Desert Mountain High School

This school was one that we chose specifically because we thought the Program it's known for would complement our busy and bright child's learning style, but that didn't turn out to be the case. For young children it isn't incorporated much and therefore was a moot point.What we did find was that in kindergarten, our child would come home with a stack of worksheets every day that the day had been spent completing. While learning did happen, it was boring and my fear is that it was not inspiring a lifetime love for learning. Even more critically, the teacher and administration didn't seem to understand how to engage different personalities and different types of learning without being punitive and seemed completely stumped by normal developmental stages that I would have guessed they'd seen a million times. They were flippant about engaging different learners in different ways and after progress was made in conversation, it would be like the conversation never happened the next week. Also a deciding factor for my family was that the staff meeting parents and children in the mornings would often not smile or offer a greeting. In general this school does not feel warm, loving or inviting rather very institutionalized. Of lesser importance but still worth noting is that parking and pickup is also chaotic and time consuming and often within ten minutes of student release, the car line will reach almost to Shea Blvd with the students waiting in the heat for their rides. During our time at Anasazi it was impressed upon us that this is "just how school is now", which thankfully and luckily, we found not to be true when a parent recommended another local school and our student transferred. We have since found exactly what we needed including a school that sees a child for the individual they are and offers opportunities to support their learning and potential and where the students are greeted with warmth and enthusiasm each morning. We have been grateful for the switch since our first day on the non-Anasazi campus.

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.