As a proud dad, I want to recognize Stanton College Preparatory here in Jacksonville, Florida. My…read moreson has talents and abilities that truly impress me -- ones I wish I had myself. But this isn't about me -- it's about him, and about the school. Stanton has been an incredible place for him. He loves the campus, the environment, and the opportunities it provides. If I could suggest one thing, it would be even better lunches -- he has a broad palate and would really appreciate it. At the end of the day, I'm simply grateful he's in a place that challenges him, supports him, and helps him grow

I'm proud to be part of the Blue Devil alumni. When I went to Stanton in 2009 - 2013, this school…read morewas ranked #1 best high school in the nation. Although it's well-known for its challenging academics and rigorous standards, it prepares the students very well for college and graduate schools. In fact, shortly after I graduated, Stanton was ranked #4 for the most challenging high school in the Southern US. The school offers honors, AP, and IB classes. Stanton offers various honor societies that support the students in every field, ranging from math society to English society to Spanish society to music society and so forth. Besides being academically gifted, Stanton also offers athletic programs to provide students with physical activity and morale. Some sports include cross country, wrestling, tennis, lacrosse, and so forth. The students that go to Stanton are very competitive. They usually perform higher than average. As a result, this school has far above test scores and results. Fun facts: there are more females than male students, the ratio of student to faculty is 19:1, and the school is very diverse. Overall, Stanton was a great experience for me. It really prepared me for college and beyond. Its excellent academics truly made my college years less stressful. I had a hate-love relationship with Stanton. There were times that I felt like I wanted to drop out of school. But there were times that I focused and dedicated myself to finishing the school. My foremost advice is if you can truly stay on task and do your work, then this school is right for you. Stanton is designed to challenge one's mind. It provides good teachers that help and encourage you through 4 years. The work is overwhelming, but anything is possible with hard work and dedication. Remember, hard work pays off. Start off with honors classes. If you excel in those classes, move to IB classes. AP classes are mandatory.

Sad to say, the school needs a serious upgrade. I do like the new Teacher, who is in charge of the…read moreIB Program has the school on the right track and he is a HUGE asset to the students in the IB program. He knows what he is doing and I have great respect for him. I went to school here many years ago, and I do not see too many upgrades or renovations. I think someone should think about that. I have only reviewed the part of Parker that I am familiar with.

My daughter went and graduate from here in 1994 and it was a pretty good and safe school then…read moreMy son went and graduated from here in 2009 and it was on the edge of becoming bad and unsafe then. I went by here today to get some info on the FSCJ continuing education classes that are offered here on different nights during the week, and was totally depressed to see how bad and unsafe the campus has become in the last few years. If I had another kid to send here I wouldn't I'd send him/her to a private school no matter what it cost.

The worst school for kids with special needs. The staff are not trained to work with kids with…read moreAutism. My child was abused by a staff member and DCF had to open a case to get them to address it. Please don't send your child here. You will regret it.

This school is PERFECT for my son! He's starting his 3rd year there & LOVES it! He's never liked…read moreschool before & even went to the best elementary school. The small class sizes, individual attention and no assigned homework has made a HUGE difference in our family life. On the rare occasion he doesn't finish his work at school because of a doctor/dentist appointment, he comes home & immediately completes his work. He NEVER cared about his schoolwork & homework was ALWAYS a struggle until he started at Center Academy at St. John's Bluff. I am so thankful to have options such as this school because some kids just don't do well at large public schools and need different accommodations that other schools can't offer. Plus we have NEVER had a bullying issue or anything even close to that. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Center Academy if your child has unique needs.

My perspective for this review is probably going to be different. I was a visiting guest…read moreartist/assistant for an all day ceramic workshop for the juniors and seniors taking ceramics. I arrived early with Professor Cottrell from FSCJ and brought in wheels and supplies for the day and then checked in at the office for our guest badges. I did complete the background check process for Duval County Schools ahead of my visit. Being a school focused on arts was just fun to take in- art everywhere. The school plays music in between classes- fun or quirky music. Outside of the ceramics class was an outdoor sculpture garden filled with student and guest artists work! Including works from my professor. I was impressed with how clean the studio was and also intrigued about curriculum. Most of the students had never thrown on the wheel- which made things interesting. Our actual project was a handbuilt pumpkin. We taught the students how to make pumpkins from slab roller, to texture/surface decorating, to building. And we saved plenty of time at the end of the day for cleanup- which I am pretty sure both teachers were stunned about! I have a habit of keeping a tight schedule when doing events like this. My professor recently discovered my hidden talent and that's how I was invited to Douglas Anderson. I hope to return again for future projects- the exchange of ideas amongst creatives is always inspiring to me.

I attended this school when I was much younger, so I cannot comment much on the current curriculum…read more All I know is that most people who attended school here wore DA goggles. Lol. Back when I went, the curriculum was similar to college in that you had a proposed major and all your teachers were actually artistically inclined in some way or another. (I remember my government teacher was a guitar player.) The arts span both visual and performing arts (2-d and 3-d visual artists, dancers, musicians, vocalists, actors, even theatre technical staff). When I attended, they did not have culinary arts or graphic arts (since the internet was still in its infancy.... wow does this review make me sound like a dinosaur? haha), but maybe it has changed now. Who knows? Anyway, I wish I had stayed for the entire 4 years of high school, but fear of becoming a starving artist and teasing from my bro drove me out of this school. The irony is I now work at the creative department in my company designing things... Lol. If you've got a budding artist or performer in your family, definitely consider this magnet school. You got to audition, and it's much easier to become a student if you're a freshman. So don't wait too long to try out!

A few are ok. Depends on where you live. Trust me, you'll know!…read more For the majority of the schools, don't. Just don't. The schools are so, so bad. Do yourself a favor and put your child/children in private school!

My daughter is in her third year of high school at Greenwood school in the Arlington area. This is…read morea school for special children who may learn differently and require closer, caring support. The classes are small. The curriculum is challenging. I'm very pleased with their new Principal. Their Music program is the best. It is a bit pricey... but worth it. Recommend!

After spending time in the public school system since Pre-K, along with a stint at a private school…read morewhich has since closed, my twin sons, now 22 years old, began attending Greenwood in the 6th grade. Both of my sons had completed an assessment for admission to Greenwood a couple of years prior, but did not meet the requirements at that time. I was disappointed, because I'd heard great things about Greenwood. Alas, Greenwood knew what they were doing. My boys just weren't ready yet. That's the kind of caring you will find at Greenwood! Any school could enroll students just to fill seats. But the head of school (Mrs Connell, now retired) at the time knew my sons would be in over their heads if they started Greenwood when we first applied. My mother was a teacher. So I've always been acutely aware of what teachers do and have nothing but respect for teachers! I certainly appreciate and wanted a good education for my sons, but trying to find and finance it as a single Mom was not easy. One day, though, the stars aligned, my boys were accepted at Greenwood, and with the help of the McKay Scholarship and financial aid through the generosity of others, my children were where they needed to be, to be their best. Of course, not every student will be a perfect fit at every school. But if your child has an IEP, has learning differences and could benefit from educators who understand that; as well as smaller class sizes - I urge you to check out Greenwood. I will forever be grateful to the faculty & staff at Greenwood... For treating my sons as individuals...for providing an optimum environment...for helping them grow in numerous aspects. I could go on! Greenwood is much more than just a private school. There is a difference at Greenwood. If you are searching for a positive change and a better situation for your child, please consider Greenwood.

This was a good place to watch soccer, but if you have small children with you, be forewarned you…read morecan hear everything the players say. We were there to watch a soccer game between Jacksonville University and Detroit and there was a lot of bad language on the field that I wasn't up to explaining to my kids. Overall, the concessions are inexpensive, they didn't give me a hard time about bringing a drink in, the game was free, and there were places to watch both standing along the field and in the stands. The campus is very pretty and it was great to expose my children to college sports without having to pay anything for sure. This is a nice option if you want to see how your children do watching college sporting events, and always nice to be able to cheer on a local Jacksonville team.

Jacksonville University may market itself like a prestigious private university with a $60,000+…read moreprice tag, but our family's experience was extremely disappointing -- especially for student athletes. My daughter attended JU, ran track and field on scholarship, and recently graduated with her master's degree. While we're proud of her for persevering, the way she and other athletes were treated throughout her time there was unacceptable. Injuries were consistently downplayed, and there was pressure to continue training and competing despite ongoing issues. My daughter is not someone who quits, so she pushed through, and in our opinion it only made things worse physically. Student athlete health and long-term well-being should come before performance. There also seemed to be a clear priority system within athletics where bigger sports received better treatment while track and field and cross-country were often overlooked. Trainers appeared far more focused on higher-profile sports, while runners frequently felt neglected or brushed aside. The school would push athletes to participate in fundraising programs with promises of team gear if certain donation goals were met. My daughter met the required goals, only to later be told there was not enough gear available anyway. Situations like that were incredibly frustrating and felt dishonest to the athletes putting in the effort. The dorm conditions were also terrible at times, including mold concerns that did not seem to be handled with the urgency they deserved. Campus maintenance overall felt lacking. Her vehicle was repeatedly damaged in parking areas with no accountability, and landscaping crews constantly blew dirt and debris all over students' cars. The dining hall food was another major disappointment. We heard repeated complaints about food quality and cleanliness, including bugs and hair found in meals. That is completely unacceptable for a university charging premium tuition prices. Thankfully, my daughter graduated and moved on, but if I were paying full tuition for this school, I would be furious. Families considering Jacksonville University -- especially athletes -- should strongly research all other options before committing.