Glendale Preparatory Academy

Any other parents happen to see how many more teachers are leaving Glendale Prep this year? Something's not right at our school.
--Submitted by a parent

I could not be more happy with this school!! My son is THRIVING and so are all of his friends that left Challenge Charter school a year early to come here. I'm not exactly sure what the previous poster is talking about, but I will say this isn't a school for everyone. The work load is considerable, but my son is managing it well. He has grown up a lot at GP. I appreciate the fact that they don't teach pop culture and focus on the classics, it is building an introspective reasoning into my son more than a hundred lessons on current events could ever do...(All you have to do is turn on the news to see what is happening around our world right now). I always see the kids smiling when I visit the school. My son wants to come in an hour early and stay an hour late!! The sports program had given my son so much joy and everyone in my family really likes attending the games. The office staff is wonderful and they are very welcoming of parental support and volunteering. I've jumped right in and started helping wherever I can! This is a small school, I feel like it is family. Maybe not a perfect fit for everyone, but for my son it is absolutely spectacular!!
--Submitted by a parent

By the way, I feel I need to comment on the parent who said Mr. Garrison was run off. He was most certainly not run off-he left on his own, three weeks before school started. Also, to the parent who said the school has no extra-curricular activities. WRONG! My son is in five clubs (four that require a lot of extra work), and maintains a straight A average at the school. If someone thinks that there are no extra-curriculars, they are not trying very hard to participate. The sports program at GP is excellent, run by the the caring/character driven teacher/coach, Mr. Rickey. None of the GP's sports students exhibit the poor character and sportsmanship of other schools-Mr. Rickey would not tolerate it. Our football, cross-country, volleyball, softball, and basketball teams have all won state championships!
--Submitted by a parent

For those of you who are wondering where Mr. Garrison went, he is now the music instructor at Phoenix Country Day School in Scottsdale, I would not say he was run off but rather jumped at the opportunity to teach at the most prestegious school in the Phoenix Metro area. Perhaps his tenure at Glendale Prep helped him get this next position. My daughter loves this school and has attended since it opened, previously she attended Rancho Solano from 3 years old through the end of fifth grade. In my opinion Glendale Prep is a much better school in many ways. My daughter struggled the first year but has caught up and is now performing wonderfully.
--Submitted by a parent

To the post below mine, I was sad to hear of the music teacher Mr. Garrison leaving, but to say he was "ran off" is a rumor at best....perhaps he had a better teaching opportunity since he was so great? The entire staff is very caring and even the newest teachers are at the top of their field...most are not just "certified" to teach but are so skilled in their subject, I am honored that they feel compelled to teach the next generation. my son is in 8th and has absolutely blossomed into a confident and well-spoken child. He loves drama class, that's shocking since he's an introvert at heart.
--Submitted by a parent

This is a school where true learning occurs. GP's focus on developing a community of learners where participation in class is just as important as a grade on a quiz is creating thinking individuals, something our country desperately needs. Along with all the Great Heart Schools, character is valued and the respect students have for each other and their teachers is evident on the campus. Great Hearts, by the way, aptly describes the mission of these charter schools. We are thankful to Mr. Williams and his staff for creating such a wonderful environment of learning for our children.
--Submitted by a parent

Though the teachers continually show the utmost interest in the students of the school, the administration seems to have the unfortunate ability to drive away their best teachers. My child was continually inspired and excelled in the music program, unfortunately it appears they ran him off. Truly disappointing for our entire family. Since the school does not encourage the students to "excel" toward one particular area, we are considering leaving this semester. We also feel as if the school is developing into a "Catholic" school style atmosphere, of which is not truly ideal for all students.
--Submitted by a parent

This was my last year at GPA. I am looking forward to having my life back.

I'm a student here at GP and I've been going here since the school opened three years ago. I'm currently in 8th grade. The curriculum here is extremely challenging- but the payoff is excellent. After switching over from a private school I found that the curriculum here was far more difficult. It takes a certain amount of dedication, but you really get the feeling that you're learning something truly good. I find that my teachers don't just care about how well I learn the material- they care about how well I understand it. I really do get the feeling that my teachers care about me as a person and want to see me succeed. I love this school in that it doesn't just prepare me to be average- I'm prepared to be excellent. The books we read are deep and take effort to understand- but the wonder you get from discovering something beautiful about the world pays off. The extracurriculars are great- Latin club, dante society, old english club, troubadour tradition, drama, music, poetry, and art. We take music 4 out of the 6 years we spend here. I don't see this school as preparation for college- I see it as preparation for life and being a truly good person.

This school is excellent. The academics are difficult, but great. The leadership is strong, but very caring and compassionate. The teachers really care about the students. It's a smaller school which is great for students. They school really cares about growing a student that is kind, compassionate and smart. the discipline has been very fair and is only in place to promote learning and fairness to all students. I love this school.
--Submitted by a parent