5162 SHIRLEY Avenue
Jacksonville, FL 32210

It's really a heartbreak to send your kid to this place -- this is what we experienced in the one year we attended: numerous fights; bathrooms often closed; movement in the building so restricted during lunch that some kids couldn't really always get lunch; security guards made kids shake out their binders onto the floor in the hallway; an English teacher showed a highly inaccurate movie inspired by Beowulf instead of having kids read it (and the teacher oblivious that the film is way off); another teacher told kids that hurricanes in the Americas are created by the souls of enslaved people; my son would send me cell phone videos during class of multiple students just sleeping on their desks while the teacher was doing nothing. This place extinguished my son's interest in school. The name is being changed (which is great), but I hope the rest of the place can be improved for the general students. At the open house, all the principal talked about were the special tracks like early high school and the engineering program, which might not be so bad -- but what about the majority of the kids? We discovered that few of the more appealing course offerings were actually available.

This is the worst school ever. I do NOT RECOMMEND YOUR CHILDREN GOING HERE.

Daughter's orientation today.. I know it's said that a "First impression can leave a lasting impression" and that's so true. My daughter met her teach, that went "ok", then we went to Auditorium because we were told to either turn in her emergency contact form there or main office. A staff member from auditorium told us to take it to main office. I gotta say the office assistant made a horrible first impression and brought little ease in our decision to send our daughter to this school. When I told her I needed to drop form off she not only rolled her eyes but said we should of left it with her teacher when her teacher is the one who said take it to the front office. As parents, when OUR children are attending your school that attitude needs to be left at home. Just that one experience has left a horrible taste in our mouth and an uncertainty of what the school year might be like?

My children come home telling me how long it takes to log in to the computer. If we are moving to this new advance technology world why is it that the lowest performing schools have the WORST, oldest, & slowest computers & system? They have a wonderful Team Up program that help my children do their homework and offer enrichment activities that they only get once a week during the regular school hours. The director and lead teacher are great. My children love them.