Academy of Advanced Learning

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Opinions

• Heavenlea Grace

  May, 02 2018
  ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
  (UPDATE 1/24/2018)
  We have removed our son from this school. If you want a school that is run like the last stop for your child before prison, this is absolutely the place for you. Ms.Niewinski and Mr. Craddock (the principals) are frankly principals at the wrong school. They appear to be caring people who seem to have their hands tied by incredibly ridiculous policies. I have understood the need for discipline when it comes to a serious school setting, but suspending a 5 year old once every 2 weeks or so for 3 days is NOT appropriate- I have been to many public schools and not one of them seems to advocate suspension the way this place does (Despite doing NOTHING about a few other children physically putting their hands on our child, including one who wrapped his hands around our son's neck and CHOKED HIM IN FRONT OF US). Ever since our son started to show that he was different and has difficulties, it's felt as if he has been specifically targeted for removal. That sounds very paranoid, but when the CEO, Mr. Miles decides to suspend my son for, at 5 years old, becoming frustrated with a subject that is difficult for him and tearing up his paper, I don't feel I'm too off the mark. Our son does have some special needs, the full details we are still trying to work out with his doctors, but this school reassured us that they would be equipped to handle a child with special needs. They are not, not in the least.
  However, since my last review, I have actually seen much less of the "learning aides" or "learning coaches" and my son hasn't come home after wetting his pants in fear of them, so apparently they got that handled. Front desk is still a hell of a mess half the time. Everything in the school seems to be community property, including my son's sensory "calm down" box. Once child purposefully destroyed one of the items, another stole one, and the rest just take them without asking. This isn't the first time he's had his things taken, though, it's the first time we've actually gotten angry. We tried very hard to make this school work for our son, but it seems most of their promises are just words. The place is run like a boot camp.
  However, their core curriculum is fantastic. Our 5 year old son halfway through kindergarten can do addition, subtraction, build sentences, identify the parts of a sentence, and even do some light reading on his own. Imagine what they could've done for him if they didn't rely so heavily on suspension! If you want a kid who is too scared to show emotion but is beyond grade level at math and English, this is absolutely the place for you! It is not the place for us,considering every single time my son gets upset he looks at me and asks me if I'm going to send him away like the school does, I'm not sorry.
  ***
  We love our teachers. We like our principal well enough. Our main problem is with the "learning aides". Many of them are incredibly unprofessional both in how they treat the kids (IN FRONT OF PARENTS!) and how they generally behave. I could hear one of the female aides screaming at a group of children halfway across the school- and I mean full on, nasty screaming at them to shut up. I know this is a state in which cannabis is legal (and I support that) but I've been greeted more than once by the very strong smell of weed on more than one aide. That's not acceptable. The front desk is a mess (if you are worried about someone picking your child up from school after hours without your permission, like say a spouse who does not have visitation, then this is not the place for you). The kids are not well supervised during the after school care (again, the learning aides don't seem to care at all, and the few times I've seen teachers they all look incredibly overwhelmed). At the start of the start of the school year, this place seemed like an incredible and rare find; a decent charter school that valued kids and community. But as the school year goes on it just seems to get worse and worse and worse. We're honestly thinking of pulling our child out and putting him in another school next year.

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