Academy For Positive Learning

2405 Mercer Avenue

School District

Palm Beach
Grade

K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:12
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 other on January 29, 2019

I attended this school from 2010-2013. The school was transitioning to a new building throughout my three years of attending. I revisited the school in the summer of 2017 to see if anything has changed: it barely has. The school has several critical flaws: There was (and probably still is) a lice epidemic, there is no nurse, not all of the staff is english-speaking (not even bilingual), the school has little to no extracurricular activities to be involved in, and most of the school's funds are used for field trips rather than renovating the school. Oh yeah, some classes are also held in trailers.
Submitted by parent on August 17, 2017

horrible awful, stay away from this school.
Submitted by parent on June 24, 2017

My experience at the school was horrible. The administration, staff, and teachers were a joke and student learning was below standard
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2016

This school is a complete joke. Students are pulled from class to throw out garbage. Not everyone is English speaking. There are young kids who handle the paperwork to sign up. When you have questions they have to go ask an adult for the answers as they don't even know!The local dollar stores are more professional and organized than this penny pinching, money sucking, school!
Submitted by student on August 08, 2016

This school is the best it helped me academically in reading when I was falling behind i am now above my grade level all to this school. - current student
Submitted by other on February 02, 2016

I gave Academy For Positive Learning 1 star because I couldn't give it 0 Stars. I thought this school would be great compared to our local public schools. I heard it was an A school from the principal and figured it would be great for my kids.However, there were many incidences in the few days my children attended. One, upon picking my children up after their first day I heard the Principal yelling at a student from outside of the doors. "Tough love" a staff member called this when I asked if she regularly spoke this way to the students. I call it abusive tones and she is lucky that wasn't my child.Two, there is a preventative for Lice that needs to be applied. I thought this was a great idea considering the school just had lice issues months before. Figured the school nurse would apply this treatment that I HAD to pay for. Well, no. I found out the hard way the following day that Academy for Positive learning does NOT have a school nurse.My daughter had a rash on her body and was feeling poorly. She had told one of their staff that she did not feel well and was suffering from a rash. She was given an Ice Pack from the cafeteria and sent back to class. Well, when I confronted the school I was informed that there is no school nurse and that the staff member my child was speaking to didn't understand her because she is Spanish speaking only. Yes, that is comforting. My child suffered through an entire day in a new school and the one person she told -didn't speak English. Disgusting and inexcusable.If I wasn't corrected, I would have thought that this school was just started a year ago. But it wasn't. It's established for 10 years now and they still don't have their stuff together. They don't even have money to pay for a school nurse?!? Save your time and your money. This school is only around to make money and doesn't care about your child's best interest.
Submitted by parent on June 01, 2015

Great staff. Just wish they had some grass for P.E. and a playground. My daughter has excelled there. They are renovating the school so it's getting better.
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2015

Great school my son love it , the teachers are great with the kids Mrs E is big on higher education.
Submitted by parent on July 23, 2014

This school is one of the best it helped my little girl get through some rough times and also academically it improved her learning.
Submitted by parent on July 23, 2014

I'm glad that I enrolled my children in Academy For Positive Learning, I was afraid that my children will be nervous coming to this school and trying to make friends. But after the first month here, they are very happy in coming here and become very open to people. The Principal and the teacher i've meet were very kind and focus on the job in educating the students. It a great school, and it try hard in trying to be the best.
Submitted by other on July 22, 2014

My grandchildren went to this school. When they first enrolled the students were attending classes in trailers. We was told that would only be until Christmas vacation ended it will be three years in Sept of this year. The students are still in trailers. They did build a "NEW" office for the Principal though. Thank God they no longer attend. In my 66 years I have never seen such a poorly run school. I cannot believe they was ever granted a charter.
Submitted by other on May 05, 2014

Do not trust the reviews I went to this school one year "eighth grade" and my reading FCAT scores were 4 and 5 all my life with that one year I went down from a five to a four I'm now a student at boynton beach community high school and this school is better even though some of the bad rep it's had is still true I'd rather go here then back to that school my mom had worked there and she came home crying everyday wishing should could give me and my brother a good life but with the salary she was getting we would be lucky to live from payment to payment. This school is terrible your safer sending your kids to a public school.
Submitted by parent on May 05, 2014

If you really love your kids and want them to succeed in life, then play a more active role in their academic as well as their home lives. I am the proud mother of a kindergartener and 5th grader at A4PL. During the second semester my son's grades began to slip and his teachers requested a conference immediately. I am happy to say that my emails are returned promptly, as are any notes that I write on my children's agenda. My daughter reads at an above grade level and my son's grades have made a complete turnaround. I have had the opportunity to speak with and observe Principal Espinoza on many occasions. It takes a person with a strong character, extreme dedication, and passion to have accomplished what has been done thus far with A4PL. Mrs. Espinoza has shown just that. Parents need to show the same character, dedication, and passion for their child's academic progress as well. No school is perfect, but it takes parental, teacher, and student involvement to strive to make it the best that it could be. I am proud to be an A4PL parent. As a responsible parent, I'd rather be a part of the solution, instead of venting my frustrations anonymously on a review board. Go A4PL!
Submitted by other on May 05, 2014

I am glad that I was enrolled into Academy For Positive Learning by my parents when I was younger. I was the award type who didn't like to socialize with people and was very nervous coming to this school. But after meeting the Principal, teachers, and classmates, I really did open up and glad that I came here. Even after graduating, I still come by over the school just to visit and see how the principal is doing and like to volunteer to help out. Dont get me wrong parents, this is not the perfect school your hoping for, but no school is ever perfect . But it is one of those school of being very great for your children to go. I remember the filed trips, activities, and extra curricular I had in the school. I really Love this school for making me the person I have become today and very grateful for the teacher, classmates, and the Principal for my education.
Submitted by parent on December 15, 2013

You get what you put into it. Ms. E. tries to give her students a huge experience from a small school. She works constantly to give her students great opportunities as they move forward. She always has time to answer your questions, My child continues to do well at AFPL and loves the school. Be involved - be successful.
Submitted by teacher on December 04, 2013

Academy for Positive Learning is constructed by the interests and needs of students. Students interests is very well managedan outstanding perspective... At A4PL students discover understandings and potentials that drive their success in new fields of education yet to come. As a parent I would not doubt of the effectiveness or sucess my kids can achieve in this safe one on one type of learning experience. Teachers do work hard and the principal gives her life to education.
Submitted by parent on October 10, 2013

Do not be fooled by these reviews and stay away! Some of the teachers are excellent but do not last. There have been several mass exodus here where the teachers go to (another charter) school where they are supported by the leadership of the school.
Submitted by other on October 10, 2013

I liked the staff at the school,but I was one of those "not-so-popular" kids who wasn't the best.So of course some of the students can make school there the worst years of your life,but i do recommend it,not 100% because they just got all new staff and removed their 2 best teachers,but a 4/5
Submitted by parent on October 09, 2013

love love love the school my son just started kindergarten and they have a really good positive outlook .My son gets home talking about how great his day was, that's all you can ask for.
Submitted by other on June 12, 2013

I attended this school for three years, and the principal is very involved in the student's education. She geniunely cares about each individual student and wants them to suceed. She is very hands on and I personally feel she has created a beneficial learning environment.