Alianza Academy

This school has been very good for our children. The Learning Coaches care about the children and it shows. Their standardized test scores are wonderful. The children get to learn at their own pace with the online learning. With their previous school, one child was not allowed to learn faster than the class (so he was bored), while the other was not getting the help he needed (so he was troubled). It was a no-win situation. As far as the turnover of principles at Alianza, the first one was pregnant and husband got a job that caused them to move, the second (if you want to call it that) was a fill-in, the third found his dream job elsewhere, and this last one has been fantastic. They do need to work on retaining their teachers (learning coaches) since the best keep on getting taken away. This last year the Parent Involvement with the school was very poor. The Family Circle (PTA type of thing) had very poor attendance even when it was well published. I think this is why the parents have a poor feeling about the school since they did not voice their opinion and concerns in the right direction.
—Submitted by a parent

The school is in dire need of counselors for the student body and they are not being provided. The teachers and director of the school really care about the students but their hands are tied and they are not receiving the support they need from Alianza's Executive Director. The Academic Dean is not in touch with the academic needs of the students. He mandates curiculm that is not working and won't make change the teachers need, The school has had major turnover in students this year. Think twiice before enrolling.
—Submitted by a parent

The initial vision of Alianza was great; small classes, quality teachers, pushing the kids to their highest level, and I couldn't put a negative factor on anything other than it was a brand new school trying to make a concrete foundation. However Alianza never completed the foundation, which is honestly the story of this school. They either tell the parents they are going to start something or they actually start a project i.e. P.E. and say that it costs to much money and the program is discontinued a lot of times without notifying the parents. Teacher turnover ratio is extremely high as well as the principle. The first year of Alianza's existence the school went through 3 principles. Which partially explains the non existent foundation. I would give communication at this school 1 star. Teachers communication is better than the principle's, cause they will actually email you or send a note home on some occasions. When you bring a problem about a teacher to the principle, he says that there is nothing that he can do, and I was also told that he is just a director. Most of the teachers at this school don't have teaching degrees, and referred to as coaches. I will not re-enroll!
—Submitted by a parent

There is a lot of teacher turnover from year to year. The better teachers don't tend to stay. There is a disconnect between what the school wants to be and the realitly of what it is. For the 4-8 grades the school has no liscenced teachers and it shows. Their learnring coaches are not trained teachers and do not "teach".
—Submitted by a parent

They pay their staff poorly. No paid time off. No health insurance during summer. They cannot recruit quality staff. Turnover is a way of life. Not good.

This school is the most disorganized school my 3 children have ever attended. Don't put your child in this school if they have an IEP. The staff turnover is unreal. Last year they had four principals. The special ed. department had four different teachers. Each one quitting in succession...There must be trouble from the top down or perhaps they don't pay the staff enough to continue. They didn't even hire a speeth pathologist or occupational therapist until more than half of the school year was done.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is great! My children are in a class size of approximately ten students, and they do the most interesting projects. The best part for me as a parent is electronic communication is frequent and I am able to see and do schoolwork with them and know exactly what to do next with them and how they did. My final thought is I have never had my children when sick in the middle of the day will start to feel better and ask to go to school until Alianza.
—Submitted by a parent