Great Hearts Academies - Veritas Prep

Veritas Prep Academy is a remarkable and highly successful school. The academics are excellent, the teachers and administrators are dedicated and highly qualified, and the facilities are excellent. We have been very impressed by the results of the Classical curriculum in terms of both the intellectual attainment of our three children (one now about to graduate from a highly selective liberal arts college where she has had a great experience), but also in terms of their moral development -- something the school takes seriously. Veritas is clearly not for every child (or parent), but if you are interested in providing an excellent academic education for your child, as well as providing for their moral development in a healthy school atmosphere, it may be for you (as it has been for our children) an unimaginable gift and blessing.
—Submitted by a parent

Sending my daughter to this school was the worst mistake I have ever made. The girls were cruel to each other and the teachers enjoyed the competitve cut throat atmosphere.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had a child at Veritas for 3 years, and another began 6th grade this year. There will be growing pains while the staff and students adjust to the new school, but to date it has been relatively painless. I received an immediate response via email from two teachers regarding a potential conflict in scheduling with my 6th grader, and they were most accomodating and assuring me that there would be no problems. I have found the office staff and the faculty to be caring and thoughtful. Both of my children are excited about the new campus, and we are hopeful that the excitement continues throughout the year.
—Submitted by a parent

I am saddened that a parent at our school is so unhappy (see review below). Like any other school, our school is not perfect, but it is by far the best one out there...ranked among the best in the world! If the parent below is so unhappy it would be best for him/her to find another school for their child and allow one of the 100+ kids on the waiting list to have their student's spot. Life is too short to be unhappy and unhappy parents are not good for our school!
—Submitted by a parent

The review dated August 22, 2012, is listed under Veritas Prep which is a school for 6th - 12th grade and her daughter is a 3rd grader! It is a shame that she has posted a one star review for a school that isn't involved in her dispute. Veritas Prep and Archway Veritas (K-5) are two different schools under separate charters and separate Headmasters. I would hope she corrects her mistake and is more careful in the future.
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter started at Veritas this year, having moved from a private school. The teachers she had this year were all top notch. What struck me the most, though, was their sincere desire for the students to understand the material and enjoy what s/he was learning, and it is evident the teachers actually LIKE what they teach - what a novel concept! Tutoring is available if needed or desired and teachers are readily available and willing to discuss any issues, although there aren't many. The homework load was not ridiculous and I appreciated how self-directed and organized our daughter became, having had her hand held at her previous school. The expectations were clear, discipline enforced with grace and dignity. I believe the move to their new campus next year will only continue to foster a sense of community amongst the teachers and families. We are very happy with our decision to join the Great Hearts family.
—Submitted by a parent

When I pick up my children after school the students at Veritas seems happy and talkative. I know children complain about school; however they don't seem to want to leave at the end of the day.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is a student at Veritas and in her second year. I am very pleased with the education she is receiving. The quality of the teachers is outstanding. There are comments made about lack of electives, but it doesn't bother me. I'm pleased that there is a High School expectation of 4 years: Humane Letters (History and Lit), Language, Science, Math. So far, Veritas has exceeded my expections. Pluse, the friends my daughter has made are wonderful!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter started Veritas this year and has had an absolutely wonderful year. She has learned so much and the depth of the knowledge is incredible. The teachers are professional and helpful in every way. They will come before school or help after school if needed. My daughter is involved in many extracurricular activities and still does very well at Veritas. It was the best choice to attend!
—Submitted by a parent

I attended Veritas Prep for 2 years. I regret leaving and heading off to public school. Learning as much as I did at Veritas has put me so far ahead of the game so now, even in the honors classes, I am not being challenged. I know while I attended, I hated the school, but looking back now, I love it. The only bad part is that there is not a great support system with the teachers as well as most public schools. My brother has been in public school since day one, and his support was better than mine at Veritas when I needed it.
—Submitted by a student

I am a parent of my boy who went to veritas. Veritas is the worst school in the worls my kid come's home from school everyday and say's to me 'Dad why di u put me in that school I hate it I absolutley hate it'. Evreyday that happens. He struggles everyday with homework spends three hours doing it and he still get's D's and C's. All veritas teaaches you is some socartic method which i think is useless. There is no tech. what so ever and the extracurricular activities are a joke. Very Very Poor.
—Submitted by a parent

I have a son at Veritas and he has been able to keep up w/ the rigorous work and does several sports and music outside school. The teachers for the most part are very dedicated and caring. Great parent support and a great group of kids overall. The issues that we found is that the curriculum is too restrictive, there are no electives. Not every child has the talent to sing/act and choir/drama are required. This affects their GPA. The other problem is the facility itself, the classrooms walls are bare due to the restrictions imposed by the church they rent from. The 'lunchroom' is extremely crowded and only will get worst as the grades get more students in them. This is an excellent school especially in literature, math and language. For the lack of equipment/labs, if your child is interested in the sciences you might have to look elsewhere.
—Submitted by a parent

I graduated from Veritas in 2008, and though only a short time has passed since then, it is easy for me to recognize just how valuable my years there were. You don't learn what to think at Veritas - you learn how to think and why you should think deeply and seriously about the world around you. At Veritas, my teachers were more like parents who were required by law to refrain from showing parental sentiment toward their children, yet still were as internally dedicated to their children's success as any other parent. In essence, I didn't have teachers - I had true mentors who wanted to make sure I loved what I was learning because, in reality, it is what allows us to truly love life. I doubt any other school could have given me this confidence of my own mind's ability.
—Submitted by a student

I have two children attending this school. Both began in middle school and have continued on into the high school years. There are high expectations for students but there is also much support. Because class size is small, and the school itself is very small by comparison to it's typical public counterparts, teachers really know their students well enough to teach difficult material effectively to students with different strengths. I can't imagine a better middle school/high school experience for my children. They work very hard and have a significant amount of homework, but they have maintained their extracurricular activities (about 15 hours/week) and they see the benefit of what they've learned far beyond the letter grade and evaluation that comes home to mom and dad; they feel they are being prepared to live full and satisfying lives. Veritas has been a great place for my children.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is indeed a superior school--as far as academics goes. Unfortunately, all my son did was study. He never had time to practice a musical instrument or go to youth group meetings at church. And forget about playing any sports. The love of learning is so important, but I believe a 12 year old child should also make time for music or sports activities. This school didn't even make time to say The Pledge of Allegience in the morning. We're looking at other options for high school.
—Submitted by a parent

We have a daughter who has attended Veritas for the past four years and we (and she) have been extremely satisfied with her experience. Veritas is characterized by dedicated teachers and administrators, by students who bring with them (or who have developed upon their arrival) an enthusiasm for learning, and by the active support of parents. Its academic curriculum is, admittedly, demanding, but it is not beyond the ability of the average student. While there is adequate opportunity for students to become involved in a variety of clubs, sports and social activities, these do not lie at the heart of the school's ethos. (And if that troubles you, look elsewhere -- there are plenty of socially and athletically-oriented schools, public and private, out there.) This is a school where learning -- and learning how to think -- are emphasized, alongside significant amounts of fun, laughter and accomplishment. Bravo Veritas!
—Submitted by a parent

This school is about learning and respect. Unfortunately, the public school system has abandoned both of those ideals. This school is bringing them back. I have seen more intellectual growth in my son in 1 year than in any other school over 6 years. Every public school in Arizona should be watching the Great Hearts Academies to learn what school is about.
—Submitted by a parent

In some ways, Veritas discipline is overly strict. When do these kids ever have fun? Not during the school day, that's for sure. Some of the teachers, although they appear to be highly qualified in their fields, do not 'teach.' Children are expected to read the chapter, answer the questions in the book, and take tests.
—Submitted by a parent

Honestly, this is a very good school academically, I had a son that went there. There are also many negative aspects however, the major one being that the children at this school miss out on the social aspects of highschool.
—Submitted by a parent

My yougest child achieved the highest test scores of her academic career after completing her second year at Veritas. Furthermore, her student generated work revealed real intellectual growth. At her previous school faculty and administration seemed to think that standardized testing 'said it all' and they saw my child as average because that's what her test scores indicated. At Veritas the students are encouraged to dig for deeper meaning below the easily accessed 'right answer'. This extraordinary commitment to learning over testing resulted in my average child moving into the upper percentiles of nationally normed testing. Veritas is education at its best.
—Submitted by a parent