Avalon School

700 Glendale Street

School District

Avalon School
Grade

9-12
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 parent on November 09, 2022

I give Avalon 5 stars but need to be fair and honest to say that no school experience is perfect. There are always ups and downs -- it's an imperfect experience of humans trying to create communuty. But Avalon comes closest to an ideal solution -- and we've had many different school experiences. People try to define the type of student that attends Avalon, but it's a pretty diverse school. There truly isn't one type of person. And each individual is accepted for who they are by students, staff and teachers. This feeling of belonging is essential in learning. The project-based learning is interesting. Kids can define what they want to learn and how they want to learn. This is the way education should be -- student-centered. It develops a lifelong learner. The project-based learning is balanced with more structured classes. These classes are not garden variety -- they are the kind of classes you wish you took in high school, like a deep dive into the Great Migration. And there is SEL and electives, and support if kids need and want it. It's a great school for your child to practice the independent learning skills they will need in college or whatever they do beyond HS. It's a great school if someone wants to truly be a part of an interesting, inclusive, thoughtful, intelligent and kind community.
Submitted by parent on November 04, 2022

Avalon? Perfectly imperfect - and SO helpful for my daughter.My daughter got lost in the big city school (which is a good school) - and things were getting worse with truancy and a complete disconnection from classes.My daughter needed visibility, flexibility, and support – and being at Avalon made all the difference for her. It also built my hope that she’d graduate – which had been a grave concern. Yes, there were ups and downs as she adjusted to being part of a small school – and – being held accountable, as the teachers and staff knew her well. However, my daughter began to take ownership and responsibility for doing her work, handing it in, and building some leadership skills.Yes, she graduated – and was extremely proud (as were we, her parents).Fast forward after a gap year (which was also positive and strength-building), she is at the University of Minnesota, Morris – a school my daughter preferred over others where she was accepted. Why? “Dad, they have small class sizes, a strong support network – and – and – I feel like I’d have people around me that want me to succeed” – kind of like Avalon.Yes, that’s exactly how I felt about Avalon when we visited the school. Choosing Avalon was a critical turning point for my daughter and our family. I don’t know that it is perfect or that it is for everyone. I just know that Avalon was what my daughter needed when she needed it – and for that, I am deeply grateful.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2021

Teacher led Avalon School is inclusive community of super dedicated educators and staff who meet students where they are at and supportively guide them as they embrace their interests and further their education through Project Based Learning. In this validating environment, students learn both from their own projects and from those of their classmates. Life long skills of independence, motivation, organization, and time management are honed in the process as well as invaluable lessons in understanding and valuing each individual and their contribution to the community as a whole. Joining the Avalon community, for our daughter, and for us as parents, was life changing. We highly recommend checking it out!
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2020

Our son just completed his first year at Avalon HS and despite the disruptions of 2020 he had a great year, learned a lot, and grew immensely. Avalon's curriculum and approach to student-directed learning corresponds very closely to our family's values.
Submitted by parent on June 11, 2020

Excellent! This was a much more accepting environment than public school.
Submitted by parent on June 06, 2020

Really excellent. With I had gone to a school like this when I was young! Not perfect for every child--some may need a more directive or highly-structured environment. But wonderful for developing students who enjoy learning and have compassion for those with differences.
Submitted by parent on August 28, 2018

Excellent. Understand that the Avalon experience is not a passive one, not for the student, and not for the family. Learning isn't seen as a job at Avalon. It's seen as part of a good life. The idea that school should look unpleasant and harsh in order to be legitimate, as suggested by some others posting here, is sad. Kids at Avalon are learning a great deal. They aren't learning to be corporate drones, necessarily, but then, who wants that?
Submitted by parent on June 06, 2018

Awful. Absolutely horrendous. We had three kids there. One stayed five years before she was dropped from their rolls in a back-door way so that they could continue to fabricate their graduation statistics. Her mom, attending the "awards night" for one of our other children, was asked to clean out her desk. She stood at the back of the room watching these unprofessional people pat themselves on the back, while holding the sum total of five years of her daughter's school work in a paper sack. The middle child did graduate, because she was more self-motivated. However, his post-secondary plan while he was attending Avalon went from going to engineering school and becoming an automotive designer, to going to community college to get an auto-body tech certificate. The third child we are in the process of pulling to go to a real school where she might learn something. The counselor there charged with placing her has been gobsmacked by the lack of structure, and the fact that the unintelligible transcript is virtually useless in placing her. She's looking forward to summer-school to make up for the lack of instruction that is pandemic in this "school."
Submitted by parent on March 25, 2017

The school's project based mission, teacher co-op style, and message of acceptance of all people all people *sounds* so progressive and ideal. The reality is a major let down. Here are a just some of the things I wish I'd known before enrolling: Many of the classrooms are shockingly loud and chaotic. Kids are given extremely low academic expectations and don't appear to be encouraged to be courteous or respectful. There's a ridiculous amount of freedom during class time for things like watching youtube videos (sometimes initiated by teachers even when it has nothing to do with the class or education), texting and fiddling with their phones, online video gaming on school computers, playing with toys, chatting, and obtaining hall passes to loudly play uncensored music videos that filter into the classrooms. (All of these I or my kid have personally witnessed.) Originally I was told the middle and high schools were divided, but in actuality they're not. If you're concerned with teenagers influencing your younger kid, you may want to look elsewhere. From what I understand the new students who have enrolled midyear are there because they were kicked out of other schools. My kid's been bullied several times by different kids and though we've reported it, nothing has been done. Kind of blows my mind considering they're supposed to be all about creating a safe space for everyone. And I think it's important to know that there is no recess, art, foreign language, clubs, teams, extra curriculars, music, drama, gifted programs, not sure there's even a library, and the gym they use twice a week is a half mile walk over the light rail tracks from the school. Much of the staff is friendly but way too casual with the kids. They're called Advisors, not Teachers, and they are referred to by their first name only. If that was the only issue, it wouldn't be a big deal. Unfortunately cons are stacking up and beginning to outweigh the pros. I can't help but wonder, in a school with no principal or governing body, who's held accountable for implementing changes? Particularly when the issues are unrecognized, brushed aside, or the resolution is outside of the scope of the staff's capability? I really do hope things improve there because the overall package has such huge potential. Sadly for my family, it's been an incredible disappointment and we're looking elsewhere.
Submitted by other on February 09, 2017

Disgusting School. Some post here are deleted by the admin recently. I even seen a bullied girl's comment deleted.
Submitted by other on July 21, 2016

The teachers at Avalon allowed and supported me in exploring my interests. A project-based learning curriculum ensures that students who are successful at Avalon become curious, independent learners with strong time management and organizational skills. After Avalon, I attended and graduated with honors from college. I'm currently working as a policy analyst for the Philadelphia city government's anti-poverty office. I would not be where I am today without having attended Avalon.
Submitted by other on April 14, 2016

I am an Avalon School alumni. Avalon helped me succeed after highschool by improving my problem solving skills and independent research skills through project based learning. Learning about subjects by creating personalized projects boosted my ability to self teach. There are a lot of problems to solve and things to learn after highschool. The skills I gained from Avalon help me with them every day. Traditional schools give you a genetically modified fish stick, while Avalon teaches you to fish.
Submitted by other on March 22, 2016

I graduated from Avalon 10 years ago and I loved my high school experience there! Having the autonomy to create my own projects meant I was almost always very interested in the topics I chose which made me excited to learn and do well on my projects. This is a great school for students who are self-starters and able to learn independently. Many of the teachers I had are still at the school. They were all great though I will admit my favorites were Gretchen Sage-Martinson and Carrie Bakken :) I also made great friends at Avalon that I am still very close with today!
Submitted by parent on March 21, 2016

It looks to me (as a parent) that nearly every Avalon student was, in one way or another, a square peg trying (or not trying!) to fit in a round hole at their previous school. Some have learning challenges, some social challenges, some were dissatisfied with the slow pace or focus of their previous school.Avalon is probably not the right place for a kid who fits comfortably in a typical public middle/high school. Of course, it’s not the right place for every square peg either, but it could be an outstanding option for a kid who just doesn’t fit in a typical public school.The project orientation means that learning is individually tailored. Faculty guide and push students, but the push is most often not so much about standard curricular achievement, but about finding something that motivates the student and leads them to thrive academically. In other words, the project focus is at least as much about learning to learn as it is about learning specific things. My guess is that students whose families choose Avalon learn more than they would in a traditional public school, but that exactly what they learn is often quite different. The state standards still get checked off one by one, but maybe in kind of unusual ways, at least in humanities and social studies. Parents have a lot of input and responsibility for exactly how that works out because parents, as well as advisors, must approve every project.
Submitted by parent on March 20, 2016

Avalon is a school where students can make the best of themselves. If they work hard, they move up quickly, attending college classes during high school. If they have a hard time with certain skills, they will receive support. If they are in between, they are encouraged and motivated to accomplish all that they are capable of.
Submitted by parent on March 18, 2016

Wonderful, supportive school, with teachers that really care. This project based school is a gem in the Twin Cities. Incredibly respectful of all students!
Submitted by other on March 17, 2016

My daughter attended this school and it was a great fit because of its project based program. However by her senior year she felt that the school had changed. It has become a school ol last resort for many. It has become a school for those who are bullied, have sexual identity issues, and other problems. The school is at a crossroads. It needs to decide what its mission statement is now. Either go back to the original intent of the school or become an alternative school. I am giving it 5 stars for when my daughter went there. If she was there now under its present false mission statement, it would recieve less than 1 star.
Submitted by student on March 17, 2016

Avalon provides the opportunity for students to focus on their interests—whether they be classical guitar, 3D printing, or health care reform. Its project-based learning method gives students the means to translate their passions into projects and find ways of making school meaningful. In order to excel at Avalon, students have to be self-motivated, independent, and willing to be challenged. When I went to Avalon, from 2011-2015, I saw a wide variety of students. Avalon’s structure enables some really amazing students to pursue their individual ambitions in ways that they never would be able to do at a traditional high school. For other students—who do not care about academics and/or going to college—Avalon provides a place to get their diploma and get on with their lives. Avalon’s flexibility with and trust in its students provides them with the opportunity to exploit Avalon--for better or for worse.I would not say that Avalon is a college prep school, rather it is a school that prepares you for the kind of life you want in the future. If you are committed to going on to higher education and pursuing a more traditional path, Avalon will support you. But if you are not, Avalon will still be support and be there for you. In my experience, other schools tend to value their students based on their ability to take tests, get into fancy colleges, and bring in more money and accolades. Avalon is different. Avalon is committed to working with every student that walks in its door, regardless of what ACT score or GPA they have. I see Avalon's reputation suffering as a result because it is judged based on the narrow guidelines for what kind of students a successful school produces. To me, this reveals a fundamental problem with the current traditional education system—the one-size-fits-all way of teaching and measuring students’ merit—not a problem with Avalon. In my opinion, the best part about Avalon is that it gives people—many of whom were bullied, isolated, ignored, or kicked out of their last school—a place that is safe and accepting. That might sound corny or not academically-rigorous enough, but Avalon taught me how to be in community with people and how to reflect on and articulate my goals, which are skills that I’ll use and remember long after I forget the dates of Civil War battles, chemical formulas, and other random high school facts.
Submitted by parent on March 17, 2016

My 26 year old daughter is a well educated and productive career woman and a happy, balanced member of society today, in significant part due to Avalon and Kevin Ward. It was a life changing experience for her to attend Avalon. Avalon has to fund raise because of the meager amount they are given for each student, and their number of students relative to overhead. People who donate a book, items to auction, or money are happy to do so. People who cannot afford to do so or do not want to do so are not made to feel guilty, and they remain included in the Avalon community if they choose to do so.
Submitted by parent on March 17, 2016

We are extremely pleased at the personal and academic growth our son experienced at Avalon, and thankful for tremendous personal attention he received from his teachers. For a small school, it is rather amazing that Avalon is able to bring out the learning potential of such a diverse group of students, and create such strong community in the process. Project learning is not the right fit for every type of learner, but for a lot of students, it imparts a life-long skill and attitude that learning never ends and is a personal responsibility.