The Roeper School - Lower Campus

41190 Woodward Avenue

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304

26 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on August 22, 2024

I went here for 11 years and while I got an amazing education in the lower school and overall felt welcomed. The middle and upper school is a completely different story. When I was outed for my sexuality in middle school BY AN INSTRUCTOR, the school did nothing but blame me and tell me to get over it, this also caused tension at home. When I brought up racial issues that Asian students were facing, such as other students using slurs and calling our cultural food "dog food" and even throwing my food in the trash (not just cultural food, I also got stuff like pasta and sandwiches tossed in the garbage) I was shut down being told that it was not a big enough issue. The teachers in the middle and high school were subpar at best, with the exception of a few who were genuinely some of the kindest people I have ever met and still keep in contact with. Most of them did not care about whether or not the class was moving too fast or too slow, which shouldn't be too much of an issue if THE ENTIRE CLASS WASN'T STRUGGLING. Unless you were higher than above average in class then most teachers would not give you the time of day. One teacher actually slapped me across the hands several times with a wooden ruler when I was supposedly not paying attention. I also had experiences of being assaulted on campus with photo evidence, but when my mother brought it to the administration, I was asked what I did to provoke them. I was asked the same question again when I gave them screenshots and recordings of various death threats I received over that school year. For the remainder of the year after going to the admins, I was treated very poorly by almost all staff and ended up choosing to leave silently without taking any legal action in exchange for not being suspended for the day I left campus without telling anyone when my mother came to pick me up after being mistreated by the administration. I was diagnosed with PTSD after being there and have a lot of school related triggers. While I mostly have poor memories from here, I will say that they provide an extremely safe place for Jewish students and generally observed most holidays (which was a leading factor as to why my family chose this school). It made me feel much safer about my religion than any other school has. The theater program is also phenomenal and was genuinely my absolute favourite part of being there. I made some of my happiest memories doing theater there and everyone in the theater department was so kind.
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2024

The administration is incompetent, lacks integrity and invents processes all day long. They preach fairness, equity and justice when they don’t even know what these principles mean. This school is overtly discriminatory and racist. If you would like to send your Black kid there, ask to speak to the Roeper Black parent association, they will have plenty of stories to share. The administration ONLY care about their numbers. Please sign your child up if you want to pay $30K for a school which does NOT value the students or their parents.
Submitted by parent on January 31, 2024

Super disappointed in the unprofessionalism of the administration. I can't say that they practice what they preach. This school used to have a great reputation but as a parent and a professional in the community I would not recommend waisting your time.
Submitted by parent on March 18, 2023

We have been at Roeper for two years now, and I am continually amazed by the progress my daughter is making at school, the school environment itself, and how much my child is learning. I honestly can't imagine sending her anywhere else, the only downside is the tuition is costly for our family and it does seem to go up about 1k/year. Her teachers are incredible, they are caring, and clearly experts in the field of child development- I can tell that they are very thoughtful about everything that they do and say to the children. For example, they don't just tell children not to do something, but they take the time to explain why it could be dangerous and how their job is to keep the children safe. I have witnessed this dialog on multiple field trips. My daughter was upset one day as she was missing us, so her teacher sent me a text message asking for a family picture to cheer her up and then printed the image out so that my child could carry it with her all day. The teachers at this school are incredible.In addition to the wonderful staff, Roeper offers many classes that were not available at our local public elementary school such as outdoor adventure and movement classes. The school is set up similarly to a university campus with many classes in different buildings and some even utilize the forest area behind the school. The students also go on many field trips throughout the year and are taught to give back to their communities. Best of all, if your child is advanced in a particular subject Roeper will allow them to accelerate beyond their grade level, as has been our experience with the school.
Submitted by parent on March 05, 2023

My child was horrifically bullied there. I sent pictures and tried to get the leadership to do something and they didn’t. Several agencies are now involved. My child’s academics have dropped during his time there. If you are interested in an over priced daycare, then this school is your place. The school is more concerned with money than your child’s education. We left mid year and surprise surprise, my kid no longer comes home with marks on their body and actually wants to go to their new school.
Submitted by parent on October 11, 2022

My child has absolutely blossomed at this school. Top on my list are the loving atmosphere, the focus on the child, and the communication from the new administration. Meghan, the head of the lower school, is fantastic and so very integrated into the every day running of the school. She knows my very quiet kid and makes sure to say hi to him at every opportunity. Heck. All of the teachers know my kid and just say hi, or inquire about his day. They genuinely care. My kid feels special and cared for. And he learns the most incredible things. He's teaching ME. He legit knows way more than I do and I consider myself relatively learned. On another note, my kid has a minor physical disability but he has NEVER been excluded from anything. Whether it's phys-ed, outdoor education experiences or field trips, he has always been looked after and treated with the utmost respect. Additionally, he has other special needs due to a genetic condition, and his teachers are VERY understanding of the requirements of his condition.Finally, the new administration (as of Fall 2022) has taken some amazing steps in transparency and making really strong steps towards student safety and rectifying hurts of the past.
Submitted by parent on October 10, 2022

Having moved recently from out of state, we have enrolled both of our kids (3 and 6) to Roeper school. The decision to enroll our kids at Roeper was mainly based on the school values and to some extent on the tailoring of their method to gifted students. I was a bit surprised at the amount of poor reviews and felt it would be worth sharing my opinion. While I recognize it may be too early to make a final assessment of the school, here are things that I can say:- I have really felt a strong sense of inclusiveness and social emotional support. I would even say that this is a key strength of the school. I was surprised to hear about other students "special needs" and how accommodating the school has been.- I don't have anything bad to say about the teachers. It was my first time to school for my 3 year old, and within 1.5 weeks he went from screaming for his parents at the drop off to enter school happy and without any issue (I give credit to the teacher for that!). My 6 year old is super excited about school.- I cant comment on the leadership too much other than it looks like it has been refreshed / updated over the last year and the board seems to have gone through some length to find the right fit. The lower school director has relocated recently for this role, and seems nice, open minded and down to earth.- One amazing thing about this school is the amount of efforts / initiatives organized to create a sense of community. We have had a pre school start meeting with parents, a Roeper fest on a Sunday, a night the light even on a Friday evening, and numerous opportunities to meet other parents.- There is diversity in the students who attend Roeper both from a racial and social economic standpoint. There seems to be a good amount of wealthy families (based on the type of car some people drive) but it definitely does not come across as a rich kids only school.What I can not yet fully comment on: how is the education and how does it translate into tangible results. A significant portion of the time at school is spent outside (the campus has a woodsy area and a creek) and playing. Is it too much play? Potentially, not sure yet. My daughter has already made progress in math. My son has developed overall.
Submitted by parent on June 04, 2022

This school is horrible. Avoid at all costs.
Submitted by other on May 21, 2022

There is a powerful lack of accountability amongst the faculty & administrators at this school. Vetting teachers of their potential bias (racial or otherwise) must be prioritized to make the schools environment safe for all students.
Submitted by parent on May 19, 2022

The overall experience isn't great. Leadership is doing a poor job of vetting teachers with some real bad ones allowed to remain on staff.
Submitted by other on January 31, 2022

A fish rots from the HEAD down. Period.
Submitted by parent on September 02, 2020

I am an alumnus of this school. First, yes there are at present problems that could be improved upon. Yes, the experience of the school is not what it was in the past, but those who comment on this probably know little of what that experience actually was. Yes, there are leadership concerns. Secondly, however, I must state with great respect and regard for your personal experiences---- for all those reviewers who use Annemarie Roeper's name and George Roeper's name to compare today's Roeper to the school of the past, especially those who can't even spell her name right, I have this to say... You don't know Annemarie or George and you probably never met them. You don't know anything about what their school was like because you likely didn't go there when they were there (I did) and you did not know them and love them as their alumni do. Please do not use their first names as weapons against their school. This is most inappropriate, and if you knew them and respected them and what they believed in, you would not do this as it is highly unjust and most un-Roeperian. I knew and loved both of them, and if you knew them and loved them as all of their students do/did, then you would judge the school upon its present merits and not upon your perceptions of comparing its present shortcomings of what George and Annemarie would have wished or had implemented at their school, of which you probably know very little.
Submitted by teacher on October 23, 2019

We had great teachers who stayed free of the leadership’s influence. But we could not in good conscience continue to send my children to Roeper. There must be a change in leadership, and it must be a teacher who has been there for a while. This place is rotting from within.
Submitted by other on October 22, 2019

I would give zero stars if possible. Be very weary of this school. Ask questions, many questions. And find parents and children who have left. Their retention rate is low.
Submitted by parent on August 09, 2018

This school has been a game changer, for all of us. It is such an amazing resource for gifted children and their families. We have fallen in love with the entire Roeper community and we are exceptionally grateful for all they have provided to our child. This school is amazing.
Submitted by parent on August 28, 2017

This school has a wonderful optimistic philosophy based on diversity, compassion, justice and equality. But the philosophy is not reality and it's just words on paper. When Ann Marie was alive, things were different. Now, this school doesn't want gifted children if they come with any social side effects. When they identify differences with your child, they will force you out of the school. Diversity? Only if you fit into the scope of their "community guidelines". Compassion? They'll send you packing in a split second at anytime at any point in the year. Equality? There is no equality if you have to be academically advanced and be perfect socially. Justice? There is no justice at this school if you have any type of disability. They'll make you leave. Roeper is no longer the school for really gifted students. Read what others have to say and decide for yourself.
Submitted by parent on July 12, 2017

I would give this school a 2 stars out of 5. The parents and students are awesome. The staff not so much. Talk about favoritism, all of the teachers have their children go there for a reduced rate or free. The problems that can cause...
Submitted by parent on April 24, 2017

Roeper is a wonderful school. I have two gifted children who struggled in other private schools due to academic boredom and social fit. One of my children is highly sensitive and the other has some issues with hyperactivity and sensitivity to outside stimuli (excessive noise etc.) Roeper does a wonderful job of meeting their needs. At Roeper my children are taught to view the world and academic information critically, and use their newfound knowledge to solve problems. For the first time, my children love their school and cannot wait to go each day. They are happy. They address teachers by first name and the dress code is casual; but, do not be fooled - the academics are rigorous. Interestingly, my children have gone from complaining about excessive homework / busy work given at other schools to being engaged with their work and wanting to exceed expectations because they are given so much responsibility and accountability for themselves. We were really at our wits end in trying to find just the right school. We could not be happier with our choice to send out children to Roeper.
Submitted by other on August 21, 2016

Graduated in 1976, my last semester they finally offered typing class. Of course that was never enough. Had to use Chicano Affairs to type my papers in college but still lack those basics to renter the workforce...Now all kids learn on computer keyboards, thank God!!
Submitted by parent on November 13, 2015

We put 3 kids through Roeper, one at true genius level who had socialization & developmental problems. To say that all 3 thrived is an understatement - they LOVED school & would have slept on cots in the upper school if they had allowed it. We never had to worry about them skipping school & they loved their teachers. We now have 3 successful adults with their own families.As a testament to their experiences at Roeper, two have children who need that environment & have put their children there. One is in middle school & the other in the lower school. Neither child can wait to go to school every day.Some children are not a fit, but that doesn't mean this school isn't fantastic for those who are!!