American Academy

6971 Mira Vista Lane

School District

Douglas County Re 1
Grade

PK, K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:17
Type

charter

School Map for Douglas County Re 1 School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on May 03, 2024

I have 3 kids at this school and we all love it. We transferred here after being at a different charter school and my kids tell me almost every day how happy they are and how much they love school. PROs: Family activities (the yearly gala is incredible!)Ability grouping for Literacy and MathThe Principal Communication between administration and parents CONs:The drop off/pick up lineThis school is definitely rigorous and they’ll expect a lot from your kids, but my kids have loved the high expectations and we are thrilled to be apart of the AACP family.
Submitted by parent on March 10, 2024

It is with a heavy heart that I am writing this review. We tried to get into AA for a few years and were delighted to get a place. The marketing materials certainly made us expect a lot - great teachers, select activities, good student support, no bullying. Just what any parent wants, right? Boy, were we wrong. After two years at this school, I am glad my child is leaving this school behind and moving on to another school. Let me break it down some for prospective parents, hopefully to make people rethink the decision.Let's star with emotional support. Or the lack of thereof. In case of any emotional problem at school, teachers will first ignore it, when pressed by parents, they will punt it to the school counselor, who will then ignore parents. Worse, in case of a bullying complaint, they will face the victim with bullies and make them apologize each other. They certainly know how to victimize children even further. Theft in classrooms and destruction of property is very common. Pencils, erasers, markers are stolen and even repeated reports to the room teacher are ignored. Kids ran rampart in classes and the room teacher is "not aware" of anything. I guess they would rather close their eyes and pretend the problem does not happen rather than deal with it. Learning experience is a hit and miss, depending on what teachers you happen to have the given year. A good caring teacher will certainly help, but these are few and far between. In 3 years, we came across 2 (literally, two) teachers who would be actual educators and dedicated to helping kids. The rest will either ignore kids' needs, run through the material at lightning speed and never answer questions, or punt all questions to parents. Yes, we are partners in education but penalizing our children for not understanding specific topics and failing to answer their questions (repeated) during the class just shows precisely how much you care about them. Safety wise, it is good to see that the school has a policeman hanging around the school. There is allegedly also some "close cooperation" with Parker PD, but it is hard to feel kids are safe when they are being bullied at school and repeated reports are brushed aside. Teachers ignore these, counselor does not do anything with them, and we're told to report it to the principal in person, and it is next to impossible to get her to schedule a meeting. In short, AA promises a lot, delivers little, and is a great disappointment. A building is nice, sure.
Submitted by other on March 10, 2024

I hated this school with my whole heart. This is the worst school ever. Homework load is insane, most teachers dont teach well, i learned nothing and had no idea what i was doing going into high school, if you get caught with a phone there is huge concequences which doesnt make any sense. Last year i got my airpods taken away from me by the middle school principle on the last day of 8th grade. Im over this school and it needs to go.
Submitted by parent on November 20, 2023

My kids love AALM , teachers are very trained and supportive. Highly recommend
Submitted by parent on November 17, 2023

American Academy offers a learning environment that far surpasses my expectation. I am thrilled and delighted to have my kids at this school. They are thriving. Absolutely the best school around.
Submitted by parent on May 26, 2023

This schools staff yell at students to stop crying and give out detentions to random students. The attendants are supper sketchy and half of them treat students horribly. They hired a kindergarten teacher that duck taped people mouths. This school is truly shameless in its ambition and only awards students who are in the out of school programs aka who gives the most money to the school. If you value your child do not send them there.
Submitted by parent on February 15, 2022

Bullying is rampant at the castle pines location and the administration will do nothing about it. I withdrew my sons from there and they are doing great now.
Submitted by parent on April 19, 2021

My daughters have been at the school for the past 3 years and we are so happy. The teachers we have encountered have been top-notch. The school values character building, STEM, and teach to kids in a variety of ways that are fun, creative, and effective. I feel confident that my kids are getting a great education. My kids love their teachers and their school. American Academy in Castle Pines is a good fit for my kids. I highly recommend the school.
Submitted by student on February 15, 2021

I always aspired to go to this school, all the way from 5th grade. Finally, in 6th grade, going into seventh, I was accepted to the school. I was ecstatic. My first day of school was great as I immediately connected with almost all of the students. I still like it to this day. Sure, there may be the one or two teachers who give you sufficient time to work, but generally, all of the teachers are relatable and really kind. The classes really improved my knowledge and were generally engaging.However, the school has its negatives. I'm going to be harsh on them with this one. The lunch is horrific. They try to produce something unique, but with our limited budget, they really can't produce anything remotely good. Also, study hall is so depressing. Select teachers will oppress the smart kids when they get off task, and then let the kids with trash grades do whatever they want. It's outrageous!All in all, though, I love this school, and I always will.
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2020

I have two children who have been at AA since kindergarten. One is in middle school now.The school is not for everyone, but your child will learn more here than most places, not just education, (which is top notch) but time management, good character, and good citizenship Until your child learns to use study hall, or learns to sit down and do their homework instead of fighting it, the workload feels high, but the vast majority of kids get their work done in study hall, with a few minutes at home (almost always less than a half hour).
Submitted by parent on December 03, 2020

Great school. Grandkids started there in preschool and have loved everyday. It's a great learning community. All teachers are kind and compassionate about teaching.
Submitted by parent on December 03, 2020

Very happy with my daughter progress and she more focus and confidence and very happy with teachers
Submitted by parent on March 02, 2020

School does not differentiate for the students who are not on grade level. Very disappointed.
Submitted by parent on February 13, 2020

Not great, the pick up line is ridiculous and one particular aid yelled at me and my son.
Submitted by parent on October 24, 2019

Excellent. I would highly recommend parents take a close look at this school to see if it’s a good fit for your student!
Submitted by parent on October 23, 2019

The school has an unfortunate tendency to not understand what kids go through - especially around middle school ages. They need remedial training for their administrators, board, and teachers. The administration also needs to heed the expert recommendations of the support staff.
Submitted by parent on September 30, 2019

Terrible, I wouldn’t send your children there.
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2019

It was awful. I can’t imagine a student this is a good safe place for.
Submitted by parent on May 27, 2019

Overall it was not good, although there were some positives along the way, from various good families we connected with, to some nice children who were in the same boat and just trying to survive it, to a handful of staff we loved though also felt great sympathy or because of what they themselves endured. We have never felt such relief- to be emancipated from that burdensome culture was probably one of my child's best days!
Submitted by parent on December 04, 2018

Incredible school and experience for my son. Loved everything about it aside from the lack of buses.