Imagine International Academy of Mableton? (Smyrna: renting, daycare, house)

[nati0216]

to any parents out there.....have any of you enrolled your child/ren in this new charter school? if so, what do you think? better than a public school? we are new to the area and our daughter will be starting kindergarden this fall and since we can't afford private school, we are thinking of this charter school might be a good alternative (if not,our public school would be Sanders Elementary).
Thanks in advance for your advice/comments.

[Onyxhawk]

Originally Posted by nati0216

to any parents out there.....have any of you enrolled your child/ren in this new charter school? if so, what do you think? better than a public school? we are new to the area and our daughter will be starting kindergarden this fall and since we can't afford private school, we are thinking of this charter school might be a good alternative (if not,our public school would be Sanders Elementary).
Thanks in advance for your advice/comments.

Just seconding nati0216's question about the new charter school in Mableton. Thanks in advance. Also want to inquire about any really good daycare centers in the Mableton area.

[nati0216]

looks like they are having an open house on saturday

[Onyxhawk]

Yeah, I had heard about that. But I was hoping to get some information from the 'consumers'. They will probably have their slant to whatever is presented. I haven't heard of or met any school/business etc that sold themselves as.. "Hey we are subpar, but if you send us you kids/business we will try to make them worse off.'

Probably being brutal, but I wanted an unbiased opinion. Still considering them strongly.

[nickinga]

We have a first grader there and are happy with the teacher and our son's progress and classmates. The school has had some issues as this was a new venture to most of us. We had principal turnover and some issues getting up and running in general (carpool could be smoother, need supplies, etc).

A couple takeaways for you:
1 - The teacher is everything! Just like parenting, if your teacher cares and puts in the effort, kids can accomplish great things. While I cannot speak on all teachers, my feeling is that most teachers are good - we just happen to really like ours
2 - True that what you put in, you will get out. They require a certain number of volunteer hours from the parents and I think this is a great idea. While we would have done this anyway (wife stay home with the kids and is heavily involved w/the school - most of my volunteer time is on weekend events); I think this is a great way to ensure parental involvement. The curriculum is challenging when applied properly

An important but not talked about benefit of the volunteer hours and things like the mandatory carpool (ie, no public buses - you must drop off/pick up your child) is that it deters those who might view the school as a convenient 6-hours babysitting venue.

3 - While this is not a cure-all, magic wand school (we have issues and are learning on the fly still) - we find it to be a good alternative to the Cobb co public school near our house.

[lastminutemom]

You have to go into any new school (even a newly built traditional public school) with the understanding that all things may not run smoothly at first. You have to go in with a good attitude.

Visit IAM and your traditional public school option and see how you feel after the visit.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

You have to go into any new school (even a newly built traditional public school) with the understanding that all things may not run smoothly at first. You have to go in with a good attitude.

Visit IAM and your traditional public school option and see how you feel after the visit.

Good post. For everyone...this advice is very important.

[Onyxhawk]

Thank you for the responses. It is really nice to hear that parents are putting in time.. and encouraging for us who are looking for that environment. I know things are usually rough initially, but if there can be decent parental involvement and teachers that are willing and dedicated.. things will get better.

[TerryTan]

Speaking as parent at that school and as someone who has first hand information as to what is going on at the school, I will be pulling my child out at the end of the year. The administration there has gone from bad to worse. There have been attacks on faculty members by parents no less. Three that I know of for sure. Only very few of their teachers are certified to doing state standardized testing, and most of those that were certified have left. 12 teachers quit this year and there are 2 more quitting before the end of the year and it is the middle of May. It is unfortunate that this school had such great potential and the company (Imagine) that is running it has completely mishandled it.

When the principal from the Smyrna charter school quit. He told his boss at Imagine that, "He was there for the kids." and his boss replied, "If that is all you are here for, than this is not the place for you."

So when I say it is the administration, I know what I am talking about.

[Rhonda K]

Hello,

I have my daughter in the Smyrna Imagine School. As in any new school, there have been mistakes and things that haven't going as smooth as possible, but given the area schools, I have no regrets in enrolling my child. We've had turnover as well, and we have a new principal, who is wonderful. Actually, in parts of Mableton, you can enroll in either school.

Keep in mind, these aren't private schools, and are different than any of the local schools...(I think that's a good thing), and aren't for everyone. My daughter wants to go back to her old school, because it was "easy" and she hardly ever had homework. Also, you have to volunteer, or you go to the bottom of the waiting list for the next year(we will be at full capacity for the new school year). It's great to see actual parents at the school, involved with their child's education....

Good luck in your decision.