| Date | Who | Comments |
| 10/22/2012 | other | I have been volunteering at Paragon Science Academy for five years. All the teachers are excellent and I would highly recommend the school to anyone that wants a good education for their children. There are a few parents that really push their children and they tend to be unhappy with any situation where the principal doesn't just do everything they demand. |
| 10/13/2012 | parent | Could not agree more with the last post. Such a poorly run place. Stay far away. |
| 7/8/2012 | other | This school has the highest test scores and has a way better rating then my current school "Cheatham" it has a lot of bullying and I hope this school is going to be a bully free school.I a major nerd and in my other school people bully me because I am a good two shoes and gifted. |
| 2/15/2012 | parent | Paragon Science Academy is just a name. The academics are poor, and teachers are not qualified and have no experience for teaching. Also, becuase the high population, the teachers work with only advanced students. The behavior in the school envirment is a big issue to discuss,bullying, inapropriot language, inapropriate actions, and ruffhousing in the upper grades (3rd, 4th) grade. Also, teachers and the two principals ignoring parent's concerns but not all of parents this is abig ? ???? In addition, the school is missing a huge amount of basics, such as a proffessional nurse, proffessional music teacher , cafateria, safe playground, and proffesional P.E teacher!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| 10/17/2011 | parent | My son is happy and excited about school.He is a 1st grader and doing very well in class.Great school!! |
| 10/10/2011 | parent | As a parent, the previous post offends me. The information is inaccurate and abusive toward the teachers who work so hard for our kids. Yes, we have had 3 principals in as many years, this has little to do with the gifted program which has developed under the supportive guidance of our current Gifted Program Coordinator. She has always had her door open to address any questions or concerns I have. The program is different from last year, but there were problems with students missing academic content with that model. Now, she is in the classroom to work with the GATE students, as well as the other students in the advanced classes regularly. She also started after school programs so that our children could participate in the Odyssey of the Mind. Plus she is fundraising in order to send students to a GATE camp experience. The students love her and her credentials make her far more than adequately suited for the position. I wonder if the previous parent realizes that she soon with have her doctorate degree and how much time she puts into planning for her students. Any school has its shortcomings, but at Paragon I feel my gifted child has exceptional educational opportunities |
| 9/21/2011 | parent | The school made big promises for gifted students and has failed miserably to live upto them. The GATE program is a huge failure. There is so much confusion regarding what the Gifted Prog is trying to accomplish and who the gifted kids are that the children benefit nothing from the program. The class sizes are too big. Despite a placement test, it seems that advanced and non-advanced and gifted children are all placed in the same class. Cutting costs at any rate is the new moto of the school. The teachers are lacking adeqaute qualifications to provide the quality of education promised. They had three Principals in three years!! No continuity in administartion policies. Unless they get their act together, I would not recommend this school to a parent of an advanced or gifted kid. |
| 8/25/2011 | parent | It is a shame because this school started out really strong. They had a clearly defined, advanced curriculum and a good method of teaching kids by abilities instead of by age. Unfortunately the lack of consistent direction from the administrative staff lead to issues between teachers and parents, teachers and teachers, teachers and admins and it really affected the ability of the kids to learn. The loss of the Gifted Coordinator was the first major blow and then the loss of the first and second principals really caused more confusion. By the end of the third year over half the teachers were gone, the administration was completely new and most of the curriculum was lost or not arrived. I think this school has the vision to be strong but without consistent and trained staff on the curriculum no one understands the policies especially the students. We had teachers who gave hours of homework, others who gave none, some teachers allowed water and break time, others did not. This is not even getting into the religious time in some of the rooms. Really sad potential is there. Maybe in a few years when they can get back trained staff. |
| 8/25/2011 | parent | This school is not fit for your child if your child has special needs. I have tried to address special needs of my child with teacher and school administration. They were never supportive. I have moved my child to a public school. They are very supportive. My child was enrolled in this school from the beginning when they started. They are more and more disorganized as the years ago. in the last 4 years, they are 4 different principals. So there is no continuity. Also there is constant turn over of teachers every years. I have seen all good teachers leave. |
| 5/11/2011 | parent | I am a parent of a 5th grader. We have been so happy with the school this year that my child will definitely move to Middle school campus on Chandler blvd. My child is taking Algebra 1 in 5th grade with only 9 other students in the class. This is way advanced compared to other schools and the class size is unbelievably low!!! I don't want my child to go to another school and repeat the same courses! |
| 1/14/2011 | other | I'm a student at PSA and in middle school. This is my 3rd year at Paragon, and I would say they have a good curriculum except for science. Yes, I admit that they are disorganized, but trust me- they are INCREDIBLY busy. They try very hard for the school to have great students, and they are so proud with many of the middle school students. All of the teachers LOVE to teach, and thats all they can think about. Please do not blame the admin. for brushing off problems as they have many goals for the kids at the school to excel and cannot solve every issue. |
| 10/17/2010 | parent | This school has many many issues. They are full of empty and broken promises. Teachers are quitting mid year, as a parent it makes me wonder and question the things going on at this school! This school is good for parents who can put up with the disorganization, and chaos. |
| 10/9/2010 | parent | Paragon Science Academy has everything we need for my children who are attending 1st, 5th and 9th grade. The school administration is very accessible and the staff is very dedicated. Clubs are enriched this year and there is a good quality. Each student is considered for his/her Math level and given the chance to have the challenge. The amount of homework is reasonable. |
| 10/7/2010 | parent | Well they have a Spanish teacher now and are interviewing librarians. The school does have issues but it can't be compared to 20 year old public schools in the area. My son is in 4th grade and doing 5th grade math and my daughter is in 2nd and excelling! There aren't schools that give as high a level of education as this one, it's 10 out of 10 for a reason. I plan to keep my kids at this school and the high school for the education. I don't care if the administration is Turkish or if they want to teach is. We, as Americans, are too narrow minded to realize that learning another language is important regardless of what language it might be. The teachers are great and caring.The kids are exposed to so many cultures, it's just worth it. |
| 8/20/2010 | parent | As other parents, where do I begin? I really thought that after 3 years of growth that the bugs would have been worked out but it seems to have only gotten worse... much worse. There is something to say when a school is three years old and on it's 3rd principal! What is the reason for our children to learn Turkish! The muslim culture is favored in the parents and in the treatment of their staff. The rudeness of the administration has continued to grow greater each year. Some of the teachers are great this year and really have a passion for the children, but no all. My recommendation? Find a different school for your child - that is what I am in the process doing. Good Luck |
| 8/17/2010 | parent | This school is a JOKE. They are more Intrested in earning awards than really concentrating on the kids. This school is so dis-organized in all areas except giving homework to the kids. The administration is so out of touch that most of them do not even know some answers to your common questions about the school. This is our first year in the school (kindergarten), but I will be pulling out my child by the end of this week. I've also come to understand that the teachers are there to sign in & out, then pass over thier work to the kids as homework for the parents to help them out. More stress to the parents and I'm so disappointed. |
| 8/13/2010 | parent | Great school. They are in a buldiNg that used to house Univ of Phx - so the building is in great shape and quite new. We found the principal and senior staff to be friendly , accessible and very open minded. We don't live very close to the school any more so had to move our son to a different school, but we liked it a lot. |
| 7/1/2010 | parent | xceptional school, its curriculum is advanced by 1 year.Since learning is accelerated it is highly dependent on repetition and parent involvement at home. This will result in alot of homework, but this can be very rewarding in that you will be surprised and proud of what your child can learn. The Parent Advisory Council is very involved and coordinates a variety of creative and fun events within the year. Feild trips are 2x's per year and are academically focused. The school hosts children from many multicultural backgrounds and in effect they develop a healthy respect for diversity.Great social and acedemic bonuses are the free after school clubs,up to 3. The principal quarterly invites parents to schedule meetings with him which is a chance to communicate any questions or concerns. This school only after 2 years already boasts regional and state placements/awards in various academic competitions and were ranked a Top School for AZ in the 2009 Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth Talent Search. In summary this school is only getting better each year and you will soon be seeing an extended waiting list. |
| 5/2/2010 | parent | This is the school we have been hoping for! Finally, a school that offers advanced instruction in math and language arts tailored to the level my child is at! If a child is 1,2,3,or 4 grade levels above the current grade curriculum-they can accomodate this! Excellent academics(they also offer gifted education), after school clubs, and an administration that really listens to parents and cares about students. |
| 2/1/2010 | parent | Paragon Science Academy has been a blessing for my kids, my kids came from a highly academic private school, and it was hard to find a school to accommodate their needs both academically and socially. The environment inside the school is very safe and the teachers are exceptional, especially my son s second grade teacher, she is such a blessing. Overall the curriculum is challenging and there is no time for students left to feel board. I have to disagree with anyone who criticize the administration, as a new school, everyday is an improvement experience for the school, but the most important thing (as my personal experience), the principal s office is always open for any complains as well as compliments, he is such a great guy, who really listen very good and accommodate every student s needs. You can really feel the passion inside him towards getting this school to the best place he can take it, and I really like that his first priority is the student, not the teachers or the parents. It is definitely the best choice you will make for your child s future. |
| 1/25/2010 | parent | Mixed feelings. Our child would've wasted time at any other public school. Paragon's curriculum for the accl courses is one grade up for math & LA (use 1st grade Saxon Math, Spelling & grammar) - LA is mostly taught @ home & no reading in the classrms . Too much time spent doing worksts in and out of class w/ no multisensory and little creativity. Work seems meaningless and does not build appropriately. No discipline or character edu. No fieldtrips but disney movies on some fri ... 2 much HW, even in K, making it hard for other activities. dissappointed w/ the math curr. Had a bad experience w/ our teacher this year, stressed out and overworked it seems. Thinking about a school w/a more well-rounded edu and seasoned teachers. |
| 1/22/2010 | parent | I feel that my childern have a better opportunity to learn in this school . I have 2childern attending Paragoan Academy this year. I have been involved with two other charter schools and I must say, this one is the best. Paragoan Academy makes you feel welcome and they care about your child being successful . I have enjoyed being involved with Paragoan Academy. |
| 1/22/2010 | parent | From my experience with more than one kid attending this school in the past, I found out that the kids' learning depends on the teachers who teach the class. While quite a few teachers are wonderful, others are so uptight about their own ideas and what they think is right schooling. Unfortunately, in general, the teachers (encouraged by the administration and many parents at the school) assign too much HW to kids, often, this homework is meaningless and only serves to appease the parents and give the teachers contentment that they are teaching. Their main focus is on math. while I agree that math is important, a focus on humanities is important too. I liked that most kids were well behaved and that most teachers cared. Teachers that I have had experience with and that were wonderful include Ms Harper, Ms Clapham, Ms O'brien, Mr. Johnson, and Ms Rowley. |
| 1/21/2010 | parent | While I do agree with the previous parent that the administration could see some improvement. I have two children attending Paragon and all of their teachers update their websites daily and communication is excellent. One of my children has been on two field trips this year and there are two more planned. This school may not be for everyone, but my children are excelling and loving it. |
| 1/21/2010 | parent | i think i made a mistake sending my child here. He has been doing striaght A's and E's - i dont' think the material he gets is very challenging or builds appropraitely - a lot of meaningless busy work over and over - spelling and grammar ar entirely parent taught at home with 8 pgs of hw / a week for both plus 2 pages of math everyday - the cons repetition of the same stuff has caused him to lose curiosity or play with numbers he once had for math and science. i alsothink the teacher and classroom discipline is not satisfactory as i think the teachers have little experince or edu on child dev - Kyrene requires at elast a masters and 5+ yrs exp... i might try that. |
| 1/20/2010 | parent | I am starting to think I made a mistake by sending my child to this school. Yes, the school is very focused on academics but the management is extremely poor. Ever since Daisy Education left, this place has been a joke. The website always shows old information. Extremely poor management and no commincation with parents. You will have to call or email to find anything. They are always late when it comes to sending out information. No school buses so no field trips. If this continues I will have to pull out my child from this school. |
| 1/5/2010 | parent | Paragon Science Academy is a great school with a high focus on academics. My son attended Chandler Public Schools for K-3 and I have see a huge improvement since enrolling him. He loves the afterschool clubs that they offer, and has made lots of friends. The teachers are wonderful, and have established a great system of communication with the parents. I do have to say the communication from the administration is lacking. It seems that things take forever to get done, or its done last minute. |
| 12/31/2009 | parent | Great school with a high focus on academics. My daughter attended a Gilbert public school for Kindergarten and has been at Paragon for her 1st grade year and has shown vast improvement. The ratio of student to teacher is relatively comparable yet some how the performance at paragon is outstanding! My daughter used to complain regularly about being in school when in Gilbert and now I rarely hear her mention her lack of interest. They really challenge the students because I believe they understand more of their capabilities. I feel extremely fortunate to have it recommended to me. |
| 12/7/2009 | parent | My child loves this school and can wait to go each day. He is involve in clubs and they inspire him to want to excel even more! The fun events he loves as well. Top ratings in learning and grades too. Better than the private school we were attending. |
| 11/5/2009 | parent | My children attended this school last year. We did not return this year because we felt this school did a poor job of encouraging academic excellence and character development. The school stresses quantity over quality in both the homework and classwork assigned. The school has good test scores - but this could be due to the fact that the school spent two solid weeks (every class period) prior to the AIMS test reviewing for the test and taking practice AIMS tests. This is not a school that promotes higher thinking and a love of learning. It is a school more interested in its test scores than the sucess of the individual student. |
| 10/28/2009 | parent | This is the first year that we have our kid go to this school.School academics are excellent.They have after school free tutoring for individual needs.My kid loves after school clubs.They have yoga in after school club.This is one of the healthiest choice I think is wonderful for kids to learn at this age.My kid loves it. |
| 10/2/2009 | parent | This is the second year that we have had our children attending Paragon. The school is very specialized and individualized! The gifted program has challenged the children to find different ways of thinking and to be more creative. Beside math, English, social study and science, the regular curriculum also includes computer lab, art, PE, and music. The FREE after school clubs is an excellent program. It covers from sports (soccer) to art (drawing, sculpture, drama) to little kids favorite clubs to do (dance, Lego, puzzle, K nex, monopoly, games, sewing, chess ) to the challenge academic (spelling bee, geography, blender, yearbook, Spanish, Turkish, Ebru, Simcity). Each student is allowed to have two free clubs after school. This is the fastest way for new kids to make friends. It s true that the school is more intense academically (more homework) but the children love it. They learn and have fun at the same time. |
| 9/25/2009 | parent | its a great school we love it |
| 8/14/2009 | parent | Entering into it's second year, Paragon is living up to our expectations for education! They have increased enrollment, implemented a gifted program, and hired teachers who seem enthusiastic and ready to teach. Curriculum is intense if your child can handle it, advanced if that is where they are placed, and every parent I have spoken with feels their children excelled in academics last year. Administration needs some work, the front office is difficult at times. The principal is very fair and dedicated to improving the school. It's a friendly school, kids accept other kids easily, seems everyone gets along well. |
| 8/12/2009 | parent | I had three children attending Paragon last school year. We chose Paragon bassed on the low student-teacher ratios (about 22 students per class) and their emphasis on math an science. We were very dissapointed with the science program. My middle school students had little to no hands on lab time - lessons were taught only from the text book. While the math program is 'a year ahead' of the public schools it really only means that the 1st graders and using a 2nd grade text book, the 2nd graders are using a 3rd grade text book, etc. As other parents have stated, there is quite a bit of homework assigned (in the elementary grades) but I found that very little of it was meaningful. When I spoke with the teacher about this I was informed that the administration required this as a measure of the teacher's success. Very dissapointing overall! |
| 6/15/2009 | parent | I have 2 children who attended PSA last year, one in 3rd grade and one in 6th grade(middle school). The education each of my children received was better than any private school we have sent them to. The teachers challenged our children in all subject areas and exceeded our expectations in math and science. We have been involved in start up schools before and were a little apprehensive. But, every issue I personally brought to a teacher or the administration was dealt with fairly and in a timely manner. We enrolled, of course, for the next year and look forward to an even better year. |
| 6/11/2009 | parent | very good school, much better than public schools, we will return next year! |
| 6/10/2009 | parent | Both of my children attended Paragon last year. One child was in Kindergarten and the other was in 3rd grade. Both children learned an incredible amount! I was/am very pleased with their academic successes. While some of the new school kinks need to be worked out, the academics are outstanding. I was also very pleased with the teachers we had. We are definitely re-enrolled and will be attending in the upcoming year. |
| 6/2/2009 | parent | Paragon Science Academy has done a great job of working through first year jitters. I attribute the 'good job' to teachers and staff working their butts off... the administration was inattentive at best. More time given to developing school processes would have been helpful. It took almost the entire year for the disciplinary system to be ironed out & forget seeing updated grades on the parentsdirect website. That being said, the academic structure at PSA is phenomenal with emphasis placed on math and science. There is a good sense of community, they work around parents schedules for meetings etc., and they work hard to keep both parents and children involved. Don t let the poor review fool you; PSA expects the best out of you and your children. This is not the place for families unable (or unwilling) to dedicate effort and time. My children will definitely be coming back. |
| 5/26/2009 | parent | My children will not be returning. Communication is lacking, for a school that emphasis is on technology...it's far from it. Favoritism is very apparent. Administration needs to reconsider some of the teachers, make sure they hire someone with actual experience in teaching not just assigning homework! |
| 5/24/2009 | parent | my children have attended this school and they do not give the children a chance to grasp a concept - they give them way to much homework my 3rd grade can easily have 2 hrs of homework - no time for after school activities - you can completely forget about sports - they also are to focused on pointing out the negative about your child rather than focusing on helping them and giving them successes my children will not be returning - also the administration has changed 3 times since school started - no consistency |
