The Independence School

The boy's uniform is very ridiculous. Polos must be worn for males, yet girls don't have to. In addition, tucked in shirts & belts yet girls don't have to. Girls may wear skirts throughout the year yet boys have to wear pants from october 15th to april 15? Doesn't make sense to anyone. Way too strict dress code to every parent. Very little effort put into dress code and I am sick of it so I am removing my two kids to North star where they will be free to express themselves as they please.

I removed my son from this school approximately a year and half ago. Far too much focus on the financial aspect of things. You will receive a high volume of requests for additional money and not much feedback from the teachers or administration. The school frowns upon parents requesting feedback. Technologically, the school is far behind other private and public schools in northern Delaware. The school is trading on a reputation that it no longer deserves, and I am happy that my family cut ties with the school when we did.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had two children go through early childhood at Independence. They flourished under the gentle care of their teachers. While the school is quite structured in the older levels, which was a good fit for my kids...the early childhood area was both fun and educational. I also encourage you to visit and watch these children and teachers in action. You will not be disappointed.
—Submitted by a parent

Although it saddens me to have to write a negative review of this school, I think it is important to be honest so that any parents deciding whether to send their children to this school have an accurate picture of Independence as it exists today. I had one child graduate the Upper School recently, and my daughter just finished 4th grade (I am sending her to another school in the area after this year). This is _not_ the same school that it was 10 years ago. It has become increasingly rigid and overly structured. There is far less substantive teaching, and much more is placed on the shoulders of students (and, effectively, parents) in the form of bust work. More homework is substituted for actual quality teaching in the classroom. The school is losing enrollment annually, and instead of listening to the concerns and ideas of parents, the school has doubled-down on a philosophy that is a large part of the school's decline. The new head of Admissions is exacerbating the problem. some local public schools have now surpassed Independence in overall quality. If you are going to spend your hard-earned money on a private school, I urge you not to waste it on Independence.
—Submitted by a parent

The students at this school are seen as tuition payments and not as individuals. Parent feedback is not welcomed, and questions about the program or anything that is perceived as criticism is met with defensiveness and hostility.
—Submitted by a parent

My recommendation to any parents who are considering the Independence School is simply this... don't put too much faith in anonymous, inaccurate postings from this site regardless of whether they're overly positive or excessively negative (1 star... Really?). You should tour the campus and meet face-to-face with the educators, staff, parents and students. Ask them why they chose Independence. Review the school's curriculum and compare it to other public and private schools in the area. Research the student-to-teacher ratio to see how it differs from other local schools. Compare the standardized test scores against other high-performing Independent schools. Check out the honors programs at local high schools and see how many of the students came from Independence. Do the research. I think you'll be extremely impressed and you'll understand why so many parents are willing to pay tuition when other "free" alternatives exist.
—Submitted by a parent

My child attends one of the local public schools where the teachers are so much more qualified. The school feels that piling on an excessive amount of work prepares students adequately for high school. However, teaching methods are out of date. Additionally, children get away with bad behavior due to the fact that administrators are scared to take appropriate action for fear of losing students. The administrators try and brainwash you into thinking students are getting a better education at this school. Why else? Fear of losing students. I challenge Independence parents to take a look at the the education at the surrounding public schools before you buy into what you are being sold. Why anyone would pay the tuition for this school rather than sending their child to Linden Hill or North Star is beyond me. I know many people who switched and were shocked by how much happier they are. I predict that when the new public elementary school opens on Graves Rd. this school will be out of business.

I attended The Independence School for eleven years before graduating in 2011. While Independence did prepare me appropriately for high school, I often felt trapped in an environment where administrators and teachers looked down upon me quite harshly at times for demonstrating what some would call noncompliance (but what I would just call being a kid!). The staff members of this school are quick to forget the fragility and malleability of a child's mind, and assume that every child will respond appropriately to a nearly Orwellian style of teaching and discipline. I continue to receive letters asking for donations, which I can assure you, the school will never receive from me. It seems as if they put us (the students) through hell for several years on end then expect monetary compensation in addition to what they already made from a ridiculous tuition! Also, this school demonstrates extreme shortsightedness in financial planning, given their multimillion dollar expansion and failed decision to try and fund this by adding more classes. I would not send my children to this school. The old band teacher was my favorite teacher/mentor of all time and lost his job due to bad finances.

The school continues to lose students and the quality of its EC program and Lower School continues to degrade. I pulled one of my children out of the school this year and may pull out my older child this year. Independence has lost so many good students and families over the past several years. it is very sad, but the other parents that have noted the negative treatment of students that do not exactly and immediately conform are being truthful. Some of the children are either completely ingored or treated rather poorly. Sadly, I have witnessed this with my own eyes when volunteering in the classroom. Communication from many of the teachers and especially the heads of the EC program and Lower School is downright infrequent and poor. The school may cost less than some other private schools in Delaware, but the education is less well-rounded. The program is extremely rigid and rote, hence the statements from parents about cookie-cutter children. My one child is probably what you would call cookie-cutter, but I can no longer justify sending him to this school. The environment and attitude of many of the teachers and staff does not compare favoranly at all to other schools.
—Submitted by a parent

Unfortunately, I agree with the last several parent reviews. TIS is a great school if you have a "cookie cutter" child, anything short of perfection will be short lived at TIS. The PK teacher, with the support of the lower school administrator, has a low tolerance for any "age appropriate" behaviors (i.e. pushing,stimulated child, or any 3 year old child that does not conform by November). You, as the parent, will feel helpless and may start to think that maybe something is wrong with your child. Don't fall for it; he/she is ONLY 3! Good luck with your school search...keep searching
—Submitted by a parent

The negative reviews of this school are, unfortunately, accurate. My son attended this school for two years and we did not have a good experience at all. As an example, an acquantance of mine had a child in the EC program. The child had a slight speech delay, and because of this the school treated the child quite poorly as if the child was not good enough to attend the school, despite the fact that this child was 3 years old. That child is now excelling at another private school in the area that does not jump to conclusions and recognizes that just because young children develop at differing paces, that doesn't mean they are not worthy of the school. Teachers and staff are out of touch and extremely rigid, to the detriment of the students. The EC program and Lower School are widely considered in the community to be significantly a mere shadow of what they were 10 years ago due to current management. I wish I had never sent my child here and I would caution parents to avoid Independence.
—Submitted by a parent

I must agree with some of the less than stellar reviews of Independence on here, and have to wonder why so many positive reviews were posted within a week of each other. My child, who was in the early childhood program, did not have a good experience here. Despite the fact that academically, he already knew just about everything taught in their curriculum, he didn't fit their mold of a typical student at this school and was asked not to come back. Since then, I've heard from other parents that this is not an uncommon occurrence at this school. Before our child started here, we were told that children's individual differences are acknowledged and celebrated - not true. Despite the smaller class size and opportunity for plenty of one-on-one interaction, I saw little effort made in the classroom to help my child in the areas in which he struggled. In my opinion, there is not much to set this school apart from local public schools, and nothing to recommend it over other private schools in the area.
—Submitted by a parent

There are significantly better options in the area, with teachers and staff that care far more about the children who attend compared to Independence. My family and my children did not have a good experience at this school. Many of the negatives are clearly described in some of the reviews over the past year, so I will not repeat them. I would add that (1) the school is far behind other schools technologically, (2) teacher feedback is nowhere near an acceptable level, (3) the heads of the Lower School and EC program show a disturbing disconnect from their students, and (4) there is not enough actual "teaching" being done at the school - the school relies upon the students doing massive amounts of work, and parents are left to fill in the gaps. I have observed many classes, and the teachers _do not_ spend sufficient time actually teaching the students - they certainly give them a lot of work to do, but do not work WITH the students. Many parents in the community are aware that the school has only been able to maintain its reputation over the past several years by poaching the best students from other schools.
—Submitted by a parent

As you can see from recent reviews on this site (all of which were posted within 2 days of one another), the school has been pushing parents to post positive reviews in order to counteract the school's drop in reputation/enrollment, as well as some recent, and more honest, reviews. I pulled my child from the Lower School for this year because I observed that the school is (1) rigid to an extreme; and (2) incapable of dealing any child who deviates even the slightest bit from what the school considers to be "normal". Although my child did not have any problems with the routine, I was disturbed by the school's treatment of other children if they felt such child didn't fit within their incredibly narrow view of what an "Independence student" should be. This was the worst in the EC program, the head of which should, honestly, be replaced immediately. Even my child started to see this trend as well. it is highly unfortunate that the school operates this way, especially when they stress being part of the "Independence family". Their actions do not match their words in any sense. Parents, avoid this school. They see the "program" as more important than the children who attend.
—Submitted by a parent

I attended middle school open house last week and am again impressed with the energy and talent of the teachers. The Independence School is able to attract and keep an amazing group of teachers. We have been impressed with the teaching talent at every grade level along the way and to see this again in middle school is tremendous.
—Submitted by a parent

The Independence School has provided my 2 children with a loving, academically challenging environment where they have been encouraged to thrive.
—Submitted by a parent

As an alumna of Independence, I can say with total confidence: this place is truly unique, in the best way possible. I had the most incredible, devoted teachers during my 11 years there and always felt like every member of the staff was working together to provide me personally as an individual with deep, long-lasting educational excellence. From the academics to the extracurricular offerings, Independence prepared me far better for high school, college, and beyond than any other educational opportunity could have done. I cannot recommend the school enough for its dedication to providing every student, regardless of background, with an education that is far above average in all the fundamentals that enable success later in life. I went on to success at a local private high school, and then at an Ivy League university, and I give much of the credit directly to the study skills and building blocks I imbued through the loving, supportive Independence environment.

I have been a parent at Independence for 10 years and could not be more pleased with the experience my children have each day. Not only are they receiving a phenomenal education, but are encouraged to be the best individual they can be. They are taught and given respect and are expected to be good citizens. They experience a mix of traditional learning and hands-on lessons with technology that supports the outstanding curriculum. The teachers are true educators who have a passion for influencing, guiding, and directing young people. I know my children will have a successful future because of the solid foundation on which their future is being built. As we look to high schools, the admission directors express their pleasure in having an Independence student. I have been told that they transition easily and quickly make their mark. Yes, it is a sacrifice to send two children to Independence, but the return on this investment is invaluable. As a parent, I believe that my children are worth this investment.
—Submitted by a parent

Children who are educated at the Independence School are continuously sought out by local private high schools. Independence students stand out when they matriculate to other schools. It is evident to the teachers, the other students, and to the Independence graduates themselves. They are well-prepared and often find the demands of their first year in high school to be far less challenging than students from other schools.
—Submitted by a parent

Independence has been the choice for my children since they were three years old. As preschoolers they were encouraged to be curious, kind, respectful, and independent students all while a strong academic foundation was provided by kind and caring teachers. This continued as they moved into the Lower School where they were guided in a manner that was both appropriate for their age, yet provided them with high expectations. Now as Middle Schoolers, I find myself the proud parent of two very capable students, both academically and emotionally. They have been taught how to manage their workloads, study in a meaningful manner, interact appropriately with others, and set high goals for themselves. Thank you for a wonderful beginning to my children s futures!
—Submitted by a parent