Van Buren Park

After a few years of experience with multiple children, I will be leaving with a bad taste in my mouth. Pros: The administration is great. They are friendly, even though the office is constantly busy. The music teacher is fantastic. She is very good with children. What I have not liked is the overall lack of professionalism and communication from the teachers. In the last few years, I have not received one phone call from any of my children's teachers, even though there have been numerous issues that could have been resolved with a quick phone call. When issues have been brought to my attention, I was very disappointed in the arrogant attitude from the teachers. I heard similar complaints from a relative which makes me feel like it is a school wide problem. There should be a teamwork mentality, not a "I know better than you" mentality. It is unprofessional to blame the parents for every problem happening inside the classroom, instead of problem solving, using school resources, or calling for a parent conference. We are all on the same team.

Avoid this school if possible. I’ve had one struggling learner and one non-struggling learner attend this school. Both had terrible experiences. My daughter with an IEP was not provided services and I was lied to about it. She received zero support from her teachers after several attempts on my side to beg for help. Multiple principal and assistant principals also refused to ensure she learned. My other daughter disliked summit because there are multiple fights a day and it was chaotic. She was humiliated a few times by teachers. The culture is just toxic and low income students are blamed instead of adults taking responsibility.

Highland Park is MCCSC's best kept secret. The teachers and staff are so caring and do a lot to keep families involved. They offer a ton of extracurriculars like robotics club, drama club, gardening club, and even have a nature preserve on school grounds! My kids have had a great experience and are excited to go to school.