[parents choices]

I just thought I'd start a thread about our children's schools, so that we may warn other parents about them.

Summit Academy Middle School in Romulus is a city charter school, who prides itself on the latest technology and supplies students with their own imac laptops for a fee of $160.00. They hold these laptops over the children's heads as punishment for something as small as being tardy, which in most cases is their parents faults because they have to be driven to this school (there are no buses). They never call parents, even when your child is suspended, YOUR CHILD calls you and tells you. They do not involve parents in anything, all they seem to be concerned with is getting their $ to keep their little charter school up and running. Beware.. this school is less than mediocre, it's pretty sad. The vice principal and principal are just as clicky as the middle school students that attend.

Thanks for reading.
Concerned parent

[CDL-A]

This is not exactly an "encouraging" response, but I just wanted to jump in and let you know that it's just as bad (if not worse!) in Tucson, Arizona. We also moved our girls out of the public school system. However, we got really lucky in finding a Waldorf school for them to attend.

You might look into that in your area; see if there is a Waldorf school in Wayne county. If so, I'm sure you'll be impressed!

[5kingsinvegas]

Originally Posted by parents choices

I just thought I'd start a thread about our children's schools, so that we may warn other parents about them.

Summit Academy Middle School in Romulus is a city charter school, who prides itself on the latest technology and supplies students with their own imac laptops for a fee of $160.00. They hold these laptops over the children's heads as punishment for something as small as being tardy, which in most cases is their parents faults because they have to be driven to this school (there are no buses). They never call parents, even when your child is suspended, YOUR CHILD calls you and tells you. They do not involve parents in anything, all they seem to be concerned with is getting their $ to keep their little charter school up and running. Beware.. this school is less than mediocre, it's pretty sad. The vice principal and principal are just as clicky as the middle school students that attend.

Thanks for reading.
Concerned parent

I have to say, as a middle school teacher, it is not uncommon to have the child call the parent. I have made students call their parent from my classroom when they are not behaving appropriately. Let me tell you, nothing straightens them up quicker than holding them responsible for their behavior.

You say that your school does not involve parents. I guess I am curious as to what type of involvement you would want in a middle school classroom? We don't have room mothers anymore and the children change classes every period which usually means 6 or 7 teachers.

As far as the tardy situation, you would not believe how disruptive it can be to class to have students arrive late. Teachers have so much material to cover in the classroom that by the time a student arrives even 5 minutes late he/she could have missed quite a bit.

I am not saying that the school your child attends does not have issues. I live in Nevada and really have no idea. I just wanted to address some of your concerns to maybe have you look at them in a different way.

[parents choices]

The child calls the parent and they send the child outside to get picked up by whomever is there. Who is to say the child really called their parents? Who picked up your child? This particular school (Summit Academy North in Michigan) is not a safe place for our children. I can't speak for other parents but my child being 13 years old NEEDS to be signed out of school and they need to KNOW I'm picking my child up, not just anyone they call to come pick them up.

As far as school involvement, I'm talking about actually dialing the phone themselves to tell a parent JUST EXACTLY why my child has been suspended, or has to leave the school grounds early. This does not happen with this school. I never mentioned room mother, I've never even heard of that.

Like I said, tardiness in this school is most likely the parent's fault as these children are not bussed to this school, its a charter school. Why give lunch detention with no lunch for something their parents are responsible for? I won't look at any of this in a different light because this situation is unlike any other I've experienced, and I have 6 children all over Middle School aged and have never experienced a school like this one.

So, in closing... anyone in Michigan, please think twice before sending your child to this school in Romulus, MI.

[parents choices]

Thanks, I will check into it!

[mostie]

I can certainly understand holding a child accountable, but at the same time, I would want the school to make sure that my child called, and that I was the one to pick them up- my son, who will be 13 after the first of the year, attended a Jr. High in Pontiac. Talk about an awful school...he was ditching and hiding in the bathroom (which he had NEVER done before) because he was being banged around in the hallways, in the classroom, etc. by the other, much rougher, students- and he was scared. They NEVER called me to report him as being absent, or missing classes- and then when I found out how completely miserable he was, I went to talk to the principal- who told me that there was no way he could have been on the school grounds when he was cutting classes- but my son was in the bathroom, feet up so nobody could see him if they did check, which they seldom did. The times he was sick, which were very few, and I called to let the school know, they still marked him as unexcused- the principal was trying to talk me out of homeschooling (which, ironically, when I talked to the truancy officer, who you let know when you want to homeschool? He told me he didn't blame me at all, and that I had the right to homeschool) and claimed that he had spoken to all of my son's teachers, who said he was "never there"- my husband told the principal that since he had missed all of that school, that his grades must be terrible- principal said absolutely, my husband then pulled out my son's report card, and asked him how he could explain that my son had received almost all "A's"- go figure.

I also recall a letter that came home to the parents, stating that you shouldn't drop your child off a little early, before the door opened, because the high school kids were coming around and robbing the Jr. High kids before school!

The principal told us that if you sent your child to Pontiac schools through high school, the city would pay for their college education- he said, "I might send MY kids to do their Sr. year!"---wonder why he didn't want to have them go to the schools there all the way through?


I too have 6 kids who have gone through various schools, this one is my youngest- and things have definitely changed over the years- and although I can respect a teacher's view on things, after the experiences I've had over the years it's very hard for me not to believe it isn't all about the money-not by the teachers, but by the entire system.

[GlassPipe]

We checked out a charter school here in Lansing - disapointed to say the least. Seems to me as if they are holding the kids to some "Hawdy-Tawdy" standard. We were basically shut out during a kindergarten orientation. They insisted we wait in the hallway and read the rules book. lol, I won't even get into that thing. We opted for public schools, but through the school of choice so we didn't end up in Lansing SD - got into Waverly which all the Lansing Lifers said would be our best choice.

As for charter schools - they have left me with a pretty bad taste in my mouth. Seemed to be a bit of a facist attitude floating through those halls.

[jhampto7]

Well I beg to differ the post about Summit Academy in Romulus I happen to love the school as well as my family. Two of my nieces and my nephew attended summit schools and graduated and went on to college. Now at this time my family still have at least six children that currently attend summit and we love it as well as the kids. They are a college bound school and the curriculum is great thumbs up to Summit Academy elementary, middle and high school. The only thing I can say can be in proved is there bus system to many different grades from elementary thru high school rides the same bus , that's not such a good idea.

Originally Posted by 5kingsinvegas

I have to say, as a middle school teacher, it is not uncommon to have the child call the parent. I have made students call their parent from my classroom when they are not behaving appropriately. Let me tell you, nothing straightens them up quicker than holding them responsible for their behavior.

You say that your school does not involve parents. I guess I am curious as to what type of involvement you would want in a middle school classroom? We don't have room mothers anymore and the children change classes every period which usually means 6 or 7 teachers.

As far as the tardy situation, you would not believe how disruptive it can be to class to have students arrive late. Teachers have so much material to cover in the classroom that by the time a student arrives even 5 minutes late he/she could have missed quite a bit.

I am not saying that the school your child attends does not have issues. I live in Nevada and really have no idea. I just wanted to address some of your concerns to maybe have you look at them in a different way.

[jaynarie]

Originally Posted by jhampto7

Well I beg to differ the post about Summit Academy in Romulus I happen to love the school as well as my family. Two of my nieces and my nephew attended summit schools and graduated and went on to college. Now at this time my family still have at least six children that currently attend summit and we love it as well as the kids. They are a college bound school and the curriculum is great thumbs up to Summit Academy elementary, middle and high school. The only thing I can say can be in proved is there bus system to many different grades from elementary thru high school rides the same bus , that's not such a good idea.

This thread is over 6 years old. Just FYI.