Thomas Jefferson Charter School

1209 Adam Smith Avenue

Caldwell, ID 83605

8 Reviews

School District

Vallivue
Grade

K-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:19
Type

charter

Find Homes for Sale in this School Zone

Reviews

Submitted by student on March 29, 2021

While Thomas Jefferson is a great school academically and provides a challenge for attending students, there are many negatives. One of which is that the school is severely lacking in activities and sports. If a student ever wanted to participate in a sport or band, they would have to reach out to nearby schools which can be a challenging process. The challenging work and advanced academics do however have a negative side. A lot of the times, assignments can be very overwhelming. I think there may be a lack in teacher communication with eachother considering what they're assigning to students. There have been some instances where 3 different teachers would assign many assignments without the knowledge that other teachers have already assigned much. This is how the work load starts to pile up and become stressful and at the brink of becoming unmanageable. There are times where you may need to spend late nights on schoolwork. Unfortunately, students falling behind seem to be slightly neglected, and students who advance and perform well are upheld. The school also seems to be lacking in funding. However, some positives with this school is that class sizes are smaller than public schools, so students have the opportunity to have a one-on-one learning experience. The cafeteria lunch at this school is always great, and all faculty are friendly and helpful.
Submitted by parent on March 09, 2016

I attended my (2nd) freshman year to my sophomore year, and at that time I was a real pain to the teachers. Fortunately both the principal and the teachers were very patient, helpful, and understanding. Which I am very thankful for! For my junior year I returned to CHS. Because of the amount of credits I earned at TJCS I qualified to enter as a senior. What blew my mind was that most of the content we were learning I had already studied as a sophomore. I would definitely recommend this school if you're looking to get ahead in education.
Submitted by parent on August 03, 2014

This school is great if your child doesn't have any learning challenges. My two oldest children have thrived for years at TJ. But my youngest son is dyslexic. Lack of leadership on the principal's level and teachers who care to place blame on parents are driving us away from this school. It's unfortunate that the staff here are more focused on test scores and less interested in using techniques that help your child learn. Because it is a charter school there are limited resources for students with learning disabilities. We are sad to leave, but this school just isn't a good fit for our son.
Submitted by other on April 23, 2014

Thomas Jefferson Charter School is a diamond in the rough. I have learned so many priceless lessons and concepts at this school that I never would have learned anywhere else. Some may criticize the principal, for reasons unjustified, as the principal (not principle) is not the only one responsible for making financial decisions that affect the school; the school board is the group responsible, and they have done a fantastic job. Last time I checked, TJCS has carefully considered every financial decision made, and uses every resource it has carefully, which is evident by the computers used in the Commons (quite old Windows XP laptops, fairly worn out, but still usable). Any student who needs extra help can stay after school and request help from a teacher, or, even better, can ask a member of the school's National Honor Society for tutoring help, as I know they will all be happy to assist anyone in need of help. If anyone has qualms about this school, they should justify them and support them sufficiently, which I believe is not possible, as this school is of a much higher quality than almost every other school in Idaho.
Submitted by parent on April 23, 2014

This school has a principle that is completely useless. Thomas Jefferson has misused Title One federal funding. Instead of using it to help those student who need extra help, they spent it on new computers!!
Submitted by parent on June 07, 2013

I find Thomas Jefferson Charter School to be an amazing school, especially the high school and its teachers. My children have grown tremendously while attending this school and I feel very confident that they will be prepared for college and work. My children have been reading advanced texts in their US History, Government, Economics, and English courses. They have been exposed to college level material that requires high levels of critical thinking and analysis. I find the teachers in these courses to be very helpful and supportive of my children's learning. The teachers have exposed my children to multiple perspectives within the subject areas. Beyond this, my children have been required to synthesize multiple perspectives in order to formulate their own opinions with reasoned arguments; all of this with near college level material. WOW!!!! Teachers are highly qualified and open minded with many of them holding Master degrees. I could not ask for a better school, learning environment, or a better staff to support my children's learning. I am grateful for the quality of education that my children have received while attending TJCS. THANK YOU TJCS!!!!!
Submitted by other on April 23, 2013

I am currently a Senior in Thomas Jefferson Charter school. When beginning school here you are told things are much harder and that's how they "weed out" the good kids and the bad. The good stick around and the bad face disciplinary action and if no change is made they are removed. Truth is, that's not the case at all. TJCS used to be a school were smart kids went to better their education and when they were tired of the typical public schools way of doing things. Now it's a savior school, all these kids who've been kicked out of Caldwell flock here because they don't want to go to Canyon Springs. No change is made in their attitude or work ethic or habits, rather than work for their grades they push the bare minimum and teachers pass them through just like in a public school because that is what is expected of them now. Can't fail a large bunch of kids without it making the teacher/school look bad. The teachers are fantastic and they do the very best they can with the situations they're given. Administration needs to stop turning a blind eye to these situations and actually do something about them. 3 strikes and you're out. A great school, must have great students.
Submitted by parent on August 07, 2011

My daughter is beginning her senior year. She has been at TJCH for two years. TJCS has been a huge blessing for us. The Caldwell High School was not teaching. As a freshman she watched movies, played cards and colored. At TJCS she has been preparing forcollege, doing internships, community service, and innovation projects. Regarding the board: I have not had any issues. Regarding the principal: Mr Ward has rules that must be followed. I admire that. My daughter has followed the rules and we have had no issue at all. Moving her to TJCS was the best decision we have made in her education and growth as a person who will contribute in a positive way to society.