Beeman Park Preparatory School

I am one of this school’s former students. It has been almost 4 years since I left, and I thought it was time to tell the teachers and families about my experience. I learned a lot at this school, and I am thankful for that. It helped me excel academically, and I am succeeding at my new school. This school helped me learn to work independently. There are some things you should improve on. The main thing is the discipline system. My family and I disliked how you used corporal punishment to correct minor offenses. Instead, I would replace those punishments with more minor consequences such as writing sentences, loss of recess, or a phone call home. Studies show that corporal punishment does more harm than good, and should be replaced with minor consequences. I also feel like you should focus more on the effort students are putting into their work, rather than the result. If a student does not finish their work, it is probably because they do not understand the concept. If that is the case, teach them about that concept. Same thing if a student gets a question wrong. Instead of just telling them that it’s wrong, help them identify and fix their mistake. I also did not get as much arts and science education as I would have liked. I got a lot of reading and math education, but science and social studies were being neglected, and learning about the arts is just as important as academics. I also felt like you scolded the students too much. During my last year there, when a teacher was scolding me for not getting my math done, she told me that “there was no reason for a 7 year old to be seeing a therapist because she can’t control her worries” and that “ I was the biggest crybaby in the school”. This made my family furious, especially since the staff were the ones who suggested that I go to therapy. The teachers insult the students frequently, and this has caused damage to my self-esteem. If a teacher is reading this review, please take this into account to help your current and future students succeed.

All I can say is this is a great school. Small and intimate and the staff will teach to each child depending on their learning abilities. They also reinforce the basics of respecting others, big kids look out for the little kids and the "ladies first" mentality. My son made great progress here and the teachers are fabulous. They communicated with me daily either in the morning at drop off or in the afternoon and sometimes both. I just wish they taught more than just elementary school.

When I moved into the area, I couldn't find a school in my county, I contacted Beeman Park and they where willing to accept my child, I drove an hour everyday to school, the teachers really worked with me and my child, and they honestly go and extra mile. The curriculum is excellent, if anyone is looking for a Montessori school that is affordable and works with children with disabilities, I recommend Beeman Park 100%