Learning Foundation - Arts Gilbert

School is good for the most part. They have a strict program for behavior. I dont mind the weekly packet of homework they get on monday and return it on the following monday. I dont mind the m-th book they need to read nightly with one page of homework. I DO MIND the 3 different websites that they make a K student do homework on weekly. Its absolutly TOOOOOOO much for a 5 year old. Besides the work on the internet is confusing and if you dont finish it all at once it makes you start all over again. It takes my 5 yr old a very long time to do this program. They dont realize that some of us are single parents who work full time jobs and do not have the time to get all this work done with thier child(ren). The school/state does NOT undertand this. Teacher told me its the state that makes the requirements. Ive spoken to other parents who have their children at other schools. They have not heard of such crazy and hard homwork especially for the K class. I will not be letting my child return next year. I cannot wait till the school year is OVER.
—Submitted by a parent

My kids love this school. They have been coming for 3 year now and between Junior high and High School my boys have excelled. My daughter is in the 5th grade and has had some great teachers over the last couple of years. The performing Arts and the Karate are amazing. Will keep my kids in there until my daughter graduates High school.
—Submitted by a parent

I cannot say enough great things about this school. My child has just blossomed here! I have never seen a principal like this one, he is accessable, caring and engaged...just as the rest of the staff and teachers are. If you have an opportunity for your child to participate in the after school dance/theater/singing groups, DO IT. The teachers who run these are amazing and the activities they can participate in are endless. Its a very family oriented, welcoming environment that encourages parent interaction. When I call the office, they know just who I am and who my child is. My only regret is not finding this place sooner!
—Submitted by a parent

I love the school and staff. My child has come a long way and I owe it to this school. I'm glad to know that Ms. Michelle, Ms Ramos are there and always willing to go the extra mile in and out of the classroom. Go check out the school and enjoy knowing that the teachers are what you want to have for your child. Thank you Ms. Michelle and Ms. Ramos for always doing your best.
—Submitted by a parent

My son will be attending his 5th year at LFPA and will be entering the 11th grade in the fall. We have been very happy with the close family environment and willingness of the teachers to work with the parents as a team. My son has excelled personally and academically at LFPA and has gained confidence in himself during the teenage years when it is often very difficult to do. Larger school environments don"t give the average kids opportunities to shine where the smaller charter school does. The principal is very willing to work with the parents and the kids love and respect him. The highschool teachers are all top notch and have developed special mentoring bonds with each student which is so important as they go through their high school years. We feel very fortunate to have found LFPA and thank the LFPA team for making our school a great learning experience for our students.
—Submitted by a parent

My 1st experiences with Charter Schools had left much to be desired. I am very greatful to have found this school. My children have been at LFPA for the last 4 years. Each year they get better. They have always been proactive and helpful. The principal is always willing to meet with you and address any concerns you might have. If your student starts having any struggles, either academically or socially, they are quick to contact you and and work with you as a team. I appreciate the family atmosphere and the education provided. My childrens AIMS scores have improved each year. They don't put up with continued disruptive behavior.....this is a learning environment and they take that seriously. They do, however, do their best to work with students and parents to resolve any issues and not only get the best from your student, but to provide the best for your student.
—Submitted by a parent

My son was not happy in a traditional school setting, so I transferred him after Christmas to LFPA-Gilbert. So far we are both very happy with the change. His 4th grade teacher is one of the best he's ever had!
—Submitted by a parent

My Kids Love this school. They have attended here since it opened about 6 years ago.The teachers and Principal are very dedicated and caring. I love the small safe environment and enjoying watching my kids in the school performances. My kids love the great choices of electives to choose from. We highly recommend this school to everyone!
—Submitted by a parent

This school has been wonderful for my boys. They receive the same, if not better academics then in a public school, and they get to enjoy themselves with all of the electives. They are excited about going to school everyday. The teachers are all kind and caring towards all of the students. I would recommend this school to anyone looking for a small, family oriented school.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has always struggled with school and her place there. For two years she has been able to get the best of both worlds, singing/dancing/acting/music and academics. Here they provided additional tutoring in order to help her gain skills in math. I have seen a timid, talented young lady emerge from her shell and take her spotlight both academically and artistically. I am very impressed with the teacher who get to know these kids, the small classrooms, and the great parental involvement. I have found her home for the next many years until she graduates. Thank you LFPA!!!
—Submitted by a parent

I have three children at LFPA and I am so thrilled that we found a school that meets all of their needs! This is our third year attending this school and we could not imagine having our children anywhere else. My oldest is an 8th grader. He has some ADHD issues and was falling through the cracks at his other school. His grades were all D's and F's at his previous school, but because he wasn't a problem behaviorally, nobody seemed to care. Since moving him to LFPA he has blossomed academically and emotionally. His teachers have taken a sincere interest in him and have helped him to develop strategies to help his attention problems. The school has helped all three of my children to develop their love for the arts, which in turn has helped them develop academically as well. All of my children have received a lot of personal time and attention due to the small class sizes. They have also had the opportunity to get any extra tutoring in areas that they are struggling in. I look forward to many more years at LFPA and love the fact that they can remain at this great school until they graduate high school!
—Submitted by a parent

The academics are a joke. My child came to the school as a Kindergartener doing first grade work. The teacher did not care that all the work she did was review. The teacher does not look at each child and their performance. I am a teacher, at the public school system, and I look at each child's work and help them advance to get the most out of the educational system. Also my child came home with a red mark on her eye. She said that another child hit her in the face. I took a picture of the make sand sent it to the principal, I left VM with the principal and he does not respond. My child routinely gets picked on with this child and the principal does not care to respond. This school is lacking academics and encourages bullying and the teachers turn the other check and walk away. Please do not send your child to this school. I plan on pulling my child and putting my child in a public school.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is a big joke, I am sorry that I enrolled my kid here and will not make that same mistake again. They misrepsented who they are and what they do, they ignore parents values and beliefs and they have the nerve to ask my kid to change her clothing and gave her clothing that was too small and left marks on her. Art is about freedom, this school is about comformity.
—Submitted by a parent

Parents Please Read!!! We are so happy to have found a performing Arts school for our children! We too had an issue with our 14 year old son slipping through the public school sytem without much care from the staff. My Son is now able to participate in drama/dance/music programs that he otherwise would have been looked over in a larger school. I have a newly turned Sophmore as well as a newly turned 3rd grader and they are doing well academically the teachers hold them accountable which is great! I read in another review that a parent had a problem with a teacher yelling at a student now I do not think that this behavior is appropriate with the younger kids however we are human and anyone of us parents are guilty of doing the same thing to our teenager. Please keep in mind that some teenagers can be very disrespectful and if the only way to get the situation in line is to grab that students attention by raising your voice then by all means gain control. I know that as a parent of 5 children and three of which are teens and one of my teens got mouthy, I would not have a problem with them being yelled at if needed. Let's be careful to know facts and not listen to gossip. Thank U
—Submitted by a parent

I have been teaching science here at LFPA for 3 years and am thrilled with the quality of the current high school staff. The teachers are top notch and the new principal is phenomenal. With our accreditation approval of last year, we have been able to establish a National Honor Society as well as an honors component to our high school classes in addition to tutoring for students who need it. Science continues to excel with 10% of our high school students placing at the state science fair. It is a great, safe, fun school and one I will be proud to be a part of for a long time.
—Submitted by a teacher

This school is a fake- they put it all out there as if they have it going on but.... the level of education is a joke- they have no consistancy. they fill in where needed with unskilled and uneducated people- when it is performance time- nothing else matters- education takes a back seat - performances are not better than a regular school- I wish I would have kept my 3 children in public school- I feel as if they have lost a lot
—Submitted by a parent

We were so thrilled to find a performing arts school to take our kids too. However, even though they do get to attend karate, dance, keyboard, sing, it is not what we expected. The BEST part of this school from my kids perspective is the keyboarding & karate. Unfortunately the education is lacking. They use books from the 70's and my kids are not challenged in the least. The classrooms are too small and there is constant contention with kids. More so than even in a normal school. The teachers seem unable to handle their classes or yet others yell and punish daily to maintain. The office is less then friendly and even the principal is not interested in what the parents have to say. The campus is not parent friendly and the performing arts part of the program is okay, but not great. Needless to say, we aren't returning.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my child's second year at the Gilbert campus school. He is excelling better than we had hoped. As far as communication goes, I have never ever had a problem with speaking with a teacher or the principal. Parents need to understand that the principal is in charge of K-12 grades. She has a huge responsibility. I have read many of the reviews. I don't believe that religion is a problem at this school. They truly care about their students. I would encourage you to check the school out they are very friendly and caring.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 3 children at the Learning Foundation Gilbert Campus, and I am proud to say that they have excelled greatly since they started attending the Learning Foundation last year. My 2nd grader now has self confidence thanks to their great Martial Arts Program. My 3rd grader has overcome her stage fright, thanks to the awesome drama program. My 6th grader is reading high school level books! I am so proud, of my children, and we love the Learning Foundation. We are looking forward to many more wonderful years here and can't wait to see what the future and the extremely knowledgeable staff will bring to our children s lives!
—Submitted by a parent

My high schooler was slipping through the public school system with very little notice. Since moving her to Learning Foundation she has become an A student who loves science and drama. She even sings around the house...its such an amazing turn around for her!
—Submitted by a parent