J H Gunn Elementary

When my child, with a disability and sensory disorder, started this school, there were teachers that showed them patience and compassion. My child started to love going to school, and spoke about wanting to be a teacher. The following year, a few of those staff members that worked well with my child left. By the 3rd year 18 teachers and staff members left, including my child's biggest support system. Several of those teachers had 10+ years at that school. That year I received phone calls after phone calls to pick up my child because they were having a melt down, and the school (behavioral tech) didn't want to be stuck dealing with them. Melt downs that are triggered by forcing them to now sit at the loud lunch table that overwhelms my child. This is something that has always been known, and they always had a person that would allow my child to eat in an office or at the back of the lunch room away from the overwhelming sounds and smells. My child won't eat when this happens, and then they spiral out of control because they don't understand and they're now stuck at school hungry. And when we try to reiterate this, they just scoff and treat us like our child terrorizes them. But magically I bring them food, they eat, and the rest of the day goes good. Multiple times when we get called to pick up our child after these episodes, they have petechiae under their arm pits and along their ribs; caused and acknowledged by the vice principal and her hench person the behavioral tech, and we're told it was because they had to restrain our child. A child not even in the 3rd grade yet, and whom has always been loved and supported by those that worked close with them, UNTIL 2022-23 when there was a big change in staff. The behavioral tech keeps bringing up puberty starting earlier and earlier in kids and it is probably the reason our child is having a bad year. Now this year, we found out the last of our chid's support system have left this school. Some of them haven't been at this school for 2 years, and are already ran off. And this year, for the first time in my 20 years of having children, the school is asking parents to supply PE equipment on top of school supplies. You can't retain patient, compassionate teachers for our children. And you can't afford P.E/recess equipment for the kids. There's a bigger problem here.

Charlotte Islamic Academy is a private school in Charlotte that claims to offer a quality education. While Quran and Arabic instruction are areas of strength, the quality of education in other academic subjects is very weak. The school is largely family-run, which affects fairness and accountability. Families with personal connections to the administration or those providing significant financial support appear to receive preferential treatment. There is little structure, consistent discipline, or accountability for student behavior. Student conduct is a serious issue. Many students regularly skip class, disrupt lessons, waste instructional time, and play tricks on teachers. Some students use their phones to record teachers without consent. When teachers attempt to enforce rules, students may lie or refuse to comply. After disrupting class, students often claim teachers are “not teaching,” despite genuine efforts. Administrators and teachers with children enrolled have contributed to a culture of entitlement. When these students dislike a teacher, situations often escalate and lead to teachers disengaging or leaving. Students are sometimes left without consistent instruction. Academic integrity is compromised. Students are not held accountable for their work, and grades may be changed by administration without teacher input, undermining honesty and responsibility. The school lacks support for students with learning disabilities, ADHD, or language barriers. Some students as early as third grade cannot read, and non-English-speaking students receive little to no academic support. Students who want to learn are negatively affected by unchecked behavior. The work environment is toxic. Teachers are blamed for student behavior, gaslighted, and accused of dishonesty despite spending significant personal time preparing lessons. Several teachers have left for mental health reasons, and many parents have withdrawn students due to instability. This year alone, the fifth grade has had three teachers, and the school continues to struggle with staffing.While some staff members are personally kind and there can be a sense of community for those in good standing, the lack of leadership, stability, and academic quality makes this school a poor choice for families seeking a structured, well-rounded education.

This school is very racist. A boy who has a senior in high school called another senior who happens to be African-American the N-word hard R. He has only been suspended and he has not been expelled for such a racist harsh word. And the school claims that they are godly but yet they don’t uphold godly standards. Another incident happened in 2024 where my family member who happened to be black was punched by a little boy. When the black little boy punched him back, he got in trouble and no questions were asked to the white boy who punched him first. They took the white boys’s word for it even though he caused the situation.

I would not recommend enrolling your children here, particularly if you are seeking a supportive and inclusive environment for Black students. The new head of school appears to lack effective conflict resolution skills, and there is little to no acknowledgment or celebration of Black history.The school frequently requests additional financial contributions from families, yet it lacks basic amenities such as a cafeteria. Many classes are combined across grade levels—for example, 4th and 5th graders being taught together—which raises concerns about the quality and focus of instruction.The curriculum is underwhelming, and there seems to be a noticeable lack of diversity and cultural sensitivity within the school community. These issues create an environment that may not be welcoming or equitable for all students. They also allow the special needs children to sexually harass other students. They refuse to do anything about it.