Arcadia High School

Review of Tavan Elementary SchoolI want to share my experience with Tavan Elementary School, which is often regarded as one of the top public schools in Arizona. Unfortunately, our experience was disappointing. Despite high expectations, the support for students was severely lacking. My son faced unhelpful and even aggressive behavior from the principal, and the assistant principal’s response was often limited to issuing suspensions rather than providing genuine support. The social worker, who should have been a source of help, instead contributed to the issue by not engaging effectively and simply escorting him to the office.In contrast, after we withdrew him and enrolled him in a new school, the difference was night and day. He is thriving, and the environment is supportive, friendly, and understanding. There have been no issues, and he is flourishing academically and socially. This contrast highlights how vital proper support and communication are for students.In summary, while Tavan Elementary may have a good reputation, our experience shows that there are significant areas for improvement in how they support and treat their students.

As a mom of three boys, I can’t say enough wonderful things about St. Theresa Catholic School. One of the things that stands out most is the culture of kindness and service. My oldest son wears hearing aids, and from day one, he has never felt different; he’s been fully included, supported, and embraced by both students and staff in such a genuine way.I also truly appreciate how the teachers bring creativity into the classroom, especially with recognizing boys need more movement while learning. It’s been such a gift for my boys, who thrive in an environment where they can stay active. The hands-on, engaging approach has made a huge difference in their enthusiasm for school.Additionally, the preschool and transitional kindergarten program did an amazing job preparing my children for kindergarten. The transition felt smooth and natural, and they entered kindergarten confident and capable. We feel incredibly grateful to be part of such a supportive and faith-filled school community.

Be forewarned, in disputes or disagreements, administration always takes the side of staff or teachers over students and parents. There is zero space for discussion or questions. The tone is sit down, be quiet and do what you are told, because there is a long waiting list. You and your child are replaceable. In fact, during a leadership and National Junior Honor Society seminar last year, the Principal told the students that the least favorite part of his job is the parents. If you are working to create a collegial atmosphere between parents, students and staff; this is not the way to do it. And if you are trying to undermine parent relationships with their own children, job well done! As far as managing disputes between children and teachers, kids as young as ten are expected to resolve directly with teachers, despite the power inequity between adults and children. This creates an environment that is ripe for abuse and our child suffered from several gaslighting type events by teachers and administrators. When we brought up concerns, we were simply told we were wrong, period. This created an environment where our daughter never wanted to talk to teachers about issues, and neither did we. In summary, if you want to partner with a school on your child’s education and well being, this isn’t the school for you. Please note, I am incredibly sad to be writing this review, because there are several exceptional teachers at CLS and the Pastoral staff is loving and kind.

This school is full of elitist snobs. They are unwelcoming, unsupportive and completely disengaged from the needs of family and their community