Tempe Preparatory Academy

Tempe Prep is an excellent school for a certain type of student. Be prepared for lots of homework, a challanging environment and demanding teachers. If your student cannot handle a competitive academic school this is not the place for them. The classes are small but the standards are high.
—Submitted by a parent

The degree of mentorship at Tempe Prep is unbelievable. I feel honored to have my child attend this school. Some of the teachers, however, make a public display of their religious preferences....
—Submitted by a parent

I do sincerely wish the campus was a reflection of the character of the school. Applying fresh paint and planting flowers or hanging planters would go a long way. Curb appeal shows pride in your school. It is also more enjoyable for those who attend and work there everyday. It's a great school. I bet the parents/students would help get the campus in better shape.
—Submitted by a parent

Environment on campus is incredibly good. Good families are involved. Students are motivated to do well. Parents are quite involved especially in extra curricular activities. Facilities are mediocre at best. Some of the faculty are not particulary motivating or encouraging but feel that the student needs to be self-motivated and self-directed. Grading policies are somewhat arbritary and very subjective by design and in practice.
—Submitted by a parent

Great speech and debate team, good attention to what should be the core of any school: academics and skills relating to writing and thinking.
—Submitted by a parent

This is an outstanding 'charter' school. The level of education is excellent and the expectations are as well. They offer many sports, extra-curriculars and have great school spirit. The staff are very involved with students as are the parents.
—Submitted by a parent

Tempe prep is a great atmosphere that my child feels comfertable attending. It's amazing that it's tuition free.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is amazing, and really 'builds' a student to aspire and reach.
—Submitted by a former student

Excellent college prep school; excellent moral climate; highest academic standards; no down time: always on task; very good small school sports program, but a little thin on other extra-curricular activities; curriculum limited to a 'great books' liberal arts education in the Western tradition; school complies with state requirements for special education but some teachers, though very well-educated, don't always know how to accomodate struggling or below average students.
—Submitted by a parent

Please ignore the last comment. As a teacher at Tempe Prep, I can promise you that there is no detention room as described by the 'parent' in the last comment. Indeed, to the best of my knowledge, there has never been a family at TPA with that family's name.
—Submitted by a parent

My child graduated from Tempe Prep in 2001. The experience was good for him. The school is disciplined, challenging, and difficult, but worthwhile. [My son] was a troublemaker and continued his prankery at Tempe Prep, but those teachers really straightened him out. This is a great school for troubled children. I believe that Tempe Prep will continue to excel. The test scores are amazing. The school's use of the 'detention' and 'penalty box' system works extremely well to enforce the hundreds of key rules each child must follow. In the penalty box, a student may not talk, may not move, and may only move to turn a page of the book he is required to read. Other students watch him through the glass windows of his room to break his spirit. It is an excellent experience. This is a great school, send your child here.
—Submitted by Moseph Derkins, a parent

Tempe Prep offers a first class college prep curriculum with solid leadership, a wonderful front office staff, highly qualified teachers and a full offering of extra curricular opportunities. We are thrilled to be a part of this 'community of learners'. It is the kind of education that should be afforded to every child.
—Submitted by a parent

Im a student at Tpa not a parent. Tpa is a great school, every year the school is inproving. My brother, stated at tpa whan the school started and we have been with the school since then. So I have seen the school change first hand.One of the things that makes tpa great is the size, though I believe tpa made a mistake when they added another class(making 3 sections for each grade) but the school still is much smaller then most if not all. There are a lot of good teachers here and there are a few people who should teach. But most of the time the good ones out shine the bad ones. By far the school is the best educational learning exsperence the state even country perhaps has to ofer. And deserves more funding. But there is one negative with the school. The school can be very up tight about how they run things, they take things too seriously, with disapline and all. And this comes from the facalty, headmaster, and the po(parent oganization) they all need to loosen up. But ther positives do out number the negatives at tpa and defenetly deseves more funding.

One of the most insightful comments a student told me when asked why they liked Tempe Prep so much was their response: 'It is the first school I went to that respected me, and I could be 'popular', because I was smart.' Several students agreed, and as I observed students throught out the school year, I found it to be true.
—Submitted by a parent

Everything about this school is awesome! From the challenging curriculum to truly caring teachers, to a sharp young principal that has a geniune love for education and the students. No doubt about it - this school is hard, and may not be for everyone. Those that graduate from TPA will have a foundation for entry into the finest universities. This is the 'Prep School' tradition - at a Charter School price!

This school provides the first-class education our youth need and many cannot afford to pay for. As a charter school, the student body is more socio-economically diverse than are most private schools. The opportunity for all students (without testing into the courses) to experience an honors curriculum, is especially noteworthy.

Well, ok, so I'm not a parent of a TPA child, but I am a teacher at the school. Having taught at other charter schools as well as at the community college and university level, I can honestly say that this is most academically solid institution at which I have taught or that I can imagine. Alongside of this intellectual rigor is a community with strong moral leadership and athletic excellence. I love teaching, coaching, and just plain being at Tempe Prep. This is an excellent choice for your son or daughter. It does, however, require that your child be willing to work hard and that parents be more attentive to their child's than they might need to be were their child at a typical school. It is not always an easy task to convince a 10th grader, let alone a 7th grader, to make intellectual pursuits their principle focus. But, the high school graduates at Tempe Prep speak volumes of the character of the school and the power of the TPA curriculum -- graduates are confident, incredibly intelligent, genuinely moral, and are successful at some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country.

This school is one of the most challenging I have seen and has constantly inspired my rather average (academically speaking)daughter to reach new heights and really think about what she is learning.

We are former homeschoolers that 'found' TPA through a homeschool friend whose oldest son was already attending. My 17 year old junior has been attending since 8th grad. My 15 year old freshman is in her third year. The academic expectations are high. Students have much more homework than many public high schools compared to our friends with children in those schools. It is a challenge, at times, to get homework completed after a two hour practice for soccer, basketball, or baseball and have a life on a Monday - Friday basis. Having said that, I cannot imagine a better environment for children to learn! Teachers are GREAT overall and available for tutoring before or after class, as needed. One example of their high standards - Latin, Spanish, French, or German classes are required throughout 7 - 12th grades. Mandatory community service for some grades, mandatory attendance at music concerts and a variety of other extracurricular events make this a well-rounded school and curriculum. Most students are involved in one of the sports that is offered throughout the school year. This has been a highlight for my students. Coaching has been wonderful and many friends made with other parents and teammates. Strongest recommendation for the parent that desires to partner with the academic staff to provide quality education in smaller classrooms for their children that can adjust to; a)wearing uniforms to public school, b)maintain a conservative appearance, c)couple of hours of homework. Character building is one standard that I have really appreciated, both in the classroom and on the athletic teams. TPA is doing a great job of preparing students for college AND becoming productive and responsible adults in our society!

It's a great previlage to have my son in this school and to be involved with this quality of education.