Dehesa Charter School

Dehesa Charter should be investigated. Follow the money, which they have plenty of. They intentionally inhibit parents from observing classes, communicating with each other, or with staff. They will force you out if you ask ques.We had problems with teachers using religious curriculum. Administration said they would do something, didn't, and then waited for an excuse to kick my child out of the center. They closed the school early, didn't notify parents directly, and when I LEFT A MESSAGE TO SPEAK TO AN ADMINISTRATOR... the Executive Director emailed me and said she was removing my child from classes. Long story short, they said they had a problem with me personally. Really. Point blank. Why? Because I asked questions maybe? If the school doesn't want parents to ask questions, they are hiding something. This school DOES NOT WANT to help give your kids an education, they just want THE MONEY!!! This charter should be investigated and hopefully closed so that it stops sponging our tax dollars away from deserving public schools. If you haven't had a problem with Dehesa, you should still SAY SOMETHING. Make the school better. "If I stand, and then you stand, the rest will follow."
--Submitted by a parent

We did not have a good experience at Dehesa Charter High. The way I was treated as a parent was appalling. The staff was difficult to work with. Teachers rarely ever responded to emails promptly. I usually had to wait 3-7 days to get a response to a question. They are understaffed and unorganized, and seem to be making it up as they go along. They have 1-2 decent teachers, but it's not enough to outweigh the way they treat the parents who are partnering with the school in the homeschooling portion. So glad to have my kids out of there.
--Submitted by a parent

www.dehesacharterschool.org is the official website, and a lot of info can be found there. The school also has a list of vendors for extracurricular activities, which is a plus.

Dehesa Charter School is a great school. They really help parents and students and listen to what they want and need. Everyone gets a learning plan based on their interests and learning styles. You can do everything independently, or take classes at a learning center. The learning center classes are like being at a college, but they only have about 12-20 students in them. They have teams and clubs like traditional schools do, and all their teachers have credentials.

I have two children who attend the Community Montessori learning center at Dehesa Charter School. The program has been such a blessing. My children are happy and love learning. They are able to move at their own pace, have choice in learning, are part of a great community, and are learning about their place in the world and the greater global community. I feel they are receiving an educaiton based on respect for all; where grace, and individuallity is important and valued. We love that there is so little emphisis on testing, and much more of an emphisis on love of learning! Thank you Dehesa! This is just the piece of the puzzle that is missing in most public education alternatives!
--Submitted by a parent

This school is a homeschooling charter school. You will love this school if you are motivated to take charge of your child's education. This school gives support, both financial and curricular, and a flexible system of accountability. Like all public schools, they need you to participate in state testing, so even if you object to the tail wagging the dog, go ahead and make a reasonable effort to help the school that way. There is no reason that your child can't score well on the standardized tests; if that is a high priority to you, the resources and support at Dehesa are ample to help you make it happen. The bottom line is that YOU (the parent) are in charge of the daily work. You should not select this school if you cannot be HIGHLY involved in nurturing your child toward their academic goals.
--Submitted by a parent

My son attended the first part of the year at the new center on N. Broadway as a kindergartener. My EF was very supportive but the resources were very limited. I had to create most of my own curriculum for most subjects. The program was very disappointing. I put my son in the Montessorri program because of the philosophy of working with the individual child. The teacher was not credentialed and inexperienced. My son had difficulty adjusting to being in school and there were no interventions implemented. There was poor communication from the teacher and staff. I tried to set up a parent meeting without success and tried emaling the teacher several times without responses. My son was also not learning. He is in another Charter school now where there is an abundance of resources and excellent communication from teachers and staff. I would not recommend this school.
--Submitted by a parent

Lots of flexibility and parent choice when it comes to curriculum and electives. Good teacher support as well. A great alternative!
--Submitted by a parent

Five Stars. The school, its faculty, and other resources are terrific.
--Submitted by a parent

I have children in Dehesa. I enjoy my Education Facilitator (Dehesa's foot soldiers). He is dedicated. Dehesa seems to have good extra curicular activities. I am extremly unhappy with how they deal with the funds that the state give to them. I wait for important curriculum for a whole semester. I have order important curriculum for the second semester and never received it - at all. A kung fu class teacher that my students used didn't get paid for three months. There are good things to participate in with Dehesa. But you might want to plan on either being behind in your teaching and except that you will not get the curriculum that you order. Each student is allocated a specific sum of money for the school year including all the extra curriculum stuff. Where it goes I do not know
--Submitted by a parent