Camelback Desert School

We love Cochise! Our child is challenged without being overwhelmed, we are very happy with the communication we receive from his teacher and the school overall, we have met some amazing parents who we call close friends. Our son loves his classmates and loves going to school. There is a very active and involved APT and the school hosts so many fun events. I cannot say enough about how much we love Cochise!!

My daughter attended the school since preschool age in their special education PANDA program, then moved down to the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten program, also in special education. The school's teachers are very caring and enjoy their work. I feel very safe when my kid goes to school, and when my kid is not feeling well, the nurse's office is always able to take good care of my child. I feel this school has a great parent-teacher ratio and a positive atmosphere. I can feel the energy of the teacher, especially from the principal and administrative office, that they really care about kids thriving at the School. I also like that the Scottsdale Police Department often comes to ensure the school is safe. The traffic is controlled, which really makes parents feel safe about their children going to the school. The school organizes many special events, and there are also many opportunities for parents who want to volunteer for extra activities. The Boys and Girls Club is just right next door, along with the park. It's a perfect school.

Redfield Elementary in Scottsdale is an exceptional school. My two children love being part of the community. The teachers and staff are warm and know every student by name. The teachers are genuinely caring and clearly skilled in classroom management. My children feel challenged and supported. Dr. Amanda Rand is an exceptional leader. I felt welcomed by her the moment we enrolled. I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of a school that combines strong academics, caring faculty, and a truly connected community.

As a teacher at Desert Canyon Elementary since 2019, I am so proud of our school! With over 600 years of combined teaching experience,our educators ensure high-quality education for every student. Our staff works tirelessly to support students, families, and each other. Our engaged families and PTO take such good care of our staff and make us feel special. Our students show R.O.A.R. (Respect, Outstanding Character, Appreciate Others, Responsibility) everyday. We are an "A" rated school and became an "A+ School of Excellence" starting in 2024. We are rated one of the top two schools in Arizona. Families can choose between the Dual Language Mandarin program or traditional English classes. DCES offers a Gifted Program, fine arts, robotics, a school counselor with a therapy dog, and an engaging garden program. We have two early learning classrooms: Preschool for three-year-olds and PreK for four-year-olds. Our Early Learning Classrooms have a Quality First Five Star Rating, which is the Highest Quality ranking from First Things First.

ISA is an amazing school (PK1 - 8th grade) with an amazing bi-lingual education program. Giving your child a second language truly sets them apart and allows them to succeed in a global world. All graduates of ISA are bi-lingual and some are even tri-lingual as they enter into high school. The leadership and teaching staff at ISA care about each other, each student/family and do their very best to support the school community. Small class sizes and bi-lingual teachers really offers the best opportunity to learn and be successful. I hope they will consider adding a high school in the future.

We have three children at this school, and they've all had positive educational and social experiences. When evaluating elementary schools for my oldest (now in Middle School at Cheyenne), I toured the Cheyenne campus and was so impressed that in early November the kinder kids were taking turns reading out loud full sentences (not just words) with teacher instruction. After touring other SUSD schools, I didn't get a sense the other public elementary schools had the students reading at that kind of level at that early in the school year, nor were the classrooms as structured and organized. The school has high academic and behavioral standards, so it's a good fit for our children to be educationally challenged while also being upheld to high behavioral expectations with respect for teachers/staff and peers. Across all grades, the children are required to do independent work, group projects, and lots of presentations. In addition to the academic concepts, the students regularly present in front of their peers/large groups, are required to share constructive feedback to peers, work together on projects as a team, in addition to completing independent work with both written (cursive included) and online platforms. In addition to the learning, the teachers sprinkle in small lessons in how to demonstrate kindness, gratitude, how to engage with others in person and through written communications. I love the foundational aspects of Cheyenne being a Traditional School, so they're heavily focused on core subjects including language arts/humanities and math. The school requires strong parental partnership to support their children's learning, so there is a very active parent community, which I appreciate. Not necessarily academically related, but I like the school is Pre-K through 8th grade so easier for one pick up and drop off for a longer period of time and wearing uniforms makes getting ready easy in the mornings. This school is not the right fit for every family or child, but based on our family dynamic and children, it's been amazing! There is not another public school like Cheyenne in Scottsdale.

We withdrew our child from Rancho after a very disappointing experience. We had initially understood Rancho to be among the top private schools in the area, second only to PCDS, but unfortunately, our experience did not reflect that reputation whatsoever.After several concerning interactions with the school’s administration and feeling underwhelmed by the quality of the teachers, we began looking more closely. The administration and faculty largely hold basic degrees, with many teachers being recent ASU graduates. We did not find one that had graduated from a top tier university. There is no Head of School or Headmaster, as one should expect from a leading private institution, and the individual overseeing the school does not inspire confidence, either in qualifications or leadership presence. This was the major red flag that made us rethink our decision to have our child at Rancho because the quality of the admin and faculty is a direct reflection of what and who is cultivating your child's educational experience. Our attempts to contact the school’s owner went unanswered, and further research revealed a troubling history of legal disputes related to other private schools he owns. It became clear that we were misled by surface-level impressions - high tuition, uniforms, and overly positive social media reviews from parents similarly swayed by appearances.We wish we had taken a more critical look before enrolling and are very relieved to have moved our child elsewhere. If you’re considering Rancho, I strongly encourage you to research the backgrounds of the faculty and staff. Compare their credentials to those at truly distinguished private schools — it’s an eye-opening exercise. After all, the quality of your child’s education can only be as strong as the people leading it.