My experience with Spring Academy was the best phone interaction with a school I have ever experienced. Andy Smallman went above and beyond in helping me feel heard and offered suggestions for other support in the Seattle area (our son is a 5th grader and not qualified). I will not hesitate to reach out to Spring Academy in the future. Andy called weeks later after our first phone call to check in. His compassion and encouragement is wonderful. read more

We had a great experience with Spring Academy. My son attended Spring Academy for the second half of his freshman year and all of sophmore year. He is highly intelligent but had some challenges with anxiety. Spring Academy was great for him. He loved his teachers and enjoyed engaging with them one-on-one (the school he left was so large he wasn't able to connect with any of his teachers). His anxiety subsided and he had time and desire to pursue his own interests and found that spark of joy and enthusiasm I hadn't seen in him in a long time. Andy Smallman, the Principal, was very supportive and really made sure that we were able to communicate what our son needed and how we was doing there. I would say this was a real saving grace for us and provided our son with exactly what he needed to navigate a challenging period. read more

I graduated from Spring Academy in 2017 and had a wonderful experience there that made a lasting impact on me. I struggled in public high school with anxiety, and this had a negative impact on my confidence in my ability to learn. At Spring, I got to take control of my learning and felt comfortable asking questions. The teachers were so understanding and supportive that school became something I looked forward to rather than something I dreaded. This environment helped me build confidence in school and enjoy learning again. Now, almost 10 years later, I'm graduating with my master's degree and applying for PhD programs. If you are considering Spring for your child because they are having a hard time fitting into a regular school environment, I would highly recommend Spring Academy. read more

I cannot give Spring a higher recommendation. Our entire Spring experience by far exceeded our family's expectations. Our student came in feeling discouraged and disconnected from learning. Her experience at Spring built up her confidence and helped her develop independent study skills in a positive environment. Their approach intentionally fosters students to develop motivation from within. The teachers are skilled and patient, meeting the student where they are at and helping them discover their own interests and goals. The administration is communicative, organized, and hands-on. The head of the school, Andy, has a genuine passion for students and their learning experience. While I was a little hesitant about the non-traditional approach when I first heard of Spring, my first conversation with Andy gave me an instant wave of relief. He knew exactly how to help when we were at a loss of how best to do so. Out of the gate, he understood our goals as parents and our student's goals for herself, empathized with challenges we'd experienced, and explained how the structure and curriculum of Spring is designed to nurture students and embrace their strengths. Our student maintained a hybrid schedule between Spring and public school; we started with one class at Spring, but after seeing the improvement all around, shifted more of her core classes over and maintained electives at public school. They were flexible and helped us with all transitions, including helping with credit transfer. What I appreciate most is the shift we saw at home -- no more constant tension over homework, incentives and punishments, disciplined schedules and nagging. Spring stepped in with the kind of support I'd been trying to provide on my own, allowing me to take a giant step back, and our student to take gain independence and ownership of her obligations. We are all breathing easier! Thank you, Spring! read more

High school can be such a trying time for teens - particularly those with learning styles outside of the norm. Thank goodness for Spring Academy. Our son started at Spring taking a few summer school classes to get caught up and we quickly realized that he thrived under the individualized lesson plans with instructions tailored toward his learning style. In his senior year, Andy created a unique elective class designed to fulfill some remaining credits. Our son received credit for creating and producing original music, a passion of his. This is truly a special place! read more

Spring Academy has been wonderful for us! Our son had some problems at school and ended up not attending school for the second half of 10th grade. We were so lucky to hear about Spring Academy and their summer program. Our son was able to complete the second half of 10th grade in two months over the summer. It was an overall great experience from the initial meeting with Andy, the principal, and then subsequent interactions with the teachers. Our son has some social challenges and the team at Spring Academy was very sensitive and really brought out the best in our son. We very highly recommend this school! Thank you Spring Academy! read more

Spring Academy has been a lifesaver for us. Their compassion, flexibility, and academic rigor made it the perfect place to land after a tumultuous first semester. Our son was able to take just one class at Spring and take the rest of his courses at his public high school. He went from failing in his public school course to getting a 97% in his Spring Academy class. His grades, attendance, and anxiety all improved at his public school, too. Spring gave him a chance to become much more confident in the subject matter and to see he could be successful academically. I highly recommend Spring Academy. read more

Spring Academy has been a life saver for our family. Our son bounced between high schools during the pandemic, navigating a very stressful time of school closures, online and in person instruction. He started with a single class at Spring and then transitioned to full time. We are very happy with the quality of instruction and his engagement with the course work and staff at Spring. He never hesitates to go into school which was not the case in the past. He graduated on time and fully prepared for the rigors of college academics. He is currently a successful student at Penn State University. read more

Spring Academy is a wonderful school! My kids have been students here for 2 years. They were not getting what they needed from our public school so I was lucky enough to find Spring. Since my kids starting going here they have been much happier kids. This is because Andy and the wonderful teachers really boost their confidence and provide excellent support. My kids say they can easily ask questions and that the teachers listen. They feel the teachers care about them. I feels great to see them doing so well and see that they can look towards their future again. read more

Our family is so grateful for how Spring Academy has helped our son grow as a person and flourish! He has been at SA for three years (10th-12th) and it's been a wonderful experience. Great teachers and very responsive and supportive administrators. We highly recommend SA to any family that's is looking for a personalized education. We love SA! read more

Spring Academy made arrangements with my daughter's school to support her dyslexia during the school day. It was a huge help. She felt well supported with the class material and brought home less homework, which alleviated her stress. I'm so grateful! read more

Our son worked with Spring for over a year... Thanks to all the folks at Spring Academy (especially Frank and Ashley!) for their hard work and dedication to working with us and helping our son find his way through. Through the ups and downs, challenges the team at Spring were amazing to work with. He was able to apply to college and got into a number of major universities. We are very grateful for the team at Spring. read more

Our daughter had a wonderful experience in the summer math program at Spring Academy. Her skills have improved, and her confidence has grown. She went from hating math to thoroughly enjoying her sessions at Spring Academy. read more

SO glad our daughter's high school councilor recommended Spring Academy and my daughter was able to complete successfully a math course this summer. The 1 to 2 teacher student ratio enabled a highly focused and productive learning environment which we highly appreciate due to my daughter's ADHD condition. Frank made the application process and school visit easy and transparent and Ashley somehow had the impossible magic to make my daughter ask questions and get to the bottom of each question therefore my daughter was able to gain a thorough understanding of the math concepts in question and build strong math foundation for further study. If you are looking for result and haven't found elsewhere, Spring Academy is the answer. read more

Working with Spring Academy has been life changing for my son. He has made so much progress during his time with this school it is actually incredible. We adore his teacher so much that I request her every year, but we've also experienced some of the other teachers as occasional subs, and they all seem wonderful. The teachers are so good at what they do that they make the kids feel special for getting to work with them, rather than it being a negative thing that they need extra help. I recommend this school to all parents who tell me they are considering it! read more

I cannot say enough good things about Spring Academy. Their assistance in getting our family set up for additional academic instruction for our daughter was incredible. I was met by several people along the way who made this process seamless and efficient while also making us feel so welcome to the program. All of the people my child and I worked with created a very safe and happy environment which resulted in a great place for learning. My daughter loved her time working with the instructors, the process of enrollment was made easy for the parent(s), and we were all so elated to see how much she had improved in areas with which she was struggling! Our family can't thank Spring Academy enough. We are forever grateful for all of their help! read more

As parents, we were drawn to Spring Academy because of the credentials of its leadership and faculty, the school's accreditations, and that it is a local school tied to the community. After enrolling our child, we can now say first-hand, that Spring Academy is a wonderful school that provided the "just-right" supportive environment and academic structure our child needed to thrive again after a medical setback and because the traditional school setting did not work. I encourage you to meet with their amazing principal and teachers. This is really a special school. read more

My teenager has been struggling in public school for quite some time. His self-esteem was shot. Based on a recommendation from his neuropsychologist we decided to try a learning environment where he would receive individual teaching. We found Spring academy close to where we live, so decided to give it a go. It has been wonderful for our son. He's learning and doing well on his tests and his self-esteem is back! He gets along great with his instructor and the staff and are very friendly and genuinely interested in his well-being. Highly recommended! read more

I'm not sure I can adequately express my deep admiration and gratitude to this amazing school, its administration, and staff. Our son arrived broken and deeply depressed by his traditional high school experience, and left a well-adjusted straight-A student with a passion for Philosophy and admission to a highly selective liberal arts university. Spring Academy not only saw him through the pandemic, they stuck with us through a cross-country move and even coordinated an amazing work-study experience in NYC that was perfectly suited to our son's talents and personality. I owe Spring Academy, and in particular its principal Frank Hewins, a debt of gratitude that I will never be able to repay. We looked carefully at all the similar choices before enrolling; this school was by far and away the best choice, then and now. Would give a thousand stars if I could. read more

We've had two students at Spring Academy for very different reasons, and in both cases, this school made a huge and positive difference in their lives. Our oldest child struggled with anxiety in middle school and needed to leave school mid-year. Spring Academy took us in right away and created a comprehensive academic plan that kept our son moving forward in a low-stress and supportive way. He not only graduated from 8th grade, but re-entered high school with increased confidence and a full semester of high school credit. A few years later, our youngest child was struggling with some learning challenges so we enrolled her in Spring Academy as a full-time student. Over the last two years, we've watched her grow into a passionate and engaged learner with solid critical thinking skills. She engages deeply with the material through 1:1 conversations with her teachers, and discovered she loves history and politics. She's rolling into high school with a ton of confidence, skills, positive experience and a love of learning. During the COVID pandemic, Spring Academy hasn't missed a beat. Our student was up and running with her teachers and online curriculum right away, and she remains academically on track during this challenging time (which is truly amazing). Thank you Spring Academy. We really appreciate you. read more

Spring Academy has been wonderful for my son! Our son not only improved in math but socially as well. We are so grateful for the dedicated staff and tutors and all that they do. read more

We are soooooo grateful for Spring Academy. The teachers have helped my son so much to overcome his struggles with math. Teachers Maeve and Jocelyn really know how to connect with my son so that it doesn't seem like work. He actually has fun yet is challenged. They bring out the best in him! Thank you, Spring Academy. And with Covid, they have not missed anything, still consistent. Keep up the great work!! read more

Spring Academy has been terrific. They made it so easy for us to enroll, easy on the admin side and very helpful and compassionate. The teachers have been awesome. My daughter loves it! This was a Covid switch but we are not going back to her old school - she will graduate from Spring in the Spring and we're so pleased. This is not just getting by, this has enhanced the full learning experience. read more

We enrolled our 8th grader at Spring Academy after meeting with Dr Hewins and Rob Hauser. We were impressed by their desire to meet the individual needs of students who otherwise would slip through the system and their years of educational experience (Dr Hewins was awarded Superintendent of the year for WA state in 2018). Our son had a successful year focusing on math and English with his teachers and we appreciated the school pivoting well through changing COVID protocols and restrictions as he was able to be in person halfway through 2020-21 school year. He is now heading to high school this fall with confidence, and we certainly will keep Spring Academy in mind should we see the need to enroll him in the future for more personalized education. It is a wonderful resource for full time schooling, supplemental assistance to your current school, or anything in between. read more

Has Spring Academy changed in the past few years? The learning environment I saw looked like a mass produced digital curriculum administered in a beige multi-computer open office. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. No one was speaking. Literally no one. Not even the student learning a foreign language. If this silence is typical, if your child needs to talk out his learning, enthusiasm, or frustration, then it will be obvious to his peers. If your child needs to move around, then it will be obvious to his peers. If your child is obvious but doesn't like to be obvious, then it will be obvious to his peers. The 2:1 model (a teacher sitting between two students working independently on computers) in a small open classroom of three or four other 2:1 pairs at computers was sold as more beneficial than 1:1, but I didn't find what I saw persuasive in the least. I got no real sense for the school's implementation of pedagogically relevant socio-emotional, affective, or mental health (eg anxiety) accessory skills, no feeling for creating a sense of belonging or interpersonal teacher-student relationship building--the expectation seemed to be that the child (older teen?) is self motivated and can get most of what they need just from the digital curriculum. Is that right? Wow, that must be some digital curriculum. I am genuinely perplexed by what I saw. Maybe this school is best for an independent older high schooler. Perhaps someone with a deeper contemporaneous experience should pipe in with a review borne of current knowledge as a parent or student of Spring Academy. I would read such a review with great interest and think about their point of view very carefully. What kind of student is optimally served here? How are they served? Is it "whole child" and "child centered" or "digitally centered"? And does that meet your child's needs? read more

My daughter was overwhelmed by her public high school experience. Her confidence level in school has completely changed since starting Spring Academy. The one on one attention she receives there is just what she needed. Frank Hewins, the principal, is fabulous. He is friendly, accessible and approachable. I have called and emailed with various questions on numerous occasions and each time I receive a quick response. He picks up the phone right away which is unheard of these days. I highly recommend Spring Academy. read more

This is going to sound so cliche, but the truth is that my child went from failing math to 90th percentile in less then three months. She went from loathing math to saying things like; "Wow, math is fun! I really understand it now!" If you need help, send your child here. Spring Academy changed my child's life. Truly. read more

Our 6th grader was feeling overwhelmed, anxious and even badly about his academic performance. Mid year we knew we had to make a change in order to improve his experience as well as to ensure he would not fall behind. We had searched around and looked at many possibilities, but ultimately selected Spring Academy in the Northgate area of Seattle. From our initial meeting to follow up meetings as well as feedback from our son we feel that Spring Academy was a great decision. Our son has maintained and in some subjects (math and science) excelled beyond the 6th grade level. We feel that the Spring Academy teachers and staff are warm and that they create a safe, nurturing, academic environment where children needing a little extra instruction can get that and more . We highly recommend Spring Academy! read more

With many years of experience in the field of education, it's important to me to see places that support the unique learning needs of students. I had the opportunity to visit Spring Academy and was beyond impressed. The staff is there because they really care about contributing positively to the progress of education. Spring Academy knows that families need options - and they provide many of them to fit any situation. read more

Spring Academy has been life changing for our middleschooler. She wasn't a good fit for traditional school so after yet another tumultuous semester we made to move to Spring. The program is one on one learning and the entire staff is very supportive and flexible. The ability to move quickly in one subject and slowly in another has been really effective. We went from having a totally shut down child to one who is happy, engaged and loves learning again. Honestly it was the best decision we ever made. read more

Spring Academy was such a great fit for our high school student. Prior to finding Spring Academy, school was a daily struggle. Traditional classroom environments were not working at all and the challenges were growing worse by the day. Spring Academy was a complete game changer. The support and flexibility with our family schedule was tremendous, the teaching was one on one, and our student felt comfortable and respected. We were able to maintain the electives at our assigned high school while attending Spring for core classes where the learning environment and teaching style were so critical to his successes. Our experience at Spring Academy was completely positive and I would highly recommend it to other families. read more

After years of chaos in multiple public school environments our move to Spring Academy feels like a gift from the heavens. Our son is thriving academically for the first time in his life, and most improtantly he feels respected, empowered and excited to learn. Amazing staff, great flexibility, a truly caring environment! read more