I have really struggled with whether or not to write a review for our time at the Joule School. I…read morewill readily admit that we not only had a short stint, but we also came in halfway through a school year - Spring semester and one month of Fall semester in 2018. I feel like there are so many reasons why our experience turned out to be such a negative one, so I would not want to deter anyone from considering Joule if they feel it would be a good fit. But I do want to caution families about some of our final concerns, especially for younger children. Thus the rating - if I'm honest, our experience was more 2 Stars or less, but I can't bring myself to mark it as such so I hope you'll read for a full explanation.
The positives about the school are extensive. When I first read their philosophy on their website I felt like it was written directly to me. I wished I'd had a school option like this growing up. Student-led, open to movement, encouraging of different ideas. Academics modeled around the whole child and multiple disciplines. Not teaching to tests or conforming to the ideas of school we've had since the Industrial Age. It was exciting and empowering.
The teachers were also warm and welcoming. The Director was informative and knowledgeable. Their discipline was democratic and the children were all unique and inquisitive. I still love their ideas and principles in theory - but in practice, it did not always run smoothly.
The lack of structure and student-led methods turned out to be a destructive combination for my 4-year-old son. He was bored at his previous daycare, so we thought the academic challenge would be good for his curious mind. However, he began to regress dramatically socially and emotionally. He started acting out with attitude changes and behaviors that he'd overcome or never had previously. And while I refuse to act as if he had no agency in those actions, he was clearly influenced by some of the other children in his class and in the school.
Some of the subjects in the school were pretty mature. It also appeared that screen time and playtime was not always well supervised. Inappropriate language and actions were sometimes used by the kids and teachers without consequence or with varying consequences, which only led to confusion. I am all for "kids being kids". We went to Joule because we did not want our child to feel burdened with unnecessary rigidity. Yet we left feeling like he had been burdened instead with words, images, and thoughts unnecessary for a kid his age to be exposed to so young.
We are now at a new school that focuses on a better mix of social, emotional, and academic intelligence - for us. Again, I want to reiterate that our experience may be unique. There were several families at Joule that were perfectly happy, if not ecstatic, with the program. There were chances to really bond with such a small group - it ran more like a co-op, really. Which can be great if everyone gets involved. When we left, I was grateful to see that it seemed like a lot of the new families were really coming together to beautify the space and make it safer and cleaner for the students. Unfortunately, there was also a complete turnover of teaching staff in the short time since we'd started. Therefore, combined with our son's disruptive behavior not improving with the new semester, we decided we should probably just change schools since there was already going to be so much more change.
He has improved greatly in the month we have been at his new school. Joule simply did not have the resources or infrastructure to provide everything we needed or wanted. And it's not that our son has special needs - I would say if that were the case and point out that they are open about not having the tools to cope with certain kids' needs. If anything, since his experience at Joule, he now needs some additional help to process his feelings and emotions and overcome rude language and behavior. But since removing him from Joule, he's much happier, kinder, and more fulfilled.
I am extremely sad that we had such a negative experience at the Joule School. I will continue to stress that others clearly did not. Every child is different. Every parent is different. Every family is different. I still love the heart, soul, and idea of Joule. But I did not love the stress, pain, or frustration we felt while we were there. I just want parents to be mindful. Especially for younger students. Ask questions. Get involved. But if it's not the right fit, don't hesitate to leave.