Research Imagine Charter School at Bell Canyon charter Schools in Scottsdale, Arizona

“the pto deserves aton of praise and so does a very special teacher Ms. Marano the tech teacher. i love this school!”

“Awesome! My 14 yr.old graduated here last year & what a send off! Graduation dinner, graduation day at Castles & Coasters and a fantastic graduation ceremony. While some say we should not do anything for 8th grade graduation, these people believe in our children and that they deserve only the very best. From academic excellence to nutritional meals, physical exercise, a school store, special events and this year working hard to put up a west lot canopy to protect our children from the harmful suns rays! Wow! What a team effort! This is the place you want to be. We came last year and there is no comparison to the others! Dedication plus. In all areas. Keep up the good work!”

“I heard a lot of discouraging things about charter schools. I decided to go to an open house where the school principle spoke about her philosophy on education, and I decided to try it. My daughter now goes to this school and I believe it to be the best decision I could have made. The teacher is awesome and recognizes my daughters individual needs, the staff knows all the students by name, and there no bullying policy has made school a fun place to learn. She loves going to school!”

“this is the best school ever they teach you a lot here. they are very good teachers here”

“I can't even begin to tell how blessed I am to work at Bell Canyon! Mrs. Malone is our fearless leader! She has implemented a fantastic Spalding program, OLWEUS Anti-Bullying Program, a fantastic lunch program, a top notch before and after care program, summer camp, and a wonderful character education program. Our staff and students have tons of school spirit! Our principal has high standards for staff and student achievement and has zero tolerance for poor behavior.”

“Everyone is hard working and dedicated to the students. Teachers are caring and willing to work with the parents. My student loved her teachr last year and is looking forward to being in the next grade's class.”

“The teachers at Bell Canyon have improved immensely in the last year. The new principal is incredible-- hard working, accessible, and dedicated to the students and their well being. I am so pleased with the changes I have seen there in the last year.”

“Principle is great, helpful and full of understanding, strong and correct, are her qualities, too. My son enjoyed going to this school, his teacher was a strong personality, nice and straightforward.”

“We highly recommend this school because the staff from front desk to teachers and to the principle everybody give very personal care to your child. Extra activitities like book fair, science fair, spelling bee, behaviour recognition, xtra home work to xtra talented kids, pto meetings.”

“All 3 of our boys go here and we are very happy. 3 the teachers go to our church. My preschooler is learning more than I had ever expected. High recommended.”

“We highly recommend this school. WIth 5 years of experience of my children attending this school so far, our family has always found it enjoyable. The principal, teachers and staff are extraordinary and always give personalized care for the students and families. Principal is wise, fair and encourages and acknowledges improvement in every area of academics and character. Hardworking PTO doing an awesome job. It is a great school always striving to move to a higher level.”

“The kindergarten teachers are very helpful and very concerned about my childs well being! The library is looking great and I am so glad that me and my husband can be so involved in our childrens school experience. The principal has stopped me quite a few times just to smile and say hello. The staff seems to be excelling in what the Pto has to offer and I love to see parent involvment in the community. Sincerely a thankful parent”

“Major changes at school this year! All positive! School going forward. Have community support now, hard working PTO and very dedicated principal. Come see!”

“We picked the school because we felt that it would be the best place for our child. We have a child in daycar that attended the school and we felt warmly about having our our child go to the same school. Now we regret the decision because since day one of the school year there have been numberous problems, from just about every area but most importantly the academics of the school are low. Our son diminstrates he know the stuff being taught, but unfortunalely his grades do not reflex this at all. I have yet to see any structure in the school.”

“There have always been various issues that needed to be addressed by this school but the most recent is bullying. The administration did not confront the children involved in bullying and as a result the victims became penalized while bullys continued on with unacceptable behaviour. The cafeteria lunches were definitely not healthy from a perspective of what constitutes good healthy meals. The playground is way too small to accomodate any physical programs in P.E. other than a small side basketball court. My daughter was lucky with good teachers and that is the reason we stayed for six years. There is a new principal 2007-2008. She has a very good reputation and I'm sure she will turn the school around to what it is capable of being.”

“My child has been attending bell canyon for 1 year now. I am disappointed in the disipline in this school, my child has encountered bullies the entire year and nothing has been done.”

“This school seems to do a lot of paper pushing and not a whole lot of teaching. The dicipline problems are horrible and are not actioned. The school seems to look the other way instead of having the best interest of the child in mind.”

“There is to much freedom in the classrooms. Not enough structure. The test scores are incredibly low. I am very disappointed with the decline. I feel that I need to supplement my child's education because the standard obviously is not as high here as it used to be.”

“This school is great for my kids. They learn the six traits of character, and then become it! It has great academics and school lunches. They give great performance and inspire the children. Their district is great!”

“My children attended Bell Canyon for three years. I was very involved in the school and had behind the scenes knowlege. I saw this schools enrollment decline, unhappy teachers, lack of discipline, and low test scores. I stayed because I had high hopes with the new administration so I stayed during this transition. What a mistake! My children seemed to be excelling, had the grades to prove it, but they had to fight off bullies on a daily basis. It was hard to leave behind friends and change schools, but I had no choice. I had the inside scoop from the bottom up. and trust me run from this school! It is a business, not a school. They are car salesmen. My family is at a great school now. What a hard lesson at my chilren's expense. I learned my children were way behind and received undeserved grades.”

“My daughter has attended Bell Canyon for the past four years and my son for the past two. Since Mrs. Scorza became the principal, I've noticed a huge difference. She is very approachable. Not only does she greet the students as they enter the school in the morning, I've even seen her picking up trash in the parking lot. She has geniune pride in this school and it shows. The front office staff is very friendly and helpful. For the 05/06 school year, there were many new teachers, many looked fresh out of college. My son's kindergarden teacher Miss Stewart was young but top notch. My daughter's teacher was also wonderful. My children did not have any problems, but they were also respectful and considerate students. That is key. I would like to see more after school classes offered. I was excited for the addition of yoga and karate.”

“Love this school. Small school feel. Mrs. Scorza greets all of the children at the front door each morning. Barbie is awesome in the front office, always informative, and willing to answer your questions. I can't say enough positive things about the teachers and administrators. Mrs. Vialpando is a top notch teacher. Get involved in your child's education, ask questions, participate, and you will not be disappointed in this school.”

“My child has attended Bell Canyon for 4 years. They offer very little in the ways of extra's, music and art do not exsist. The staff seems to be overworked and under appriciated. The dicipline has gotten worse every year.”

“I would not recommend this school. The school seems to lack discipline. On the times I was there, there were students running down the hallway, name calling, swearing, and fights by the students out on the playground and in the hallway. The staff just looks tired and worn out. My child's teacher explained that there is just not enough staff at the school and nothing is done when the children get refered to the office.”

“This was the first year my daughter attended Bell Canyon.She really enjoys her school,the learning,& all other things that they do.Her most favorite was dance,that is an extracurricular activity.Well both my children will be attending there again this fall.This will be my sons first year there for Kindergarten& my daughter will be in first grade.So I feel this a wonderful school.”

“My child has attended Bell Canyon for 5 years. All but this year, we have had exceptional teachers that were truly involved and energetic in their teaching ways. Yay, on having 6th and 7th grades next year and then 8th the following year to come. Would like more info on the high school that is in the works. We do wish there were more extracurricular and special programs. The yoga class offered is a wonderful addition! Also, a better & (more affordable) before and after care program is definitely needed. Barbi at the front desk is awesome and a great value to the school! I do believe that the smaller amount of students per teacher ratio is hugely beneficial and look forward to seeing what the school has to offer next school year.”

“They dont seem real concerned with the safety of the children.”

“Offered more extracurricular activities this year but the teachers just arent doing the job. I switched my daughter from one class to another and am still not happy with the education she is getting. She wont be returning.”

“In the years to follow the leadership of Sherry Jones by Mrs. Scorza, I believe our school (which my own children attend) has improved greatly. We have achieved academic excellence and the discipline has improved as well. We now have music and have been working on a sports team. I believe Bell Canyon is the place to have your children educated because I have a 7th grader that I had to put in a public school and now his attitude and demeanor stink. My 5th grader still has a pretty good communication and attitude and he is still attending Bell Canyon. Anyone who has had a problem with Bell Canyon is someone who never brought the problem to Mrs. Scorza otherwise it would have been resolved.”

“This is a good school for students who need one on one attention. Class sizes are smaller than public schools. My sons have enjoyed their years there.”

“Great after schol programs available, but before school care needs imporovement.”

“This is my children's 2nd year at this school, and they will continue. My children have gone to 2 other schools that I have had to pull them out of until I found this one. The staff and teachers have always been helpful and interested in the well being of my children. They love attending this school. They have grown academically and socailly here. The after school programs are great and offer a wide variety of activities to choose from. Both of my children are a/b students and amaze friends with knowledgable facts that their children of the same grades do not know! I highly recomend this school!”

“This school is great and has been wonderful for my child!”

“My son has excelled at this school. He has really improved his confidence. The tachers here really seem to care about their students!”

“Bell Canyon is great! I have recomended this school to all my friends who have kids starting school next year!”

“My daughter is now in the 3rd grade. Her teacher is awesome! She is very patient! The school has a lot to offer, I am happy to have my children go here!”

“The school has gone down in the past year. They have had many staff changes, more in the classroom which has distrubted the children from learing what they need to learn.”

“This school has gone down in the past 2 years.”

“My children attended Bell Canyon for one year, and they will not be returning. The education that my youngest recieved was sufficient, but not of the caliber I would expect from such an acclaimed charter school. In addition, I was extremely angry with the conditions that my older child was subjected to. Her math teacher left early in the school year for health reasons. My daughter's math skills deteriorated dramatically as a result of this, requiring us to hire a tutor to help her get ready for 7th grade. I realize that unexpected things happen, but I was very disappointed with the way the situation was handled.”

“This school has just completed their 4th year as a new charter school and my daughter has enjoyed her time there and has benefited greatly from the smaller class size which were typically 22 or less students per class room. The experienced teachers were a great asset. In 2005/2006, however they are replacing 14 of the 18 teachers with new teachers fresh out of college and while a new teacher can bring fresh ideas replacing most of the staff seems a bit too much to most of the parents, especially the 3-6th graders. Many parents are switching to public schools this next year because the new principal seems more interested in hiring teachers she can mold into her only way of thinking and those that will only operate under her ideas. The parents teacher origanization became non-exsistent over the last year after a large sum of money came up missing.”

“The smaller class sizes made this school a great opportunity to help students like my child that are IEP students in need of assistance to achienve their max potential. Unfortunely, the new principal is not interested in what the parents think. She did not retain the most effective and experienced teachers that would have allowed the students in the most need to meet their needs while still accomplishing their goals. No gym, no art, no music, no drama dept...this school is lacking~”

“This school treats its teachers terrible. The principal is not friendly at all. It is so clear that this school's top priority is not the education of our children.”

“I am extremely disappointed with the level of education my daughter received. Halfway through the year she had to transfer to a public school in Texas and was so behind in math (despite being an A math student at Bell Canyon) that we had to hire a tutor. The math she was taught at Bell Canyon equalled that of 1st grade! Very disappointing. The organization of the school was horrendous as well. Activites were badly put together and notices were sent home usually only a day before something was needed to be paid for. I don't plan on putting my child back into Bell Canyon again next year.”

“Free all-day kindergarten. Computer lab as well as computers in classrooms. Friday Spirit Assemblies. Character Education program. Individualized Education.”

“I really enjoyed this school, the parents are really involved and they have a great director. They also have a darn good cast of teachers. I would like to see more extracirricular activities though.(wink)”

“Making the decision where to send my first child to kindergarten was very difficult for me. I have always been somewhat worried about 'the charter school experience' because of all of the horror stories I have heard. As a former teacher, I have been very pleased with our experience at Bell Canyon, especially with my daughter's teacher and the curriculum. She was reading by Christmas break and has already surpassed her first-grade cousin's reading level. I have and will tell others about this school because it has surpassed all of my expectations. (The uniform dress code is also very good because it helps everyone feel like a part of the 'team' at their school.) I wish that I could spend more time there!”

“I have 2 children in this school for the last 3 years. I am very happy with the quality of education they are receiving. The teachers are exceptional. They work within the boundaries they are dealt and do a great job! My children never complain about the small playground, or any of the other stuff other parents seem to have issues with. If you as a parent are totally involved in your child's education and your child behaves appropriately, you will not be disappointed.”

“I have a son in Kindergarten this year, and while we really like his teacher, there are alot of other problems in this school. We have just found out that they are changing the school start and end times in the middle of the school year! What a disruption to the students and their families. Many promises were made and few have been kept by this school. Will not be back next year!”

“My daughters teacher is wonderful! In my opinion the school has really gone downhill year by year as far as the activities they are slowly taking away from the kids...looking into other schools this isn't the case, they have all of the extra curricular activities. I wouldn't recommend this school to a parent, but I wouldn't discourage them either. There is no music, art, foreign language offered! just a few token after school stuff that we have to pay for! I am just happy that there are a lot of other schools to choose from! I would be very suprised if this school stays open until the end of the school year.”

“Most of the expected programs are gone: music, art,spanish. I am not impressed with the front office personnel...very evasive and not well trained in customer service or human relations...I am looking forward to the end of my children being there in June...for now...we are happy with their teachers.”

“This is my son's first year I highly recommend this school. He is very happy with his teachers. He is only in kindergardten and he is starting to read. I know that regular public schools do not offer this kind of education.”

“I absolutely love this school. My kindergartner has learned more in the past 6 weeks then my 1st grader learned the whole 1st half of his kindergarten time in Buckeye. Both of my sons teachers are wonderful, I love this school!!!”

“My daughter has attended Bell Canyon since it opened. As many other people have commented, the school promises plenty and delivers nothing. The only reason I keep her at Bell Canyon is the class size and that with pushing from me, her teachers give her the extra work she needs to stay busy and develop her abilities. She's a bright kid but the public schools in the area can't keep her busy enough for her not to be labeled 'trouble maker'. I won't be sending her to the Chancellor middle school and I don't recommend this school for anyone that isn't involved in their childs educational goals.”

“My son attended this school in the 2001-2002 school year. It was AWFUL. He had three teachers during the year. I had to attend school with him because the teacher was a first year teacher and had no control of the classroom. Despite repeated complaints, this teacher went unchecked until the Winter Break. After several physical altercations in the classroom, I called the State Board of Charters. My son wasted an entire year of his school life as we went on other waiting lists for other charter school. He now attends Valley Academy and the difference in the discipline and quality of education is amazing. The adminstration is lacking all leadership and little discretion. More than one time I walked into the main lobby to hear them discussion one child's or family's problems by name so they were easily identifiable with no regard that as a parent I was simply standing there listening. I had to wonder if they talked as openly about me.”

“When touring the school to select the best education for my child I was impressed by all that was 'offered'. I quickly found out (after school had started) that those offers don't exist! The music program was proudly talked about during the tour. To my surprise the music teacher was split between two schools. We wouldn't get music instruction until the spring. This decision was not communicated to the parents. The parent/teacher organization is really a fundraiser commitee. No topics regarding leadership, teachers, uniforms, policy etc are allowed to be discussed. The parents raised funds for picnic benches which were never installed, if they were even purchased. The parents were asked to sell cookie dough in order to pay for classroom supplies. Our profits from that sale were close to $30,000. Immediately after this fundraiser students in my son's class were asked to send $7 each in order to buy 'agenda books'. The office staff is inadequately trained and to no suprise are family members of the principal. The principal is extremely lacking in people and leadership skills. I withdrew my child during the year and provided him with the education he wasn't given at home. He is now enrolled at a 'Good School' and I caution all parents to not choose a school based on it's promises!”

“My daughter attended 2nd grade at Chancellor @ Bell Canyon and I was very satisfied. She excelled very well in all areas and her teacher was wonderful. She will be attending 3rd grade as well and very happy to be going back. She is counting down the days as if Christmas was coming.”

“My son attended Chancellor @ Bell Canyon last year for 2nd grade. I believe this school performs miracles! Chancellor transformed my child, one who hated school and thought reading was for losers, into one who absolutely loved school and learning! I think this school is awesome! They are totally focused on learning and challenging the students! I am looking at my sons SDRT results from there and he went from being in remedial reading at a nearby public school in first grade, into a 2nd grader scoring in the 83rd percentile overrall! I can't say enough wonderful things about this school, only that I really regret my son not attending this year. We relocated to WA state, and I honestly feel like moving back just so my son can go to Chancellor, but then I see it's 106 degrees there today, and say 'No Way'! I hope Chancellor opens up a school in my area! To anyone thinking about sending there child to Chancellor, I say, 'Go for it, you won't regret it. I give this school an A+, and I rave about it way up here in WA 1500 miles away!”

“Other things a water fountain outside for the children, expansion of school grounds for P.E.(they have none) and add other things that most schools already have. All children deserve all the same things in all schools - equality. These schools should be the best of the best ... not the other way around. It should have all that other schools have but have more focus on education and discipline. I kind of feel sorry for the kids not being able to experience all the same things as public school children or private school children. Especailly when it comes to heatlh and welfare.”

“I have two children that attend this school. My daughter is in the 1st grade and this is her second year at the school. My son is in kindergarten and this is his first year with the school. I do feel that they are getting a better education here then if they were in a public school.My children love going to school and they seem to like the school. My children have learned a lot. Both my children are learning Spanish at a young age which I think is great. Overall I think that this is a good school I am happy with the school and I do plan to send my children there next year.There are issues that need to be worked out but with any new school it will take some time to get the bugs worked out. I do hope that at some point that the school would have P.E. and other school activities.”

“This school has many problems. The cafeteria is filthy no matter what time of day you enter the food prep area. The school staff are friends or have known each other for some time(same thinking). They don't answer questions. The campus grounds are always dirty and the gates remain open. While observing the work of the students that are displayed, its apparent there is not much development between grades. The kindergartners work looks similar to the sixth grade? There is not a water fountain for the children on the playground and no shade to be found from nature(trees).”

“My child will not be returning next year for more unpromised education. I have received more art projects within the last year from my first grader, than Picasso himself has put out. I cringe when having to deal with the principal, and I am still awaiting my promised appointment that was promised over three weeks ago to discuss my child's education. Whether you are the type of parent to be involved with your child's education or not, do not enroll them in a school where as a parent when you question something, you will only be answered when it is convenient. These children are our future. Please take them to a school where they will not only be taught properly, but they will also be given the proper grades for their hard work and not their shabby grades based on race or parent involvement.”

“I have had my child in Chancellor for 2 years now. The good part is that I was lucky to have 2 decent teachers that liked my daughter. Other parents were not as lucky. The negative is that the office staff and teachers seem to have been trained to withhold information that most parents would want to know about, for instance the day there was a lockdown at the school. I was told one story by the office worker and another by one of the PTO committee. The school yard is very small like in a preschool setting, the parking problems have improved but there just isn't enough space, and as another parent stated, there are no sports therefore no real P.E. classes possible. I will not have my child back next year.”

“Just a note: The parents that are thinking clear see clear. And those parents are the ones that have rated this school poorly. The school has way too many bad points that are and have been experienced by those parents and myself. I agree with them and have seen and experienced what they have remarked on.”

“Lack of control in class of children with aggressive behavior. When someone is hit on the playground and a teacher is informed the child is told not to tattle. Teacher does not greet children when they come into class in the morning. Parents stay in class to help children figure out what to do as teacher is cutting up paper.”

“I am very pleased with the school academically. The teachers are supportive and the curriculum is well rounded. I am very impressed at the level at which my 1st grader is at in reading, spelling, math, and science. One of the things I like most is that learning good citizenship is as important to the school as is any other subject. I also like the day-care staff. They too are encouraging to the kids, and if there are any behavior issues, they advise the parents right away. There are only 2 problems I have with the school, 1 is the fact that due to the property location there are no sports facilites, therefore no real baseball, football, soccer, etc., and 2, the administration does leave a lot to be desired. They are very slow in providing advance notice on different types of activities or programs. If you call the office the staff very rarely knows the answer and takes a while to get back to you, and if you go into the office, you can be standing there for quite a while before anyone acknowledges you. However, although I find this frustrating at times, to me the level of my childs education and that fact that she loves the school far outweighs these issues.”

“What a great school! The principal is hands-on and everyone in the office is very nice. The teachers are great; you can really tell they care. It is so much safer than public schools! And academically outstanding! My son learned sign language and Spanish in the 3 year old class!I am still a big believer in phonics (unlike public schools) and they put the time and resources into obtaining Zoophonics and teaching all the kids. My older child is very bright and they spend extra time challenging him-making sure he stays interested in school. Chancellor is exemplary.”

“I am extremely happy with the school as a whole. I had my son at a public school, and I was very happy. Now I am happy to take my son to school and see everything that he brings home. He has learned so much this year and I look forward to the next.”

“When I inquired about the school a lot of great things were promised that I haven't seen. Nothing has been done the several times that I have inquired about concerns for my child. There is not enough done to address children who are dispruptive and display aggressive behavior towards other children.”

“I love the school. They have done a great job accademically with my children.”

“I feel that Chancellor Charter Schools at Bell Canyon is a great school on paper. Since my child has attended there I have had nothing but problems. I have had my concerns blown off and been ignored. Parents are told to purchase classroom items for their children, which are misplace or stolen and no one cares. Office staff will take phone calls and ignore you until their done with their call. It seems that this is school is able to run by their own rules without meeting the concerns of the parents. I feel with the proper direction, Bell Canyon could make the necessary improvement to become a great school.”