The Altamont School

This may be the best elementary school in the country. The teachers and staff are amazing, the pupils are amazing children, and the community spirit is like none I’ve ever seen. Living in Crestline is very expensive but it is worthwhile for my three children to enjoy being at Crestline.

I’m puzzled by the rating Great Schools has given this school, as it is so far removed from the reality and the rising state report card grades. My children have attended Avondale since the wonderful First Class Pre-K program. The teachers, administrators, and community partners are all phenomenal. The beautiful building, teaching farm and tennis courts on site, slate of after-school clubs, and active parent community all make it a special place.

My experience at Cornerstone Schools of Alabama was deeply disappointing. Administration consistently brushed off serious concerns raised by both students and teachers. The principal openly played favorites, and I witnessed a teacher being brought to tears simply for standing up for students. Several teachers who chose to leave stated plainly that the school does not treat students like human beings.Academically, the curriculum is poorly structured. Students who leave Cornerstone and transition to public schools are often severely behind. Student voices are routinely shut down, with the exception of varsity teams, who are allowed to speak without consequence—though even then, little action is taken.Despite presenting itself as a Christian institution, the environment felt judgmental, sexist, and at times prejudiced. The values being practiced did not align with the values being preached.The only consistently positive aspect of the school is safety. Their protocols for intruders and high-stress situations are well planned and taken seriously. Unfortunately, strong safety measures cannot make up for systemic issues in leadership, academics, and student treatment.

Awful place for children, especially queer children. Performative ally ship for financial gain. No effective leadership or governance system. My child was locked out of the classroom with no repercussions against his teacher who refused to open the door. Cliquish behavior among the teachers which trickles down to students. Parents are aware and afraid to speak up due to possible maltreatment to their children. With tuition and fundraising, we spent close to $60,000 over 3 years. Our youngest was locked out of the classroom. When we reported this, we faced ad hominem attacks against our family. Our concerns over my child’s treatment were minimized. We then realized that it was easier for AWS admin and teachers to accuse our family of things that did not occur, rather than to reprimand an employee for negligent, unethical behavior that did occur.Even though we were told by admin and head of COT my children could stay until the end of the school year, we received a termination letter by admin at pick up two days later. I delivered two whole children to this school. Our children's school year was completely upended through no fault of their own. AWS has left a financial burden on our family. We requested a refund from the board to cover services my children need and were denied. We are currently paying $1600/monthly to correct the damage done to my children by AWS. This includes therapy for both children and academic support for my youngest. They had more academic skills when leaving Kindergarten than they did in February 2024. They are in second grade. The school had us believe that school activities should not be in the home in the younger years. I now believe this is a facade to cover up for the fact that students in my youngest’s class were taught no academics, and the lack of oversight of teachers in general.Children should be in a safe place and thrive and not be intentionally harmed by adults who have so little integrity, ethics, emotional maturity, and not harmed by those who use performative allyship for financial gain.

St. Rose Academy was a big part in our decision to move to Birmingham. It seemed like a great, nurturing place for our children, and we assumed we'd be in town for a good while. Six years later, we have no regrets! We have four boys who are all very different but have been served very well by their teachers, all of whom work together but are allowed their own individual freedom and emphases in the classroom. Of course, a main attraction is that the school is owned and run by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia (aka Nashville Dominicans). The formation and virtues they teach the kids will always be with them; I know many alumni of the school, and while they are all different people, they are people of integrity who you'd want to have as friends. I appreciate that the school has made a commitment to racial diversity as well: of course, the kids don't notice that...they're just all friends! There is also great economic diversity in the school. Some people pay full price, some pay very little, many pay something in the middle. Even though it is a Catholic school, there are many non-Catholic families, none of whom are excluded in any way (either parents or children). This is very important to our family, as we want our children to grow up around people of all races, socio-economic levels, and religions so that they will know how to make their way in the world. Academically, St. Rose is always the highest performing Catholic school in Birmingham. Gifted options are available, too. The school has adequately addressed instances of bullying, too, to the point that I have not heard of any incidents in the past few years. Religious education is excellent, and the administration is both efficient and adaptive. If you think St. Rose might be a good fit for your child, just check it out! We had little money six years ago, and the principal at the time worked with us. We are eternally grateful. Go Knights (although our family thinks the historical mascot, the Llama...associated with St. Rose of Lima herself...should come back!!!)

I have had nothing but great experiences with St Francis Xavier Catholic school! I was new to the area when I first came across this school and since being a part of the school community my family and I have felt so included and welcomed! My family and I are also members of the parish but have met many families that are not and have chosen to send their kids to school here as they have also experienced the community here and the invest the entire staff puts into each child and their education! The teachers here work hard with each student to challenge them in their academics while also building up the whole person. I was met with honesty and clarity when I brought forth an issue I was seeing with my child, meeting with both the principal and teacher. I felt very supported and heard leaving that meeting, walking away with the comfort that the staff wanted what was best for my child and for my family and that they were willing to work with us to do that. I can not recommend this school enough!