Self Development Academy (Mesa Campus)

Reed Tanner _{on Google}

Aug 10th, 2022

This school is awful! Teachers are unprofessional and the principal does not know how to handle serious situations. It is an unsafe atmosphere for children.

Eva W. _{on Yelp}

Aug 9th, 2022

Our children attended SDA since preschool.   Then we did 2 years online school with their curriculum at home during the Covid pandemic.  Our experience has been that the staff are responsive, kind, and great at teaching.   Whenever there's been an issue, we were contacted quickly so that the children's needs are attended to right away.  Hats off to the educators and the ancillary staff at SDA.  THANK YOU for all you do!

Lele P. _{on Yelp}

Oct 17th, 2022

At the beginning of my year, I was asking the administrator of their online classes because I wasn't enjoying the teachers yelling at the students every 5 seconds. In the middle of second quarter, Ms.Salvatori and Ms.Verneda called me up and accused me of self-harm and wanting to kill myself and when I asked who said this about me, they said it doesn't matter.(this happened a second time to in the third quarter) How does the name of someone who basically tried to put on me in a mental hospital NOT MATTER. There was another time where Mrs.Salvatori took my jacket in reading class due the color being "not the right shade of red" and proceeds to lose it in the math room. I was only able to come get it at the end of the day where I had to bring my dad to get it back. This was the first in person negative conversation my Parents had with the staff. He left the school after calling her a "nut case"And the teachers... OH MY GOD THE TEACHERS. They scream whatever comes to the top of their head when they're angry at a poor student. they're discouraging, rude, unhelpful, and can't stick up for other students. They give us these unrealistic due dates and call you out in class. I remember I told my writing teacher how I wanted to be a Rapper and she said I don't stand a chance, and how it's only one in a million. SHE CRUSHED MY SOUL THAT CLASS. She also sent me to another class because my friend was behind me and asked me a question when she then yelled in the middle of class telling me to spend the rest of class in the math room. The math teacher calls you out on whatever she doesn't like about you in class. And accuses students of cheating. She accused me of looking at the back of the book for answers when I got a long multiplication problem correct. One day I asked if I could makeup a test since I was gone, I asked if lunch was a good time and she said she'd rather eat and let me take my test. The social studies always says how her last class was horrible and she hopes we can do better, however when one person gets up to get a tissue and says hi to someone, she goes up to the front of the class and yells at everyone that "we act like this everyday, and show the staff no respect" and Mrs. Salvatori came in and said the same thing. At the first quarter, the math teacher left and didn't come back until the third quarter and the substitute would not help ANYONE. She especially didn't like me because I wasn't understanding the material and often asked my friends for help. One day she made me sit at a specific seat and said I couldn't talk to anyone, later I walked up to my friend and asked if she know how to solve a problem. She soon yelled my name and told me to write a reason why I was out of my seat and it could only be one sentence. Of course all lot happened that couldn't be fit into one sentence so I listed one by one what happened and gave it to her. SHE PROCEEDED TO RIP IT UP AND THROW IT IN THE TRASH. The science teacher was snobby and had sassy remarks to everything. The reading teacher just yelled when someone accidentally asked something without raising their hand. Now to the two I couldn't stand the most...MRS.VERNEDA AND MRS.SALVATORI. during recess, my friend was being scolded and waited patiently by the side for them to finish. they told to go away which I then said I wasn't listening and just waiting. They then said no and I put my hands behind my head and walked away. After they finished, they pulled me over and said I have to drop the attitude which I then asked what "attitude". They said I was flailing my arms in the air showing disrespect to the staff.one of them then looked at my wrist where I was wearing two chakra bracelets and scolded me for breaking dress code. I had to tell them that as a biracial kid, I was just embracing my moms African culture (her culture had crystals involved in it)The lunches are horrible, a small cup of artificial tomato sauce pasta isn't going to feed anyone, and for $3.50 a day.All in all, If you are looking to transfer your kids to a new school, avoid SDA at all costs.

bubbles mcbubbles _{on Google}

Oct 10th, 2022

This post is long over due since I pulled my child out of that school now 2yrs later but I doubt much has changed.
We moved to Mesa from Las Vegas and had thought I did a good job reviewing the school. In the beginning everything seemed fine. Teacher was good and taught well. Following year, teacher was very good but left during school year and they couldn't find another to replace her so, the admin staff started substituting. This wasn't good for kids because there was no consistency by we parents just thought "well these things happen." But knowing what I know now, it was likely pay was too little, as I have heard many teachers on their way out that school saying.
That was just the beginning of the problems so now let me give you the flaws made that we have been exposed to and the friends that USED to go to the school.
There is an opportunity to play an instrument at the school. We enrolled our child in violin. The second attendance to that class my child was figuting. The teacher said, "to leave and never come back." My child never went back but the teacher never told me if there was a problem and if she should or shouldn't return to class. Ni had to go to administration to get the money back because there was no communication to me. THIS IS A MAJOR FLAW with this school. They do things there and never communicate with the parents what is happening or their reasoning.
Girls have been pulled into the office with nail polish remover in hand to take off nail polish, staff has literally tried to pull off bracelets and rings all WITHOUT asking parents to do this for them. Let's talk food, of camera were allowed it would be a violation. Chicken fingers were green, don't know how they got the breading to be green but they did! I honestly didn't believe my child till it was bright home to prove me wrong. Kids called them "alligator fingers." There is no "emergency lunch." Some parents forget to pay or some kids might forget to bring lunch. Schools like great hearts and other reputable schools provide emergency lunch with a signature then this is passed on to the parent but not here, kids will go hungry as small as kindergarten. I thought of donating for lunch find for those kids that miss but that school receives plenty of money they just choose not to spend it on the children or quality staff. A friend in the education system informed me that the reason they have their rating is because of the amount of homework they send home with kids. Schools get tested for many things and because of that aspect they are rated high but it's definitely not for quality of education. Honestly your local public school would be a much better choice then this school. Kids get yelled at a lot here and that makes those who don't get in trouble or used to being around that educational environment unproductive. Many friends left as we did but I don't doubt if they had the time they would share the same unfortunate experience.
We now go to great hearts and the school cares about their staff and the parents do too so that kids are given a safe and quality environment to blossom and learn.