This school is ranked #1 in the state for testing right now!…read more After moving to Mesa and looking at the public school reviews, I was bound and determined to find a better school for my kids to attend, even if it meant I had to drive! Luckily, I found East Valley Academy not too far from my new home. That was four years ago and I have to say that I couldn't imagine my kids attending another school. This school offers what we all want for our children that public schools don't offer. It's small, yes, and that is a huge bonus. Kid to teacher ratio is outstanding! The two classes for all grades is another advantage over other schools. These kids learn together and help each other! They also devote more time to learning the basics. They do plays and take field trips often and they have holiday parties that you can even bake for! My son was reading after only two months in kindergarten and now is reading at a 6th grade level in 3rd grade. My daughter ranked top 3% in the nation for her math skills on the state test in 3rd grade and she just recently tested into Algebra 1 for 7th grade that she will obtain high school credit for! If you are looking for a great education that does not teach the Common Core, then look no further! Check out their stats and I'll see you there next year!

I can't say enough good things about East Valley Academy. I'll start with a little background…read moreinformation to show the difference in quality. My daughter went to K and 1st grade at a public school in the Paradise Valley school district. We had problem after problem, such as bullying, and her 1st grade teacher lying to me and brushing off inconsistencies I noticed in my daughter's learning. She got A's, but I could tell she wasn't really learning much. My daughter is very smart but defiant. I was spending an extraordinary amount of time supplementing her education. I talked to other parents who had to do the same but seemed resigned to their fate. She didn't have a love of learning. However, during her last two years with East Valley Academy (EVA) everything has turned around. She learned more in the first two months than she did in the previous two years at her public school. EVA focuses on phonics based reading and Saxon math, not Common Core. They took her down to the building blocks of phonics she'd never learned and built her reading up from there. She went from a Kindergarten reading level to a 3rd grade reading level in her first year there (2nd grade). Her math became much more proficient as well, and she was doing well in every subject. Ms. Stoeppelmann also identified her ADD before I could. Both teachers were very responsive and thorough when giving feedback about her attention span, moods, organization, etc., while trying to find the right medication. This showed me how well they know each of their students. Most importantly for me, though, is that she now has a love of learning. I truly can't see her having this level of success at any other school. She has even scored high on more difficult tests than most high school students take. EVA has even positively affected our home life. I've always been an involved parent, but am no longer spending hours after school patching all the holes in learning that her last school was leaving, which led to many disagreements and friction between my daughter and myself. This school is small. Very small. Don't let that deter you. It operates similarly to a little red schoolhouse. It's not fancy, but the size allows for individual attention for each student in a way that the teachers can really get to know their learning styles and be able to work with them. Ms. Stoeppelmann and Mr. Ryan are excellent teachers, with years of experience, who have such finesse with conveying the information that the kids thoroughly learn it. That is crucial to me. The perks of this school are many. There is a sense of community among parents and kids, which also eliminates bullying. If something does arise it's easily resolved with the parents and teachers. This sense of community also opens the door for celebration of the different cultures of the students. The lunch break is longer so the kids have some real free time to recharge and focus better while in class. EVA also takes many field trips as well with plenty of parent chaperones. This school isn't the easy way out. My daughter works hard to get her good grades, and I've worked with her and the school to keep her success going. But for every bit of effort I put in, the teachers put in at least twice as much. Unlike the public school the dialogue between families and teachers is open. To me these are what make the difference between every other school and this one. EVA is there solely to teach kids and help them reach their potential. They care about these kids.

4 of my 5 kids go to Self Development Academy (1 is currently in Preschool and 3 in higher grade…read morelevels). We've had positive experiences since our kids started here in the 2's and 3's on the preschool side. My 6 other nieces and nephews also attend this school and we've all had a great experience with SDP and SDA. This school has high rankings in academics but also has a wonderful team who all have your children's best interest at heart. Dr. Majeed, Miss Vernetta, all the teachers Miss Mickey, Miss Amber, Miss Haschke, Miss Oliver, Miss Jenn C., even all the front desk staff (Lonnie, Deena, Brittni), and especially the principal Jenn Salvatori have all been wonderful and helpful with our kids! There was recently an issue with another child was being very rude/disrespectful a couple of times and I reported it right away since my child was upset and crying. I'm happy to report that the resolution was swift. I was also kept updated about how it was being addressed both with the students and internally among their staff/teachers. SDA stresses the importance of the 4 R's Respect, Responsibility, Readiness, and Resiliency as well as academics with opportunities to advance. SDA was also very accommodating when we had to go to online school during COVID and truly care about your child's well being. My kids feel safe here, trust their teachers and administration, and have honestly thrived at this school since being here. I feel blessed to have this school so close to home and to trust my kids with a school that provides such solid support.

I have chosen to not post a review about SDA to stay positive and let that horrible time in my…read morefamily's life go, but seeing this article in our local paper is too much. This school is focused so solely on high achievement that they will do everything possible to push out children who do not perform. My daughter went here with minimal issue, other than adjusting to the old school dictation-style teaching and an isolated situation where a stessed teacher used questionable methods to discipline the entire class for being disruptive. My son has ADHD and was put into detentions and in-school suspension over the allowable number of times per year by state law while he was in grades K-4. He was excluded from activities and field trips, put last in his kindergarten graduation despite it being alphabetical (his name should've been read 3rd - he was th only child not listed in order) and I was constantly told how I should consider medication (again - at 5 years old). They were oblivious to handling a 504 plan. My son was so deflated by his first 5 years of school that he dreaded every day. I have spoken with numerous parents who went through similar situations at this school. The goal is obviously to overwhelm the student and their parents into removal so they don't have to deal with the situation. My son is thriving now in the great public schools in NE Mesa, but still looks back on his time at SDA with trauma. On the positive side, telling his painful experience at SDA did help with legislation to prevent schools from issuing unnecessary suspension to elementary age children. This school may be wonderful for some children, but they do not "give unconditional love" for children with ADHD. If your child is trying to find their way through this complicated journey, this is NOT the school for you.

We have 2 boys currently in Entz Elementary and we love it here! It's been rated as "A" by Arizona…read moreas well. By boys made amazing progress here. A precious review said it's set up as a prison but I don't find that to be true at all. It's built with multiple building and fencing around the perimeter to keep the kids safe...and this day in age that's a big plus!! Dr Reid is the school principal and my boys love him. He takes the drop off and pick up zone pretty serious- so follow the rules and directions for that area or you'll find him tapping your window glass ha ha! Mr. Trout and Mr. Todd are awesome and my kids really look forward to fist bumping or high "fiveing" them every chance they get. We had a great experience with Mrs Woods, Mrs McDonald and Mrs Cirqua. Mrs Greer is new so I think I would cut her some slack but I feel like she shouldn't be teaching kindergarten-she doesn't have the patience or endurance for that age and needs an older classroom level. We're looking forward to many more years at Entz!

This school enables bully's, I've had my children in this school from kindergarten to 6th grade…read more Only teacher I have loved is Mrs. Coble in 1st grade (you can see through her teaching and her actions that she loves her job and takes pride in it). Other wise, the teachers don't support your children in there specific needs, they definitely play favorites in treating some children better than others. My 4th grader (female) was threatened with sexu@l @ssault by another 4th grade (male) and he was with-held some recess but never switched out of my child's class or held accountable otherwise!.. My neighbor that just moved in had her daughter in the school for 3 days and from the 1st day there was a group of girls bullying her, nothing was done. So she switched her back to her prior school! Keep your children out if this school.

This school is horrible the teachers are really bad they don't have a good education system and I…read morefeel like I went back in education as well

My son has been at Cambridge since KG and is about to enter 6th grade as a confident, happy, eager…read moreto learn student.

This school seems like a great option at first they seem welcoming and friendly but ultimately if…read moreyou raise any concern they will say one thing to your face but completely do nothing and cover their tracks. Their kindergarten teachers were allowing students to give the teachers shoulder massages which is not an acceptable or an appropriate practice. The principal will quickly throw her staff "under the bus" but then will immediately back-pedal and cover for them almost immediately after. The term "lazy" was used to describe our child's teacher. After these concerns our child's teacher didn't have the professionalism or accountability to talk to us either in any way to ease our concerns because there is no genuine concern. We moved on from this school and it's the best decision we've made being that our daughter had to catch up on a few things at her new school which is something we worried about due to the lack of structure at Cambridge and their "You Tube video" curriculum. Our child has grown exponentially in just a few weeks at her new school. The negative reviews are spot on at Cambridge, if you can find them. There has been reviews stating that they get removed to keep up their "good image." Warning to parents ‐ they will manipulate and there is no genuine concern for your child at Cambridge. Stay away from this school!

Pros: Excellent teachers who truly care about each student. Particularly, Mr. Padilla (he's…read moreincredible!), Mrs. Kotkin and Mr. Rohner. Jennifer, in the front office, is great as well. Cons: Principal Jayne Bostow allows sexual assault/harrassment, bullying and retaliation of the assailant to go unpunished and doesn't seem to care about or feel the need to trouble herself with the effects it has on her students, particularly female students in the upper grades. Mrs. Bostow blatantly ignored the schools own rules and regulations in their handbook from the very start of when the first complaint was verbally filed. When we were finally given a form to file a complaint, the issue still wasn't dealt with in a timely or concise manner. For this reason, I had to pull all four of my children out. Thankfully, therapy is helping with my child who suffered from relentless abuse from her aggressor at this small Charter. From our perspective through this horrendous experience, Title IV is basically non-existent at this school. Mr. Dennis O'Reilly, Head of Schools, was made aware of the situation and also did nothing but send out an email reply that didn't really bring much comfort or offer any real solutions. It's a shame, because the teachers at this school are the best we've ever had and it was really difficult to come to the decision to leave. But, I will not allow any of my children to be treated so indignantly by the person who should have their best interests at heart.

When we were looking for a school for our son to attend Kindergarten, we were overwhelmed. There…read moreare so many options, whether public or charter, and being new to the Gilbert area, we didn't know which way to go. When I found Leman Academy Mesa, it was entirely by chance as I drove by it one day. I thought to myself, what a cute school, and it was literally down the street from our house, so I booked a tour. Mind you; this was before the pandemic. When we attended the tour, we were greeted by the sweetest administration staff and even the Principal! Mrs. Bostow is hands down the best Principal ever. The fact that she was not only in attendance for our tour but also presented info on herself, her background, and the school's mission says a lot about the values they encompass and the family/community feel they want their scholars' families to experience. We did not experience anything like this at the other schools we toured. Some of those folks couldn't even correctly introduce themselves! Now fast forward to 2020 and the pandemic. Mrs. Bostow and the entire administration staff at Leman have gone above and beyond to keep all families informed and up to date on the new procedures, policies, and progress as we deal with this global situation. They've surpassed any expectations my husband and I could have had for such a situation. We have officially started Kindergarten this week, and on the first day, my son came home with new friends and the happiest disposition. He loves his teachers so much and can't wait to learn! He said Mrs. Robins is funny and friendly, and Mr. Opazo was silly and fun. We are very blessed to have found such an amazing school with core values, a classical model for learning, family and community support, stellar staff, and top-notch security. We couldn't imagine being anywhere else and are so happy our sons will be apart of the Leman family for years to come. Here's hoping they decide to open a High School by the time our sons reach that age. :)

I would not recommend the school. I had a teacher who wrote a false character of defamation letter…read moreabout myself when I was going through child custody battle . Never met the teacher , school district did nothing about it.

Great school and staff!! Highly recommended. My daughter…read morewent to the school from kindergarten to 6th grade. She had an amazing experience and had wonderful teachers.

This is great school except they need to give kids more time for lunch the eat way to fast and such…read morea short amount of time. They don't even finish their lunch not very good for them

I went here. I got bullied for my gender, my style and clothing. My looks my eyes my body I got…read morekicked in the back and then the principal didn't even do anything about it. All Mr. Leeper did was send me back to my class and say nothing happened this was one of the worst schools ever. Miss Taylor also was like really rude. The only good teacher there that I liked was Miss Wade.