Da Vinci Connect

12501 South Isis Avenue

School District

Da Vinci Connect District
Grade

K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:16
Type

charter

School Map for Da Vinci Connect 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 September 12, 2023

My children are now in 5th and 7th, we have been with Connect since kindergarten. This school has afforded my family the opportunity to spend more time together, bonding and growing, than any traditional setting would ever allow. I am able to curate their education with topics that interest and engage them, while meeting them at their learning level. During their on-campus time they engage in project-based learning that is captivating and teaches them the real-world skills of working in and being a part of a group. This is a school that requires a lot of engagement from the parents. But that also means you meet other kids and families who are deeply engaged with the academic, emotional and physical needs of their kids.
Submitted by parent on January 26, 2023

School was not supporting the parents. They cared more about the teachers then the students. Be ready to be all on your own.
Submitted by parent on April 23, 2019

so far, This school has been amazing. I can't imagine sending my kids anywhere else.
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2019

My family joined this incredible School for Homeschoolers, because it's a place for our two kids to learn in a positive group setting with amazing teachers and support crew! We've been happy campers on this journey with this community since 2013, when my youngest won the lottery to enter Kindergarten. After about a month, my oldest gained a spot as a Sibling Priority from the waitlist for Third grade. DV Connect has enriched our experience as Parent Educators. Our kids love the many fun student-led events and the big community that shows up to support and share in the fun of learning.
Submitted by parent on December 06, 2018

Honestly, I am loving the journey. I feel like my children aren’t growing up as fast at kids in other schools. They are more focused on being kids and learning. They are less distracted.
Submitted by parent on July 19, 2018

The school has increasingly lost its way over the years. We have been at this school going on our 8th year. There is essentially very little in project based learning/projects. I have no idea where all the financial resources are going... it's not towards materials as even the science teacher doesn't have an supplies to work with. The leadership at this school has alienating many families who may have had different opinions, instead of agreeing to disagree, you will be ignored. The positive are exhibitions and Presentations of Learning. So if you are looking for strong, project based learning that is rich, I am sorry to say it is best a hit and miss here.
Submitted by parent on September 21, 2016

Da Vinci is not for every kid. It is really depends on your child's personality and learning styles. No one school is "One size fits all". My son was tested at 99.9 percentile as exceptionally gifted for the IQ test. This is his 8th school in past 4 years and we finally found the school he loves and wishes it is a 5 day school. He studies one grade above at school and enjoys his school life so much. He refused to skip another grade because he felt he was not ready to hang out with those big kids socially, emotionally and physically. At home, we have the flexibility to chose the curriculum and grade levels that fit him and he studies 2-4 grade levels above depends on the subject and areas. It's lot of work on my side but works perfect for us. My son always said "Mommy, we are so blessed to get into Da Vinci!"
Submitted by parent on August 02, 2016

Great school for kids with unique challenges in a traditional school setting. The staff is very friendly and often refers to students as "friends". The school has a heavy emphasis on "compassionate communication" which is great most of the time and creates a welcoming and accepting environment. However, "compassionate communication" also seems to be an excuse for allowing disruptive student behaviors to go on for some time without being addressed with clear, enforced boundaries. Also, there is no support for "gifted" or "high-achieving" students to be appropriately challenged while on campus. It seems as though students who are capable of deeper work lose their passion for learning as they move up in grades due to a lack of "good struggle" with academic content. Much focus is given to struggling students to "bring the up", but it seems as though gifted students are "held back" so that in general the academic field is "even" for all. The only support for gifted students is done through proactive parents at home. It is a wonderful school for students with challenging social, emotional, and struggling academic needs.
Submitted by parent on January 13, 2016

I never imagined I could be this happy about a school. While many of my friends at traditional schools complain that their kiddos hate school and play sick to get out of it, my kids LOVE going to school and "play healthy" to try to be with their incredible teachers everyday. I have been an elementary teacher myself for over a decade and now teach teachers at the college level and am amazed at how this non-traditional school aligns with best practices and research in all areas. The teachers are wonderful. I am impressed with the constant parent support and individualized feedback. It feels like a family. This is how all schools should be.
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2015

My son had attended this school for 3 years now, he is in the fifth grade, and I have to say I really disagree with the negative reviews I've read here. Keep in mind, when signing up for hybrid homeschool learning, you as a parent are becoming your child's educator. I have had the help of his teachers and the many seminars to learn how to be this, and it is a lot of work and for myself, and a bit nerve racking at times, trying to make sure he is on the level he is supposed to be, but that comes with the homeschool territory. We have loved his teachers, and they have helped me whenever I needed. They have always looked over my sons work and corrected it, gave feedback as to where he needs to improve, helped me with any homeschool work that i had questions on. The school embraces creative forms of learning: projects, field trips, hands on experiments, learning math in ways you would encounter it in real life. My son hated his former traditional school, filled with workbooks and quizes, but he is a smart, curious learner and really thrives at Da Vinci. It's definetly not for the faint of heart, it's sooo different than traditional schooling these days, that you could easily panic and just opt to do what everyone else is doing and put your child in a traditional school. But my son is happier than ever, and really thriving where he is, so that is good enough for me. Most of the families in know that are there love it as well, and those that don't seem more overwhelmed by the homeschool dynamic and perhaps not having the time to invest in it. This school is not for everybody, but for those that want homeschool, with the help of teachers that genuinely care, and a community of kids and parents that are passionate about learning, then this school might be for you.
Submitted by parent on September 17, 2015

This school was extremely disappointing. The only thing about our experience in the four years that my child was there that aligned with what they claimed were the components of their school model was that it was a two day school week. While there are a couple of good teachers on staff, most of the teachers are very inexperienced and don't seem to know how to manage class room dynamics. The kids spend a large amount of time on the computer, either watching youtube or brain pop videos or doing computer programs with no guidance. I had to actually call one of the companies that provided one of the programs they were doing to answer a few questions and they told me the program was not even being used the way it was designed to be and they were upset at how it was being used! The teachers are also horrible at communication. Not responding at all to direct emails and questions about what is going on in the classroom or curriculum and not giving any feedback on your child's work is standard practice. I'm a big believer in project based education but they don't really do any projects that are not also done in most local public schools. They require a lot of busy work from the parents with meetings and work journals in order to sustain their system but you get very little back in return for the time you put in. Thankfully, I had been a full time homeschooler before we attended and were able to make up for the lack of teaching or my child would of fallen terribly behind. My child actually requested to go to another school, even if it meant five days a week, because she didn't feel challenged or listened to by the teachers. The model that they promote on their website is a wonderful idea but they are not putting it effectively in to practice. When I finally moved my child to another school one of her first comments about going to a new school was how good it felt to have teachers that not only would help her when she was having trouble with a problem but also actually seemed happy to help her because her teacher at Davinci always seemed mad at her whenever she asked for help. I made multiple efforts to communicate and resolve these issues with the administration and would get no real answers or actions taken to improve the situations.
Submitted by parent on August 21, 2015

This is our second year at DVIA, which is a unique homeschool/public school hybrid. My kids love this school so much. They look forward to their on-campus days in which they do project-based learning. The teachers and staff are all so caring and supportive. The program is developmentally appropriate and stimulating. It is a public charter school, so you must apply for the lottery in the fall/winter before you wish to enroll. We really feel very fortunate to be here!
Submitted by parent on September 02, 2014

DVIA is a charter school with two programs: 1.) 2-days on site (either M/Th or Tu/Fri) and 3 days of homeschool with an optional enrichment program. 2.) Full Time Independent Study (homeschool) with optional enrichment program Their focus is on social-emotional development and project-based learning. The caliber of educators and administrators is far beyond what I could have dreamed up for my family. Homeschooling is not for the faint of heart and takes some creative scheduling to accomplish for a working family, however, it is worth every minute to be actively involved in my child's education. Be sure to attend an information meeting before applying online. There is a lottery and the deadline to apply is typically the last Friday in February.