Sonoran Science Academy - Broadway

It's very confusing situation. This was my daughter's first year here and the consistent complaint from parents when I first started as well as now that we are finishing is that their communication needs a total revamp. There is a lot of gossip from the staff and what appears like a lack of follow thru on supervising the students. Some teachers have their morning routine down and are outside greeting children as they come to school. The 1st and 2nd grade however had many occasions when they were running to pick up their kids from outside. It's just appeared that they were unprepared for the day. Which if you ask me if they want the kids to come prepared everyday to learn with appropriate supplies, etc. Well then they should be the example. There is not an appropriate playground for the kids when they are at recess and therefore every child ends up joining the scratched up knee club. They play out in the parking lot when all classes are out. Other than that I am pleased with my daughter's growth in reading, writing and math. My daughter is on an IEP though. No school will be perfect but academically I believe they have the foundation they just need to follow through.
—Submitted by a parent

Amazing dedication by teachers. Many opportunities for parental involvement. Wonderful multicultural population. Always feel like I can stop in, get information, volunteer, etc. Lots of communication and school-wide activities. I was nervous about the larger kindergarten class, but the two teachers are AMAZING, kind, and give children the respect they deserve and need to learn. My child always comes home with a smile!
—Submitted by a parent

My rating for teacher quality only speaks for kinder and first because its what I've experienced. I didn't know what to expect from a charter school and this school has turned out to be more than I expected.I was very surprised when my kinder came home with homewok every night. I don't have a probelm with it anymore as it has taught them to manage their time better from a very young age. (It was hard at first but as a parent who wants to see her kids get ahead, I worked very hard and long hours with them to help them get where they are at) DO NOT EXPECT THE SAME RESULTS IF YOU DON'T PUT IN THE PARENT/CHILD TIME INTHE EVENINGS. Principal leadership lacked just a bit. The school need to work on communication. For those parents who are involved (and its always the same few) it is AWESOME. This last school year, the afterschool clubs that they brought in along with the ones that were sponsored by the teachers were just fabulous (ultimate frisbee, soccer club, art, drama, mad science etc.) If we could get a little more involvement from other parents I'm sure the selection would be even better. I am a bit in dismay because most TA's will not be with the school next year, BIG MISTAKE!
—Submitted by a parent

If you want to provide your child with high quality education then this is the school for you. SSA-B far exceeded my expectations. So did the parental involvement, teaching styles and school culture. The staff as a whole provides strong leadership and a challenging academic environment. My child is thriving in this environment where his teachers have raised the standard of elementary education. Ms. Xochitl and Ms. Abbott have offered intrigue and delight to my child. He's proud of his knowledge and loves to go to school. What a dynamic duo these two are. The high number of homework hours reinforce his daily routine teaching him as well as us, the value of 'study time'. Learning the discipline of homework is a very valuable tool that he's learning early. The curriculum is top notch. The field trips are outstanding and interesting. The staff is dedicated, generous and friendly. We're thrilled to be a part of such an exciting school. Great job SSA-B!
—Submitted by a parent

I agree with the last comment about Teachers dedication. I know how my kids feel about them and how they perform. They gained lots in Math, Science, Language arts, Social studies. one more thing to tell, If a student cannot take what is taught correctly, that's their problem, not teachers.Parents should be behind them in their studies all the time. Bottom line is this school is a excelling school for us.
—Submitted by a parent

I have never seen more dedicated teachers in any other school. Teachers at this school don't hesitate to take their personal time to educate students. You can see staff working hard after school hours, weekends and holidays. It would be foolish not to appreciate this dedication.

This school showed promise at first but went down hill fast after the original admin. and teachers of grades 6-8 left. Their teacher turn over in these grades is too high for something not to be going wrong. When rating this school one needs to differentiate between the elementary and middle school grades because the elementary teachers are great but after that take you kids elsewhere for success. As a teacher who follows their children s education very closely, take it from me. The Middle school teachers at Sonoran Science Academy Broadway operate well below expectation or to that of other positive reviews herein. Just look at the trend of their AIMS test results over the last 4 years fot grades 6-8.
—Submitted by a parent

Great school on paper only. Horrible experience with staff and teachers for several years. This school is a joke. My child was behind not ahead of children at other schools while attending SSA. My child had to work very hard at the new school to catch up after being taught at SSA for several years.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children who attend SSAB since it opened and they both love it. It has been a blessing to have a school that challenges them and at the same time helps to strengthen any weaknesses. The teachers I have had interaction with have been great, they cared so much for my children and went out of their way to make my kids feel that way. I have heard the rumblings about foreign teachers and administration but have never experienced that problem myself .
—Submitted by a parent

We tried our child in TUSD in 1st grade for a week - no discipline, no homework. We are so glad to have SSA-Broadway near us and that we got a spot. The school has high expectations, and we do 60 to 90 minutes of HW a night. The administrators are constantly having fundraisers and activities to raise money for the school. Everyone works hard here - teachers, students, parents and administrators to make it work. We are very happy with our choice.
—Submitted by a parent

SSAB is the only school that cares enough about kids to expect more of themselves yet still takes the extra time to help those who are behind and accelerate those who are gifted.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers are committed to quality education!
—Submitted by a parent

We have been there since it opened 3 yrs ago and it is the Best school ever!!!! We are like a big happy family and work together for what ever is needed. My daughter loves her school and whiches school was all yr. 5 star school best school ever!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

This a wonderful school. At the beginning of the school year I was scared my daughter won't like it because she came from a private school, but so far my daughter loves this school and is always looking forward to going everyday. She is far advance in math and science plus all other aspects of the curriculum in this school compared to her friend who goes to a private school. I never regret transferring her to this school.
—Submitted by a parent

Moving to a state that ranks relatively low in the nation for education was something my husband and I were very concerned about. After a challenging experience last year, we moved our son to Sonoran Science Academy this school year. I have nothing but positive things to say about the experience. My son is thriving in this environment and is challenged in ways that even the gifted programs at his old school did not provide. There are little disruptions, caring teachers and an administration that truly does care about the kids and takes the time to know them. I have found the parent community to be very open and receiving as well. The only drawback i see is the fact that some activities and events at the school are not well communicated to parents, but these are things the administration is committed to working on. Overall, I'm thrilled with the choice.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is great! Wonderful education, dedicated staff, children are taught to respect each other - can't say enought good. 'Posted December 8th' is all wrong!!
—Submitted by a parent

This school is a joke. The administration is uninterested and unwilling to resolve situations when they arise and there seems to be a cultural and language barrier. There are few good teachers, many don't even hold teaching certificates and have such significant accents it's hard for the kids to understand. Admin is unprofessional and aren't willing and/or able to deal with kids who don't fit their expectations. They would rather have you walk away than work it out. Students of middle eastern descent greatly favored, especially boys.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school! Any parent who want their child to excel in education will be impressed with their advanced grade learning. I have a kinder and 2nd grade at SSA-Broadway and I also have a 1st grader at a TUSD school - my kinder is much more advanced in all areas than the 1st grader!
—Submitted by a parent

I am a private school parent that made a switch. With the economy and high tuition I had to look for an alternative. Did my research and talked to other parents who were very happy here. Almost fourth month, my son and me are glad with sonoran. Thank you for all you do.
—Submitted by a parent

this is an excellent school. I go here and I am happy with where I am
—Submitted by a student