Greater San Diego Academy

14545 Lyons Valley Road

Jamul, CA 91935

School District

Jamul-Dulzura Union Elementary
Grade

K-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:24
Type

charter

School Map for Jamul-Dulzura Union Elementary 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 January 26, 2025

GSDA has changed. They are no longer taking high school students, which I wish was something they had warned us that THAT decision was a possibility of happening so we could’ve just looked for different school. Did not get the support my students needed. Almost felt like they didn’t even want to try or bother so they let my whole family go in the middle of the school year instead of just offering other choices for my students to learn and get the emotional support that was needed that schools usually provide. And we were left on our own to look for another hybrid school. The online program we signed up for was only there to get a grade in a specific timeframe or you fail. There was no learning and since it was already paid for…too bad, right? The consultants are helpful but when the higher up was decided to be involved per policy, the care of the added stress to my students slowly ceased to exist. Why did I still say yes to recommend this school? The teachers and most of the staff are very friendly and helpful but it just didn’t leave a great impression on us on how they handled our family BUT your family’s experience may be great for grade K-8. Just good to know what happens if things aren’t working out as planned.
Submitted by other on August 06, 2023

This school does not accommodate students with IEP's unless you are willing to just agree with everything they say in the meetings. As soon as you start questioning they will pressure/bully you. Most of the IEP team manipulates the data they collect for the goals and for any testing you request. They provide the minimum of services that the students need because of this. The director is condescending and rude, she will deliberately ignore messages or phone calls that she decides are not important. I would highly recommend you enroll your kids in the other homeschooling programs available in East County.
Submitted by parent on December 12, 2022

I have two children enrolled into GSDA. We have been there for 3 years and plan to continue. We love all the staff and the teachers are amazing. My kids run to give everyone on campus a hug! They have figured each of my child’s individual needs and tailored to each perfectly. I love the flexibility and being able to choose what I teach. Taking it slow when needed and speeding it up when a topic is easy. We especially have a great time on Outdoor learning days and field trips. Homeschooling definitely isn’t always easy but GSDA makes learning as fun as possible.
Submitted by teacher on November 07, 2017

I have worked with GSDA for several years. All the consultants on the staff have a desire to make the experience as best as possible for each family. At GSDA, our mission is to use a personalized learning model to guide students in the pursuit of a lifelong love of learning while providing an emotionally safe environment. Families here are provided with quality support to guide them through the journey of homeschooling. I'm impressed everyday by the dedication the staff has to each of their students and how much thought they put into how they want or need to guide the family. This program offers so much flexibility which can benefit students who have different learning needs, while maintaining accountability for student achievement. I'm so fortunate to be part of a group of professionals that can appreciate that not all students fit into the same mold and understand that all students have different learning styles.
Submitted by student on October 10, 2017

I attended Greater San Diego Academy from 2015 to 2017, entering my sophomore year. I previously attended High Tech High International, another charter school located in Point Loma.Due to HTHI not allowing any students to graduate early or to take college courses, I decided to leave and attend GSDA. Two years later, I was able to take a course at Southwestern College and graduate high school a year early. The teachers at GSDA are great. However, they are very busy. My consultant and teacher Jan Marquez met with other students and me on a weekly basis to see how much work we had completed according to our plan of study. The beauty of GSDA is that each student's plan of study is different. I chose the 4-year university track, so I followed the A-G subject requirements. I had some classmates that were on a community college track. Therefore their plan of study was different. I doubt that without the plan of study, the weekly meetings, and a clear sight of the work I needed to complete, that I would have been able to graduate a year early. The way that the classes are structured is that you go in person twice a week and the other three days of the week you work at home. This structure makes it much easier for a student who is focused on extracurricular activities, working, graduating early, and more. Due to this type of arrangement, I had to be independent and focused on my studies, as I didn't go to a physical class every day. Moving from a project-based learning system like High Tech High which does not use textbooks to GSDA whose classes often use textbooks was not that hard of a transition, but it certainly was a different way to study. The only downsides that I see in GSDA are some of their online classes like Spanish are not the best when compared to other language applications (their online classes like U.S. History are great though), and their offices can get cramped when many students are in the building. Other than these small problems, I can attest that GSDA was an excellent choice.
Submitted by parent on June 03, 2015

Great school! Wonderful staff that will provide personalized learning for students. Enrichment and core classes available, as well as a high school program!
Submitted by parent on February 03, 2014

I do not know what the October parent was looking for in a school, but maybe he/she was unrealistic in expectations. You have to want to work with your children and be their teacher, and it is a lot of work to do that. This school has given me great support for my three children, provided chances for them to socialize, to attend great field trips and to grow as much as they want. You get out of this school what you put in...and more!
Submitted by parent on October 10, 2013

I wish I could rate it 0 stars. Awful values at this school. I have nothing positive about the experience we had. We left. Sadly, I know we aren't the only ones. So disappointing. Look for another school. I encourage you NOT to go here. You have a choice don't use it on this school. So disappointed.
Submitted by parent on November 20, 2012

So far we have only been a part of this school since the beginning of the 12-13 school year. My First child, started K this year. I started doing research on all the HS programs in the San Diego area when she was just 1. After lots of research I narrowed it down to GSDA and TLC Academy. I choose a state funded charter school because I did not like the set up of any of the Private Homeschools. So I then visited both of the schools and got all my question answered and went with GSDA for two reasons. 1. I felt that the school offered a greater choice of flexibility than TLC. 2. There are free on-site (choose 1 of 4 sites) classes and there are other classes you can pay for. You get $70 per month for either fee based onsite classes or off-site classes like Gymnastics. For TLC you either used your $70 for on-site classes or off site. No Free on site classes at TLC. Our experience so far has been great. It is challenging, but well worth it for the end result. Our daughter loves school and looks forward to going. Plus, we get to have time to lots of other things, zoo, parks, hikes and lots of time with Grandma. I like to think of GSDA as organized but flexible.
Submitted by parent on November 18, 2012

GSDA is the answer to our schooling needs. I have never experienced such a friendly and caring environment in the public school world. The teachers and staff are outstanding and the enrichment program is AMAZING! The classes are designed to build well rounded, thinking people. I strongly recommend taking a look at the GSDA course offerings if you are shopping for constructive and meaningful enrichment for your child. GSDA offers excellent support to both parents and students. The education specialists help design a customized learning program based on the individual needs of each student and tutoring is available. I am grateful this unique school exists. This is one school where teachers can still creatively teach and inspire children to love learning.
Submitted by parent on November 18, 2012

This is a great school! The teachers are fabulous and the workshop classes are so unique. This school has several locations/campuses, we are fortunate to live where we can take advantage of the North County workshop offerings. My kids love the enrichments! This is our first year with GSDA but we know other families who have attended the school for the past several years and we have watched those children blossom. After the negative experiences endured in public schools, we finally decided to take the path less traveled in hopes our children could pursue a truly rich, leadership education within a healthy and productive environment.GSDA fits.I saw reviews that said the school was rigid and didn't allow the flexibility they wanted, I can't imagine as we have never encountered that problem. The staff is very open to helping find the right fit for each student. For example, we requested not to be bound to texts when it comes to Language Arts as I feel standard issue student anthology texts lack the richness and lessons of the classics. We are free to study the classics as long as we are achieving our educational goals and fulfilling our requirements. This is a GREAT SCHOOL!
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2010

As a credentialed teacher who is now a SAHM I feel that I can judge this school fairly. I don't have anything against public or private schools per se. However, what I do know, especially in the state of CA and the No Child Left Behind Act, is that if you are not in a wealthy area and you have an above average child the public schools are encouraged to let the above average student fend for themselves and focus on the average and low achievers to get the test scores up. If you are able, & lucky enough, to homeschool your child GSDA is the way to go. They offer classes every week, different choices of curriculums, have supplemental and thematic books/units, ask for parental input on how to better the school, offer credits per month to help pay for outside extracurricular activities, and is WASC accredited. All for FREE!