Mount Everest Academy

Good and bad... This is our first year here and my child is in kindergarten. The pros are they offer in-person classes and activities for those wanting their child to have a social outlet. The families are great and it's almost like a mini private school, but free! The campus is nice and clean and the playgrounds are nice for those with younger siblings. The cons are the teachers can be a bit disorganized and a lot of the curriculum was unavailable at the start of the year. We were left to fill in the blanks ourselves. Also, for those who want a true homeschool experience in which you choose what to teach, that isn't really the case here. You're handed a HUGE stash of books and work pages and expected to turn in this stuff at the end of each month. You can supplement your own materials for extra learning, but when it comes down to it your student is still a public school student and you're obligated to teach what they think your child should know. Also, you're still subject to public school rules and regulations. For some this isn't a big issue, but if you want true freedom of homeschool you shouldn't choose this school. Overall, great place though.
—Submitted by a parent

Is this the school for you? Hello, I too know what it's like to spend countless hours on this website.. trying desperately to find the *RIGHT* school for your little ones. This will help those that are considering starting/continuing homeschooling. Okay, so here it goes. I HIGHLY recommend this school for children in grades K-4th. The teachers for these grades are great, attentive, personable, and flexible. Your kids will make good friendships here and the teachers work with you. They become your good friends. Now.. For kids in middle school, there are lots of expectations, which make for a stressful learning experience. Which honestly robs the job of homeschooling that you desired to have in the first place. No curriculum options (Just one type provided). Trying to plan lessons, that align with the teachers expectations are just.. confusing. High School? Forget it. I have NO idea how the high school parents do it. I did however.. notice that most those that have high school students.. only have one child. Maybe two at the most. That must be how they do it. For those of you that have more children.. anything past 4th grade.. I'd look at other options to keep your joy and sanity. :)
—Submitted by a parent

This is our first year here. I only wish I would have known about it long ago. My son is in 10th grade. He has the option of doing one school subject at a time versus all subjects at once. This gives him more time to focus and build upon what he has already learned as the weeks go by. Work load is handed at the beginning of the month. Due at the end of the month. All the resources are made available to you either on campus or online through their website. 1-3 (optional) classes available during the week depending on grade level. Homework help also available apart from the regular classes. Great 1on1 assistance. The staff is super friendly. Principal Reed is wonderful and fully engaged in every aspect of his school. You can tell he cares about his students, staff and parents. The kids my son has befriended show pride in attending there. Lots of school spirit. I love that it still offers fieldtrips, events on and off campus, and lots of interactions. Many electives available. My son is dually enrolled in another near by school to attend an elective not offered at Mt Everest with no problems. The best of both worlds. Sack lunches also provided. Even got my own 'Teacher' Id card.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our third year at MEA. The pros: Terrific office staff Clean campus Conscientious and for the most part fabulous teachers Modern computer lab and net books in class rooms Promethean technology Fun music program Counseling and therapeutic help is excellent Cons: Ridiculos work load (math) wait till you see the books and curriculum. I drive my kids to have an actual class and the teacher doesn't teach but tells the kids to study for a test... ? That's what they do at home. This happened a lot last year. Maybe better this time around. Students are often allowed to be loud, rude and obnoxious during the precious class time.. I understand some of that but come on. -------------- Ok, here it is, the classes this year are huge. Way bigger than the last couple of years. 12 kids in a class last year has turned into 26 kids. I was attracted to this place because of its small size. Now? I'll wait and see
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is ending her first year at MEA as a high school student and couldn't be happier. The teachers she had this year have been outstanding. It's a very special school and I'm so glad we discovered it, it's been a perfect fit for her. My son has been at a traditional public high school and I feel that MEA's academics are above and beyond a tradional school. Thank you MEA!
—Submitted by a parent

This school has been a blessing for my daughter, who started this year in 7th grade.The teachers are approachable, available, and have been very supportive of my daughter who is very shy socially. My daughter is constantly commenting on how wonderful the teachers are, and how much she likes them. She is getting straight As,but I must admit, that the workload is heavy (at least in my viewpoint). Nevertheless, I'm hoping that she'll be able to complete the rest of her school years here and graduate from 12th grade. This is an excellent school with a terrific educational program. I highly recommend it!
—Submitted by a parent

My husband works nights and we love that we can get up later in the morning PLUS have some perks of traditional school (i.e. classroom setting when desired, extra curricular school functions, awesome teachers and staff to assist us!) Being involved with my three children's education so closely is a wonderful blessing. As long as I stay well organized we are in good shape ;-).
—Submitted by a parent

Our child has been at MEA since K and we are very happy with the school. The first two years were a little rough due to faculty and leadership changes. However, since the new principal came to MEA last year, things are much more organized. We love the small campus, the weekly elementary class, the music and art programs, and the family events. Our son loves MEA and has made many friends from across the grades. The PALS lab is a great addition this year as it gives our son more independent study time in a supervised setting. This is a great choice for parents who want to be the primary driver of their children's education. The flexible schedule does not eat into our family time and allows our son plenty of opportunity to pursue his individual interests. This school is a hidden gem in the SDUSD.
—Submitted by a parent

If you are considering enrolling your child: Please Read. I have been homeschooling for a few years through another Homeschool program that's out there and I finally decided to start looking for something else. (Old school: Monthly meetings were extremely unnecessary and time consuming, not local, and it takes way too long to get reimbursed for programs they offer. Eventually) I can't believe this great little school was in my backyard this whole time and I didn't even know it. We are NEW there and I can't say how wonderful it is so far. We feel very welcomed. They are local/central in SD, and they offer many great Music/Art/Computer classes that most homeschool programs don't. No need for complicated and lengthy paperwork. You just bring your children to the classes of interest. Another great thing is that you child gets to participate in class 1xday a week for a few hours. Another thing that I find extremely helpful (Especially for the older kids) there are real teachers available to help answer any questions you have. There is no need for monthly meetings, you simply turn in the work once a month in the turn in bin (Thank You!). Too much to say, Just go check it out!! :)
—Submitted by a parent

This is our second year at MEA and we absolutely love it. MEA is a K-12 independent study program where families work together with credentialed teachers. In the elementary grades, there are classes once a week. In high school, there are classes three times a week. Many other activities are offered at the school including music. We have a kindergartner and a first grader who love the school and their teacher, Mrs. Finney. She gets to know each student as an individual and motivates him accordingly. All of the teachers and staff are helpful. The students work together and support each other regardless of background and age. At the PALS lab (Peer Academic Lab for Students), elementary grade students receive one-on-one assistance from older students. This school allows our family to do many activities outside the school without exhausting our children. We have been able to work on more advanced levels in many areas of study. We strongly recommend this school to families considering homeschooling. This is an excellent school for advanced learners, for children having difficulty sitting in a classroom all day, for children who have a pursuit or passion that needs more time, etc.
—Submitted by a parent

If your child loves to learn but hates school, this is the place for your family. Each student receives the same books as any public school student, which they work through mostly at home. I have a highly gifted but disabled child who has been here off and on since kindergarten; she is now a junior in high school. Today she came out of her AP English class bubbling over and saying "I can hardly wait for next week's class!" The school is tiny, cozy, and currently has a dynamic and flexible principal, Mike Rood, so go now and check it out!
—Submitted by a parent

Mt. Everest Academy is an outstanding school, it's a cross between a public school and an independent study program. This is a progressive learning environment that teaches valuable skill sets and it would be a mistake not to send your kid here. ALL of the teachers are remarkable, I've learned more in my past two years at this school than anywhere else. I've attended dozens of schools in San Diego county and all have fallen short. The students and staff are friendly and easygoing; the principal Mr. Rood is brilliant. This school is structured but not uptight; it shouldn't be confused with charter or even most other public schools. There's heaps of work and it's challenging but given you don't wait until the last minute there is enough time and enough help to excel in school. If you're sick of the added stress and the stiff order of public school and underwhelmed by home schooling this is the place for you!

As a homeschool parent, I am finding it increasing difficult to justify keeping my kids in this school. The teachers are using student interns to teach the subject matter. Yes, I am all for internships to help mold future teachers but it bothers me that they are teaching the one class my kids attend on campus. Given the fact that the class size is 5 to 8 students, teachers should be able to handle this when conventional schools have 30 kids per class. It's lazy and it short changes my kids education. Would you want a certified teacher or intern teaching your kids? In addition, I am disappointed that my children receive school resources eight months after the fact which tells me the school does not plan very well. Given all of this I can say that the faculty are nice but thats where it ends. Suffice it to say, I will be pulling my kids out of this school after the term ends.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has been the greatest thing to happen to our family! My daughter is learning so much more and she can spend the time she needs on subjects and lessons. She has significantly less stress, since she doesn't have to be in a classroom with 30+ kids, wake up at 6:30 to get to school by 7:30, be in school 5 1/2 hours a day and then spend 3 hours a night on homework. She has the time to learn at her pace. I LOVE how the books are exactly the same as all San Diego Unified Schools. She can do projects that interest her and she is able to take her learning to another level, all with her own motivation! Everyone is super-kind and super-helpful! My daughter has made many new friends at the school and we are able to plan school activities during the day with them, like ice skating, seeing plays, and attending symphonies. There is a brand new principal (although the interim was fantastic!), Mr. Rood. This school has given our family days of love and learning instead of days of stress and yelling, "Do your homework!" I highly recommend you visit and take a look at this school!
—Submitted by a parent

I cannot recommend this school. My child has attended Mt. Everest for 5 years and we are very unhappy now. The new principal (mentioned below) has already quit and has not been replaced. The workload is heavy, but the teachers make it much worse because all but the math teacher are unorganized. It is very frustrating to repeatedly have to contact teachers because of the numerous mistakes on their assignment sheets. There are better school available, take time & find one.
—Submitted by a parent

Mount Everest's new principal is a breath of fresh air. She is energetic and dedicated and in spite of deep budget cuts, I believe she has the perserverence and resourcefulness needed to guide that school to greatness. The teachers are approachable, caring and determined although understandably weary of the financial hardships of teaching in California.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is a pleasure for the parent who is involved and the student who is self-motivated. The teachers and staff are wonderful and supportive. The only issue facing this school is the districts inability to help them find a long term principle that fits this kind of mixed home school/traditional model.
—Submitted by a parent

Mt. Everest Academy is a school for the highly motivated child and family. The teachers vary with their personality, but the school offers no structure of its own. For this school the parents must provide the schooling, and it can be quite challenging, for classes meet only once a week. Great for the kid who has a lot of extra-curricular activities.
—Submitted by a student

Our son has been enrolled in this program since second year of 7th grade. Three years later he's doing well. It really has been a blessing. He's been able to participate in volunteer work, with Teen Korps and playing sports at the Boys and Girls Club and at the local high school.
—Submitted by a parent

I enrolled my son in this school for the 7th grade year and though it was a lot of work, he seemed to be doing well. We liked the math teacher a lot and the staff was always helpful. A bit more organization at the beginning of the year from the program coordinator would have made the whole year a lot more fun. But we struggled through and if I could stay home and continue to home school my son, I would have continued at this school.
—Submitted by a parent