Sam Houston High School in Houston, Texas

“The teachers at Sam Houston focus too much on the rules of the dress code that they dont teach us anything. They fight with us over little things. Some of the teachers are actually REALLY great teachers but others just lack off. The students I know are really smart, they just hate the way teachers treat them.”
This review was posted by a student.

“Sam Houston is a joke. Constant new changes are made to where stability is zero for the students. Nothing ever stays the same. There is so much politics going on in the administration that the true focus seems to be on keeping a job rather than teaching the student. Pitiful situation.”
This review was posted by a teacher.

“Another year gone by and what do you think the TAKS score are like again? Another change in leadership and more changes in staff. There is not enough stability within the staff at Sam to provide a clear vision of direction year after year. I am glad that a few of the students go on to college but am very concerned that there are too many that are not being reached. State test scores do count for something and if the standards are not being met then there is something that is not working for the benefit of all students. The changes that need to be made to make the turn upward are not being addressed.”
This review was posted by a other.

“When the public thinks of Sam Houston, they might think drugs and drop-outs, but that's not the case. We are a school that is truly trying to strive for success with the help of dedicated teachers who want the students to learn. I'm proud of my school.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I am in my second year at UT-Austin and doing quite well. My years at Sam Houston High School fully prepared me for my studies here. People may criticize Sam, but it is a place that offers a tough program if kids accept the challenges. The teachers and administration are certainly focused on preparing kids to be successful after high school. It is certainly much different than the Sam Houston of the past. I am a VERY PROUD Alumni!!!”
This review was posted by a other.

“I recently graduated from Sam Houston and I am now attending UT. The faculty and staff helped me during my senior year apply for college and financial aid. They are really trying to help out the students. I see improvement since the last 3 years.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I do not see that any improvements have been made at Sam Houston. So many new things have been introduced at the school over the last 7 years and none of them have changed anything. I thought that the changes that have happened in the past 4 years might make the school better but they have not.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Sam Houston is a dreadful school, and I will pull my daughter out next year. The quality of teaching is not quality at all. There is too much time spent on TAKS and benchmarks and basic material that is dumbed down for the weakest students in the class. The advanced classes are not advanced, nowhere near what my nieces and nephews are getting at Mayde Creek.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Walk the halls of Sam Houston High School and you will find a great school! Nothing like it was 5 to 10 yrs. ago! The teachers care about kids and they want them to be successful. My kids and their friends, know that everyone at the school has high expectations of them, so they do what they are supposed to do. The public needs to stop bad mouthing the school based on what it used to be. This is for sure a new and terrific Sam Houston High School!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The best school In The World, you will find no other school like sam houston. you learn and have the best 4 years of your life”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Sam Houston has made tremendous gains in the last couple of years. My son graduated in '01 and my daughter will be a sophomore this next year, I can honestly say that I am extremely pleased with the changes and progress that everyone at the school has been making. I firmly believe that with the teachers that are now at Sam, and having a safe campus, only great things will happen.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Although the school has had a bad reputation, as a parent I really believe that things are really turning around in a very promising way. As a parent who stays in contact with my daughter's teachers, I have always had good responses from them (even when my daughter was in the wrong). So it is time to be supportive and give the new teachers and administration a chance.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Their music program is not satisfactory other than that I think they are progressing in the academic work.”
This review was posted by a student.

“Firedrills several times a week i a usual thing. Nobody is doing any homework. Doing make-up, reading newspapers and listnening to music in the classroom is a usual thing. Students are rude and disrespectful. Teachers don't care. Severe drug problems.”
This review was posted by a staff.

“I have volunteered at Sam Houston H.S. since 1982. Negative factors in the past: parents with 2or3 jobs, low number of community youth programs, low school funding, high risk activity, low tax revenue base, and critical parents who do not involve themselves proactively. Positive factors currently: Administrative cohesion, increased student extracurricular involvement, focusing on Student Leadership & Character Development, HISD awareness of progress Current needs: Parents who will support their children beyond the 6th grade, after school tutoring program volunteers, alumni who have done well to come back to speak of their success story. My focus has generally been with the at-promise students (i don't like calling them at-risk) who will ALWAYS respond positively to someone who invests time in their lives. Success is hard work, and many of these students will do well, if they have someone to encourage them, instead of criticize them. The students will rise to our expectations. Gracias!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Sam Houston was not the greatest school. It was and still is one of the lowest performing schools in Houston. The problem with this school is at different levels. One is parent involvement which is minimal. Another is the quality of teachers. Although I had some great teachers in Math, English and History, there were some teachers who I seriously wondered how they were ever allowed to teach. Yet another issue is the amount of discipline that teachers have to deal with. In one class, there was a student who constantly disturbed the learning environment and the assistant principals nor the principal removed this kid. However in extracurricular activities, the school was great in involving students. In the end, it is what you make of it. My graduating class had many students go on to college and universities.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“It seems to be getting a little better this year.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“This is a bad school for the kids. I think if they had better teachers most kids would graduate! But the teachers are no good there. The principle didn't do anything so the students could graduate.That school needs to be shut down.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Sam Houston is great. Forget what everybody else says I've been here for 5 years and all the years have been extremely fun.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I graduated from Sam Houston high in 2004. Eventhough Sam had its bad apples as someone else mentioned before there were more good ones than bad. My class was actually very competitive and a lot of us went to either UT, U of H or Sam Houston state and are still in school. Sam Houston High has great teachers. I do agree that most of the students have problems and they take it out in school but by staying involved in sports or any extra-curricular activities will keep u busy. Not many parents get involved, and I think after the change in principal the school went downhill in everything!”
This review was posted by a student.

“I attended Sam Houston for one year and I was in Honor classes. The teachers were teaching and making an effort despite the bad apples. There is talk that this school will shut down if there is no improvement, but the teachers I had were great. They cared and were involved. In my opinion it's the parents. Many of the students that go to Sam Houston are faced with such huge problems at home that they let the peer pressure get to them. Teachers can only do so much. If the parents don't care, the students won't either. A person who wants to succeed will succeed any where, but if you put them in an environment like Sam Houston, it can get pretty darn difficult. That's why I left. I would of never graduated if I stayed at Sam Houston.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“Sam Houston has great potential. There are many talented and bright students who attend, however attitudes on the part of the leadership, parents and students are keeping the student body from reaching their potential. Students need structure to succeed but too many times the leadership has backed off on providing that structure. Students have learned that if they protest having to follow structure or the hard work above the minimum, they can get by easy. There has developed negative traditions such as excessive tardiness, absences and not coming with materials prepared to work. Apathy has replaced hard work and hunger for knowledge. Students believe if they show up in class it is enough. Homework is not a consideration. Many parents do not support the school or their students. Until a majority of students and parents are willing to change those negative traditions, then the school will continue as it is.”
This review was posted by a teacher.

“I am a student at Sam Houston High Schoo( a sophmore), and personally I do not think the education is that great. We never get a chance to learn because, of all the interuptions. And everyone that does not attend or work here thinks we are just a bunch of hudlums, and personally I am sick of the discrimination. I am also tired of only the bad students, teachers, parents, ect. being shown on the news. Maybe if you took the time to show the good things about Sam (the oldest school in H.I.S.D.) the society around us wouldn't sink so low.”
This review was posted by a student.

“Sam Houston has worked out pretty good for my son. He is happy there. He is learning. I haven't witnessed or been a party to anything negative about this school Jacob's Mom”
This review was posted by a parent.