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    4 years ago

    I went there and it was just perfect they had everything I was having the time of my life

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    East Valley Academy Charter School - The house on Brown that rose to become Arizona's top-rated small charter school based on state test scores.

    East Valley Academy Charter School

    (10 reviews)

    This school is ranked #1 in the state for testing right now!…read more After moving to Mesa and looking at the public school reviews, I was bound and determined to find a better school for my kids to attend, even if it meant I had to drive! Luckily, I found East Valley Academy not too far from my new home. That was four years ago and I have to say that I couldn't imagine my kids attending another school. This school offers what we all want for our children that public schools don't offer. It's small, yes, and that is a huge bonus. Kid to teacher ratio is outstanding! The two classes for all grades is another advantage over other schools. These kids learn together and help each other! They also devote more time to learning the basics. They do plays and take field trips often and they have holiday parties that you can even bake for! My son was reading after only two months in kindergarten and now is reading at a 6th grade level in 3rd grade. My daughter ranked top 3% in the nation for her math skills on the state test in 3rd grade and she just recently tested into Algebra 1 for 7th grade that she will obtain high school credit for! If you are looking for a great education that does not teach the Common Core, then look no further! Check out their stats and I'll see you there next year!

    I can't say enough good things about East Valley Academy. I'll start with a little background…read moreinformation to show the difference in quality. My daughter went to K and 1st grade at a public school in the Paradise Valley school district. We had problem after problem, such as bullying, and her 1st grade teacher lying to me and brushing off inconsistencies I noticed in my daughter's learning. She got A's, but I could tell she wasn't really learning much. My daughter is very smart but defiant. I was spending an extraordinary amount of time supplementing her education. I talked to other parents who had to do the same but seemed resigned to their fate. She didn't have a love of learning. However, during her last two years with East Valley Academy (EVA) everything has turned around. She learned more in the first two months than she did in the previous two years at her public school. EVA focuses on phonics based reading and Saxon math, not Common Core. They took her down to the building blocks of phonics she'd never learned and built her reading up from there. She went from a Kindergarten reading level to a 3rd grade reading level in her first year there (2nd grade). Her math became much more proficient as well, and she was doing well in every subject. Ms. Stoeppelmann also identified her ADD before I could. Both teachers were very responsive and thorough when giving feedback about her attention span, moods, organization, etc., while trying to find the right medication. This showed me how well they know each of their students. Most importantly for me, though, is that she now has a love of learning. I truly can't see her having this level of success at any other school. She has even scored high on more difficult tests than most high school students take. EVA has even positively affected our home life. I've always been an involved parent, but am no longer spending hours after school patching all the holes in learning that her last school was leaving, which led to many disagreements and friction between my daughter and myself. This school is small. Very small. Don't let that deter you. It operates similarly to a little red schoolhouse. It's not fancy, but the size allows for individual attention for each student in a way that the teachers can really get to know their learning styles and be able to work with them. Ms. Stoeppelmann and Mr. Ryan are excellent teachers, with years of experience, who have such finesse with conveying the information that the kids thoroughly learn it. That is crucial to me. The perks of this school are many. There is a sense of community among parents and kids, which also eliminates bullying. If something does arise it's easily resolved with the parents and teachers. This sense of community also opens the door for celebration of the different cultures of the students. The lunch break is longer so the kids have some real free time to recharge and focus better while in class. EVA also takes many field trips as well with plenty of parent chaperones. This school isn't the easy way out. My daughter works hard to get her good grades, and I've worked with her and the school to keep her success going. But for every bit of effort I put in, the teachers put in at least twice as much. Unlike the public school the dialogue between families and teachers is open. To me these are what make the difference between every other school and this one. EVA is there solely to teach kids and help them reach their potential. They care about these kids.

    Heritage Academy

    Heritage Academy

    (8 reviews)

    I personally went to Heritage Academy for a couple years as a student at this location in Mesa. I…read morethink that this truly was the best school I ever went to as a kid. I learned a lot from this school that no public school would be willing to teach. They offer all different types of languages, I learned Latin in 7th grade. Also, they offer amazing electives as well as spontaneous field trips. I probably never would have seen the Grand Canyon if I did not go to this school.. I'm very grateful to have gotten the opportunity to go to this school and I'm definitely hoping my kids can do the same thing!

    I came to Heritage Academy Mesa for 1 year and absolutely despised it with my entire heart. Sure…read morethere's fridays off and "hot lunches" that your parents may order for you, but I want to tell you about my and other "scholars*" experiences. Scholars is the name that the teachers call the students at Heritage Academy by. I will give you all the reasons why this year was terrible and will not use their writing style (CRED's)* Creds stands for Claim, Reason, Evidence, Discussion, and teachers will use Harvard Keyword Outlines alongside it because this is a review and I'm lazy. Remember that this is completely biased and won't be everyone's experience at this school. And also take into account that this is for the Mesa campus, as it is very tiny and squished. Also, I will not be using my real name for my own safety (this is not my direct account). I would like to talk about the staff and "scholars", both the good and the bad, and the beliefs pushed onto "scholars" by sending your child here. I would like to start with the fact that many of the staff and "scholars" are Mormon (LDS) and your child will have this influence if you send your child here. (I'm not trying to say it's bad or anything I'm just an Ex and I prefer not to hear about it) staff will not hesitate to say where they were married in one of their temples, but often doesn't go beyond it. But some do mention church on other occasions. Also, "scholars" tend to be homophobic/ transphobic and that may affect your child. Although some staff will go easy on you when in class, some are hardcore (I will not name anyone for their privacy). Overall the staff also will push patriotic beliefs on "scholars" and is a highly christian based school. For your information and child safety, teachers also can use "scholar" bathrooms. Although there have been no incidents that I have heard of, once there was a teacher watching corn (adults know what I mean) and accidently broadcasted it to that class by accident. The teacher was fired luckly, but thought I'd mention that. Also, that was not my experience for some context and happened in the previous school year. That concludes the staff/ "scholar background paragraph. There have been incidents of sexual harassment by some of the more tiresome "scholars", and then continue to say that what you said wasn't scholarly, (the experience of sexual harassment was not mine and the students that harrassed the other one were thankfully suspended). The principal*, when I said I would like this (person they were interviewing) should replace my teacher because the person being interviewed was better at teaching the subject, slapped me (gently) on the arm, which made me EXTREMELY uncomfortable (she likely did because she thought I was joking) *This Person will no longer be principal for the 2026-2027 school year* A similar experience happened when I made a dark poem and wrote it on my assignment to get myself to stop laughing during class when she wanted us to shut up. About a week later, she talked to me publicly about it (before class when everyone was talking) and touched my arm out of concern- which made me very uncomfortable, even if she was concerned about me. In general, most of the staff make me uncomfortable just by sitting in a room with them. Now, about the rules and standards of this school. That dress code is one of the most strict I have seen.(I haven't been to many schools, but I have heard of similar schools having less strict dress codes that I will not be naming). As I have almost been dress coded on a "Dollars 4 Duds"* day Dollars for Duds is a day scheduled by Heritage where you can bring cash in exchange for wearing normal clothes- with a strict dress code 'but at least its something' now continuing what I was attempting to say for a semi- cropped top that you could see some of my stomach when lifting up my arms, and it wasn't noticed towards late in the day. I also couldn't wear anything over 4 inches above the knee, which was a huge challenge for me, even if my clothes are pretty modest (other than the crop top). Which is why I kind of think its a scam to look normal at this school. Also on the "no profanity" rule, teachers either don't blink an eye (except for some) or have terrible hearing because I have never seen someone get a Log Entry for swearing. PDA is also challenging to deal with, as you can't hug, kiss, or really do anything.Now to the English program, that is tedious. The English program at this school is extremely advanced and will constantly have you on your toes with CRED's and Harvard Keyword Outlines, SO's Sentence Openers, SV's Strong Verbs, which are all DU's Dress Ups which are only stressful once it's implemented. Now these Rules and standards are incredibly challenging to deal with. Except for swearing because of reason stated - which is incredibly hilarious. Now for the random things I have complaints about. "Hot Lunches" are kind of a scam. Especially because of

    American Leadership Academy - Gilbert North High School - Baddie

    American Leadership Academy - Gilbert North High School

    (22 reviews)

    I absolutely love ALA Gilbert North! I looked at several schools before choosing ALA and I am SO…read morehappy that I did. The teachers and faculty truly care about each students success and education. Not only is their curriculum top notch but they also teach students how to be respectful, have integrity and how to be accountable for themselves. They are teaching the students valuable lessons that will continue with each student as they press on toward their futures. If there was ever a concern with my child's education or his well being at the school it was quickly addressed and resolved. I am so thankful my child will continue to receive his education at ALA! In response to other comments, I would have to disagree with some. I am not rich and I am not Mormon and my son is treated equally along with others students who are religiously and culturally diverse. The students at ALA are sent home with a lot of homework as does any other charter school. I do not mind the amount of homework because as my son finishes this school year, he is already learning at the next grade level as well as his other classmates. My son may not be experiencing other issues within the school as he is still in elementary. I am a realist, at any school there will be bullying, there will be students who do not act appropriately, there will be students who will break the rules and bring inappropriate things to school ("vapes and drugs"). As this happens, students will make their own decisions on how to behave whether it be good or bad. I would love to know if there are ANY schools in the area who do not experience this, because even at a private religious school these things are going on. I know ALA has a ZERO tolerance policy and follows it. Hopefully other parents are realizing this and may consider speaking to their children more rather than blame the school for everything. As I stated before, I love ALA and their values. I will continue to enroll my child at this school despite the negative reviews.

    Former ALA Gilbert North family. Read this before you enroll, especially if your child is a child…read moreof color. My son and another student of color, seventh graders fresh out of elementary school, were suspended over a soap dispenser broken by a white classmate. My son did not break it. The administration, with Ms. Huso at the center, pressured him until he falsely "confessed". His words to me afterward: "I just wanted to get it over with." Both students of color were suspended. The student who actually broke it faced no consequences. The suspension was reversed only after I threatened, in writing, to escalate. Principal Provonsha showed no leadership of his own at any point. In history class, Mr. Orlando had the only Black student act the part of a slave during the slavery lesson. The administration has no respect for a child's dignity: RAISE values on the wall, nothing behind them. We changed schools and got our peace of mind back. Ask questions before you trust them with your child.

    Desert Sounds - privateschools - Updated October 2026

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