Cottonwood Classical Prep

My son has loved it. Great teachers, no complaints from this family. In a few years I will proudly have both my boys at CCPS.

I have two children, one in 10th grade and one in 7th grade. CCPS provides an excellent atmosphere for them and I feel they are being well prepared for life.

This school is administered very well. Teachers are held to a standard and removed if they don't meet them.

This is what school choice is all about! Cottonwood has been a public International Baccalaureate high school for three years. Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) wants to lay claim that they are the first to bring this kind of school into New Mexico, but they are blowing smoke, as usual. Charter schools were intended to be innovative in their approaches so that other public schools might follow in their footsteps. Looks like that is coming to fruition, if only APS could acknowledge that there are others out there who have actually been the pioneers and paved the way for them!

I would recommend this amazing school to all students that want to learn. I volunteer at the front desk and have never seen such dedicated staff and faculty. It is heartwarming to see an administration that is so proactive with what is best for the students and not for the convenience of staff and parents. They have policies and guidelines in place to facilitate the students learning and to distract them from outside influences. They are not afraid to change faculty to meet the needs of the students and the charter. You will not see stale, lackadaisical or passive behavior at this school. I am so thankful my child was drawn it their lottery and wish every child in New Mexico had this opportunity.

I would not recommend this school to anyone.....Lots of fluff....No substance. They do not prepare your child adequately nor do they offer real teaching. The method they use is a poor way of teaching...example..no grammar in 6th grade..what is that....alowed to pass math tests with test corrections.. The teacher turn over is terrible as well, leaving the child to contend with different teaching styles and grades that do not reflect the childs true progress. Furthermore, there is nepotism in the administrative leadership of the school. This school sounds good on paper but delivers nothing.....BEWARE!!!!!!!

This is an amazing school that offers so many opportunities. Some may say this school has problems but it is all in early stages. When someone gets a brand new puppy, it is terrible and un-organized. That is like Cottonwood Classical. But you wouldn't just through your puppy in the trash because there are great things awaiting. THAT is a great example of our school. Now, the school has grown into an amazing learning environment and there are so many teachers who actually care to be teaching us. I am already in a Pre- IB class and I'm only in 8th grade. Give this school a chance because it is molding us, as children, to succeed. :)

An amazing difference from public high schools in New Mexico. It's amazing education makes up for the minor problems (which any new school such as this would have).

Check the IB website for the multitude of opportunities an IB school creates for you.
For a new school, CCPS is doing great. Yes there are growing pains, but each year gets better and better. There is no way I would consider moving my kids any place else. They have strong friendships, the teachers and admin are great, and they are getting an education you would otherwise have to pay for, which is something I cannot afford to do.

So many thing are wrong with this school, it's difficult to know where to begin. The charter itself isn't followed, so this is just like any public school. There isn't much physical space for the kids. The purported ratios of 12 students to one teacher are bogus. Most classes are large and some of them, like science, are often extremely so. There are few after school activities unless sports is your thing. The staff seems to be related or married in to the family of the founder. The teachers do a pretty good job just like at any public school, and just like at a public school, there are some teachers who don't do so great. The school seems to be challenged in finding math teachers. Do your research on the IB program, which sounds great, but when you check with individual colleges, many of them do not count it at all.