The Ohio School With a Strong Foundation

Teaching Staff

The teaching staff at Walnut Hills is hand picked. The best teachers want to teach there and do. If tenure wasn't an issue, most other schools could have similar outcomes. The school systems all over the country suffer from "union control." Cincinnati Public Schools received $1 Billion just to build new schools. Many perfectly fine buildings were left to rot or torn down in order to spend that money. Walnut Hills should have received an equal share of that money. The fact that Walnut Hills is an old school is proof positive that new building do not create the atmosphere for learning. That is created by leadership.

The governor of Ohio received much of his campaign funding from the Ohio Education Association. He is doing what the union wants in his so-called new and innovative reform act. We can not establish cookie cutter curriculums and expect all to fare equally in that sort of system. The result will be mediocre or worse, but all have high "self esteem," superior sex skills, multicultural backgrounds and a belief that the United States caused all of the ills of the world.

It is high time we allow the more gifted to excel and the average or less to get an education that will them to successfully survive in todays workforce.

Walnut Hills Legacy

As a testament to Walnut Hills High School (WHHS), you need to look no further than the legacy of the school. I attended, as did my two sisters. My niece and several other family members are also an alumni. The Principal, Jeff Brokamp was my classmate (1978), and his father was our Principal for part of our tour. These are two of many examples of family ties. Not to mention that we came from totally different backgrounds and neighborhoods in Cincinnati. This is what makes the foundation strong, former alumni. It's a proud tradition, built on academic excellence, first and foremost. The school thrives on diversity. Getting the best out of the best, no matter race, creed, or religion. If only this could be bottled and sold to every school district in this great country.

I live in Prince Georges County, Maryland. I see people paying ridiculous amounts of money to try and get the kind of education that I received for free at WHHS. Our schoold district spends more money per pupil than most school districts across the US. And it ranks second to last in Maryland, ahead only of Baltimore City, in test scores. WHHS has set a blueprint that needs to be replicated. Prince Georges County Public School District take heed.

WHHS prepared me well for life's challenges.

Walnut Hills High School

Rise to the Highest:

It was a pleasure to return to Walnut Hills in November, 2008 to celebrate with my High School class mates of 50 years ago. Nothing mutch has changed, the same desire for higher education, with we all received. It was pleasure for our class of "58"

to make a donation to the "arts program". My canadian friends asked if I would recogonize people. We all did.

A little less hair on the top for some of the guys, but all and all a great reunion except Cincinnati had changed a bit, but the liberary was the same.

From the current issue of U.S. News & World Report

I guess you can both be proud of your alma matee!

Love,

Dad

walnut hills alum

I graduated from Walnut Hills in 1985 and went out of state for university. The first semester of college work was not nearly as challenging as my senior year at Walnut Hills. The faculty, my fellow students, and the tremendous tradition of the school inspired discipline, creativity, hard work and inquiry. My husband and I are raising our 6-year-old daughter in Indianapolis - a tremendous city in so many ways. But we will have to search far to find the quality for which Walnut Hills is legend.

Thank you for teaching your readers about Walnut Hills.

Walnut Hills Builds Leaders

My girls and their friends have attended Walnut. It is an incredible school, probably far better than these abstract ratings give it credit for, more likely in the top 25!

Many successful people went there, like a Noble Prize winner in medicine. As the article points out the wonderful alumni foundation is a key strength [go to walnuthills.org to view or help]. They meet and network in major cities like Chicago, San Franisco, or NY.

It funded the new science and arts wing and practically anything else the students need. So music, theater, arts, and other departments are unusually strong. Diversity in race, religion, etc. is also a benefit the kids learn.

It could be "better" of course. I'm one of the many parents/students who think Latin, a dead language, should not be required for 2 years; my girls and others took Russian, Chinese, Japanese, etc. at another unique public school, Academy of World Languages [awl.cps-k12.org] but forgot much of it as Walnut, just a mile away, did not offer them. Latin is fine if not paid for by taxpayers, while other important languages must be offered.

Kids can attend 4-6 years, so the additional time can be valuable in developing life-long friendships, educational discipline, and appreciation of this special school.

Most of the teachers are exceptionally educated and dedicated. So it was not surprising to me when the admissions officer of a college always ranked in the top 10 of the US told me "Walnut is one of our feeder schools!" That college has one of the world's best music departments and it usually takes 5-6 of our seniors each fall.

So it irks me a bit when a mother told me she sent her kids to a private schools "for morals." ??!! Walnut kids, and parents, are some of the best I've ever met. And Cincinnati is a good city in general, with unusually good public and private schools. Many are being rebuilt, like the new School for Creative and Performing Arts [see thenewscpa.org].

I do think that we must realize how precious and limited our time to teach really is. Why in most states do you have to take a year of chemistry? Because of the parnoid space race 50 years ago! Less than 10% of even the brightest ever use ANY of it, why not let those teachers and expensive labs concentrate on those truly interested? Same with math, most of my well educated friends have NEVER used algebra! In over 30 years!

Governments should make economics, etc. much more important! Kids are Naturally interested in Money, let them study it! At least a year about credit scores and cards, mortgages, macro/micro-economics, the effect of federal borrowing as we now are feeling the effects of! Flexibility in careers and skills, as most will change 5+ times over a life!

Even history, as the classes usually run short of [proper] time as they get into the last 50-100 years, ironically the most important era students should know about! This could be partially taught with our wealth of good films.

Walnut Hills High School

My nephew is currently attending Walnut Hills and I can honestly say I am so proud of him and of that school in Cincinnati. As an aside, I just saw their latest drama production, Rent, and it was on par with professional theatre productions. Kudos to the students and staff of WHHS!

Proud Alum!

As a child, it was always a personal goal to attend Walnut Hills High School. Well, I achieved that goal and graduated from WHHS in 1985. To this day, I remain in contact with scores of my former classmates. I truly appreciate and value the education---both scholastic and social---I received at Walnut. This article just confirms what I try to convey to family and friends who did not attend Walnut Hills. Nowadays, especially in Georgia where I now live, you would have to pay to get the type of education that I was able to get for FREE at Walnut Hills.

Sursum ad summum!!

Walnut Hills High School

I come from a long line of Wlanut Hills graduates - cousins, aunts, uncles, great-aunts...etc. On top of the academics, the social and cultural experience can't be found anywhere. Students come from all over the city, from all economic and ethnic backgrouonds.

Walnut Hills High School

I am a parent and a grandparent of 4 WHHS students. When the Foundation was started, my husband and I cheerfully donated to it. It was an honor to be able to support a great scholastic endeavor. May it continue to thrive and I am sending another donation tonight!!

Thank you, thank you.