Phoenix Academy Inc

I did not have a good experience at this school. We were there a number of years ago. They made lots of promises for improvement. The biggest one being that they were building a new school building and were asking parents for money to support it. Many years later, there is still no new school building. They are still located in a business park with extremely small classrooms. The teacher turnover rate was very high the year I was there. The special pullout classes (computer, music, art, and library) were extremely lacking. Their playground is a fenced, mulched, back-lot with no equipment. The quality of academics was nothing compared to my kids' current public school. I am much happier with the my local school than I ever was with Phoenix. If you decide to go there, ask lots of questions... like specific dates of when their promised plans will come to fruition.
—Submitted by a parent

We did not have a positive experience at PA. Communication was poor, responses seemed scripted from teachers and administration, parents are not allowed in the school beyond the lobby, there is no cafeteria and the multipurpose room where parents can eat with their child is noisy. There is no playground equipment and while the admin say they always have structured play, that is not true. Books from the library are old and worn and is more like a closet of old books. Kids are not encouraged out of their seat, they do not follow the standard course of study well, the curriculum is pieced together, and kids are expected to be above grade level. If you ask too many questions, it becomes the school that might not be a good fit for you. Students do a great deal of busy work and homework consists of tons of worksheets, and when we were there the school constantly asked for paper. There was no room for self expression or differentiated instruction. Before committing to this school ask, ask , ask questions!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

The school is pretty good. I have not had any issues that warrant me withdrawing my child. As with any school, there is room for improvement. Some of the administrators really don't seem to have the heart to be in this line of work. There is no cafeteria, no play ground equipment. Lunch is catered in and averages around $85 per month. I would say investigage and ask LOTS of questions before enrolling.
—Submitted by a parent

This is an awesome school with great teachers and administrators turnover is low compared to most school from what I can tell, which makes it nice you get to know the teachers and personalities. I LOVE this school.
—Submitted by a parent

I highly recommend this school. We have been at Phoenix Academy for two years now. I wish it went past 5th grade. The first year we were here was beyond fantastic. The kindergarten teacher we had was so wonderful and caring it helped make the transition from pre-school to elementary school smooth. I am not as pleased with the 2nd year but have high hopes for next year. The teacher student ratio is fabulous. The class size is small enough that each student gets individualized care and no one gets missed. This school has a zero tolerance for bulling with is extremely important to me. They do not have a typical playground which is one of the top places that students at regular public school get bullied. They do offer supervised outdoor play so the students are not missing anything by not having playground equipment. I am not sure of public school foreign language programs but my son is learning German thanks to Phoenix Academy. The technology that they are using in class allows students to see what other kids their age are doing in school all around the world. I can t say enough good things about this school. I love it!
—Submitted by a parent

My son attended this school in first grade. There was little to no communication between parents and teachers. We had a very negative experience there. They say they want parental involvement but will not allow parents in the school. You have to wonder about a school that does not want parents in the hallways or classrooms. The kids are in the classrooms all day. There is no library or other rooms for art or PE. I would not recommend this school. I also noticed very poor leadership.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a GREAT school and It REALLY needs to go beyond 5th grade!!!! there were plans to do this 3 yrs ago and it went down the drain... Mrs. Norcross PLEASE !!!!! lets do PA middle school!!!! we need it...High Point needs it...the KIDS need it!!!
—Submitted by a parent

The excellence of teachers at Phoenix Academy and it's child centered plicies have made this an ideal school for my grandchildren. I only wish it went beyond grade five.

Fabulous School great leadership. Mrs. Norcross is wonderful!
—Submitted by a parent

As a mother of 6 children education is extremely important to me. In the 07-08 yr I enrolled my then rising 4th grader and Kindergartener at Phoenix. Once my 4th grader started school we realized just how far behind she was academically coming from Jamestown Elementary, the teachers and support staff at Phoenix jumped into action working deligently to bring her up to speed and never once did she feel as if she were sub-par. Also my at the time kindergartener was challenged to her level . They base there academics more individually than the public schools I have dealt with. They work with your child on their specicfic level .Just this year 09-10 my son started Kindergarten he just turned 5 Aug 6th so he is young but I know & have seen the special attention he is receiving. They have organized outdoor play, &PE. Art and Music. Great school
—Submitted by a parent

Great staff and administration!
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school with low class sizes. There are on average 15 students in each classroom the infomation liated is not correct!
—Submitted by a parent

We have a great school all teachers administrators and staff work dilegently to make sure our students are safe, happy and learning!

Sadly, my child did not receive a rewarding educational experience at PA as others. My child was never a 'problem'and I was involved/supported the school to only find out that what my child was supposed to learn in a specific grade, they didn't and came very close to repeating the grade (known to happen very often with one particular ethnic group). My observations leads me to believe that this school is no place for people of color. Staff/teachers are afraid to make suggestions to the administrator. Unusual setting of smiling, yet not producing good results in all children. No playground equip. and lots of dry mud to keep the uniformed white gym shoes filthy daily. I'd like to see impovements in diversity within the classrms and better communication with the parents and teachers. Appealing on the outside...what's going on inside should matter most!
—Submitted by a parent

My son just started Kindergarten at Phoenix Academy and I have been very pleased. I love the teacher/student ratio and the individualization that he recieves. I appreciate the fact they they focus on education rather than extracurricular activities since education comes first in my book. They do offer German classes, art and music. I love it and I am confident he will recieve a good education.
—Submitted by Gloria, a parent

2006 was our child's first school year. Teachers in both facilities have been wonderful, so that aside. The uniforms are a huge plus. We love the smaller class size and the focus on core skills, socialization and not just staying busy all the time. As the year progressed, we learned how to be more active within this school's guidelines and have been very happy with the overall experience. The after school homework teachers tell us that our child's homework is on par, if not more challenging than kids from other schools.
—Submitted by a parent

I enrolled my child in Phoenix Academy for the 2nd grade. I have since re-enrolled him in his old public school. We had a very disappointing experience. The[re] is no play ground, library, music class or art class. The rooms were ridiculously overcrowded. He received mostly A's but is now behind in regular public school. I am having to pay for expensive tutoring to get him caught up.
—Submitted by a parent

This is the first year that my son has attended Phoenix Academy. I am very disappointed in the lack of communication with parents. It also bothers me that parents are not allowed in the school. There is a volunteer requirement, but parents are not welcome in the school. Also there is no library or access to computers for teachers or students.
—Submitted by a parent

We have been attending Phoenix Academy for 2 years now and so far have been pretty happy with the school itself. The small class sizes and the uniforms are a plus, which will probably change when the new school is built.
—Submitted by a parent

The best attribute about Phoenix is the small size. It has been very benificial to our child, who has attended since kindergarten. We don't always agree with the administrative decisions, but we have gotten consistently good teachers. The majority of the staff are personable and professional. We would like to see a more organized PTO and additional extra curricular activities, especially when they expan to k-12.
—Submitted by a parent