Safety Harbor Montessori Academy

I attended this school k-8 and for young children I recommend it but for older children find another girl. I started high school completely unprepared. I had no idea how to study. I was a great student at Montessori but in high school I had to teach myself how to manage multiple classes. As much as I would love to say the Montessori method works, it does not. High Schools are getting more completive. The world today isn't what it used to be years ago. In order to succeed you must have a good foundation and Montessori cannot provide that. On a side --- being a girl at this school was very difficult, especially in middle school. It's extremely clique and the teachers don't like to intervene. I also disliked "person reflection" time in 8th grade, like should't we be doing something more productive for an hour?

The primary classes were overcrowded. Even with an extra adult in the classroom, my child did not get enough attention and spent too much time doing nothing. There is overt favoritism towards certain children which could be fueled by the school s practice of letting teachers privately tutor their own students after school on school grounds. The extra money these teachers earn gives them the incentive to provide extra attention to the tutored students in the classroom setting, unfortunately at the expense of the other students. In such a small school, it seems odd that the administration doesn t know about this issue and do something about it. Academics depend on the teacher and how much time the teacher is willing to put into your child. There doesn t appear to be much of a standardized curriculum, and it seems like an awful lot of the students are getting some kind of outside tutoring. This gave me the impression that either the school accepts a high percentage of children with learning issues or that the school does not meet the academic needs of the children. On the positive side, there is cooking, gardening, and lots of crafts. But overall, I cannot recommend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

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—Submitted by a parent

I really liked the PE, art, music, library and Spanish programs. I did not care for the fact that the teachers were allowed to tutor their own students (for pay by the parents) on school property. I think that is a conflict of interest and can result in favoritism in the classroom. I also didn t care for the instances when the number of parent drivers for class trips was limited. Several times I wasn t chosen by the teachers to drive and I had to decide whether to let my children be driven by parents I didn t know, or keep them home from the trip. There is individualized learning which is a positive. A child s learning experience is highly dependent on the teachers she gets. Parents can request certain teachers, but choices are not guaranteed, and you don t find out your child s teacher until after you sign the non-refundable tuition contract. The school atmosphere can be cliquish since children spend 3 years in the same class and strong bonds are formed. Add to that the fact that some parents have several children in the school who have all had the same teachers. It s hard to come in as an outsider and not feel that there is favoritism shown towards certain families and children.
—Submitted by a parent

Those who criticize this school don't know enough about Montessori teaching or didn't allow their children long enough to experience the benefits of it. I have two children here & absolutely love this school. My children are thriving without teachers being being obsessed with "test scores". The skills they are learning in this environment will be used their entire lives to become well-adjusted, productive members of society. The years of experience of the staff at the school & how long they've stayed working there speaks volumes as to how wonderful the head of the school is & how great your child's education experience will be.
—Submitted by a parent

My children attended for the past two years. For the highly-motivated student who is self-directed, this is a great school. That type of student does well because there is so much academic choice in the classroom. Also, the teachers are caring, and the students are generally well-mannered and nice.Snack is provided on a daily baisis. But, there are some caveats: Lots of school trips which require parent drivers. Students in my children's classrooms were allowed to do a "work" for as many days as they wanted even if they had mastered the work on day one. So the unmotivated child may choose to use his time doing "easy" work rather than more challenging work. Each child has his own work so the easily distracted child may find it difficult to focus. The school can also be cliquish
—Submitted by a parent

Administrative leadership of school not qualified educators; it shows. Why the TV's available in preschool rooms, don't children get enough tv in our society? Classrooms packed up very early for the 'off' seasons, not enough of Montessori materials are available at elementary and older levels even in primetime. Hardly enough room in preschool classrooms for gross motor development, have to go outside or to gym for that. Children don't garden the gardens very much. How many school accreditations? Looks good on the surface, but suffers from cliques and lack of educational expertise, and lack of some essential Montessori materials, for this level of cost. Better as a 'club' experience.
—Submitted by a parent

Awesome environment for kids! Excellent place for learning! We loved this school!
—Submitted by a parent

Best school ever. I attended this school for 10 years, kindergarten thru eighth grade.
—Submitted by a student

Our son was in this school for a year. We were not very happy with the communication from the teachers and administration and the level of education he received. When we decided to remove our son two weeks prior to the first day of school they refused to refund any of the tuition.
—Submitted by a parent

My children attended safety harbor montessori for eight years. They were the best years we ever had in schooling. They learned so much in a pressure free environment which aloud them to grow at their own pace. Great school
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderful school. Dedicated teachers. Works well with gifted children as well as children with learning differences. A physically and emotionally safe environment. Pre-K to 8th grade; all you have to do is worry about high school and college. Have had three kids in the school.
—Submitted by a parent