My child has attended this school since the age of three, and until the past year, I had nothing…read morebut positive things to say about the school, its structure, and the overall experience. My child's kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Margolis, was phenomenal. She was upbeat, professional, engaging, and it was obvious she genuinely cared about the students and loved teaching. Unfortunately, things have steadily gone downhill since then. First grade did not meet the expectations I had hoped for, but I never imagined the experience would decline this much. Mrs. Brown is honestly the worst teacher I have ever encountered. She has a very flat affect, lacks engagement with the students, and struggles to teach material in a way children can actually understand and retain. My child has consistently been an honor roll student, so this is not an issue of capability or effort. What has been equally disappointing is the lack of support from administration. The headmaster, Mrs. Johnson, is not approachable and appears completely uninterested in parent concerns or feedback. Attempts to communicate issues feel dismissed rather than addressed. It is incredibly disheartening to watch a school that once felt nurturing and academically strong become such a frustrating experience for both students and parents.

If I had to choose again, I definitely wouldn't choose Challenger. My 3 1/2-year-old daughter cried…read morefor four months at Challenger. In the beginning I thought it was my daughter's problem -- she just didn't want to leave me. But after talking with the headmaster, I suddenly realized: it wasn't my daughter's issue -- it was their teaching philosophy. 1. They believed my daughter couldn't control her emotions, and they expected her to -- but she's only three, her brain isn't developed for that yet. Expecting a three-year-old to "control her emotions" is like expecting a one-year-old to control her bladder -- it's a physiological development issue. And the headmaster should know that. 2. My daughter didn't know any English when we first enrolled her. Within four months she could understand all the teacher's instructions and even speak short sentences. Yet the headmaster still said she wasn't speaking "long sentences." As an early-childhood educator, she failed to recognize this progress in a child entering a completely foreign environment. 3.Once she cried so badly that the headmaster came over to comfort her, but my daughter refused to talk to the headmaster and threw herself into the arms of her teacher. The headmaster concluded that my daughter lacked the normal ability to communicate. But my daughter had only met the headmaster twice -- she was basically a stranger to her -- so when she was sobbing, she rejected the stranger and ran to the teacher she knew. To me, that is a completely normal reaction -- yet in the headmaster's eyes, it meant my daughter "couldn't communicate properly." 4.The headmaster claimed my daughter would cry loudly, scream, and stomp her feet in class. But from a very young age she never behaved that way; even in the first two months at Challenger she only cried quietly out of fear -- never screamed or stomped. Only after being moved to a different class and failing to adapt to the new teacher's methods did she show those intense reactions. She was using her own way to cry out for help -- yet the headmaster and teachers didn't see it. At home she also became moody and unreasonable. Because of what the headmaster said, we decided to withdraw her. We enrolled her in a new school, and I was worried she might not adapt -- new environment, new teachers, new friends. But after only a few scattered days of crying, she quickly grew to love school! In talks with her new teacher, I, as a parent, deeply felt the teacher's love for children, her understanding and acceptance. She treated my daughter like a child -- a real child. That's why my daughter was able to feel safe and confident so fast. Now she's been at the new school for three months, and every day she's very happy -- her English communication is no problem at all. This has only strengthened my conviction: my daughter was never the problem -- it was Challenger's teaching philosophy.

My review is based on the cleanliness and beautification of this school and I do not know anyone…read morewho attends and/or works at this school. Overall, I came here for my daughter's Volleyball game and it is a beautiful school with a small gym but very clean. I like how there was also a food truck there as well. The only reason why I did not give it a 5 star is because the parking stalls are a bit compact (and being that I am originally from Hawaii, we have compact stalls there) and someone scratched my car when they opened their door.

Not the worst, but far from what it should be…read more I'll be honest--I wanted to love this place. At first glance, it checks some important boxes: clean buildings, a decent variety of after-school programs, and a lot of buzz about being "one of the better schools" in the area. But after spending real time here, that reputation doesn't hold up under closer inspection. The good stuff? Sure, it's there. The campus is well-kept and looks great, and my kids have genuinely enjoyed a few of the clubs they've tried. I'll also say that some of the teachers are passionate and communicative. You can tell they care. But unfortunately, the strong ones feel outnumbered by the ones who seem to have checked out. And that's where things start to unravel. Too often, we've seen teachers point fingers at students or parents instead of taking ownership when something clearly goes wrong in the classroom. That mindset makes it hard to trust the process. Meanwhile, the people running the show? It feels like their main goal is image control. Even when serious concerns are raised, the focus shifts to silencing criticism instead of solving problems. Don't even get me started on the pickup line. It's pure chaos. Traffic spills into the streets, everyone's blocking everyone else, and there's no system in place to fix it. You'll spend 30+ minutes in your car daily, just hoping no one gets into an accident. As for academics, it's hit or miss. In some cases, the material seems to come straight from pre-made internet templates--no adaptation, no passion, and sometimes, no clear understanding of the topic from the person teaching it. Honestly, I've found better explanations on YouTube. Other things worth noting: There have been situations involving extremely unprofessional conduct between staff members--yes, during the school day. I've also seen confidential student information passed around carelessly, which is incredibly upsetting for any parent. And the school's reaction to these concerns? Defensive. Instead of addressing the issue, they turned their attention to the parent who spoke up, even threatening to revoke their campus access. That says a lot about their priorities. Bottom line: There are bright spots here, but they're clouded by serious problems in leadership, culture, and accountability. If you're considering this school, go in with your eyes wide open. It might look good on paper, but reality paints a more complicated picture.

My child has never had issues prior to transferring to this school. My child was on A/B honor roll…read morebefore attending Tony Alamo. Sadly, my child's grades have declined. The school has a lot of bullying issues and doesn't have a proper way to resolve them. Their method is to give "lunch detention for a few days" including the child who gets bullied. "To be fair". What is that teaching our children? To me that is absolutely absurd! If my child feels the need to defend themselves, why should they be punished? My child received death threats from other students and has attempted to push off other students, and yet gets punishment. My child doesn't feel they are able to speak up, and feels discriminated. "Mommy, why am I the only one getting in trouble?". A child should not feel this way at a place of learning and what is deemed as "safe". I am not the only parent who feels this way as I have asked others about their impression of Tony Alamo. My child did not dislike attending school until we ended up with this one UNFORTUNATELY. I do not recommend this school AT ALL.

This was the best school ever. The teachers are nice and they help us to graduate which I needed it…read morewas the best

Our child is zoned for this school. We live less than 2 miles away. However, our daughter's private…read moreschool submitted an application for our daughter to go to Jo Mackey and Gilbert. When we got the letter from the CCSD magnet program that our child was accepted I called and said I wanted her to go to Mabel Hoggard. They said since I didn't apply on time (to Mabel Hoggard) then it was too late and we couldn't get into the school even though we are zoned for it. # 1 We didn't apply at all. Our private kindergarten school applied on our behalf because they have some deal with Jo Mackey to get all the kids a seat even though it is supposed to be a lottery system. #2 When I found out in January that we got into Jo Mackey and Gilbert Elementary I contacted Mabel Hoggard right away. I can't believe they were unable to do anything to allow my daughter to switch magnet schools when they are required to save 25% of the seats for students zoned for that school. Now my daughter is at a subpar school (Jo Mackey with the principal, Kamela Washington, that doesn't give a damn about the students). The CCSD magnet program is corrupt just like everything else in the public school system here.

The peach cobbler is the best. Chocolate milk is the best but will dehydrate you very quickly. They…read morehad an art class that was cool. O'Brien changed her name and I was devastated. Why is it asking me to review this? I'm in my 30s and generally well adjusted. Great job?