Cannon School

Ugh! Cookie cutter academics hiding behind arrogance. We are moving on to a private school closer to home that really challenges kids by making them think for themselves.
--Submitted by a parent

My child spent 13 years at Cannon. I am of the view that the best way to accurately measure a school's value is how a child performs at the next level. After having his pick of highly selective colleges and universities, he has moved seamlessly into a successful college experience. He is set to graduate in less than 4 years with a double major, all the while holding multiple leadership positions at the school. Interestingly, his grades in college are higher than his grades at Cannon. While some may point to that as a drawback, I see it as confirmation of the quality of the preparation he received at Cannon. To the teachers and staff at Cannon my only message is, simply, thank you!
--Submitted by a parent

This is our 17th year at Cannon School. We have two children who have graduated and gone on to college, and one child currently in the eighth grade. All three children started at Cannon in Junior Kindergarten. Our oldest children applied to very competitive Universities and were accepted everywhere they applied. We cannot imagine a better place for our children to go to school. All of the qualities parents and students look for in a school are at Cannon. Our relationships with the staff, teachers, and coaches have been and are wonderful. Their doors have always been open to any needs or concerns.
--Submitted by a parent

I have rated this school so low because the process of handling issues to do with my child which I presented to them has left me with a very bitter taste in my mouth. Rather than listening and trying to find a solution they arranged a confrontation with the teacher who declared to my wife and I that we did not know our child and were making things up. I was left bereft and angry and my wife broke down in floods of tears. I was a very strong advocate of what I thought was a very very good school, but their attitude towards parents who have something to complain about leaves a lot to be desired. I am very disappointed.
--Submitted by a parent

We are a new family to Cannon School. We did extensive research before choosing Cannon for our son. We are pleased with our decision. The Cannon community has welcomed our family from the start. After experiencing a discouraging year at his previous school, our son is back to being his talkative, intellectually curious self. He is involved in sports, enjoying art, and thriving in math. He feels that his course work is relevant, and he is motivated to work at a higher level. Thank heavens! This was a difficult move for us, as we have been strong advocates of our public schools. Cannon is also expensive. In the long run, we feel that his success at this time is imperative to his future success. We will do what we can to provide the best education for our children. I appreciate the staff, students and families who have helped make this transition successful. Thumbs up to Cannon!
--Submitted by a parent

Cannon School has an appropriate blend of academic rigor and support, opportunities for a range of students in the arts and athletics, and a well established service learning program. Our children love it at Cannon. I'd recommend Cannon to anyone who is interested in finding a great school and a great community. The leadership and faculty at Cannon are professional and friendly. And the bus drivers are awesome!
--Submitted by a parent

Of course people who are currently attending Cannon will defend their decision and give it a glowing report. DUH! Who would write "My child is currently enrolled at Cannon and we think is is below par"?? We did NOT enjoy our years at Cannon at all & I would not recommend it to my worst enemy. Anyone who removes their child is instantly accused of not being able to afford it or having a child who is lacking in some way. We removed our child because Cannon was lacking in many ways and they didn't deserve our child. There are many social issues at this school and academics takes a back seat as parents constantly try to one-up eachother. We thought it was ridiculous and since removing our child she has flourished and matured in ways that she would not have, had we chosen to remain at Cannon. Thank God we came to our senses!

I am so pleased with Cannon. We decided to move our son from a well known Christian school in Huntersville, because the academics were not challenging and athletics were lacking leadership. We hesitated because Cannon was farther away, if you are concerned about it being a little more of a drive don't be it is worth it!
--Submitted by a parent

Cannon is better than the area public schools. While it is missing from the Wall Street Journal's best private school list (which is ranked by Ivy matriculation), no other NC schools are on it either. As far as the college matriculations, 2010 was a good or bad year depending whether you think Chapel Hill is top tier--sixteen students went there. No one went to the Ivy League (nor to Stanford, MIT). But students went to UC Berkeley, Northwestern, Duke and Carnegie Mellon. We may need to examine where we as parents went to college instead of putting all the blame on Cannon.
--Submitted by a parent

We are new to Cannon School this year. Our child is very happy and wouldn't change a thing at this point. He is being challenged daily. The teachers seem very caring and excited about our child education. We will be back next year.
--Submitted by a parent