Redding School of the Arts II

RSA can be a great school. The organization of the staff is improving. I feel that starting your child in kindergarten is the best. RSA is not run like a typical school and that can be very frustrating for parents who are used to public schools. We have loved the kindergarten teachers and the mandarin immersion program is great! We have not had as much luck with the higher levels for my oldest child. She has had 4 teachers and we only liked 1 of them! The teachers are over worked and under paid and it shows! They don't seem to care about the individual child as much as I wish! The school day is too long and then the homework load is too heavy. My 5th grader doesn't have time to be a kid. She comes straight home and works on homework all night. Then the kids are still expected to have a outside art, which is great, but there is no time left for that! I think my children are getting a good education, but too much is expected of them and we are warn out. We are glad to be moving out of state so we have an excuse to find a new school. Hopefully one that is as strong academically. You will love the music program! Those teachers are amazing!
--Submitted by a parent

I wish all students in the USA had the same opportunities to learn that RSA provides. We moved from a public school 4 years ago and WOW what a difference. Our kids love school. They place kids acedemically at their skill level and not their grade level. So kids who are stronger are able to advance and not get bored in class. The teacher care so much and the fellow parents are amazing. It is required that parents volunteer at this school and I think that make such a difference. The teacher do have to work too hard and are definately not paid enough for their amazing dedication to our children.
--Submitted by a parent

All k-5 children should be exposed to a well rounded education that includes all forms of the arts, especially the performance art. Being on stage, participating in productions from beginning to end, speaking, singing, dancing or acting offers invaluable skills in public speaking. Academically, however, I think RSA math program is much stronger than their language arts. Being a charter school, RSA can arrange to have the children advanced as far as their math abilities allowed without skipping grade levels on other subjects. After intensive exposure to the arts from K-5, it's important however for children to move on to another school from grade 6th and up. RSA is weak in both science and English writing. Beyond 5th grade, strong demands on time-consuming stage productions can be damaging to both students lives and their academics. Teachers overworked with productions have less energy to focus on teaching. Many volunteered parents over-extend themselves to shoulder leftover burdens but work seems endless. I understand musical productions require tremendous work and sacrifice, but one should not forget the importance of teaching our children strong core academic subjects.
--Submitted by a parent

My children attended a local private school for many years because I thought they would receive a better education that that of a public school. Due to financial conditions I moved my children into RSA, and found that I was a fool for having sent my children in private school for years. RSA is a wonderful learning environment, excellent scholastics, wonderful and loving teachers; I feel blessed to have my children there! My only wish is that I would have had them there a long time ago -- you will not regret your choice, send your children to RSA.
--Submitted by a parent

This School is GREAT! We have been attending for approx. 5 years and have watched our childern grow mentally well above what the norm is. I love the fact that they have a ZERO tolerance for any type of 'bullying or harrassment' from other students. In other words we feel SAFE when our childern are attending class. The music that is a requirement is AWESOME, the theme days are GREAT. The only problem is that the school needs more space (there is another charter school at the same location that has taken over alot of classrooms. R.S.A. I guess has no say on what the other school can take or want) This problem will be solved in the very near future with the construction of a brand new school being built just for R.S.A. GREAT SCHOOL, GREAT TEACHERS.
--Submitted by a parent