Cornerstone Academy Community

The turn over rate is really really bad... from Aug - Dec my daughter has had 2 different teachers and 2 different teach assistants as both the original teacher and teacher's assistant for this room resigned within 2 mos from the beginning of the school year. The administration is highly disorganized. We submitted our immunization records and applications twice as they kept loosing the paper work. The school building is only a couple years old but it is absolutely filthy. I went to use the restrooms when picking up my child and i turned around and walked out it was that bad. The walls and floors are never clean and overall the pride in taking care of the building and environment are disgusting from a cleanliness point of view. We supply all of the supplies for the classroom. We get weekly emails of needs from the teacher as clearly the administration does not provide any assistance to the classroom or the teacher. The playground (if you want to call it that) is so poorly made and right next to the parking lot. It consists of metal bars in the cheapest quality they could have possibly have found. This school does not invest in the student or the teacher.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attends Cornerstone this year and is in their full day kindergarten. So far I havd nothing but great things to say about this school! The classroom ratio is great and the teacher communicate by email a lot and that really helps the working parents.I will say that even the kindergarteners have quite a bit of homework, its a little overwhelming at first but the kids start to get the hang of it after about a couple months.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 children at Cornerstone and LOVE the school. I have no complaints at all with the school and the teachers are GREAT!! I volunteer in the school and see how they treat the children with love and respect. I wish I had found the school sooner!!!
—Submitted by a parent

I was looking forward to sending my son to this school last fall. However, I quickly found that the staff was unable to help my son achieve academically. The teachers were inadequately trained to help a child that had attention problems. I met with the behaviorist regularly and she developed a chart for the teachers to follow to help him understand expectations. It was my idea to see the behaviorist, my idea to spend a day in the class and the behaviorist came up with the plan for the teachers. Even after all this the teachers lack compassion for my son. I decided to remove him from the school in October. The last day I left in tears, I was so frustrated by the lack of compassion. This is a great school for the average well behaved child. My daughter would have had an entirely different experience. She is a straight A student at Blendon Middle School who needs little help from her teachers. So while I am not saying this school is wrong for everyone, I do not believe this is the school for students with learning problems. At least that was my experience with the Kindergarten class. I will be sending my son to Oakstone this coming fall.
—Submitted by a parent

Cornerstone is a great place to be! The class sizes are below the average in our area and our children are making more than a year's worth of growth. We want our parents to be involved in their child's or children's education. This year, we moved into the new building and it is wonderful. It has allowed us to have tons of curriculum-based evening activities this year. Come by and see for yourself.
—Submitted by a teacher

The teachers are wonderful! The kids have an opportunity to learn spanish and my child's skills in reading and math have really developed beyond what I expected. My child is excited about learning and enjoyed going to school. If parents take and ACTIVE role and PARTNER with the teachers and the school's administrators in the education of their child/children they will also have an experience that is positive and be excited about growth and knowledge their child/children have gained.
—Submitted by a parent

Teacher very involved and caring. Curriculum strong and ahead of pace. School ground equipment being purchased by student and parent activities.

My daughter attended this school last year and I was not impressed at all by the academics, staff or teachers. The academics are not challenging and the class sizes are too large, and the staff does not know how to handle behavioral issues. My child was behind in math and reading. When considering a charter school, I would suggest one at least 5+ years established to truly know the dynamics of the school and curriculum. BEWARE!
—Submitted by a parent

My child is so happy at Cornerstone and the quality of what she is learning is excellent. I feel she is learning at a much higher level than public schools.
—Submitted by a parent

I would recommend the school because of the teachers, however, the administration is terrible. The teachers have no support from the principal and they are constantly under scrutiny by the principal. The teacher turnover rate is outrageous. In two years 13 teachers have left the school. I do not see the principal at arrival and dismissal times, however, I do see the secretary who greets our children with warmth and a welcoming smile each and every morning. At dismissal, it is the secretary who wishes farewell to the children at the end of the day. There is an obvious problem that needs to be resolved with the administration and lack of communication by the administration. Imagine if your child has had more than 4 teachers in one year? How would you feel about that?
—Submitted by a parent

We recently relocated from another estate, for our surprice we found out the problem with Columbus Public School. Our son attended a public school for a few weeks, he will come crying every day from school and refussing to go back at the next day. Searching for a good solution, we find CornerStone Academy; our son had improved so much in his writing and reading, now we see a happy child coming for school every single day! We are so please with the school and the staff. We are very impress with their curriculum, it's amaze to see how those kids are getting the best education. We highly recomend the CornerStone Academy to any parent.
—Submitted by a parent

I think many of the teacher changes have been for the best. I'm glad that the principal has made these changes. My child is in one of these classes and is doing wonderful now that there is more structure in the classroom. I don't think that people take the time to actually think about how hard it really is to run a school. Not only is she running our current location but also overseeing the new building. Let's not forget she's only human! We're lucky that she is so willing to be outside everyday. At our last school we seen the principal at special events and that was pretty much it.
—Submitted by a parent

This is an amazing school! I was more than skeptical when deciding whether or not to send my child to Cornerstone. However, the reality has far exceeded all of my expectations. I am surprised to see the comment about the principal. I see her almost every day at arrival and dismissal talking with parents and students. My concern is the building. The construction is slow but it is almost finished. I encourage parents to check out Cornerstone as an option for their child.
—Submitted by a parent

This is by far one of the best schools in the Columbus area. My daughter is truly excited about learning and has grown more than I could have ever imagined! She is reading books that are written for children three grade levels higher than her with ease. The teaching staff is eager and caring. The administration empowers them to do their best. When the new school building is completed in early 2009, the school will offer the complete package that is so hard to find. For prospective parents, there is not a better choice for your child's education.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers and faculty are great!!! The fact that they have an after school program is terrific as well. Only complaint is the lack of an actual school building!!! Progress has started though!
—Submitted by a parent

Cornerstone acadmey is blessed with amazing teachers who truly care about each and every child. Teachers however get no support from administration and the amazing things your child is learning is all from the teachers. Teachers alone at Cornerstone make it great not administration.
—Submitted by a teacher

I agree whole heartidly that the administration are compasionate and approachable to both the student and their families. From being in the classroom as a parent I have witnessed a lack of support from administration and on occasion have overr heard teachers expressing frustrations. On more than one occassion I have also heard the administration gossiping about the staff. The teachers here are amazing and I can tell that each of them highly enjoy educating our children. Please do not imply that compassion and approachibility make a good administrator.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has been a true blessing to our family!! We have 3 children with different educational needs and all of their needs are being met. The teachers and staff genuinely care about the 'whole' child and are making a true difference not only in their education, but in their self-development. Cornerstone Academy is a wonderful opportunity for any child to receive a top, quality education in a public setting with standards that exceed state requirements.
—Submitted by a parent

I agree that the teachers are wonderful but I would also say the same about the Administration in the building. The school administrator and office staff are approachable and compassionate towards the students. Our family is pleased with the education that our son is receiving and also the communication that we have received from the school as a whole.
—Submitted by a parent

The education at Cornerstone far exceeds my families expectations. The teachers and administrators are approachable and really care about the education that each child receives. My child is blossoming at this school!. The administration and teaching staff address all kids and parents by name. The staff has created a sense of community which is very hard to find. I recommend this school to anyone that wants their child to excel.
—Submitted by a parent