Self Development Charter School

My children have gone to Self Development for 5 years now. This school is not an online school like a previous post I read stated. I believe that post is posted for the wrong school. SDCS is a great school with a very caring and enthusiastic staff.
—Submitted by a parent

MY SON DID K-12 FOR 3 MONTHS, HE DID NOT LIKE IT. THIS WAS THE FIRST ONLINE SCHOOL HE DID, AND THE LAST. STAFF WAS NOT ALL THAT GREA!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

I am so happy to have found a school that my children enjoy going to and one that I feel has high expectations and goals for their academic success. My children have been going to SDCS for the past 4 years and they have always had a very strong bond with each one of their teachers. They are eager to tell me about their day when I pick them up. They have developed a true love for learning, thanks to SDCS. This love of learning will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
—Submitted by a parent

It's the best choice in the area for grades K-3. I have learned that all of the reviews for this school are monitored and any negative comments are quickly overshadowed by rave reviews.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended SDCS for grades K-8. She will be starting high school this upcoming school year and was accepted into the honors program. I thank SDCS for the lifelong learning skills she developed to succeed.
—Submitted by a parent

Self Development Charter School was the PERFECT school for our children. Both of our children attended SDCS from Kindergarten till 8th grade. The accelerated curriculum challenged our children. This made for a smooth transition into public school. We feel fortunate that our children were given a strong foundation in EVERY subject. There were no gaps in their learning and both were immediately placed in honors classes. The school's preparation given for AIMS and Standford 10 immensely helped our children feel confident and knowlegdeable when taking any exam. Throughout their schooling, testing continues to be part of their education. We are grateful that SDCS prepared our children for these challenges.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has gone above and beyond to ensure that the needs of my two children are met. My son, who is in third grade, was placed in an accelerated group which took the curriculum a level higher to ensure all the students were challenged. They were given a weekly project that required research and critical thinking skills. The project was based on the subject matter of their weekly story. Both of my children have enjoyed the weekly hands-on science labs they have done since 1st grade. They love to come home and share what they have learned. It is this love for learning that the school has instilled in them that I believe is the most important thing that they have learned. I truly see me children as lifelong learners because of what they have learned at SDCS. My children will attend SDCS all the way through 8th grade because I believe this school is the best choice for children and ensuring they are always challenged to reach their full potential.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is not perfect but I feel that it is was best choice for my child out of all the pubic & charter schools in the area for K-3. Of course there are positives & negatives to all schools. Yes, they teach children one grade above for ALL subjects from K-3rd grade. So if your child is 2 grades above level in reading or math, their needs will not be meet. In 4th grade they might go above 2 levels in Math. Another positive is that they offer lots of recess opportunities which is necessary for kids to function. A negative is that there are not a lot of opportunities for hands on learning. They do some science projects for K-3. Maybe on average about once a month,(I am being generous here), but not as often as they should to reinforce the subject. For example, when learning about magnets I strongly believe that they should have played with actual magnets! It is the best way to show how magnets may attract or repel each other. I had to supplement this at home. They do utilize a good curriculum, McGraw Hill, but often use Spectrum workbooks to get the kids ready for their Stanford 10 & AIMS. The staff is nice but I will be transferring my son to Mesa Academy for 4th grade.
—Submitted by a parent

Self Development Charter School (SDCS) focuses on student learning and growth throughout all grade levels. It is unfortunate that the school s philosophy would be portrayed differently. Students continue to grow and learn through diverse strategies and activities during the 180 days of every school year. Memorization, comprehension, critical thinking and knowledge appreciation are valued instructional learning strategies at the school. Although memorization may be mistakenly viewed as a low level skill, it is the foundation for many higher level skills. Memorizing math facts allows students to move forward to more complex math without being forced to focus on the basics. Teachers assess daily for comprehension and build upon the strengths and weaknesses of each student. Higher level thinking can only be achieved when information is learned and retained. This is an ongoing learning and growth process at the end of the school. These methods and focusing on student growth have proven to be successful as SDCS ranks as a top performing school in Arizona.
—Submitted by a teacher

I am so grateful to have found a school where my children are receiving a top level education. My students love going to school each day. The school is definitely centered around each individual student and ensuring their needs are met. The teachers in all grade levels enjoy what they are doing and you can see it on their smiling faces. The administration and office staff are always available to answer any questions you may have. I have been at SDCS for 4 years and will remain until my kids enter high school.
—Submitted by a parent

Love the school, my daugher has been going since preschool and she is pushed every year to learn to her full potential. If you do not have time to help your child learn then this school wll not work for you. Its about learning and not about drama.Yes there test scores are the best. Look for yourself and compare.
—Submitted by a parent

As a parent, I am looking forward to my child entering fourth grade at SDCS! Each year, my child has grown academically and socially. The school truly implements a program that is based on student learning and progress. My child always feels welcomed and nurtured by the school staff and falculty. Although the school receives only state funds, resources are visually allocated to ensure the learning of the students. SDCS is an excellent model of successful education!
—Submitted by a parent

i am so grateful to have found a school where my children are getting a top education. The principal Mrs. Majeed is very involved in the children's learning and how they are doing. The front office is very caring and helpful. Thank you SDCS for giving my children a top education in a caring, nurturing and safe environment.
—Submitted by a parent

Parental involvement is a must! I was compelled to do a review, because there are a few parents that comment that there is no communication between staff and parents! What???!!!! Before we even begin school we get a hand book with rules and regulations, the teacher also gives rules and regulations. Every class has a weekly progress report to be signed by the PARENT! I am always called even if my son falls and scrapes his knee! What more communication do you need!! Wow you must be very busy not to hear any feed back! You have to do YOUR part to stay connected as well!!!
—Submitted by a parent

SDCS is number one in our book. Our daughter s ability to overcome obstacles has been evident in her accelerated performance. Her older sister went to a different school and I never once received a phone call from the teacher. At SDCS the teacher calls to give you positive feedback on your child s progress. I am grateful for the teachers, staff and principle at SDCS because of all they do. Their dedication to education is priceless.
—Submitted by a parent

We were new to the school this year and we are terribly disappointed. Long story short our son's small group was being taught in the kitchen, a small kitchen that is used for a storage area for all kinds of things. The door had to be open because the air was out on a heat advisory day. I pulled him out that day. But most of all I could never get what I felt was an honest up front answer to any of questions from the staff. In the end, although I think the academics are great I did not feel safe leaving my child there and could not trust the staff's communication with me.
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter was extremely excited about all the new faces at school the first day of school. She has been with SDCS family since the age of one. Changes are inevitable and SDCS is growing because of the incredible school it has always been and continues to be. SDCS was school of the year for a reason and there are several of them. The principal, front office staff and teachers work extremely hard to make sure every child is successful. SDCS was also given an Academic Excellence Award from the Arizona Department of Education. Our family hopes that the school continues to grow and we are confident that our child's education will continue to be top-notch.
—Submitted by a parent

I am sorry that parent feels that way about the front office. I wish they would get to know the school better. It is nice as a parent to see the same familiar faces year after year at the front office and in the classrooms. They have an amazing staff that truly cares about the well being of each and every child. My child has been here since kindergarten and is in Mrs. Cote's 5th grade class this year. The excitement I see in her to want to come to school to learn and do better is beyond words. I am truly thankful to SDCS for giving her the foundation for learning!!!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter was so excited to return to school this year, especially with all the new additions to the campus. She has attended SDCS since Kindergarten and has grown so much academically and socially over the past two years! I attribute this to the care of her teachers and the staff of SDCS as well as my involvement as a parent. I greatly appreciate the communication from her teachers and staff, especially the progress notes! I know long before receiving report cards and parent teacher conferences how she is progressing! Thank you.
—Submitted by a parent

I have heard so many great things about this school that we decided to enroll our child at SDCS. So far I couldn't be more disappointed! The communication is HORRIBLE from the office to the teacher. I have no idea what is being taught, what the daily schedule is, class rules, etc. I feel totally in the dark. I don't see any nuturing going on as the school claims. I believe that with so many new families it's growing too large too fast & they can't handle it. The only good thing that I see is the playground addition. Other than that, a terrible experience so far!!!
—Submitted by a parent