Starshine Academy

3535 E McDowell Rd.

School District

Starshine Academy
Grade

K-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:10
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 August 02, 2023

Where to start? I can write a novel on how this school is not where any parent would want to enroll their child at. 1) Constant discrimination 2) Physical & verbal abuse from school staff 3) Harsh & cruel punishments towards children from school staff 4) Can’t keep teachers leaving kids without teachers for months and even years. 5) Massively unorganized 6) Lack of sports and extracurricular clubs, activities. 7) Poor education 8) Poor college preparation for juniors & seniors 9) Poor Special Education Dept and implementation 10) Not welcoming or supportive of parent participation.
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2020

I wouldn’t recommend this school to anyone!!!
Submitted by teacher on October 29, 2017

This school is a disaster from the inside out. They have the right ideas but nowhere near the ability to develop good ideas into tangible experiences for the students. The owner filed for bankruptcy as a result of super high amount of turnover in both staff and students. People come and do not stay as soon as they see how insufficiently the school is running.
Submitted by other on September 27, 2017

Students are not prepared for reality of academics but socially I assume they can perform daily tasks for living, like gardening and shaking someone's hand.
Submitted by other on May 25, 2016

StarShine is an extremely unique school where in the same day a student can play basketball in a beautiful new gym, work on a high tech project on their individual tablet computer in the innovation center, work in the on campus garden, play soccer on the soccer field and learn to care for goats and chickens in the on-campus pet area. Students follow individual learning plans that are specially designed to meet their academic needs while emphasizing areas in which the student displays interest and aptitude. Teachers are all committed to working with the "whole student" and not just treat the student as another test score. A great rapport exists between the student and facility because the students recognize that their teachers really care about helping them achieve their goals. The schools curriculum revolves around a set of 15 guiding principles that help the student and teachers learn to live a better life. StarShine stands as a shining beacon of light in a inner city neighborhood that is often devoid of hope and expectation. It stands as a true example of how charter schools can bring quality education and facilities to neighborhoods that are otherwise filled with blight
Submitted by parent on May 25, 2016

I am a parent of an 8th grade girl and we couldn't be happier. She has not only learned the core academics - but she has enjoyed the enrichment programs like music and gardening. the teachers are great and caring and dedicated. . . .so happy this charter school is an option.
Submitted by teacher on May 24, 2016

I have learned that every school has difficulties, yet StarShine Academy has helped many students achieve their goals in gaining an education both inside and outside of the traditional classroom setting. Without StarShine Academy, many many students would not have the opportunity to succeed in life. StarShine Academy has been around for 13 years now, and will continue at least another 13 years.
Submitted by principal on May 24, 2016

Dear Parents and Visitors, StarShine welcomes you. We believe each and every child has the ability to do something unique and wonderful to make the world better. We believe all schools and teachers should bring out the best in every student and to teach them not only academics but how to live and make good choices in body, mind, spirit, health, wealth and happiness. Our teachers exemplify excellence and our school is a way for others to follow. Our focus is 100% on each child. Test scores and grades do not tell much about what a child should know and master. It is time to revolutionize schools, so they work for everyone, including parents. Thank you for caring for your child, they are our future. Sincerely, Trish McCarty
Submitted by other on April 14, 2016

Starshine Academy has filed BANKRUPTCY. This school has is owned by a self center woman that only cares about herself. NEVER returns phone calls.Don't think they'll be around much longer. The state needs to have better screening processes before they give out charters to just anyone.
Submitted by parent on April 12, 2016

My child is currently attending this school. I can honestly say that this is the worse school I ever put my child in. I will be removing my child from this terrible school. My child also have been in a classroom and experience two of here teachers leaving in just 4 months. The students can do whatever they want. Some are bullies and no one does anything about it. The best teachers are gone and this school is frankly a mess. I dislike this school along with former teachers and parents. This school needs to be shut down. I could open and operate a school better than Starshine Academy any day.
Submitted by other on December 06, 2015

Where to start? My son changed teachers 3 times in just 4 months, and the school never notified me. I heard about the changes from him at home.I only got a letter home from the school three times during that 4 months. Otherwise, I was completely in the dark about what was going on. As far as I know, there's no PTA. The school doesn't host any activities. I have no idea what their curriculum is comprised of, despite asking.Their website is full of lies. For example, they say they have after care programs like gardening, yoga, art, music, and so on. Nope. The kids sit in front of the TV the entire time during aftercare. High-schoolers watch them. The animal care program was discontinued this year. (Again, I only found out about this from my son, not a peep from the school.) If they are lying about these things, what else are they lying about? Do they not use respectful communication practices, as they say? Is their pedagogy not based on evidence, as they say? There is no sign-out sheet. There was one day when I didn't realize that my sitter had already picked up my child, and when I got to the school, nobody knew where he was. We wandered around the campus for several minutes, panicked that he had disappeared, until I thought to call the sitter. What if it hadn't been the sitter who had picked him up??? After this incident, I urged them to establish a sign-out procedure, but they didn't. Eventually I didn't feel safe leaving him at the after care program and made other after school arrangements.I emailed the principal my concerns about our experiences at the school. I got no response. I called and left a message, asking him to call me back. No response. I stopped by the office to talk with him. He wasn't there.So I withdrew my child. This school is a farce, a sham. Someone is profiting from the grant money, but they don't care about the students, that's for sure.
Submitted by other on November 12, 2015

The founder of this school uses these kids to promote herself and advance her personal ambitions. She has cut corners repeatedly to the detriment of students. Teachers are either fired or get wise to the StarShine scam and move on. Look at the schools results. The poor kids at this school are at the bottom of the state when it comes to testing. It's all about the founder squeezing her wealthy friends for donations to support her international trips in which she flogs her book all about the StarShine "Effect." The only common effect shared by these kids is the need to overcome this so called educational experience. Very sad.
Submitted by other on October 27, 2015

All my experiences have been positive. This school has many unique features that provide a complete education for students. It is good to see people move into a less than wealthy neighborhood to give all children a chance to grow and learn.
Submitted by other on October 26, 2015

StarShine's emphasis on morals, relationships, curiosity, art and music, global awareness and personal CEO training, among others, is impressive. Their concern is about raising good people, not just good test takers. When a kindergartener comes up to me and introduces themself with an executive handshake, I'm almost brought to tears. So many little touches that are different here make this campus unique and inspiring.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2015

Do not send your kids to this school. It is all about the publicity and they don't practice what they preach. My daughter used to have an amazing teacher but even the teacher couldn't take the school's fake-ness anymore and left. The person running this school has no business being in education. Don't bother, it's a waste of time and energy.
Submitted by parent on April 12, 2015

I am really disappointed in this school- my child has had a different teacher almost every other month- I have never seen such a turnover at a school. My kids need consistency- I don't think they were going to the school anymore,
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2015

Part 2:I understand money might be an issue, but a school that lets go of teachers and increases class size, has something ideologically wrong. It's not something that can't be rectified but it is something that needs to be addressed. I support the philosophy of StarShine- I think it's great. But in order to meet the goals of StarShine, it needs to scale back in the student population so they can properly attend to student needs like ELL's,504's, and IEPS as well as the nature of at-risk and high risk students. I think that this can be done but it will take educators' voices being heard and trusted in order to make this happen. I believe the teachers are StarShine are capable and desiring to help every student....but there are just too many of them and not enough resources. So, StarShine, what will you do? I encourage you to value your staff. They are hardworking and gifted. Listen to them, consider their ideas, and work toward solutions so that moving forward StarShine can become academically rigorous and personally and socially adept.
Submitted by parent on January 28, 2015

I used to believe in their mission and that they were doing everything to benefit the kids, but I have to say I am very disappointed in this school. This school is full of lies. One of their best teachers resigned and the fact that they keep deleting her posts makes it all more obvious that what she is saying is all true. If you are looking for a school for your children, I highly advise that you take them somewhere else.
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2015

My son had been struggling in school after school and last fall I enrolled him in starshine. He started out doing the same things he had been in trouble for at other schools but then they started having him work on behavior points and its really helped. He isnt fighting and he's proud to show me his points from school. Thank you starshine!!!!
Submitted by other on January 25, 2015

This school is horrible. One of their best teachers resigned last week and so many parents are going to remove their kids when they find out. Any positive reviews about this school on this page are made by the school themselves. Do not send your children here. You will be sorry.