A Ball Charter School - Hearn Academy

Teachers are great. Office needs organization. Parking lot, dropping off and picking up isn't the best
—Submitted by a parent

Kindergarten parents - if you have a child who is quite average, and you want strict disciple and standard practice with no consideration for you child's differences, go to AP - Mr G or to Ms H. (those were not good teachers for our kids - if your child is at all unique - avoid these!!! They do not tolerate differences well and the kid gets stressed and even ostracized if they are different at all!) Alternately, Ms Marsh and Ms Sebastian are great. Ms Sebastian has super methods for kids who don't have English at home or who just need a lot of language arts practice - and she is kind and caring.. The superstar - uncelebrated by her peers....Margo Marsh!!!!Ms Marsh understands that each child is unique, she cherishes their differences and makes it fun for them to learn. She addresses behaviors issues on the spot without escalating unless necessary. She has teaching methods that turn kids into super spellers and super readers at a very young age! she is creative and loving - a great K teacher!! She pushes them to do what they are capable of in a way that encourages them to keep improving as individuals!
—Submitted by a parent

Our son had wonderful run in his kindergarten in this school. A very dynamic and caring teacher who knew how to deal and making teaching a fun experience to the little ones who have different cultural backgrounds and growing experiences. It surely requires great patience and yet treads towards a wonderful year. This year surely will remain memorable that way.
—Submitted by a parent

We are new. But, the teachers and administration seem very attentive and good. The students seem respectful. The curriculum seems great. The students are grouped by ability so everyone gets the attention and pace they need. There are uniforms and jeans Fridays. Best of both worlds. Very looking forward to this school!
—Submitted by a parent

My grand daughter has been going here for 3 years and loves it. She has never came home and said she had any problems. I hope that continues. She is always talking about her teachers and how nice they are, but you know, as kids get older their opinions change. I hope she will always love it there.

In response to the Aug 3 post regarding Mr. Kroeker - he can be tough on the kids but that is beause he cares. He can be a little sarcastic but he would never intentionally hurt the kids feelings. This is our 8th year at Hearn, one is now a Senior in high school, one a 6th grader and one in 1st grade. Our 2 oldest have had Mr. Kroeker and he is by far one of the most dedicated, liked teachers in the upper grades. When he was teaching 5th grade there was a waiting list for the kids who wanted in his class. It is my belief that anyone who makes these types of complaints about a teacheris the type of person with very thin skin who like to cause problems.That or something didn't go their way and they want to cause problems. I havent' met the new principal yet but I hear she is fantastic and wants the best for the kids which is why she chose Mr. Kroeker to teach the middle school math.
—Submitted by a parent

music teachers is mean and not that great at music, she yells at the kids. Janitor yells at the kids and has no right too.
—Submitted by a parent

I just happened on this web-site and was surprised by the low ratings I saw. Obviously people in this area don't know what a good school looks like. My daughter graduated from Hearn in 2011. She was so well prepared for high school that it has been a breeze. The standards at Hearn are set very high but the students for the most part meet those standards. Kids these days are told they are incapable when the standards are low. Sure, they will complain at first but they get a great sense of satisfaction when they acheive at Hearn. They will (like my daughter) chuckle when they see how weak their fellow students are in high school, students who attended the average elementary school. I am very grateful for the strong start Hearn gave my daughter.
—Submitted by a parent

I had to remove my daughter from this school. There were a couple girls that were bullying her and we brought it to the principals attention. The principal fourced my daughter to sit in the same room as the children that had been bullying here and "hash out" their problems! I was mortified and my daughter has been an emotional wreak since. With all the information out now days regarding bullying, you would think that the principal of all people would know this is the number one thing you never do. I'm still completely shocked.
—Submitted by a parent

This year will be my son's 8th grade year. He has been at Hearn Academy for all 8 years including kindergarten. I have been truly impressed with this school. The teachers all truly care about their students. Dr. Vert, the principal, runs a tight ship and does not allow any violence or misbehavior. It is comforting to know your child will be safe at this school. Finally, the curriculum is very well thought-out. Each student's performance is monitored and measured to ensure maximum performance. I will miss the teachers and the students.
—Submitted by a parent

I really like Hearn. My kids all enjoy the school. I really like that they allow children to make honor roll k-8 grades. It teaches the children very early on to strive for good grades, giving recognition to those who do. I also like that my kids get to go to their level that they test into for math and language arts instead of being stuck in a class that's either too easy or too hard for them. Overall I would have rated the school higher, my only reason for not doing so is there has been a high teacher turn over. You never know year to year who will still be there. I also do agree with other posts about the principal having a not so nice attitude. Alot more goes into being a principal than managing the money. She can be very abrasive.
—Submitted by a parent

Hearn has great staff, very caring. The principal deserves recognition for her fiscal responsibility, she is very frugal and watches the money closely allowing Hearn to have the money it needs to be succesful.
—Submitted by a parent

Many teachers at Hearn go above and beyond. Especially the ones that have been there for years. Ms Engel, Mrs. Ehnes, Mr. Kroeker, and Mr. Traud have been a part of so many programs. Its a pleasure to see so many dedicated teachers that my children can look up to.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has some really great teachers that go above & beyond for the students. The school allow children to rotate up or down to their level of acedemics, getting away from the typical one size fits all education. I really do love that about the program. The biggest down fall of this school is the principal. She is absolutely horrible, treating both students and parents disrespectfully. The school could also take a bit of time working with their lunch aids who I have personally watched scream at the children and fourcing them to eat their lunches. I had to laugh when I read the post from Feb 9,2012. You can tell that is written by a school employee! Yes, you have some great teachers, yes they do differential grouping, yes they are an A school, this is all true and why i like it for my kids. but the principle is terrible and her attitude has rubbed off on some of her staff making it a very unpleasant environment.
—Submitted by a parent

This is really a wonderful school with an A rating from the state. They have Advanced Placement, differentiated grouping, lots of afterschool activities and sports, 1000 hours of parent volunteering a month, and a great staff office and prinipal. Come check out this great school yourself. Looks like Greatschools has some ratings here by competitors who are jealous!
—Submitted by a parent

My kids go to Hearn since kindergarden. School program is great, excellent academic curriculum. The only reason i put 3 stars, thats because teachers do not last moore than 4 month. Also Math teacher Mr. Kroeker is a very sarcastic person, kids take his unfunny jokes very persanaly.
—Submitted by a parent

I went to Hearn Academy for 8 years and to be honest i had a blast through 1st to 6th grade until the teachers were leaving in 7th and 8th grade becaus they wanted to leave the school because of really low pay and bad kids and 1 teacher cursed at one student and got fired! The students started not care cause the teachers would leave in 2 months. Im a freshman now and i encourage hearn academy to hire better and dedicated teachers that care, not just some person whos just lookin for some extra cash!

This is an EXCELLENT school, full of dedicated teachers who are effective and who REALLY care about their students. You will find a great number of highly qualified individuals who go above and beyond for their students. Staying late after school to plan exciting, creative lessons and putting heart and soul into their jobs is not unusual at Hearn Academy. Children enjoy school and make tremendous progress. Children reading real books in kindergarten! WOW!
—Submitted by a teacher

Hearn Academy is a really wonderful school. All of the students make great progress. The school is rated by the state as an A school. We have been able to take advantage of the before and aftercare program which is open every day. The school specializes in differentiated grouping so that your child can keep going academically no matter where they are. The administration and staff is very friendly and cooperative and the range of afterschool activities is really phenominal.
—Submitted by a parent

Hearn Academy is an excellent charter school. The dedication of the staff is clearly visible all around campus. Administration is very proactive and supportive of students, parents and staff. Differentiated instruction allows students to set their own achievement pace and they have an excellent academic curriculum. After school programs and AfterCare are also a big plus. Hearn rocks!
—Submitted by a teacher