113 Eastern Avenue, Long Island, ME 04050

This was a truly unique learning experience on an unbridged island in Maine. Small student to teacher ratios, large community engagement, many hands-on learning experiences and field trips. We were able to learn at our own pace, which often meant moving beyond grade-level for math, reading, and vocabulary practice. Definitely prepared me for middle school and high school by fostering a love for learning and the skills to be a life-long learner.

I read the positive reviews of this school before choosing to take a teaching position here and moved across the country for this position because the administration made it sound like my dream teaching job. I am writing to warn other prospective teachers and parents that this school is not providing the best possible education for these students. And it is against my ethics to tell families we are offering their children something we are incapable of offering.I will begin by pointing out that I was blindsided by the behaviors of my students within the first few weeks of the school year. I was given a very different picture of HCA during the hiring process than what I initially experienced. I believe it would be beneficial for prospective teachers to understand that a large population of this school is made up of children who have quite difficult home lives and extremely diverse learning issues (not all of which are assessed early enough to be constructive for teaching or learning). And though the teachers are amazingly compassionate and care greatly for these students, it is not a school for children who are motivated to go on to college. And it is not a school for teachers who want to see grade-level, academic progress in their students.I came to really care for my students and realized that there are some students who just need a safe place to go during the day and who need positive adult influences in their lives. But I had to let go of my desire to provide academically stimulating lessons due to the fact that a large percentage of my students simply were not at grade-level and I had no support in the classroom.The philosophy of the school is wonderful for students who haven’t been able to make a go of it in other schools. Yet, there are systemic issues within HCA that lend to shortcomings in meeting our students with the structure and academics they truly need. The administration needs to get on the same page in their curricular advice. The faculty feels unheard and undervalued in the experiences they bring to the table, and often as if trying to make any change for the better is futile. The stress that these kinds of oversight and lack of communication bring to a teacher’s every day experience is utterly exhausting. I am not the only teacher who has spoken to these concerns. But I am the only one writing a review here - to warn prospective teachers of what you will be stepping into. Do not believe what you are told.