Flagstaff Junior Academy

306 West Cedar Avenue

School District

Flagstaff Junior Academy
Grade

K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:14
Type

charter

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 21, 2024

FJA elementary school is a mixed bag. The lower grades are amazing with supportive teachers that have proper training and credentials while upper grades within the elementary school can be like playing roulette. While they do have some amazing teachers they also have a few that are less than desirable with poor classroom management skills.
Submitted by parent on April 18, 2024

We have been so thankful to have our child at FJA elementary. This is his 3rd school in the Flagstaff area and by FAR the best. His teacher Mrs. Bax is absolutely wonderful. She is kind, creative and very attentive to get to know her students and families. We have had many interactions with the special ed team as well as administration and all are wonderful. It is a very caring group. There are many enriching educational opportunities as well as many cute fun things to keep kids excited about learning. I can’t say enough nice things about them.
Submitted by parent on October 17, 2023

I had three girls in this school. Not only is the education taught very poorly done, but the teachers and staff have no respect for the parents. Belittling them and bullying the children. This school makes me sick, and I would not recommend anyone to send their child here.
Submitted by parent on September 25, 2016

This school went through a huge administration shift a few years ago and I can't believe the difference it has made. It has always been a wonderful school with a healthy balance of teaching community and academics with a very caring staff but the new administration has really raised the standards. The school incorporates mindfulness, strong academics, experienced based learning and also incorporates Montessori philosophy and materials. My kiddos come home from school happy everyday!
Submitted by parent on November 02, 2014

My kids have been at FJA for elementary and middle school. I can truly say that I respect the teachers that they have had. FJA uses a hands on approach and incorporates projects so that the students WANT to learn! The students are treated fairly with the school's huge emphasis on building community. Finally, my 8th grader is gifted. Many of our friends thought we should try other schools in our area, but she has been consistently challenged by her teachers because they are not afraid to involve the students in discussions and projects that meet the Common Core. We are very pleased!!!
Submitted by parent on September 09, 2014

FJA is a great learning environment for my children. The education at the elementary campus uses the core Montessori principle of learning at the pace that best fits the student. At the same time, the students are held accountable for completing their work every week. (Accountability has been a missing piece for us in previous Montessori experiences.) Much of the learning involves hands on projects, field trips, or visiting experts. Children's House (3-6yo) is amazing not only for the learning environment but also for teaching children to treat each other in a kind and respectful way. Our family has had experience with 5 different teachers throughout our years at FJA elementary and all have been top caliber. The small classroom size has ensured that any issues that need to be addressed are done so quickly and I agree with another reviewer who said that the teachers and staff care very much about their students. The only downside to our experience ( and every school has a downside) is the amount of paper or worksheets that come from some of the classrooms. Also the turnover in Spanish language instructors has made the Spanish program somewhat inconsistent.
Submitted by parent on August 21, 2014

This is our third year at FJA. We have sons in 2nd grade and 5th grade. We LOVE FJA. Our sons have been provided opportunities to work above their grade level in the areas in which they have stronger skills; they also receive wonderful support in their areas where they may struggle. There is a strong community with highly involved family support. The kids are held to high expectations with how they treat one another. The multi-grade classroom is fantastic as it allows teacher and student to develop a strong relationship. The teachers and staff genuinely love the school and the kids.
Submitted by parent on July 29, 2014

It's a wonderful school! My daughters are safe, givin the help in their studies when needed!We at fJA are a family! I am so glad that I chose this school from Pre-School on...
Submitted by parent on July 28, 2014

This is a great, small community school. The Elementary is wonderful, especially the kinder and the 1st/2nd classes. 3rd/4th is also good but not as strong as the early years. Unfortunately the 5th grade is now middle school and a separate campus. My kids have been here going on 5 years and we've really liked it here, even with the change in principal and no principal for an entire year. The staff is not very good at communication but they are working on it. I find it sad that many of the teachers are sending their kids to other schools (especially for 5th grade) and that makes me nervous as a parent. The 'small' community that the elementary provided for the past 4 years is now broken with the middle school. Not sure if we will stay be we are going to see how it goes. PROS - small classes, great environment, great teachers, family-oriented CONS - not Montessori based after 1st grade and especially not in 3/4th. Lack of technology used by the teachers (not good with email, web updates, etc) New Spec Ed director is inexperienced and (IMO) she is not best suited for that job. Leadership is new but not sure if it is strong. The school is in transition.
Submitted by parent on August 01, 2013

The school has a great collection of kids and families. Some of the teachers are excellent. Nearly all of the people in positions of authority need to be dismissed, however. They are dishonest, unprofessional, lazy and fail to put the wellbeing of the kids first. They have been known to alter and omit information for parents and the board that might make them look bad. The classes also fail to provide challenge for students that are ahead of the curve. They also waste a great deal of time throughout the day with activities that don't really teach anything.They are technologically deficient and though many subjects are touched on, nothing is really learned in depth. My kids are at this school because socialization is important and the kids that go here are a good group. We are just biding our time until they can go somewhere better.
Submitted by parent on June 05, 2013

I have 2 kids that have been attending fja at the elementary and middle school and i am continuously disappointed. this is their 3rd year at the school and it will be their last. the school is run like day care, with little structure. they have old text books and not enough for each student so they have to share the books in groups. this makes it difficult for someone struggling with math. the teachers have an "oh, they'll learn that next year" attitude and they push off teaching important concepts. a math teacher at the middle school, is mean, impatient, and bullies the kids. he has favorites who he coaxes into laughing at other kids he doesn't like. he makes fun of kids in front of the whole class and cannot control his temper. and administration was not concerned that he was making kids cry. my kids were scoring in the 98th percentile when they came to this school and their test scores have steadily dropped. i heard great things about this school back before 2008, but it is terrible now. kids love the unsupervised, day-care like atmosphere, but they are not learning. try it for a year to see for yourself. it took me three years to realize it just keeps getting worse, not better.