Triangle Math and Science Academy

Upper Grade The science club was better than the science class. Did they every get a book yet? You do more Art work in History. LA great vocabulary words, hum... Math yeah great OK now how is all this used in the real world? I pulled my child out and I don't regret it. The administration was fine with me. I wasn't there to make long life friends. The teachers were passionate about their work. I do give them that much credit.
—Submitted by a parent

So sad other did not think this was the school for them ,I am a parent volunteer 2x or more all year long .We had had a rough start but will good support staff teacher /parent all been over come,Only 3 teacher left in first 2 month I know them personal it was family reason not the schools(not the right school for them as in all jobs). This will be one of the top 5 school in the coming years, My 2 children are excited/happy/challenged/we are middle income white background /feel very welcome/ Staff is well educated/ask they have 6-8 yr exp. small class/principal has open door/in the school knows the children they know him!!New building in the fall will be great,Lot of room /supplies etc. If you want sometime great for you children Visit one just one but several time, You will find Great caring teacher/peers that work together/extra activites/when they compete bring home many award/spelling/chess/etc. Why would you not want your child in this school. Over 700 wanted to this year, only 10-12 new spots, Not counting KG 20 half were filled by silbling, With all the WCPSS is doing I so thankful for this school . Remember to have a great school you must be part of the TEAM, ! ! !
—Submitted by a parent

Triangle math and science is barely a year, but one thing i have come to appreciate is the student population that is representative of the "real world: where you see kids who are Asian, black and white well represented. In most of the "good performing" charter schools that I know, the kids are mainly white and not exposed to the real world. When this kids get to corporate America and other higher institutions they are going to have to learn to learn about people who are different from them. Just check out the big companies in RTP, especially in the technical fields, multiculturalism rules. Good performing all white schools, watch out, your kid may be getting all A's but when they get out in the real world they will have to learn to interact with different cultures to succeed.
—Submitted by a parent

This is an excellent school! I am so glad we got our kids in to TMSA last year. We would have no chance next year, as I heard there were more than 700 applications for only 10s of available spots. I read some of the negative reviews and I am so surprised with them. The teachers are doing their best and involved in education not only just in the classroom, but also with many different activities outside. All the teachers are highly motivated. They organize science fairs, train students for competitions. They visit students and parents at home. These people are working 7 days a week. Administration is very open. You can talk to them. They will listen and do the best for your child. I don't agree with "second class citizen students" comment. If anything, they focus on improvement of each student individually. There were couple of teacher resignations in the first few months. I respect to those teachers. But I also know that not every school is for every teacher. This school is for people, who wants to involve in education 7 days a week. I think the current downtown location is a limitation to many other things that they can do. I am looking forward for the new building. GO TMSA!!!
—Submitted by a parent

This school was a great disappointment. Our child went from being at the top of his class at his old school to being treated like a second class citizen at this school. Students who are not in the advanced classes are picked on by the students who are. The faculty and students treat them differently. Volunteering allowed me to see the inner workings of this school, and it was scary!!! The administration is clueless, and they don't seem to care about the children. They give no support to the teachers. The teachers seem to try , but there is so much they can do. Three experienced teachers who really seemed to care have left. They have hired young, inexperienced teachers to take their places.The "play area" is dangerous. There is so much more wrong with this school that I can't list everything. My child is now going to a regular public school , and that school is MUCH better!!!! My advice:Do NOT send your child to Triangle Math and Science Academy. If you do, volunteer and keep a close eye on the situation.
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent school!!!!Very competitive,enforced discipline,strong academic program.My daugther has learned a lot since she is attending this school, she is in kinder with a 2 grade level.
—Submitted by a parent

We've been pleasantly surprised at the level of academic vigor our son is receiving at Triangle Math and Science. It has been a rough 1 yr at the Downtown Raleigh location. I'm glad to know the final location is in Cary. The skies the limit regarding this school.
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderful school and staff. A little disorganized but it just opened its doors in Fall 2012 so can't be too hard on them. Very challenging and lots of fun for my first grader. I am reading some comments about the principal being "culturally insensitive", I think he is actually very nice and much more approachable than WCPSS principals that I have dealt with in the past. The clubs and after school activities are great. Within a year or two, once its established and has a new building, it bet it will have a long waiting list and will be hard to get in. I am glad my 1st grader is in, from the very beginning.
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderful school. Staff is wonderful. Everyone makes you feel like part of the family. Small class size. Great parent involvement.
—Submitted by a teacher

I have two children at the school, and both are doing very well this year. My oldest was always bored at two other WCPSS schools. It seems that 4th-6th is where they start to really challenge the kids, as they begin changing classes in 4th. There are obviously some things that must be worked out in a first-year school and there has been some turnover, but once the permanent location is settled, I believe this will be a highly sought after school by parents not happy with WCPSS. Teachers have been great and instrumental in getting the school on their feet, and my oldest is doing things I didn't even think about until +2 grades later (and I was Advanced/AP)! If you have children of superior intellect, I would recommend this school. If you have lower children or special needs requirements, look elsewhere. Their clubs/after school activities are very good for the first year and will expand next year. 4th-6th get foreign language AND Science every day! You won't find that in most public schools. Class sizes of 20 are a blessing after classes of 31 kids last year at our base school.
—Submitted by a parent

This is the first school in his six years of public education that has gotten my fifth grader excited about learning. His science teacher is absolutely phenomenal and they are constantly doing hands on experiments. He is definitely being challenged more than he was at his previous schools, both academically and in organizational ways as he learns to change classes for the first time and be accountable to more than one teacher. I am just as pleased with my third grader's teacher. She is organized, communicates well with parents and constantly makes changes in the classroom to meet the needs of her students. Yes, there are some ups and downs as it is the first year of the school and the current location is quite cramped with little outdoor space. However, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. My kids are quite happy here and that is what matters most to me.
—Submitted by a parent

No disrespect to any of the teachers in which English is not their first language, it is very difficult to understand or if they understand what I am saying. My children have seen multiple children randomly leave this school and teachers as well. one of my children has had 4 language arts teacher as of the end of October. I just found out another teacher(which makes this the 5th teacher ) has left. I just found out that the school does not know where the school will be permanently located. Initially, I was told and it was indicated on the internet that it would be off of 540 by Aviation. Again, nothing but confusion, stress, and lack of clarity for this school.Both my children indicate that they do not want to go back there and are not motivated at this school. I personally do not feel that the teachers are not getting the support they need. I believe that they cater to the male gender as well as specific cultures. I agree with the other review that this school has potential but since my children are impressionable and miserable, I will not wait until this school has it together.
—Submitted by a parent

I had high hopes for TMSA that have not been fulfilled. I am not convinced that they are following the NC Standard Curriculum; there is no school nurse, school counselor, or full-time custodian; it took 9 wks to put soap dispensers in the bathrooms, clean the yard that was scattered with debris, & hire a P/T custodian; there are students whose IEPs and 504 plans are not being met; children were not allowed to drink water throughout the day; for 20 mins a day during recess, 6th graders just sat at their desks, windows weren't opened for fresh air, and they rarely went outside; my child was moved w/o valid explanation from advanced math & science classes despite consistent 4s on the EOGs and As in the TMSA classes; my healthy child contracted bacterial pneumonia, as did many of the staff & students. Many of the teachers are hardworking and get little support from Administration (particularly the women). My daughters complained to me of subtle gender discrimination amongst the student body from 1 or 2 of the male teachers. TMSA has the potential to become a successful school. In the meantime, as the parent of middle schoolers, we cannot afford to wait for that day.
—Submitted by a parent

If your kid is a male and is a genius this school is for you. Academic content is challenging, +/- 1-2 years above grade level but as with all things there is a price to pay - it's freedom of thought. The way the school is run it's their way or you can go back to WCPSS. Unless you luck out and get into the A classes in 4-6th grade right from day one, your chances of getting in later from the B classes is slim as there are only 20 spots in the A class, and if your child is identified as gifted but in a B class they will not be challenged at all. Because there is no gifted teacher they can not have a gifted program to challenge all the kids that deserve those services. You're better off staying at a magnet school if that is an option for you, plus there are no electives to speak of for middle schoolers. Except for the academic clubs, and advanced chess, all the other clubs are for entertainment even though they may be called tutoring. You do not get individual help in tutoring. The principal needs some serious social skills and cultural sensitivity training when it comes to the treatment of women. Their cultural values really do influence everything. Go elsewhere.
—Submitted by a parent

Management has no clue about running school. They don''t care about kids health and well being. Weird rules such as kids can't drink water from water bottle they carry, can't use bathroom twice, no snack break. The building is suffocating and kids complain about dirty bathrooms, no door lock, no soap and toilet papers in the bathrooms.
—Submitted by a parent