting and activity, and volunteered whenever needed. It is a school that demands much in order to best prepare their students for the next phase of their lives. The parent volunteers are enthusiastic and hard working. Our children have wonderful memories, as do we, and we still attend school sports and cultural activities. |
| 8/24/2005 | former student | As a former Brookwood student and current Emory University student, I believe that Brookwood more than adequately prepared me for college. The number and quality of the AP, gifted and honors classes really helped me succeed in college, and eased the transition from high school to college. The large number of sports teams, music and art clubs, and academic clubs makes it easy for every student to find something they enjoy, and makes it easy to find friends with common interests. I think Brookwood is an outstanding high school. Anyone can succeed at this high school if they just take advantage of the boundless opportunities available at this school. |
| 8/13/2005 | student | Brookwood has some very good teachers but the ratio of teachers to students is very low. There are over 3000 students at Brookwood and that number is only increasing. The school is over crowded and is has been for the last year essentially a constution zone. |
| 8/5/2005 | parent | All 3 of my kids graduated from Brookwood & went on to garduate from UGA. There are 3,000 kids at this school. The sports teams are like semi-pro teams requiring a high degree of talent to even make the team. So what?! The very best kids get to play & my kids sat on the bench. This is as it should be. Are politics involved?...of course there are with a multi-milliomn dollar sports program & parents who believe their kid is the best athlete in the school. Feelings get hurt here, but, as always, the most talented students & athletes have a better experience. All kids are not created equal. Brookwood does a good job of allowing alternative outlets for kids who aren't semi-pro athletes. My son became a lawyer after his debate experience and my daughters matriculated easily into the University environment. Brookwood allows each kid to develop. |
| 4/1/2005 | former student | As a college student and former student of Brookwood High it is clear that I was given a superior high school education in comparison with most high school students across the state of Georgia. Several of the parents that have expressed displeasure with Brookwood on this site blame the 'elitist' attitude of many affiliated with the high school. The 'elitist' label is usually applied to high achieving schools and organizations and obviously breeds jealousy and envy amoung those who are not apart of the success. I suggest those parents and students that have had difficulties at Brookwood mostlikely lack the acheivement mentality that most Brookwood students embody. Despite its reputation for atheletic excellence, Brookwood's success is not limited to atheletics. Brookwood excels in academics, art, debate, etc. There are so many opportunities for success at Brookwood. If your child is not successful you should blame the child and not the school. |
| 3/20/2005 | former student | As a former student and a current student at the University of Georgia, I think of Brookwood as one of the very best schools in the state. It completely prepared me academically for UGA. My teachers were wonderful, the classes were challenging, and my experience was unforgettable. I resent the stereotype that Brookwood has been given not only by outsiders, but appearantly also by its own parents. Striving for excellence (in academics and athletics) and elitism are not the same thing. The teachers at Brookwood are wonderful and helped me when I was there, getting into college, and I keep in touch with many of them to this day. Brookwood was the ideal high school for me and the vast majority of my classmates and is owed a lot for our success. I wish that I could send my own kids there one day. |
| 2/4/2005 | parent | As a parent. I am in total aggreement with the parent who voiced thier feelings in the posted passage. I feel that while Brookwood has fairly good academics the actual school is snobish and based souly on economic standards. Even when it comes to sports you will find that most of the teams look better than they play. I have found that the administration is far too selective when it comes to dress code and that they single out minorities. ( I am caucasion by the way and I have still observed this)When it comes to the actual students, you will find that not only are the people cliqish yet it seems as though you must be reminded of thier bureaucracy every day!I too would not ever wish this type of experience on any high schooler! |
| 1/2/2005 | parent | I have been very disappointed in the high school experience that my children have had in the Brookwood system. While the academic scores are good, the faculty caters primarily to the top-tier students and has little concern for the average student. Unfortunately, the coaching staffs tend to take the same approach on the various athletic fields and courts. Many good athletes are overlooked. Even those of us whose children have made some of the various teams have seen the dark side of Brookwood sports. The politics, arrogance, & elitism of the Brookwood community has also been a grave disappointment. Having grown up in the Parkview system and being familiar with the culture of many of the north metro schools, I would not recommend Brookwood to any family. Affluent housing, BMW's, & attitude are highly over-rated. There are better places to raise your kids. |
| 9/10/2004 | parent | Brookwood High provides the type of educational and social environment for my children that I wish I could have had. |
| 7/26/2004 | parent | I have twin daughters that have attended Brookwood since 9th grade and will be seniors this year. Both have soared at this school. Most of the teachers and staff are very friendly and professional. When one or both girls were ill their teachers would email their assignments to them. I haven't encountered any problems with brookwood at all. It is a no nonsence type of school with strict dress codes. I would recommend this school to any serious minded student. J. Bland |
| 6/17/2004 | parent | I moved to this school district thinking that brookwood was one of the top schools. But soon found out that my children were doing very poorly in their grades, not because of teachers, but because of the students at Brookwood. As my kids tell there is a load peer pressure put on them. |
| 2/23/2004 | parent | We are new to this school system. The move was hard enough, but teachers here don't seem to be understanding and listen to the students. Our daughter is a good kid, making all A's and B's for the most part. However, most of the teachers seem to be trying to be the hardest teacher and classify all students the same. Some of the stories she tells sound like the teachers never really listen. Maybe the teachers should read Moulder Of Dreams by Guy Doud. |
| 11/29/2003 | parent | This is a very good school. Almost all senior students take SAT test. The average test score was over 1100 for 2002 and 1090 for 2003. Many students go to Georgia Tech and University of Georgia for college degree. My son enjoyed the Brookwood marching band so much that he even joined the marching band at Georgia Tech. |
| 11/17/2003 | parent | I am not very happy with Brookwood High School. It 's a great school if your kid is an athlete or is a very motivated student. But kids like mine who are bright but don't fit in to the regular classroom struggle and the teachers and administrators don't seem to care. I keep hitting brick walls. There are very few options for alternative schools on the high school level and I seem to get no help from the school system to figure this all out. I have a master's degree in psychology with a lot of knowledge about child development and education. I can only imagine how parents with similar kids but little knowledge of the process must feel. |
