641 Cocoanut
Sarasota, FL 34236

My experience with Alta Vista has been incredibly frustrating, and my student’s experience has honestly been a nightmare — mostly because of constant issues with other students. While there are a few teachers who seem to genuinely care and do a good job, others — especially in 5th grade science and math — often come across as angry at everyone: students, parents, you name it. It doesn’t exactly create a positive learning environment.Discipline feels like a suggestion, not a system. The kids know there aren’t real consequences, and it shows. It’s nearly impossible to focus on learning or doing well academically when the classroom feels chaotic and the same behavioral issues keep happening over and over with no real change.Administration seems focused on one thing: test scores. But it’s hard to produce strong scores when the day-to-day classroom environment is so disruptive. From what I’ve seen and heard, a lot of the dysfunction starts at the top. Instead of addressing the constant distractions, the focus seems to stay on the numbers.If you’re looking for structure, accountability, and a calm place for your child to learn, I’d strongly suggest looking closely before enrolling.

A horrible experience today with the front desk at the school where I have picked up a child for the past five weeks and was told I could not today because my name was not on the list. I work for a foster care program. All that is fine because I understand that my name wasn’t on the list and it should have been but then the woman at the front desk, Gigi Mercado, got severe attitude with me. She heard me saying something to the little tiny baby I had in my arms, and then she got snarky and wouldn’t stop arguing with me. I told her it was her job to de-escalate the situation by not arguing back with me and she couldn’t do that. She was very difficult and not kind whatsoever! When I called the school to ask what her name was, they didn’t want to give it to me. She sounded like she just wanted to argue instead of helping out a parent.

I love this school, it’s the best school I have ever been to.