Jefferson Academy Secondary

Our kids have been going to JA since 2006 when our oldest began Kindergarten. Our "home" school was Ryan Elementary (another great JeffCo school) but a neighbor convinced us to put our daughter on the JA Wait List. We got in that first year and have never regretted our decision to opt into a charter school. We currently have kids in the 8th, 7th and 4th grades at JA and have seen many changes in the past 3 years as we have expanded and moved into our new Secondary Campus. Certainly JA has experienced some "growing pains" and has lost some of that close-knit "family" feel that originally drew us to JA in the first place. But the core teachers who began this great school continue to keep the vision of JA alive which is a content-rich curriculum that focuses on academic excellence and incorporates student accountability and integrity. What's not to love about that?

JA is NOT for everyone. This is true. Parents are expected to be part of their children's support system. As the principle advises on Kindergarten Back to School Night: "If you're planning to drop your child off at 8AM and pick them up at 3PM and leave all the schooling to us with no participation on your part, then JA is not the school for you." JA teaches a "3-Legged" approach to the success of their students. Success = Teacher + Student + Parent ('nuff said)

JA focuses primarily on academics. We don't have a football or baseball team. We don't have cheerleaders, marching band or dance team. Our sports are soccer, basketball and volleyball. Our music and arts programs are "up and coming". There is a lot of homework. Sometimes it feels like too much but teachers *can* be reasonable. I have never felt like our teachers "teach to the test" and we continue to be one of the highest ranked schools in the state on TCAP assessments. I have been impressed at the amount of assistance the Counselors give to help the kids secure scholarships and JA is awarded several million dollars worth of scholarship money each year.

Our oldest is a "straight A" student and JA fits her very well. I foresee her graduating from JA with honors. Our next child is a son who loves football. He isn't as passionate about academics as his sister is, so JA is much more challenging for him. He is committed to staying at JA thru the 8th grade. At that point, we may explore another high school that offers a more robust athletic program. Our youngest son is a work in progress.

We give JA top marks and have always recommended it to all our friends. We LOVE that the school is run by an elected all-parent & staff School Board who has the flexibility to make changes quickly and autonomous of district bureaucracy. We love that the teachers are non-unionized and not subject to tenure. We have GREAT teachers at JA who put their heart and soul into our kids! That is the "secret" to our success.

JA high school tends to not work well with kids that need extra help. They don't implement 504, IEP, without being asked. This is when you're kid is already on one. They should be reported to the state. They want your kid to advocate for themselves, but it's ridiculous how many times your child has to talk to the teacher about the same thing. Then if a parent steps in, you get chided for doing that. My kid has gone to JA for many years and the work load is disgusting. My child hates school thanks to JA. You can be a college prep school by having teachers that teach well. Guidance counselor for high school is full of herself.If you want help, you better be one of her favorites.She's not competent and should be, as she's been there a long time.Wish they would get someone in there that knew what they were doing.It's almost like JA preps for tests all year instead of for life.Be prepared and be warned. They might be high ranking, but at what cost.