American Academy

If you are considering AA for middle school, you need to put in some time researching what lies ahead for your child. Talk to families that have been through it--particularly families that have managed to survive all the way through 8th grade. The attrition rate is astounding for a reason. There is a heavy handed approach used on the kids, because there is no clear system for developing thoughtful and confident teenagers. The kids that are mildly celebrated are the ones who keep their heads down and their mouths shut. Sadly, even those kids will suffer the corporate punishments regularly leveled on the entire class. It would be WELL worth your time to find some middle school families and talk to them about their experiences.
--Submitted by a parent

Educational content and structure are very rigorous; all grade levels. Homework /projects are designed for heavy parent involvement, so know that when you accept enrollment. Middle School workload is off the charts! School culture is rather elitist and a very heavy emphasis is placed on test scores, all of this helps to breed a culture of competitiveness and unkindness. No sour grapes here, just the facts. You will have a love/hate relationship with this school.
--Submitted by a parent

I used to have had two kids at AA. One already moved on to High School. Best school I found for both of my children and would highly recommend to anybody. Administration always has an open ear, teachers are very well selected and kids are grouped by performance/ testing results. I wish AA would continue all the way through High School.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of 3 at AA and responding to the review from 3/23 and 3/3. I was bullied quite severely as a child and have a unique sensitivity to the issue, and I couldn't be happier with the school's policy on bullying. AA HAS a bullying policy and from personal experience I know that any reported sign of bullying is addressed quickly and carefully. It's not tolerated. I know bullying still happens, I know kids will make bad decisions and hurt each other. But I also know that the administration is concerned about kids struggling with social issues. The bitter review below smells of sour grapes to me. Additionally, as I have been with the school for many years, I can say that teacher turnover in Middle School is not high AT ALL. I'm not sure WHAT that review refers to! The Middle School has grown, certainly, and teachers do come and go because it's an at-will school (no tenure of bad teaches!), but it's a gross exaggeration to say the turnover is high. And most importantly, the good ones remain. Which is why it's the 5th best MS in the STATE. AA is NOT for everyone - it's tough work! My kids get support from tutors most years. But they feel safe, are happy and so are we!
--Submitted by a parent

American Academy is a fantastic school with amazing leadership. The American Academy Board of Directors and current Head of School are some of the most passionate, dedicated and effective individuals to work in public schools. American Academy offers an extensive educational experience for their student population as they foster the next generation of scientists and world leaders. This is a school that cares about and provides support for all members of the student population. They have amazing teachers who are constantly going above and beyond for their students and the overall school community. There are many extracurricular options that help to create the culture that makes this school different from the other options available. The teachers are excited to teach the administrators are enthusiastic to lead. American Academy is the best!!

AA has lost sight of what matters most...the kids! It's run with an elitist attitude that encourages bullying. You either teach your child to fit in or they will fail. They don't care about helping struggling learners because it's easier to weed them out which in turn keeps up the high standardized test scores. Teacher turnover in the Middle School is tremedously high. Does that mean that their hiring practices are not sound or do they not treat the teachers with the level of respect they deserve? We were very disappointed when we "got in" to find that they don't care about helping ALL students learn.
--Submitted by a parent

ever since their move to castle pines, it has become a have vs. have nots w/ bullying increasing incessantly. along with kicking out their excellent administrator who had an educational background, the school chose to replace her w/ a board member who had none. since then the culture has declined and so has the academic progress. it is run like a business w/ no regard for student welfare anymore. plus the student teacher ratio has increased dramatically as they try to cram as many as possible to get the most public funding they can while constantly asking the parents for more money.
--Submitted by a parent

Most parents have a love/hate relationship with AA. They love the discipline, high expectations, tech facilities (really amazing), STEM weeks, parent involvement, core knowledge, communication, extracurricular activities and frequent evaluations. The PTO is VERY creative & VERY successful with fundraising. You get use to the long carpool line - that is the least of the issues. The negative side is the stress on the family and students, excessive homework, the misguided idea of teaching a grade level above in science - which is inappropriate for the age - instead of going in depth into science they seem to feel skipping a grade makes the kids smarter - but it goes over the kids heads. PE class is negative. They wear kids, teachers and parents out. High turnover. Expect unreasonable time management and homework - especially after 3rd grade. And the pressure in the Middle School is off the chart. They let a "good idea" of a school fail because of the stress, homework load and inflexibility especially in 5th grade and above.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is as good as it gets for our area. If you want to sit back and enjoy the ride think again about enrolling your kids here. Parents are required to put in 40 hours per school year. The academics are definitely rigorous and the culture of the school is composed of "intense" predominantly "type A" personalities. If you are looking for a more laid back and relaxed school then I would not recommend it. This school has an amazing fine arts and music department. There are a multitude of extra curricular activities including Spanish, typing, writing workshops and robotics to name a few. A big improvement for this year will be in- house special educators including speech, psychologist and social worker.
--Submitted by a parent

Great STEM school with a great curriculum! Students, parents and teachers are all very involved in a rigorous environment. The uniforms keeps everyone on task.
--Submitted by a parent