Topaz Plan in Rancho Mirage by Ashton Woods, Maricopa, AZ 85138

This school is a big disappointment. Many teachers leave because the administration does not support them, which is upsetting. While they say the ratio is 16:1, that is simply not true. Each classroom often has over 30 students, and when one misbehaves, there is no help available. Communication is also very poor; we usually find out about school events just a day or two in advance, which doesn’t consider parents’ schedules. Overall, it’s frustrating for both students and parents.The principal has a rule that allows each teacher to have only two class celebrations each year. This means that if your teacher decides to have a Halloween party and a Christmas party, there won't be a celebration for Valentine's Day. Many students look forward to these fun events and are disappointed when they don't get to have the celebrations that even us as adults have so many fond memories of. At a school with over 900 children, there are three dedicated parents on the PTO board who work hard to make the school a fun and engaging place. They try to organize events and activities that everyone enjoys. While there are some amazing teachers/staff who truly care about their students, this is not the norm for Santa Cruz and I truly believe it's the lack of support from the principal. The issues start at the top, and it's important for the whole school community to support each other to create a better environment for the children.At Santa Cruz, there are many issues with bullying and bad behavior. They are so worried about their numbers, like grades and scores and attendance, that they don't really deal with bullies. The TOSA who acts pretty much as an Asst. Principal/Dean is wonderful but even she is limited to what she is permitted to do. She would make an absolutely amazing principal. It feels like the school is focused more on numbers than on helping kids feel safe and happy. Because of this, there are more problems with bullying than I have ever seen before. My child was learning the same things they had learned two years ago in another school district.We thought Santa Cruz was great because it had an "A" rating. However, it seems they are just good at making their numbers look better than they actually are. Many local Charter schools have long waitlists filled with students who used to or currently attend Santa Cruz just waiting to leave. The hype about the school does not match the reality, and is not worth choosing Santa Cruz.