After 9th grade, when my public school became so violent and overcrowded that it was no longer…read moresafe, I got sent to Paideia. My 3 years here were the best years of my entire educational career - including college and grad school! This place really is the most amazing school ever. I remember my first day just like it was yesterday. I was accompanied by one of my best friends, who was also making the big switch to a more civilized school. We sat in front of the bathrooms for like 10 minutes trying to figure out which one was for boys and which was for girls. Turned out you just use whichever one is open! In addition to just being an awesome environment, where you are accepted for being whoever you are, Paideia has a great curriculum. The year is divided into short and long terms. In the long terms, you take the standard stuff - physics, math, languages, etc. The short term is for classes that are a little more outside the box - Sociology of American Rock & Roll anyone? The teachers here are absolutely outstanding! You can totally tell that they love the school and truly believe in it's mission. And Paul, the headmaster, is just an all around great guy. Graduation was awesome. My graduating class was 57 people and Paul made a short speech about every single one of us! I am so thankful that I was able to go to Paideia on a scholarship. I regularly give them money so that others can do so as well. I am also backing them in their efforts to take over the whole block! Go Paideia!

From the owner: Paideia is an independent pre K-12 school located in Druid Hills. The school has become known for…read morethe individual attention it provides its students, for strong academics, for strong athletics and arts programs, and for a vibrant community spirit. Paideia is recognized nationally as a top college preparatory school.

If you want your kids to be more than just smart, to be Great human beings, This is your place. The…read morewhole culture puts being caring, honest, upfront, and respectful front and center. I see it in my kids every day. (ok, almost every day. They're still humans! :)) But they really do learn in a much more varied 'landscape' of people, of cultures, family structures and points of view and they are better for it. Plus they are getting all the tools for great conflict management skills, a key predictor of happiness. And that's the icing on the cake of solid academics. My kids are learning, and most importantly, they are happy and confident, they feel loved and like they "belong" at their school. (They beg me to stay at aftercare to play with their friends!)

When it came time to find a kindergarten for my son, I knew that I wanted a setting with small…read moreclass sizes, skillful teachers, and a focus on academics. However, as a psychologist, I also knew that I wanted a school that had a focus on social-emotional development. I feel so lucky to have found the Friends School for my son. They sincerely practice what they preach. My son has ADHD, and the teachers were exceptional in identifying his needs, using targeted strategies to assist him, and communicating with me about ways to support him. Despite his challenges, they never lost sight of his unique strengths. Now that he is in first grade, he is thriving. And, the beauty of it is, because it's a small school, his current teachers already have some familiarity with him and have been able to give me great feedback about his improvement. The focus on ensuring that kids are well-rounded citizens is also a real asset for FSA. My son is courteous, kind, and socially aware. He talks about helping the homeless, eating healthy foods, and caring for the environment. He gets adequate exercise and sunlight during the school day (which research shows is linked to greater energy and concentration). He is learning conflict management skills, mindfulness, empathy, and how to be a good member of a team. As someone who works with business leaders, I know that these lessons will be invaluable in his life. I once told the headmaster that he radiates warmth. His demeanor is so kind, upbeat, and positive - he never looks like he's going through the motions. I believe that he sets a great tone for the rest of the school. I can't rave enough about FSA. I'm so lucky that we found it!

MJHS! Good social vibe, option for strong academics with IB curriculum, solid soccer program…read more Really positive leadership. Good parent engagement. It's come a long way the last few years!

Maynard Jackson Highschool is the WORST high school you could send your child to. From the outside…read morethey advertise it pretty well and make it seem like everything is fine but they are covering up what really goes on and completely ignoring issues that actually matter. They focus on football and ONLY football, meanwhile children are bringing actual guns into the school. They force kids to walk through metal detectors for a false sense of security but they go off on literally every student and they don't do anything about it. A friend of mine feels unsafe there (rightfully so) and brought pepper spray, but the confiscated it from her saying it was dangerous (but the guns aren't?). Students constantly fight and threaten each other. Every time I walk into the bathroom there are either kids having sex or smoking weed (not an exaggeration). The administration holds students to a double standard. They have rules but only enforce them on one kid a day which is completely unfair. They lock all the bathrooms except one and they one that is unlocked will have poop smeared on the walls. You will go to class and do NOTHING for hours. They blocked every possible website on the WiFi except google so good luck trying to get any work done online. They have student WiFi but won't let the students use it??? How does that even make sense. Everything about this school is a joke. Do NOT send your children here. If I could give it negative stars I would.

One of the acting teachers is highly inappropriate and yelled at my niece after shaming her in…read morefront of everyone. I expect better from teachers who attended FSU!

Went here for high school for a year. One of the niftiest experiences, and great people to boot!…read more I learned from my vocal performance instructor that I have a "seductive lower register." Interesting, eh? Really helped me hone my skills as a singer, songwriter and all-around musician and person.

Everything the teachers don't know how to talk to kids instead of yelling all the time the students…read moreare bad they like to fight , argue and on and on they tried to get a medal detector but it obviously didn't work my opinion but I can't go to much into detail but if you want your kids to actually be happy, safe , good education this isn't the absolute worst school but it's no where near the best either would not recommend

What an amazing school! The office staff is friendly and the environment is very friendly and…read moreclean. Whenever you call the front office and ask to be transferred to someone, they are always courtesy and polite. Students are dressed in uniforms and this makes the school look and feel a sense of community.

KEEP YOUR CHILD AWAY!! Horrible school with horrible staff. 8th grade principal is a major B****…read morefor lack of a better word. They have low test scores and don't push kids to their maximum potential. Definitely there just for a paycheck

Columbia Middle School is one of the best middle schools in Dekalb and I'm speaking from…read moreexperience. I went there for 3 years and it taught me not only how to read and write but how to deal with real life situations including cooking! Columbia has not only led me to be in the top 5% of my graduating high school class but also created another successful African American man from Dekalb County.

My son attended this school for the first two years, and all I asked for were the resources he…read moreneeded to support his behavior so that he could be successful beyond just academics. Unfortunately, I had a bad experience and they simply didn't want to help. I even had the opportunity to sue, but I chose not to because I believe in not tearing down Black-led institutions, especially when this school is only in its third year. That said, some realities need to be shared: many of the so-called "Classroom Facilitators" are not certified teachers, and the ESE program is essentially nonfunctional. They are only now starting to bring in certified staff who may know a little more, but the last two years were not good. The turnover rate is high for a reason. Ultimately, I transferred my child back to a public school, and it has been the best decision I could have made. This is not to say the entire faculty is bad, but the image presented online does not match the inner workings of the school. Too often, what I witnessed was unprofessional, petty, unethical, and even malicious behavior. I truly hope the school takes the time to figure things out because it is supposed to be an asset to the surrounding community, not a setback.

I won't participate in any more fundraisers. A lot of my former military leaders and friends…read morerallied behind my grandson only for the school to change the rules for the rewards to be given to the children after it was over.