Birchtree Charter School

Poor communication with parents, feels like my child is just learning to do art class all day. He was learning way more in public school.

This school deserves less than one star. I originally enrolled my son without realizing he would need special education. He gradually began to have outbursts through the year. The school initially worked with me by having a special education staff member give him one on one attention. However, one day he wasn't standing outside with the rest of his class for pick up. When I entered the school, I could hear him screaming from down the hall. I ran. What I saw once I entered the open door class.. was a male teacher holding my son down on the floor with his knees on my sons chest and he was YELLING back into my son's face. My son was in second grade. The special education teacher was standing there with her arms crossed WATCHING. I immediately went to my son's aide but did not put my hands on the male teacher as I honestly would have been justified in doing so. I later learned that the male teacher was NOT trained in physical restraint. No one on staff was. The reason they had my son in the room was because they thought his behavior was on the verge of a meltdown and that he should be held back for quiet time as the rest of the class go to pick up. My son saw this and was upset because he thought if he wasn't there for me to pick him up that he would get left behind. So he tried to run out of the room and was then restrained. I have pictures of the bruises the male teacher left on my son. My son then had night terrors where he woke up screaming and crying that he couldn't move. I recorded SEVERAL of these. I also took my son to a chiropractor without telling the chiro what happened to him. The chiro asked if my son had been in a car accident because he was suffering from whiplash. This school is NOT SAFE. Their response was to expel my child. I consulted the school district and my son was put into a class in machentanz elementary where he flourished. Birch Tree, BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES.

Check carefully about the Steiner Waldorf philosophy before enrolling!
It is a very odd cult!

Unfortunately, their website advertises that BTC teaches their curriculum with the hearts, hands, and head in mind, and make it appear as though it is this gifted school that rejects normal public education methods. But they do not teach children how to read or write in Kindergarten or First Grade classes. The Kindergarten class is taught like pre-school and the first grade class is taught like a Kindergarten class. There is a reason why age-appropriate material is introduced at these levels because they are developmentally ready to start receiving this information such as learning how to read. Yes, BTC and the Waldorf method encourages learning through the use of art and movement but they are hindering children who want to learn how to read and write. Their method is that children go at their own pace but the children that are more advanced have to remain at the pace of the slower-learning children. They say the method works and by third grade children are academically at the same level as third graders in regular schools but for many parents with 3rd graders they have yet to see the academic rewards pay off. There are many wonderful things about BTC like their drawing books, hand coordination through sculpting and knitting, organic playground, parental involvement but their academic program is very hindering to minds yearning for intellectual stimulation. If they moved each of their grades back one grade and taught the curriculum they are teaching now in class for that grade (ie: first grade curriculum in kindergarten, second grade curriculum in first grade, third grade curriculum in second grade, etc), it would be a school that exceeds many schools in the district but as of now they are hindering children's learning capabilities. Excellent school for slow-learning children, or children with learning disabilities, not so good for children that have a good educational foundation and wanting to learn studies applicable to real life (ie: counting, reading, writing, etc).
If you choose BTC, I recommend you do thorough research on the Waldorf method before enrolling to see if it is right for you and your child. Having to change schools because your child is not receiving the education he/she needs is a very frustrating and daunting experience to both child and parents.