Carden Memorial School

My husband and I could not have been more disappointed in this school and Mrs. Brown, the school director, this year. We have been supportive parents for two generations and loved how Mr. Taylor and Mrs. Horne were helping the school stay current while maintaining the values of Mr. Jeff's. when Mr. Taylor left, we were saddened that his genuine and gracious style, which were the heart of the school would be gone as he motivated and inspired children and adults. However, our one hope was that he had selected Mrs. Lynda Horne, to take over and we felt that she could build upon what Mr. Taylor and the Jeff's had established. Sadly, Mrs. Brown has not given the capable leaders she has working for her a chance and certainly Mr. Taylor must be saddened that his right hand person, Mrs. Horne, is no longer allowed to lead. The school has gone back 20 years and given that the enrollment is down substantially in one year, may go back another 20 years next year to the point where there were only a handful of students and the school serves to educate the Jefff's grandchildren. The only hope is to bring back Mr. Taylor, let Mrs. Horne lead, or better yet sale the school.
—Submitted by a parent

Carden is a fabulous school. I attended Carden growing up and I loved going to school each day. The teachers care about the students and want them to succeed. I can remember every teacher I had and how much they cared about me, my character, and my success not only academically but also emotionally . The classroom atmosphere at Carden is quiet and students are respectful of their teachers and classmates. After graduating from Carden, I went to a public high school and found the honor and A.P. classes to be easy as I had been well prepared and taught at Carden. I was also disappointed to find how many students in the public high school I attended cheated or wanted an easy A without doing any work. I was taught at Carden integrity, and how to learn and to study and not just to memorize facts. How to apply learning to life. I love how students at Carden say after a lesson, "Thank you for the lesson (teacher's name)." I carried gratitude for the lessons I was taught on with me into High School, College, and even now for enrichment classes I take. Carden prepared me so well that I had scholarships for both my undergraduate and Masters degrees.

We were so excited to send our son to this school, but we ultimately ended up very disappointed. I don't know about the older kids, but I felt they expected way too much from the pre-kindergartners. My son ended up in trouble all the time because he was disruptive and played too rough at recess because there was very little playtime in the classroom. He was expected to sit very still and work on worksheet after worksheet. I believe my son became very bored and had way too much pent up energy. In the spring we were told our son would not be welcome back into their kindergarten program. I have a real problem with a school that would give up so easily on a 4 year old! On the plus side, we really liked the small number of students, the way they teach manners and politeness, and the french classes were fun too. All in all, there have been some major administrative changes, and I do not believe they have been for the better.
—Submitted by a parent

I will start off that I know that this school is not perfect, and that recently there have been quite a few changes going on recently in the school, but this is an amazing school. I am a graduate from Carden, and my family has been heavily involved with it through out the years. When I got to public schools I felt fully prepared, and I excelled in High School, and now in my University studies as well. I will say that who I am today, was the result of how much effort the teachers put in to help and motivate me in all that I did. I cannot compare it to other private schools, but compared to my experience in public school, Carden was the best thing for me hands down. You learn morals and ethics, and the staff strives to help your child succeed, they did with me, and I was not an easy kid to put up with at times. In Public school, I had very few teachers who seemed to really care, and of those only a few who made a significant impact, yet at Carden, Just about everyone of my teachers made an enormous impact on me, and I can remember every teacher I had there from 1st grade to 8th grade, and what they did for me. I will highly recommend this school

If your child is brown or has any spirit, do not send them to this school. They will squash their spirit or if not, they will try. My daughter was put into an almost 3 hour time out when they were trying to make a point. She is out of there now and in counseling.
—Submitted by a parent

We have had our children at Carden for 4 years now. We will be switching next year to our local public school. I h liked many things about Carden, mostly the atmosphere of respect and the morals and values taught to the children. We have had some wonderful teachers, whom I feel truly love the children they teach. Some of the negatives of Carden have already been mentioned in other posts. Complete lack of parental involvement and communication between parent/ teachers. Many of the teachers do not have the appropriate education. I am disappointed with the academics, wondering if my kids will be up to spped next year at public school. The teachers are not allowed to question the current methods or Mr.& Mrs. Jeffs ancient rules and procedures. They do not seem too concerned to be losing 2 students as I have yet to have anyone ask me why we are leaving, or what they could do to keep us there. Maybe there are enough students in waiting that they don't need to keep the current families happy.
—Submitted by a parent

My children absolutely love Carden. It has somewhat been a good match. I agree with one of the following post. THIS IS A MORMAN SCHOOL! When my kids were in lower grades the influence was not as obvious. As they are now older and strong and knowledgable in their Historical Christian values, they know the teachings are with a Morman influence. As long as your kids are spiritually nurtured at home they should be able to keep it separate. Academically the students seem behind because the order of teaching is different than public school. If they attend until 8th grade they will be on target. Most of the teachers DO NOT HAVE A TEACHER EDUCATION DEGREE! We unfortunately will not be returning because of the above.
—Submitted by a parent

Three things to know going in: 1) This is a Mormon parochial school veiled as a "non-denominational Christian" school. We were told upon touring that religious education would be broadly Christian. However, after attending many "devotionals" it became obvious that it was overtly LDS. My daughter even came home telling me that "we pray wrong". 2) There is a lot of focus on values, and a lot less on academics. My daughter was at the top of her class, bored. Every time we talked to them about options for challenging her, their only suggestion was to either promote her (she was 2nd-youngest in her class), or just ask her to be still while she was bored. 3) Parental involvement is NOT allowed. Parents are never even allowed to observe in the classroom. Every educator to whom I've mentioned this has told me this should be a red flag for a school that doesn't understand the partnership between home and school. We have since moved our daughter to a different parochial school where she is thriving, both spiritually and academically. Regarding Carden, I would have to say, don't waste your money unless what you're looking for is a Mormon private school where academics are mediocre.
—Submitted by a parent

I was a student at Carden Memorial School,and and I think it is an excellent school. The teachers are great,the kids are friendly,and it teaches you a bunch. And I always miss playing chicken run during P.E.

I am a recent graduate of Carden Memorial School. I attended that school for five years, and I received a top quality learning experience. The environment was delightful.

I am a graduate of Carden Memorial School, and I thought it was a wonderful alternative to any public school out there. The values are extraordinary, and the academics successfully prepared me for high school. I felt safe and comfortable in the halls and was glad some of my younger siblings were able to attend the school as well. I wish this school was the standard for all other schools around the nation.

I am a graduate from Carden. I have attended since Junior Kindergarten and absolutely love it. I appreciate it much more now that i have been in public school. The teachers are excellent and command respect, unlike most public school teachers I had who show up in jeans and a T-shirt. Some reviews say it is an "easy A" curriculum, but that is because the teachers encourage the students to do their best and help them reach their full potential. If a student is not getting a satisfactory grade, it is most likely because they are unmotivated. Unlike public school, teachers don't sit and watch the money roll in, whether they are teaching or not, they care about each individual student. Carden has a fantastic math program, and college-level English/Grammar. Carden is not perfect, but give me one that is. There may be some changes with the new headmistress and the falling economy, but i highly recommend this school to anyone who wants their child to have a superior education and a depth of character. I have grown so close to my former classmates. We still do things together. Carden is firmly founded in honesty and discipline. It was a wonderful experience for me and made me who I am.

If you want tradition, integrity and decency, rigorous academics and a happy childhood for your children in a loving, orderly environment, you will find Carden Memorial to be a jewel. Carden educates the whole child. Kids know what is expected of them. My oldest graduated from Carden and spent his first year in High School at West High in the IB program, which by any estimate is a tough school. At West he was a straight A student, did well in athletics, debate, and socially. He feels he was extremely well prepared with a Carden education. He has noticed how the other students in High School seem to have missed learning about important parts of American History, or have an extremely liberal world view with very little understanding of conservative ideas. My children were happy EVERY DAY, came home from school and were motivated enough to do their homework by themselves, and worked hard to please their excellent teachers. I only wish I had the opportunity to attend a school like this as a child. Do yourself a favor, go to the Friday morning assembly and see for yourself. The musical training is excellent. Carden is an environment where kids feel free to try new things.
—Submitted by a parent

I sent all my children to this school. At first I worried about whether or not I could afford it, and my wife talked me into it. Now, I wonder how I could not have afforded it. The results speak for themselves. My children are courteous, well educated, decent people. The administration and teachers were extremely helpful in working with us to keep all our children in school and getting the best possible education kids can get in this area. I highly recommend this school to conservative families that want their kids to do well in life, and above all, to learn good study habits and have a happy childhood. I saved money with the durable, comfortable uniforms that the kids loved to wear, too. No distracting clothing or extreme styles at the school, so kids can focus better on academics. I am grateful to Carden and the fine people that run the school.
—Submitted by a parent

I attended elementary and junior high at Carden and loved my classes and teachers. After graduating, I was well prepared for the honors and A.P. classes I took in high school. Some of my favoite childhood memories come from play practice, devotionals, and the eigth grade Washington D.C. trip.

I am a former teacher for Carden Memorial School. Carden is a very unique and lovely school. The children are obedient and respectful. The school teaches patriotic and Christian values. Students are always given the benefit of the doubt. It troubles me, albeit, that academically they are struggling. Parents that left Carden have reported to me that their children were significantly behind upon reentering the public school system. This is something that can be corrected if the current administration adopts a solid curriculum and educational plan instead of letting the teachers and staff "wing it" as they have done for the past several years. "A great school has excellent teachers, strong leadership and a challenging academic program. " I would like to add integrity and honesty to this list. Carden is grounded upon great principles but until the administration demonstrates integrity and honesty addresses these issues it will never reach it's full potential..
—Submitted by a teacher

My children attended Carden Memorial and had a wonderful experience. We have loved Carden for many years. It is with sadness that I have discovered that things are changing rapidly. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffs, the founders, are aging, 90 and 85 years of age and the upcoming leadership of the school is so preoccupied with the bottom line that they have lost vision and integrity of what the school could be. The curriculum has strayed far from the intent of the Carden Foundation. The new teachers are given very little to no training or support and are left to manage and create a majority of their own curriculum without either guidelines or bench marks. The test scores have fallen in the past few years as the grades have been inflated. If you want your child to have a guaranteed "A", this is the school for you. If you don't get the grade you want the assistant principal will gladly change it for you. A friend of mine currently teaches there and reports that the teachers are fearful of losing their jobs, grossly underpaid (about 30% less that public school teachers), and pushed around by bossy, rich parents. This once great school is not longer one that I would recommend.
—Submitted by a parent

Mae Carden's philosophies and teaching methods are put into practice so beautifully by the school founders, Mr. and Mrs. Jeffs, and the teachers they have trained over the years. And I cannot speak highly enough of the current headmaster, Mr. Taylor. He has great judgement in the management of the school, and consistently shows both students and parents how much he cares about them personally. Carden provides academically challenging classes, while giving each child the individual attention and help that they need. Over the last several years, we've had children in almost every grade at Carden (Jr. Kindergarten through 8th grade), and have been pleased with every teacher, every year, as well as the curriculum in place at the school.
—Submitted by a parent

My sons attended Carden and I constantly get compliments about how polite and well-mannered they are. They entered high school well prepared to take advanced classes, and they graduated with honors. The staff shows great interest in each child and allows individualized learning.
—Submitted by a parent

Absolutely love this school. I feel that Mr. Jeffs has had a wonderful impact on my children's lives. I highly recommend this school.