T.R. Paul Academy of Arts & Knowledge

Everyone who left may speak strongly about the bad, but if you talk to students, and parents there, you hear the good! Our new principal is doing an amazing job with this school. The teachers are always outstanding, and the curriculum is great. My oldest came out well ahead of his peers when he went to his next school. I love that they actually get science and social studies DAILY, not just touched on once or twice a week! As for lunches, they are not bad. My kids both ate them, as have I occasionally. Definitely check out this school. Talk to its students. Then you will hear the truth. The kids LOVE coming to school. They LOVE learning. They challenge each other and their teachers. They are taught to LOVE learning, and taught HOW to learn. It is amazing to me to see the difference in my children after being at TPAAK!
--Submitted by a parent

My comment from this morning disappeared (surprise) so I wanted to be sure that visitors on this site know that I am a very proactive parent at TRPaul and I can tell you that all the negative comments on this site (I read through about half) ARE true. My children will not go back to this school another year. I've been waiting for a REAL change to happen at my children's expense. It gets worse every year. Ask about ALL the principals and staff changes. And yep, the lunches are from PSD, but are only partial items that my children cannot eat. There is no real kitchen facility so by the time the lunches arrive at TRPaul they are cold and gross and they cost more than PSD.This is just one of the MANY things that make this school undesirable.Organization IS a serious problem. Teachers are let go and shifted around due to failing budgets. One week there will be a middle school and the next week there won't. One week they will have yearbooks, the next they won't. Things change on a dime. If you can live like this, then you have found your school. INVESTIGATE, PLEASE.
--Submitted by a parent

TPAAK is a horrific school. I am shocked the are still open considering eveyone who has left speaks so strongly about their bad experiences. I know schools have growing pains, but how many principals have they had since they've started? (Be honest...at least 7 in 6 years.)
--Submitted by a parent

I am very surprised at the negative review!! This parent must not have been very involved in in the day to day of their child's education at TR Paul???? The teachers and staff are always striving to give the kids the very best!! Changes that occur are for the better of the children and curriculum. All schools see a teacher leave, or a principal change her career goals, but there are MANY teachers and staff that have been at TR Paul since it opened. My children are excited to go to school everyday, wondering what they will learn about next. They love to show me all of their art, and the art of their friends hanging on the walls. The cafeteria was recently repainted and looks fabulous. Many murals are painted on the walls, by students and staff. The important factor is are the kids learning and enjoying their time at school.....ask a TR Paul student and I am sure you will get an answer you are happy to hear. The kids at TR Paul have amazing talent and knowledge thanks to the dedicated staff. If you have an issue, get involved and find someone to help fix or change it!! EVERYONE wants to see the kids succeed!!
--Submitted by a parent

Wow, such a scathing review I have just read. I have to say that I feel the complete opposite. Everyday I see teachers and other staff working hard to educate kids and to maintain a sense of stability. My kids love it here and so do I. I love coming in every day and seeing the artwork on the walls. The classrooms are bright and inviting, and so are the teachers. My children are thriving here. And happy. I love the way the arts are incorporated into the curriculum, and my kids are excited every day by what project they have been involved in and what's coming up next. Is the outside of the building attractive? No. It used to be a government building and we are fortunate to have space to have our school. But the classrooms are a different story- they look like any other inviting classroom in any school- maybe even more so when you see all the great work up on the walls and in the hallways too. As to the lunches- they are the same meals served in PSD schools. Don't like it? Pack something healthy and tasty from home for your kids like I do. Every school has its challenges. No place is perfect. But I sure am glad we found TPAAK for our kids. Have been for 5 years now.
--Submitted by a parent

If you have any other option whatsoever, Leavenworth, Alcatraz...you get the message, please don't subject your child to this school. Everything changes on a day to day basis, the principal, the teachers, the subjects, the lunches (which are awful, btw). The school has a morgue like atmosphere and look. Don't be fooled by their very misleading tours or false information. They are an accident waiting to happen and your children deserve better. Stability is NOT in their scope. Just because it is a "charter" school doesn't mean that it is a place your child should feel priveleged to attend. IT IS NOT! Pay attention to the reviews and heed the warnings. I've read through them and they are spot on! Just do your research for your child's sake. Charter + small school does NOT equal better.
--Submitted by a parent

I love the way TPAAK incorporates art and history into everyday learning. My son is able to understand more when he can relate it to something. I love the way they are teaching my child.
--Submitted by a parent

If you're looking for a "great school," don't stop here. Bungle after bungle of the administration, coupled with a HUGE budget shortfall and an overworked/underworked staff make this place an intolerable and even hostile learning environment. Mosaica, Inc. is a FOR-Profit company, that takes our tax-dollars and leaves our students scrambling for supplies. There is a reason why this is the only charter school in the town that was not approved by PSD.

As I read all these reviews I am reminded that the teaching staff can only do so much. As a parent it is my job to be as involved as necessary. We have had few issues with TPAAK....we love this school. I have to wonder if the parents that have had issues within the school used all the resources available....the chain of command goes much higher than the CAO. IT was my experience that bullying was taken very seriously last year and all efforts were made to eliminate it. My daughter has excelled at TPAAK because the teachers are able to use more abstract methods of teaching than public schools can.
--Submitted by a parent

We love this school, have two kids there. Kids wear uniforms, enter in an orderly fashion, taught to respect each other. Parents are invited in every 6-8 weeks (or so) to see the kids do a skit on what they have been learning and show parents their stuff on the wall. High degree of ethnic diversity of students across a lot of cultures, this was very important to us moving from East Coast. School year starts a few weeks early, ends a few late and school day is longer than public schools, which means about a month more class time and less work taken home (it gets done during school hours). Also have a good before and after school program if you have two parents working. They challenge kids a lot. GOOD SCHOOL if you are an engaged parent, want ethnicity, structure, are actively engaged in your kids education. NOT FOR YOU unless you are actively engaged in your kids educatioin and you want to be part of a school community.
--Submitted by a parent