Beckwith

Title: Look Elsewhere – Lack of Resources & Poor EnvironmentWe withdrew our son from middle school at MJCA, and it was one of the best decisions we've made for our family. Over the course of several years, we experienced ongoing concerns ranging from inconsistent academic curriculum changes to bullying issues, poor communication, apparent favoritism, and weak athletic development opportunities.One of the biggest concerns was what appeared to be noticeable favoritism among students. During award ceremonies, many of the same students, often teachers’ children or students whose parents were heavily involved with the school seemed to consistently receive recognition. Expectations and disciplinary standards also appeared to vary from student to student.Bullying was another major issue. My son experienced bullying from peers and also had staff interactions we felt were unprofessional or discouraging. When these concerns were reported, the situation unfortunately seemed to worsen rather than improve. Over the years, we also noticed a trend where many families eventually left the school and class sizes significantly decreased after the lower elementary grades.The school also seemed to struggle with properly supporting students with IEPs. In our case, my son’s plan specifically included movement breaks, yet those accommodations were not consistently provided. Instead, he was at times kept inside during recess and even removed from elective classes to complete work from another class, sometimes for extended periods of time despite the school previously agreeing to those accommodations.Athletics were equally disappointing. Talented athletes often transferred to other schools with stronger development programs and better opportunities. Facilities are limited, offseason development is minimal, and some teams rely on volunteer parent coaches rather than experienced athletic staff. The overall focus did not seem to be on competitive growth or long-term player development.Every family’s experience may differ, but based on our experience over the last several years, MJCA was not the right environment for our child academically, socially, or athletically. Parents looking for strong academic consistency, student support, accountability, and competitive athletic development should carefully research all available options before enrolling.

My child has been at Mt Juliet Montessori Academy for going on three years now and I am even more impressed with the school then I was when we first started. My child is in her first year of elementary, while I love everything about this school it was a recent experience that made me want to share my love. I recently got to sit and watch kids from 1st grade all the way up to 6th grade present research topics. The children were amazing, the topics they researched were so broad like the lifecycle of a butterfly, anacondas, the Mac 25 Russian plane, flying foxes, the Northern lights, Disney Characters and a slew of other things. The children were amazing presenting in front of their peers and families; I also loved how the teachers helped the students along if they needed the help but allowed them to do it on their own. I can't say enough great things about MJMA but I know we will be apart of the MJMA Family as long as we can!

Mt. Juliet Montessori Academy is a warm, caring, small school that offers a wonderful environment for learning.