"Individually, and as a whole, I saw first-hand how supported, safe and comfortable your students feel. I saw Grauer's core values in action as kids persevered, used their resources, showed compassion and asked their teachers for help. I saw mutual respect and the relationship driven education that I've read about in your newsletter so many times. To witness these relationships in action was heartwarming." —S.W., Parent
"An oasis of heartfelt education." —Dr. N.C., Parent
"I feel so blessed every day that my kids go to the Grauer School. You have managed to do what I assumed could not be done in a school." —R.P., Freshman Class Mom
"One thing I realized during my son’s senior year there, was how kind and responsible he had become ...not only for himself, but for friends and family. The school works as a community to really develop responsibility, sensitivity, and resourcefulness in the students." —P.W., Alumni Parent, Class of 2010
"Exemplary core curriculum, extensive arts, small class-size, one-on-one college counseling, all-season competitive sports, expeditionary learning, most teachers with greater than five years of commitment, and a proactive leadership program which sends our students into the global community doing service. WOW!" —P.W., Alumni Parent
"For the first time in his life my son jumps out of bed first thing in the morning without being told to get up, does his homework without being told, has completely eliminated video games from his life, and spends all his free time on creative projects. This school has transformed our lives." —First-Year Parent
"The Grauer School was the best year of my daughter's educational life. She is different; she is better -- more confident, cheerful and other-centered -- than she was before." —J.S., Parent
"No other prep school, no other faculty, holds your family’s cares so close to heart. What more can any family possibly want for their child?" —L.D., Parent
"You have a miracle going on here, and we love being a part of it." —H.P., Parent
"The Grauer School encourages kids to be resourceful, kind, and compassionate, not just intellectuals." —D.D., Parent
"I don’t know how anyone could develop a school better than this. Every parent here is lucky you did." —A.L., Parent
"It is nice not being just a test score anymore -- character is what counts the most. All schools should be like this." —Janice S., Parent
"What if the whole world could uphold the basic principles of respect, responsibility and peace? Many talk the talk but it is the rare exception that walks the walk." —Carolyn Z., Parent
"Grauer is so much more than just a good college prep school - there are plenty of those. What distinguishes Grauer is the nourishing of the whole person and providing the environment for each child to find their gifts and a sense of place in the world." —Dr. Roger C., Parent
"For the first time in our life our daughter is totally happy with her education and everything in her life. We wish we met you earlier." —Shelly B., Parent
"At The Grauer School I have become exactly the person I want to be." —Nick G., Class of 2012
"Thank you for fostering the kind of community that most schools only dream about." —TP, Grauer Alumnus '10, Occidental College
"The Grauer School really prepared me. A lot of my classes at Grauer had some of the same content as I'm learning now in college." —Tia M., Class of 2007
"I cannot imagine feeling any more satisfied with my life than I do right now, but if I am able to inspire students the way you have inspired me, my guess is that I will." —Mindy P., University of Kansas PhD program
"I can't believe you can like school so much." —Jenny S., 7th Grader
"The creativity and resourcefulness I had was unlocked at Grauer. I loved the connections with teachers." —Kristin H., Class of 2006
"I love this school. It feels like home." —Chelsea W., 7th Grader
"The Grauer School gave me the fullest enthusiasm for life and learning, and it got me into the college of my dreams." —Lesley F., UC Santa Cruz
"The Grauer School has an amazing ability to attract top people who work for the love of teaching. The school has given me a tremendous amount of freedom to pursue knowledge and experiences far beyond that of a typical high school, and has challenged me to explore my interests in great depth." —Charles L., Class of 2005
"I gained self responsibility and personal empowerment ...I loved attending The Grauer School and miss it immensely!" —Vanessa B., Class of 1996
"Not only does your school prepare us for college and the business world, but also how to deal with life as a whole." —Tarja S., Alumni, Class of ’95
"At The Grauer School love, joy, knowledge, and skill work together to bring forth a whole person." —Richard Lederer, author, teacher, and broadcaster
"Thank you again for all of the good work you do on behalf of California’s students and parents." —Robert Berndahl, Chancellor, University of California, Berkeley
"We would be pleased if all of our candidates would present a curriculum as well balanced as this." —Warren Muller, Director of Admissions, University of San Diego
"These are the nicest students I’ve ever presented to." —Ben Coates, Admissions, Willamette University
"If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it." —Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accreditor
"An attractive, inviting, and safe environment where it was obvious that students were enthusiastically and meaningfully engaged in their education." —Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Schools and Colleges
"You are doing what public schools can only talk about and wish they could accomplish." —Dr. Joseph Zornado, Literature Professor, Rhode Island College
"Dr. Grauer has talent to burn. He is a leadership expert." —Dr. Joseph Rost, Director of the University of San Diego school of Educational Leadership [ret.]
"Congratulations on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education ...these projects demonstrate the power of combining academically rigorous study with relevant and thoughtful hands-on learning to give students the foundation on which to build meaningful lives and careers." —Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
“Something special about Grauer that can’t be found anywhere else is the general sense of kindness and happiness and it makes me want to be my better self... [Grauer gave me the latitude to] “balance my passions with the core curriculum.” —S.H., Alumnus, Class of 2017
“I wanted a loving, open environment and I found The Grauer School.”
—K.M., Alumna, Class of 2017
"What separates the good from the great is the burning desire to improve. I learned the true meaning of perseverance."
—D.R., Alumnus, Class of 2017
“I have enjoyed every day here. [Grauer teachers] bring their students into their lives.”
—H.R., Alumna, Class of 2017
“The most important value I have developed is compassion. At Grauer you develop friends across all grades.”
—M.G., Alumnus, Class of 2017
“You challenged me when I deserved it and encouraged me when I needed it”
—J.H., Alumnus, Class of 2017
“I’ve learned it takes passion to persevere—I can achieve everything I set my mind to.”
—L.H., Alumna, Class of 2017
"Thank you for all you did for me in high school and for helping me stumble onto this path that brings me so much joy. You will always be a huge role model for me and I owe a lot of my self-confidence and excitement for life to you and your class." Much love,
—SS, Alumnus, class of 2016
“Thank you for fostering the kind of community that most schools only dream about.”
—T.P., Alumnus, Class of 2010
"Of all the things I've been a part of in San Diego County (both during my childhood and adult time that I've spent here), being a Grauer community member (and graduate!) is what I'm most proud of."
—L.G., Alumna, Class of 2005
“I gained strong ideals of self responsibility and personal empowerment ...I loved attending [The Grauer School] and miss it immensely!”
—V.B., Alumna, Class of 1996
"I find that I very easily adapted to the atmosphere here [University of California, Santa Cruz], and a few of my classes are situated in the same atmosphere as at [The Grauer School]. I find that many of my classmates have difficulties opening up in class due to the nature of their previous school experiences. I, on the other hand, thrive in that environment. Thanks for EVERYTHING!"
—L.F., Alumna, Class of 1996
“Not only does your school prepare us for college and the business world, but also how to deal with life as a whole."
—T.S., Alumna, Class of 1995
"When I transferred into my new school in Texas, they made me take honors and A.P. classes, and most of them don’t have the depth that I was used to... Making friends was easy coming from The Grauer School."
—M.S., Alumnus, Class of 1994
