Vanguard Preparatory School

This school is designed for special needs kids. My son has attended Vanguard for 6 years and will likely graduate from the school in a few years. Although I have experienced some challenges with getting a few teachers to step up their game, the teachers have been very helpful and have done a good job. The school is top notch in buidling social skills, but average in education. I have found that the high school teachers are the best of the bunch for the more severly delayed kids, more so than other grade levels. Overall, the school has been very beneficial for our needs. Our friends, family, and neighbors have all commented about the pos difference in our son. We have a friend who has a son with a similar condition but attends public school. There's a world of difference between our son and theirs. The Vanguard education definitely shows.
--Submitted by a parent

Both my son (Aspergers) and his best friend (Bipolar) started and met and Vanguard in the 3rd grade and left for public school in 10th grade, Vanguard is good for younger kids but the High School academics were poor. In particular the teachers were young and immature. Both guys are 24 now and still best friends, but neither are capable of independent living or having a job --not sure where the success stats came from--we were not asked? They were good at positive/unrealistic parental support but that left me devastated that my really bright son is sits at home a hermit because he lacks emotional and social skills that I thought Vanguard would help him with. Can't say they would have been better off elsewhere but there is no miracle to be had at Vanguard or anywhere else,
--Submitted by a parent

My step-daughter entered Vanguard mid-semester in the spring of her 7th grade year during a time of tremendous transition in her life. She was also struggling through the challenges of mild Dyslexia and ADHD and had not received the nurturing needed to combat the anxiety that stemmed from those conditions in her previous public school. The growth that she has experienced over the past year at Vanguard has been a transformational blessing! Her confidence and coping capabilities are awesome. Only because of Vaguard can we now begin to imagine college in her future. She may graduate from another school, but the only reason another school might be possible is because of the incredible environment the Vanguard founder and its teachers work so hard to create and maintain daily.
--Submitted by a parent

Great for younger children with learning disorders. But for any high school student w/o a learning disorder it's terrible. If you want a school that is some what academically focused , that will help your child get into a colleague look else where. I was once a student there and i have learning disorders, but i wanted to get into colleague. I realized it was near impossible while attending vanguard. Any ways i will give it two stars because it is ok for younger children, and those with sever learning disorders. BTW go to there official website its a laugh. How can you trust a school when its website is completely full of lies. The pictures on the website are of random kids who have never graced the halls of vanguard.
--Submitted by a student

My daughter entered Vanguard in 6th grade with a diagnosis of Bi-Polar disorder. After several years previously of going through ARD's and IEP's and a failure in the public school district to address her specific needs, it was a huge relief to find a school where the teachers and staff 'got it'! This is a school which builds self-esteem and confidence for the child and where social skills, personal hygience and behavior modification are just as important as academics. My wife and I believe that our child can always address academics later. Key to getting the child to the point where they can learn is to address social skills, behavior and even personal hygiene/habits. Vanguard provided a great environment for these things to occur.
--Submitted by a parent

A better choice for elementary age students who are 'learning different' as a result of Aspberger's, other learning disorders and mental illness such a bipolar. However, high school age students, esp. those w/o learning disorders are short-changed in the general level of teacher quality and curriculm goals particularly in the areas of math and science. A good place to get stabilized but for older students looking to mainstream into other schools or perhaps a small college with special programs, look elsewhere.
--Submitted by a former student