Madison Traditional Academy

My son attended MTA for 1st grade and half of 2nd grade. He learned a ton, but honestly was bored to tears with repetition. In addition, both of his classrooms had kids with serious behavior problems, i.e. kids running from teacher, hiding under desks, writing mean notes to the teacher. I think it is very important for parents to realize that MTA is not for every kid, but the administration does not communicate this message at all. MTA is a school of choice, it has NO services for special needs kids. I also found that the teachers received no support from the administration in dealing with very disruptive children. In addition, the drop off and pick up situation is a nightmare and many of the parents are very type A. See the review below that says if a parent chooses a different school with less homework, then their child will be stuck flipping burgers. I'm so glad we left this school!
--Submitted by a parent

Many of the parents are the ones to say MTA is a bad school, but it isn't. MTA is a great school! I am a student and have been there since day one. I love the school and will be sad to leave next year. The ecpectations and amount of homework are the way they are for a reason! So if this is one of your concerns find a new school. Also many of the parents give the school bad reviews, because they do not attend the school and experience what great staff and what a great learning environment MTA is! I highly recommend MTA if you are looking for a school where your child will excel and have a good learning experience

We had great experiences in the elementary grades but there are serious issues in the middle school grades this year, especially in math. The teacher doesn't review homework so she doesn't know if a kid (or a bunch of kids) are struggling until they fail the test. By that time, it's too late because they've gone on to other topics. Parents have tried to address the issues with both teacher and principal, but their concerns are brushed aside with the same "love it or leave it" message that is posted here by some parents. At the same time, the gifted kids aren't getting the challenge they need, either, and those concerns are ignored, too. MTA was created by parents who wanted to be involved in curriculum decisions, but it is veering off course from that original concept as parent concerns continue to be ignored. Bottom line: MTA caters to above average kids, leaving the struggling and gifted kids to fend for themselves.
--Submitted by a parent

Ditos with the Feb 4 review....For all of the belly aching about the time it takes to do homework and the lower grades kids are getting..Maybe your kid is not ready for this school...Kids are here to learn, and at a higher rate than an average public school...So do yourselves a favor...Leave and find a school where the homework does not interfere with your life...Then you can have a "happy child" that is content with just getting by...The world will always need hamburger flippers...
--Submitted by a parent

MTA has done AMAZING things in its 5 years of existence. If you are not getting responses from a teacher or administrator, then you are not going about communicating the right way. 3rd Grade is a tough transitional jump of a year but it seems to smooth out quickly. But the previous poster is correct...it is not the right school for every kid & sometimes thats hard to accept when we thought we were making a great academic choice for our child. This site drives me nuts because people can say whatever they want about a very successful school to justify their complaints. My favorite is an early post from 2010 where it states that the "director" resigned. That did not happen. That very dedicated, smart & passionate "director" never intended on staying more than that first year. Her mission was to get it up & running & then search for a great candidate to take over. This school wouldnt even be a school if not for that "director". You may not like everyone but to go online anonymously & post untruths about someone is just plain cowardly! A lot of people researching schools look to this site for input. If you're going to post something (esp. negative) at least get your facts right!
--Submitted by a parent

My child is not in 3rd grade, so I can't speak to the teacher comments by the previous poster. But I think that she is missing the obvious. MTA was created as a school for students who were at or above their grade level, looking for an extra challenge. If a child has all Ds then they should probably not be attending a school with an accelerated curriculum. Why force your child to continue to struggle because you "don't like the idea of switching schools"? That will destroy a child's confidence and attitude toward school. And the new principal seems to be providing the administrative structure that was previously lacking.
--Submitted by a parent

I have been so disappointed in MTA! My daughter transferred here for third grade and her grades and confidence have plummeted. I think the school is getting to big, huge class sizes and little to no one on one help available. My written concerns have gone unanswered by both the teacher and principal. Beyond sad, as we had heard such great things about this school prior to enrolling. Teachers read lessons right out of the book, 8 year old students are on their own in taking AR tests/not organized. Teacher website not up, and nothing but math and spelling comes home, no idea what they are learning in social studies, science, etc, or when tests are or what they are going to be tested on... little to no materials available for parents to use at home to help students succeed. Emails go unanswered, notes to school receive no reply. Really sad, as the parental involvement and the "idea" of MTA is great. We will not be returning next year.
--Submitted by a parent

My child is also in 1st grade, and it rarely takes her more than 30 minutes to complete her homework. I agree, it's a lot...a significant increase from last year, and I agree that, on occasion, some of the homework might seem like "time filler", but I believe it's preparing her for the work-ethic they must develop to succeed in this advanced curriculum. This school is not for everyone...the homework load is incredible, especially in the upper grades.
--Submitted by a parent

I have to respectfully disagree with the previous parent. My children have been at MTA since the beginning and we are very pleased--especially academically. MTA is a school of choice and its challenging academics are a large part of why we send our kids here. The curriculum is a year ahead for a reason--to challenge kids. I don't want "little robots" but I really don't want my children to go to school just to "be happy". Sometimes work is hard and the feeling of accomplishment after doing that hard work gives kids a real sense of accomplishment. I understand the previous parent's frustration--I have been there many nights helping my kids. There have been times when talking to the teacher was in order. I get it. The big picture however is that MTA is not a regular school in the district--it is Excelling and continues to be so for a reason. There are other schools in the district that offer different curricula and we have a choice. My oldest child is prepared for high school next year--does she complain about homework at times--of course! She is also very proud of all her hard work--it had paid off. Oh and she is also a happy/well rounded kid--ready for the future.
--Submitted by a parent

This is our first year at MTA. At first, I was so excited for my child to be attending a new school (beautiful campus, I must say) that is academically challenging. My child's 1st grade teacher is wonderful! Love her, no complaints! My child LOVES to learn, in fact, she always comes home telling me how much she enjoys doing homework. BUT...when the 1st grade team decided to change the policy and ADD more homework (nothing more than time fillers, really), I was upset. Even though they claim it should only take 15-30 min. per night, realistically, it is 45-60 minutes per night - FOR A FIRST GRADER! My child no longer likes to do her homework. Are we teaching them to dislike school? I think MTA is losing sight of the fact that at the end of the day they are children and as parents our ultimate job is not to turn out academically excelling robots, but happy little people.
--Submitted by a parent