Primavera - Online

I have been a student at Primavera for a year and a half. To be honest I wish I would have started online school a long time ago. I was unsure at first about doing online school but once I got started with Primavera I realized it was the best educational decision I have ever made. At my previous high school I encountered many problems. The teachers were rude and unhelpful unless of course your parent was with you. The majority of students were wrapped around in the world and only cared about drama and inappropriate topics. It got to the point where I was extremely unhappy and felt like school wasn't even about having a good education, it felt like it was more based on drama and students social lives. Primavera allowed me to concentrate on my schoolwork and focus on what really mattered, my education. Eventually when I was steady with my courses and use to the settings of online high school I began working a full time job and still was able to succeed in my courses. Primavera gave me so many more opportunities than public school could have ever offered me.

I am very happy with Primavera! They have worked very hard to make sure my kids had what they needed and to help in anyway possible. Ryan Peterson was awesome thru this experience. I have 2 other children that I will be putting in Primavera. Thank you so much!
—Submitted by a parent

After reading some of these reviews, I wonder if my daughter is attending the same school! Primavera has been a positive experience for us. I personally found the courses easy to follow, to cover the appropriate material, and to be in line with my daughter's learning style. The grade book is easy to navigate and your child's student advisor is always more than happy to answer any questions. To address the issue a student had with working during school hours, I must say that during the time that my daughter was unable to be in contact with the school for a variety of reasons, I was able to act as the contact point: pass along information, ask questions, and answer the teacher's/advisor's questions. Although the curriculum is online, having weekly contact with the school is not just recommended it is required. My experience is that the teachers do make themselves available, many of them offering help when needed during their "free" time. Teacher's aids are also available during alternate/later hours. Each teacher runs a live adobe session once per week, if not on multiple days; some of these sessions are during the day, but many teachers run theirs "after hours" around 6, 7 P.M.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a horrible school. I worked there for many years and have never seen someone as unprofessional as the principal Deb Bender. She has an attitude with her staff and treats them poorly. I am so glad I chose to leave and work for a better organization.
—Submitted by a teacher

My daughter was an honors student who consistently scores well on AIMS standardized tests. Due to a chronic illness exacerbated by stress, we made the decision to switch from an amazing public school to an equally amazing Primavera. The teachers are committed and top notch, the curriculum is well-structured, engaging and challenging, and the overall organization is very well organized. Thank you, Primavera!
—Submitted by a parent

They DO NOT know what they are doing or how to handle their students properly. One block your in a math class and half-way through it they decide to put you in another math class for NO REASON WHAT-SO-EVER. This has happened countless times; it's not a one time occurrence. Also, their diploma only recognized by a couple of colleges, good luck getting into a good one with their diploma I would highly recommend going to a different school.

I have worked with Primavera for a short time and I must say, their employees are truly focused on making Primavera student's experience the best possible. The CEO is all about making things better and more user friendly, which helps their students learn more and hit their academic goals. The negative reviews I have read seem very uncharacteristic of what Primavera is about, so keep in mind that although Primavera provides the tools, the students have take ownership of their education and make the effort to reach their goals. Primavera staff will do everything in their power to help struggling students stay on track and get their diploma.

I have had the privilege of teaching at Primavera for over a year now and it has been a great experience. This is my first teaching job out of college and, while I did have other options, I chose Primavera because I could tell the administrative staff would be there to support me and help me as a new teacher. Turns out my intuition was correct. The (current) principal has been a guiding mentor throughout the last 18 months and I really couldn't have supported the kids without her. She's shown me how to put the students first and provide them the quality education they deserve. Other schools pull teachers in many different directions, but I've always felt the decisions and changes to the school curriculum and student handbook are there to help the succeed. Each day I'm excited to help students who thrive in our online environment because a traditional school didn't work out for them. I'm glad we can offer a variety of ways for students to learn in today's age and Primavera excels as an online school.
—Submitted by a teacher

I wanted to share my excitement about Primavera. Have had so many students say it is the first time they have felt successful in school. The classes are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Teachers, support staff and technical help is easily reached for any questions and are ready to help. The leadership team is lead by Principal Bender. She has such a rich history in education. In her implementing of new procedures the best interest of the student is always in the fore front of her decision making. The principal and her assistants are so easily reached by phone and email if ever a question needs answered. Such a forward thinking school that provides all the tools to be a success!

I have to agree with the review below. The place is literally run by so-called adults that act like children. The CEO and managers line their pockets with taxpayer money while they churn out poorly-designed curriculum and websites with numerous flaws. Employee turnover is very high. Don't be fooled by their slick advertising, if they were any good they wouldn't need it.

We have found the school to be lacking in support. Teachers often are unavailable, some only available two hours during a day and then in the evening. There are computer glitches and when there is a problem it often takes some time to be resolved. Parents do not have the access they should have either and it is difficult to figure out exactly what's happening when looking online anyway. The classes are 5 weeks long, but if you're not making it through you just fail and have to retake the course. As a previous homeschooling family, we have been disappointed in the lack of attention. When at a get to know you event, students had an attitude of "it doesn't matter, I can just retake the class." Taking only two courses at a time sounds good, but if there's no special attention when needed, what good is it? If your child is already above average it will work well, but if your student needs help with some subjects, Primavera leaves something to be desired. We will be leaving after this session.
—Submitted by a parent

My son was failing 9th grade, until I enrolled him in Primavera. He has received 4 A and 2 B grades within the past 3 months. He is so much happier and less stressed than before. That is great for my husband and I also. I recommend this school to any parent that has a child that is struggling or having problems in traditional school. All staff that we have came into contact with have been great and really care about your child. They do work in 6 week time frames and students take 2 courses at a time. It makes more time for the kids to stay on 1 subject and have a better chance of learning it. When my son had 6 courses at once, it seemed like he was always trying to catch up. We really like that the classes are open 24 hours a day. So students can work in their own time schedule. My son has a learning disability and this really helps, because some days he works great and others he seems to know nothing. Everyone is so caring and helpful.
—Submitted by a parent

This school isn't worth it at all. I've been a student at Primavera for a year, and in that time, I've learned more from Google than being here. I originally came to Primavera in the hopes of having more freedom, but, being an advanced computer user and Linux user, I found myself being forced to install Windows in order to do anything, since it relies heavily on aging software such as Flash. On top of that, I hold a full-time job that goes from 9 AM to 5 PM, so I am unable to answer their phone calls. I've told my counselor and teachers about this via E-Mail, but they have resorted to calling me 4-5 times in a row in the hopes that I'd answer. Because of this, as well as my job's strict policy of not being able to answer phone calls, I've been forced to block them from calling me. They haven't responded to any E-Mails I've sent them regarding important things (such as a death in my family which made me unable to do a week of school), and because of the huge lack of communication, I've failed more classes than I did at a regular high school. The only things I've received from them are automated e-mails. Overall, I'm very disappointed and will be going back to a normal school.
—Submitted by a student

Oh my gosh. This school. :D It's like sjdhafhskdfj AMAZING! I love it I have been with Primavera since 9th grade. and I'm now a 11th grader:) it's just amazing! I love the one-on-one with the teachers& how they are always there! Like if you need help on something they are just a phone call away. They make sure you understand the question... BEST SCHOOL EVER no doubt about it. I would strongly recommend this school ;D
—Submitted by a student

The school work on the site is very difficult to navigate & understand what your child is suppose to be doing. It frustrated & confused my daughter & it made things even more confusing talking to her teacher who lacked good communication skills. I wold not recommend this school to anyone.
—Submitted by a parent

Disappointed to learn school was not focused on credit recovery. Students can only take 1 core subject at a time and 1 elective, which means they concentrate on only 1 subject for 30+ hrs a wk, during the entire length of the course. In additon, they require student's struggling in math to take 1 core math course along with an AIMS math elective - this causes students to become confused and fail the course because they are having to master two different math concepts at one time. This practice is indicative of an administration who is more concerned with their overall AIMS score, which defines the school s performance, rather than helping student s reach their academic goals. Apart from the administration, the teachers seem to care and their online video lessons are engaging. Some info you may or may not like: Student s are required to speak to their teachers over the phone each week. They are also required to post 10 comments, 3-4 sentences long, on the Student Discussion Board each week.
—Submitted by a parent

BEST SCHOOL EVER! Hi, my name is Anastasia, and I have been a freshmen student here at Primavera for.. Four months? And it is so amazing, I'm not even kidding. It is so much more simple, and teaches more here, and my teachers actually listen to me and help me individually. I only take 2-4 classes a block, but their program make you graduate earlier :)) I am taking 4 classes, and now thanks to my AWESOME school, I will graduate in 2012 December, when I'm 15. I actually have a bigger social life than ever before O_O.. primavera has a jillion clubs that students can choose from, and they can talk to each other face-to-face and go onb field trips, hang out, go to dances etc! I'm in Student Government (I'm senator), Club ASU (Looks brilliant on a college resume), and Key Club. When I first saw this school, I was blinded by its awesomeness ;)
—Submitted by a student

The traditional classroom isn't right for everyone! For a truly individualized, personalized education, Primavera is simply the best choice there is. With today's busy schedules, being able to learn at your own pace, in your own time, is a huge plus. Your classroom is there 24 hours a day, seven days a week! The best part - it's free! I've never had the privilege to work with a more dedicated group of professionals. My students are simply the best! I couldn't recommend Primavera more highly. Whether you simply want an alternative to a traditional classroom, want to graduate early, have children, have health issues, have legal issues, or just want a change, Primavera is here to help!
—Submitted by a teacher

Such a wonderful school, no other online schooling is better.
—Submitted by a parent

I attended Primavera for my senior year of high school so that I could work full time and still complete my education. It was a truly great experience- the teachers worked with me and my unique schedule, and were very quick at getting back to me when I needed my questions answered. One short month after graduating with Primavera I obtained an Enrollment Advisor position with them, and I love sharing my experience as a student with those who are new to our school. :)