Metropolitan Arts Institute

This school has been a godsend for my son. Before I found Metro my son hated school and was a mediocre student. At public school he was just another kid, he was bullied and nothing was ever done about it. At Metro he has found friends, a love of learning, and a musical side he never knew was there. He is a straight A student at Metro, I wish I could clone them and place them all over the valley so that more students could take advantage of the caring staff at Metro.
--Submitted by a parent

Metro is a fantastic school. The teachers are always helpful to both students and parents. The math teacher is wonderful! My daughter hated math until she took freshman math at Metro! The kids were all very friendly and my daughter was extreamly happy. However, my daughter is very advanced in English class and the classes offered at Metro did not challege her as much as I liked. She had gone through so much bullying at her old school though I chose to keep her at Metro were she is in a very safe and loving place
--Submitted by a parent

College Guidance process works fine at Metro. My daughter is a senior and she is learning in her humanities class how to apply to college and create a good resume. The director of the school, Matt Baker meets with each student once as a junior and then again as a senior to help the students chart their course. I have always found every teacher and the administration more than willing to talk to me and call me back. However, if you are looking for someone to hand hold you through college applications you need to pay about 25k a year and go to a private school.
--Submitted by a parent

Although there are some great things about this school, the communication is terrible. I have left several messages without them being returned. This school is not concerned with getting students unto college. I have called the administration to see if they have a college counselor and I've never gotten a call back. If you want good communication and a sense of the school wanting your child to go on to college, this is NOT the school for you.
--Submitted by a parent

The staff at Metro Art is dedicated to helping students excel in arts and academics. They actually have a relationship with their students and cheer them on when they do good work!
--Submitted by a parent

I LOVE Metropolitan Arts Institute because it's one of a kind and my home away from home. It's my Senior year and I've grown so much as a person, student, and artist during my years at Metro. They're consistent in creating changes but money is always a factor of course holding them back.
--Submitted by a student

Metro Arts is the first job I have ever had that has integrated into my life seamlessly. It is part of my life and not just a job. Everyday I am grateful for the spirit, drive and adventure found at our school. It is a place where individuals are taught to become. I am thankful for it and what it has done for the students who are lucky enough to attend.
--Submitted by a parent

As the mother of a very intelligent and creative young lady with a huge heart whom, to this point, has developed little to no self confidence (yet!), I can not thank you enough for the spirit of acceptance, possibility, and passion that each and every one of you foster and promote at the school. Not since early elementary level has she come home from school every day with experiences that she is eager to share with me. One stand out was her description of the social atmosphere 'There aren't lots of cliques, like at my old school; here it's more like one big clique that everyone is in'. Another standout was when I picked her up 45 minutes late. 'This is the first school where I like hanging out after. I don't even care that you are late!' She has come home and told me about every class; her teachers, the snowballs, being 'freshmen pennied' (she was thrilled), how healthy eating habits are promoted-and backed up by choices offered on campus, the kids that she is meeting, and on one night she even challenged me to a multiplication race!!! Overconfident, I 'took it easy' on her and she smoked me:-). Her assignments thus far promote critical thinking and self awareness along with vocabulary words and sentence structure - you guys rock! Metro Arts takes education 'outside the box' and into real life for a population that have the potential to make a huge difference in the lives of others. Do any of you remember the video by Blind Melon for 'No Rain', especially the scene where the little bumble bee finds her own kind and is happy dancing among them? That is the image that keeps playing in my head and heart as reference to my daughter being in your school.
--Submitted by a parent

Yes, there are many good things to say about Metro. It is a small community with great visual and performing arts teachers who are passionate about the arts. However, trying to get any sort of cooperation from the school on an issue (from credits to scheduling to extra-curricular activities) is impossible. The academics are sub-par and the academic teachers have something to be desired. Many teachers are inexperienced and some are quite rude, to be honest. I'm glad my son found a school to explore his artistic creativity, but I wish the school was as enthusiastic about my son's learning experience as he is...
--Submitted by a parent

An amazing experience for my child. Challenging, with superior educators. No problem students to get in the way of learning. Both visual and performing art teachers are world class. Students are getting into top notch schools. The best.
--Submitted by a parent