Candeo Schools

Not so happy with Candeo. All the hype and they referred us to Basis School for grades 5 and up. We went and majority of kids had to leave because were not at all prepared for the Basis cirriculum. Very disappointing - most of us are back at our public school.

Kindergarten Wait list parent: PEORIA TRADITIONAL SCHOOL offers full day kindergarten for only $175 month almost half of Candeo full day. We are very happy with the kinder teacher at Peoria Traditional. Teh school is held within Zuni Hills Elementary School (Williams Rd. & 107th). It is part of Peoria School District. The principal is awesome, students wear uniforms and small class sizes.

I am shocked.. Shopping around close charter school I had called Candeo school and spoke to administrator whom spoke quit harsh as there is no possible room to be put on a wait list 2012 since the # is already 99 people waiting for kinder next year. I told her bluntly i didn't appreciate her discouragement & that reason for call was a tour of the school. I explained I would NEVER enroll my child into a school that I never toured. The audacity of some people..and lack of professionalism.. shocking, just shocking :(
--Submitted by a parent

This is our third year at Candeo and we love it! The teachers have all been excellent and I feel like they really care about my kids. I have a couple of children in the gifted program, which I agree could have a bigger push. However, I feel like they are getting so much more in the regular classroom than what we experienced at a public school that there is not as big of a need for a separate "gifted" class. My kids all love it and come home excited about what they are learning. When learning is fun, it keeps the kids excited and I think that may even be more important that a tough academic curriculum. I feel like there is a good balance of academics and fun.
--Submitted by a parent

We are also an Anthem family who drives everyday to a school that our children absolutely love. We realize that there are many schools between our home and Candeo, and we have made the choice to continue sending our children to Candeo for a number of reasons: we feel that our children are getting an excelllent education, are a part of a learning community that accepts, encourages and inspires and that our children are being challenged academically without hindering their natural need to just be kids. There is not a perfect school and not everyone will find their "home" at Candeo. But for this Anthem family, we are behind Candeo 100%.
--Submitted by a parent

This is our third year at Candeo and we are very pleased with it. We drive from Anthem everyday because it is worth the extra effort to have my children at a school where they are safe, loved, and learning everyday. We have tried several public and charter schools in North Phoenix and were disappointed with many of them. Candeo does not have as challenging of a curriculum as some other charter schools (and not as much homework), but my children are learning every second of every day and they learn at a mastery level in every subject. Their homework is meaningful and not just busy work. They excel because the teachers truly do use a variety of strategies to reach all learning styles. One of my children is a very tactile/kinesthetic learner. I worried about him in a typical classroom, but Candeo has reached his learning style beautifully since Kindergarten. However, they have also been able to keep my very gifted, audio/visual learner engaged as well. I feel they could do more with their gifted program, but overall, we have been VERY pleased with our experiences at Candeo.
--Submitted by a parent

This is our third year at Candeo and we are extremely pleased! I love that parent volunteers are welcomed and appreciated. It truly is a community where they take the time to know the entire family. My children are challenged and nutured! While no school can be all things to all students, this is truly the best choice for our family.
--Submitted by a parent

Did you know that Candeo Schools has had two complaints and one lawsuit filed against it in the last two years? The Peoria USD is making great progress at increasing the opportunities available to its students, as noted in the 9/17 post, you may want to check out the new programs they are offering before making a decision about where to send your student.

I was reading through some of the reviews and agree that the content and teachers are awesome. I found that my student was not being challenged though. Although the curriculum is said to be rigorous my student never had more than 15 minutes of homework a night, I was disappointed. I am trying to prepare my student for the middle/high school years. Now I am hearing from parents that have moved on to feeder schools that the students are not prepared for the real rigor they face and are struggling. The whole point of putting my student in Candeo was to be held to a higher standard and prepare them for the next level. That has not happened. :(
--Submitted by a parent

I am ready to give up on Candeo! I am tired of the lip service I get from the administration. I just visited the new Traditional School that the Peoria district just opened around the corner from our campus. I was very impressed with what I found. I found it to be everything I ever wanted Candeo to be and much, much more. The students in their uniforms seemed very happy to be there. I spend a long time talking to one of the teachers after school. She said their school has a rigorous curriculum that includes Singapore math. What impressed me the most was when she showed me the student code of conduct. They are very serious about teaching the whole child. She said that bullying, teasing and sarcasm are not tolerated at all. She said children are taught about manners and courtesy daily. She said parents are true partners in their mission. It does have a private school feel but she assured me that it is a Peoria district school and it is totally free. When I was leaving a young student held the door open for me and smiled as she said to have a nice day. It seemed so organized. I am enrolling my daughter on Monday.
--Submitted by a parent