Beacon Academy

1574 Sherman Avenue

Evanston, IL 60201

16 Reviews

School District
Grade

9-12
Type

private

Find Homes for Sale in this School Zone

Reviews

Submitted by parent on August 19, 2024

After my family moved to the area from out of state my husbandwas diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. After his loss, my son was really struggling with grief and depression. I was looking for a small school with a personal touch. My son was an incoming Junior and they said they would waive the language requirement. a year later they sprung on me in August, that they would not waive the requirement and he could nit graduate on time. They recommended that I move him to public school, so I did. After which they refused to refund my $16,000 payment for first semester Senior year. He didn't attend a single day. They also, harassed me for second semester payments with collection calls and refused to sign a social security form to help me get social security as a widow of 3 children. The head of school was incredibly degrading when I called her to discuss a possible refund.Beacon Academy claims to be a holistic approach and a caring environment. Don't buy it.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2022

At Beacon you chart your own path. It is extraordinary preparation for college and beyond...
Submitted by parent on May 24, 2020

After 8 weeks of remote learning, I can confidently say Beacon Academy worked quickly and nimbly to deliver high-level remote learning. Rather than view current circumstances with anxiety, I saw our faculty and staff embrace the moment with characteristic curiosity and opportunity. Working in its favor clearly are its size, small class sizes, and innovative environment. Within just one week, teachers and administrators moved to remote platforms without compromising quality of education. We feel very fortunate our child continues to thrive, despite not seeing her peers and teachers in person. Teachers and administrators check in on students to ensure they address any potential academic gaps and any social-emotional issues. Clubs/activities also continue to meet regularly, allowing students ongoing interactions and reinforcing community bonds. We have no doubt Beacon will plan successfully for opening in Fall 2020, with resilience, flexibility, and enthusiasm.
Submitted by student on October 17, 2019

At first, I was so impressed with Beacon. My child came home happy from school, something they had never done before. I credited beacon with giving my child a new found sense of security and excitement for learning. However, I eventually realized that my child was only happy because there were no academic expectations, little homework, and little incentive to work hard or try their best.
Submitted by parent on September 09, 2019

My daughter transferred in and had an amazing experience.She is now in college and said Beacon helped set her up for success.
Submitted by parent on April 16, 2019

Still a work in progress. Some exceptional faculty; some less so. No feedback mechanism or followup on concerns. IB implementation lacks sufficient preparation/support by some faculty; students are tasked with designing and implementing research projects with little experience or scaffolding, and exam content isn’t adequately covered in all courses.
Submitted by student on February 26, 2019

I am a freshmen and so far my experience has been far from great. The academics have been a complete review for me and the kids don't care about school. The admin won't take feedback.
Submitted by other on January 11, 2019

If you want to be prepared for college, do not attend this school.
Submitted by parent on March 31, 2018

Outstanding! I have nothing negative to say.
Submitted by parent on March 26, 2018

Beacon is a wonderful place for students to develop confidence and feel great about themselves. The small, highly collaborative learning environment allows students to engage in group discussions and feel heard. My son, a freshmen at Beacon, comes home in the evening with an equal number of opinions about worldy topics as he does questions. In months, I've seen him mature into a young adult with a growing thirst for knowledge and the confidence to take emotional risks in group discussion. I couldn't be happier with our choice to send our son to Beacon.
Submitted by parent on March 26, 2018

We have two children at Beacon. The first child chose Beacon as an alternative to a 3000K public school. Four years ago Beacon had about 40 students and a little more than a dozen teachers and administrators. This worked for our child who needed an alternative approach to learning and school. Four years later and Beacon has several dozen teachers and admin plus close to 200 students. Our second child, who wasn't looking for an alternative environment found an immediate home when she visited on her shadow day and couldn't wait to attend. Beacon is the answer to all kinds of students. Beacon provides a stellar education and safe environment for self-exploration and intellectual curiosity!
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2018

This school is excellent. I hope the parent of a freshman who is unhappy with the amount of homework hangs in there. By junior year the kids are ready to take on heavy academic loads. The difference is that they take the responsibility on with pride and self-assuredness, and not with stress and self-doubt. None of us want our kids’ lives to be just a grind to get to the next level. By addressing the whole person, I’ve found Beacon has led my junior to young adulthood and a lifelong love of learning and hard work.
Submitted by parent on March 02, 2018

We have a child at this school and I am beginning to think that this school is more of a profit-making business than a school. Their philosphy on learning doesn’t translate into the real world. They have no homework to do at home. Everything is done at school. At what point do they actually learn how to become responsible for themeselves and not watched over? My child doesn’t seem to really learn anything much, and while her friends in other schools are home studying, she has nothing to study. Does this school really believe that this philosophy will translate into the real world? And how will they possibly do well on testing for college? This is a mystery to me, and we are considering transferring. Of course, our daughter is comfortable staying at Beacon - wouldn’t we all be comfortable doing nothing all day and having no personal responsibility for ourselves?
Submitted by parent on August 22, 2017

Great education in a caring and challenging environment
Submitted by student on May 21, 2016

I love Beacon Academy! I did not have a wonderful high school experience before I came to Beacon, but the school is amazing. All of the teachers are wonderful, kind, and always willing to help. They truly care about their students. The community is incredibly accepting and welcoming.
Submitted by parent on February 18, 2016

The perfect school for the academically curious. Our family is lucky to have found Beacon.