Prevail Academy

I actually attended this school. I am a junior in high school now. Prevail was rather, restricting, focusing mostly on math and science and a little social studies. Each year from sixth to eighth grade we repeated the same science and math classes, and since there were only about three electives to choose from, i was forced to take the same phys. ed., art, and spanish classes each year. everything was extremely redundant and i basically learned nothing. i could barely do long division when i got into the ninth grade. the staff was restricting, the uniforms were restricting, you couldn't speak in the hallways and you had to go ONE way down the hallway, you couldn't turn and go next door to your class. it wasn't until eighth grade that we got to eat in a "cafeteria". up until then, we ate in our classrooms. i only connected with two of my teachers, kids were bullied if they didn't believe in god or were a little different. even the teachers were bullied. this school is screwed up.

NEW PARENT! I enrolled my three girls (K, K, 2nd Grade) this year at Prevail and my wife and I attended all of the informational parent meetings. A quote from Mrs. Young, the principal, said it best. "We are a K-8 school. I have Kindergarteners walking the same halls as 8th graders. We have to enforce certain rules so that the younger children aren't subjected to something they shoudln't be." So, to those posting a negative remark on this site about being too "strict" in the hallways or lunchrooms, take another look. I'd much rather my kids learn to respect themselves and other kids by following the rules that their teachers and other staff enforce so that they don't have to be exposed to something they shoudln't be hearing or seeing. Also, if the older kids grew up at this school, they should understand by this point WHY they need to act according to certain standards! It's time to stop focusing on ourselves and how we "think" they should run things. Start putting yourself in the shoes of those taking the courageous task of educating and molding our kids and work WITH them instead of AGAINST them! Who knows, you might actually see that they LOVE these kids as much as we do.
--Submitted by a parent

Prevail is awesome!! The negative comments on this site suprise me. I have been at this school for six years and I love it. More importantly, my children love it! The teachers at this school are the most dedicated I have ever seen, they truly want their students to succeed (not just in school, but in life). The administration is top-notch and has put procedures into place that help to maintain a healthly atmosphere and a safe environmanet. Kudos for that. I may suppose that the negative comments might frighten some prospective parents/families, but keep in mind that many of those comments were left as a "parting shot" of sorts And they might be spiteful because their child had difficulty following the rules/meeting expectations, or the parents themselves, for that matter! Enroll with confidence at Prevail Academy!
--Submitted by a parent

As you can see there are many mixed reviews on this school. I have been here since the second year it opened and have been here through all the ups AND the downs we have gone through here at Prevail. In our 7th year here, I feel like this has been the best so far. I truly respect the Principal Ms. Young and appreciate her loving but no nonsense approach. While this school is not for everyone, you will appreciate that you can come here at ANY time and check on your child and observe the class if you have any questions. You can spend any amount of time volunteering here and are always welcome. The leadership team has an open door policy and is willing to listen to all parents, especially if they are respectful in their approach. Much like we try to teach the children to be as well. While I am saddened at the recent negative press that our school has received (which is completely misrepresented) I feel like we are working hard to become a more unified parent force in this community and hope that we can continue to grow and work together for our students academic and emotional growth! Go Panther Pride!
--Submitted by a parent

My child completed 8th grade at Prevail Academy this past spring. When I enrolled him in 9th grade at our home district, he was ahead of the game. He already earned one math credit while attending Prevail. His middle school teachers challenged him and set requirements to achieve this credit. Thank you Prevail for preparing my child for high school.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter will be entering the 7th grade at Prevail. We have chosen Prevail because of the wonderful things we have heard about the middle school teachers and dean, the new principal, and how much they all truly care about the students. We are looking forward to our daughter not being "just another face in the crowd". As parents we cannot wait to volunteer and actually attend fieldtrips. We could not do either in her former school and this did not sit well with us. She is very excited about starting and so are we.
--Submitted by a parent

My son attended 2nd Grade and half of 3rd Grade before I pulled him out. He was miserable. The Adiministration keeps changing and no one seems to know what they are doing. The teachers are not highly quailfied and cannot handle over 20 students in a class. I would not recommend this school to anyone.
--Submitted by a parent

my daughter currently atttends prevail, and she is miserable. the dean ms. spurman does not know how to handle the day today situations in a proffessional manner. keep your eye on fox 2 news for a special report on the girls cutting themselves and the bullies. have a nice day.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter has attended Prevail since she was in 2nd grade, currently she is in 7th. Although this school has gone through administrative changes, especially in 2008/09 school year, the teaching staff has been great. During one of the administrative changes I have witnessed a great start in the 2008 school year with the children and parents really liking the Assistant Principal Mr Gardner to midway in 2009 he was no longer at the school to my surprise due to parents and children liking him and all of his dedication. Parents even met with Mr. Oglvie (Quality) to let him know how we felt and how much we appreciate having Mr. Gardner there. Well he didn't listen to us because within a week Mr. Gardner was transferred. Almost left the school over that but stayed on, and this year is great with our new caring Principal Nicole Young. My daughter loves her. At present I would recommend Prevail Academy.
--Submitted by a parent

I adore this school! More importantly so does my son. He is in Kindergarten and he is thriving here. My son is very high energy and even though the school does have rules about hallway and lunchroom behavior it has never been a problem for him to adhere to them. In fact it's taught him that there are times when it's ok to be loud and crazy and times when it's not. My older son attended another public school and the kids were always loud and out of control in the hallways. The kids are taught to be respectful of where they are I think that's a good thing. I love that my son's teacher has recognized that he is above average for his age and, along with several other kids in his class, she is making an effort to challenge him. I have never seen any of the teachers or staff be anything but loving and kind with the kids even when disciplining them. The difference here is that they are expected to have respect for their teachers. I don't know what I would have done if I had not found this school!
--Submitted by a parent