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I am not a parent but a former student of City on a Hill (COAH). I started there in 2003 and left there in 2005. I believe that COAH is a horrible school for many reasons (1) the administration and teachers do not take the students seriously when they are being harassed (2) the total atmosphere of the school is negative (3) teachers do not take enough time to help students when they do not understand material (4) countless teachers have left because of behavior issues in the school (5) safety is not guaranteed and (6) academic success is hard to measure given how many people are kept back or sent to summer school.In the beginning of my 9th Grade year things were nice I thought that I was going to have a comfortable, academically rigorous year. As the year progressed I saw that I did not understand the material well and that I needed help. So, I went after school and tried to get the help I needed but what I got was a packet of worksheets to do while the teacher graded papers. After I had completed the packet she marked all that were wrong and told me to figure out why they were wrong. By the way this was Spanish class and I had no prior knowledge of the language to figure it out. After I explained to her that I could not do what she asked she told me she could not help me any further. That was the first sign!Now we all know how kids can be cruel and I expected some trash talk here and there but not daily verbal abuse and harassment. In the middle of my 9th Grade year I met a girl and we became friends. After we had become friends malicious rumors started up about me – rumors that dealt with touchy subjects like sexual orientation and if I was a ‘real black’ person because I spoke properly they thought I was trying to be white. These rumors soon were created into threats and then I felt like it was time to confront the administration. Once I did so they comforted me and told me they were doing all they could to resolve the problem. Months went by and no change had happened – it took me confronting them over and over bringing my mother up to really get the ball rolling by that time I was in my 11th Grade Year and I was sick of it so I left !Now I look back and I see how many of my friends left before me, how many of my old teachers left and how many scars this school has left me with emotionally. I left in Nov of 2005 and then started to attend Boston Day and Evening Academy where I thrived academically and socially. After taking a series of tests I was bumped up to be a senior and graduated a year early on June 8, 2006. I have been accepted to Northeastern University with a full 4 year scholarship and Hampshire College with a 4 year scholarship plus room and board.I am so happy I left and that other students are getting wise to the school and leaving. It’s the best decision I’ve made!- A Former Student