Alexander Dawson School

My son had an injury that required an extended absence from school, they have been very accomadating and understanding, unlike anything I have ever seen when our children were in the public schools. It's a very diverse population, we debated about having our son involved in this type of "elite wealthy school" but not everyone is like that and it's just a good school.
--Submitted by a parent

We moved our youngest daughter to Dawson a year ago from a nearby public school where there had been severe bullying and weak academics. I am/we are delighted to report that Dawson has been a superb experience both socially and academically. She's challenged by a superb collection of teachers, has a strong peer group who want to succeed, and found an environment that is small, supportive and competitive. If we had to move from CO for job reasons, as we did last year, we would encounter serious resistance from her. That is about the best possible outcome and testimonial for the school after a big move and rocky initial transition to CO last year. Our only criticism is the lack of girl's sports alternatives. That said, the arts offerings are first rate and the campus sensational. Dawson is a great school on nearly every measure and we're seriously considering it for our other daughter.
--Submitted by a parent

Disappointing. There is a bullying problem. A few mean students seem to be running the show. They are well connected in the community. The lack of real consequences for inappropriate & cruel behaviors leads to more of those behaviors.
--Submitted by a parent

We moved our two sons to Dawson this year from public school and have been amazed by the quality of the educational experience. The small class sizes and individual attention that the teachers provide has been such a great educational stimulus. The teachers go the extra mile to develop interesting projects to reinforce topics and make learning fun and interesting. The extracurricular opportunities are vast, and we also appreciate the school's commitment to making the students solid citizens with a focus on community service. The middle school iPad program has also been very successful and it is providing students with necessary skills for the 21st century. We recommend Dawson without hesitation. As parents, it is a relief to not feel like we need to spend every spare moment at home supplementing our children's education, which is how we felt in our local public school.
--Submitted by a parent

My two children have been at Dawson for four years and we have had great success at the school. The experiential education programs have been a big plus for us and the school provides so many opportunities for travel and engagement. My son who is a Senior at Dawson has really thrived and has shown such improvement in growth, attitude, and creativity. My daughter has learned how to organize herself and work hard and is ready for high school. The teachers are great and really engaged. An added plus is the centralized bus service. It is not a door to door service, but does offer many options for working parents like us.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter graduated from A. Dawson school and with the help of several teachers and coaches went on to a large university out east where she's thriving. She's said that much of her success at the university is from what she learned and how she learned at Dawson. The opportunities provided her at the school were such wonderful life gifts. She grew in all the ways that a parent wants to witness-- not always an easy road for teenagers, but necessary with the inevitable peaks and valleys. First and foremost, I would say the teachers and staff at Dawson are the most special thing about the school--they're enthusiastic, tireless, and love what they are teaching. Our son is there now and he's received plenty of assistance and cheering on from several of his teachers for testing, papers, grades etc. Dawson seems to get it that it's important for the whole child to be challenged and to grow into young adulthood--that's the opportunity they give every student there. I would say Dawson provides the ground for your child to be challenged and to grow and seek greater things after high school. They only have to accept that challenge!
--Submitted by a parent

We were a public school family but now have two children at Dawson. We love the small class sizes and the way the teachers engage with the students. We're also fans of the athletic programs and other extracurricular activities at the school. But our favorite aspect of Dawson relates to its broad view of education. While the academics are rigorous, the focus isn't teaching facts for a test. Instead, the school encourages students to become thoughtful world citizens. Critical thinking is encouraged, community service and experiential education are incorporated into the curriculum, and the students are challenged to find their voices and passions. We really appreciate that kind of environment and we're happy with the impact it has had on our kids.
--Submitted by a parent

Alexander Dawson is unquestionably deserving of it's rank as the top private school in Colorado. The educators and administrators are second to none, each profoundly engaged and interested in each child and excited to share their wealth of knowledge. There is a sense of contentment, camaraderie, friendship and acceptance throughout the beautiful campus from students and teachers alike. It is a phenomenal school that offers only the best of the best, successfully preparing young men and women for an extraordinary future. A family we spoke to before transferring our oldest son to Dawson said the school had made her son into "a gentleman and a scholar." After enrolling both our sons from local public schools, I can now wholeheartedly say that was a very eloquent and accurate assessment. Perhaps my son (now a very well prepared college freshman at a top ranked Engineering school) put it best when asked if there was anything he would change about Dawson: he immediately replied "I only wish we'd found it sooner."
--Submitted by a parent

We have been a Dawson family for five years, and are thrilled with the result. The teachers are experienced, creative and enthusiastic, and we've seen that translate into two kids who love school and love to learn. We appreciate that the emphasis is on the whole child: They get on a rigorous and excellerated academic track, but the school ensures that athletics and the arts are also part of daily life. Maybe even more important, so is character -- both in terms of how kids treat each other and how the school ensures that the kids are informed about, and involved in, the local and world community. This rounded view is clearly a priority set out by school leadership. We feel our kids are really being equipped for what the world has in store for them!
--Submitted by a parent

Our Son attended Dawson for several years. His last year in attendance, the school decided to abruptly terminate the provided bus service (which we paid for) during the summer break (June) and left us with no means to get our Son to and from school each day (unlike many Dawson parents, we both worked). This would have been bad enough, but Dawson's Administration decided to enforce the Enrollment Agreement we signed two months prior, in March, and not only retained our 3k deposit, but went so far as to sue us in County Court for the upcoming years tuition, an additional $15,000. We later settled out of Court, but I cannot express strongly enough, my disgust for the way we were treated and it embarrasses and shames me to think the same staff had any REAL concern for my Son while he attended there. Sadly, I expect ANY school charging 20K a year for tuition to provide an exceptional education, it's the ethics that can vary, and at Dawson you will learn that given the opportunity, they will treat you and your Child as no more than income and utilize every chance to exploit your family, regardless of the circumstances. Avoid Dawson.
--Submitted by a parent