Research Dove Academy of Detroit charter Schools in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

“I am a parent of two boys that attend Dove Academy. I feel it is a great school. My oldest son came from a public school required him to repeat the first grade. I immedicately started looking for another school and Dove was the one. They really helped him alot. The staff was very very supportive. My second son on the other hand began Kindergarden with Dove and by the end of his Kindergarden year he was reading on a grade level higher than his older brother. The only thing is that they do not have a lunch program. Other than that they have some of the most conserned teachers and administrators in the business of education.”

“I am a grandparent of a Dove Academy School student who just finished kindergarten. I found teacher, Mrs. Miller, teaching from the heart, scholastically motivates her students, gives voluminous homework which the children enjoy completing, while it makes sure they are focusing on more than TV in the evenings. I like the security measures used when picking up the children--they are escorted by the teachers and paraprofessionals professionals. Diantha Tillman”

“I was one part of the first group of educators teaching at Dove Academy. I taught 4th grade and loved every moment. One of the highlights of the year was the musical The Garden Show which we performed both during school hours and a parent presentation in the evening. The students were amazing. I will always have fond memories of the children of whom Ive taught.”

“I am a proud Dove Academy Parent. Their academic learning program is excellent. My child left a private school to come to Dove and she didn t miss a beat. Their academic learning schedule is almost better than her old private school. Most private schools focus mainly on academics and less on activities, but Dove does both. I would definitely recommend this school to any parent who is looking for a Professional learning environment for their child. The only down fall is that they don t go up to grades 12.”

“My daughter has been a student with Dove Academy since Kindergarten and she is currently going to the second grade. I am very pleased with the academic program and has recommended this school to my relatives. I am not concerned with the color of any teacher or student just the quality of education my daughter is receiving. Two thumbs up!”

“My child has been a student at Dove Academy since kindergarten she is now in the 6th grade. I have been very pleased each year with her performance and her teacher s involvement in her progression thru the school year. With anything you are going to have something you do not like about it, but I can say for the most I have truly enjoyed my child being apart of Dove Academy. It is good that the school is challenging and makes the students do actual work. Yes the work is very time consuming but it just makes the child a stronger student in the end. I would rather have a child that is strong academically than worry about extracurricular activities at this stage of their life. I know and feel Dove is more focused on the academics than the extra curricular activities.”

“I am very disappointed in the leadership that Dove Academy is now under. The teaching staff is not the best. Most of the teachers there are straight forward and do not teach from the 'heart'. I don't care how prestigeous a school is, or how intelligent a student is, I feel that all teachers should teach from the 'heart' from time to time. You cannot tell me that there are not any students 'as intellectual as they all are' that have not run into some academic problems that require teaching from the 'heart'. I don't see that at Dove Academy now and therefore, I am seeking a new school for my kids. Dove Academy has changed from the way it was in 1998 when I enrolled my oldest child in kindergarten. They don't even test the kids anymore!”

“I think as a former parent of Dove Academy there was no consistency with staff, parents, or students. Teachers never listened to the students and the former administrator was not willing to listen to parents or students. Maybe with the change in leadership things might get better. There are still a couple of teachers that need to not be at Dove in order for me to bring my child back but until the administration looks at the backgrounds of those certain teachers things will never get better. Also where is the diversity with the teachers. If the school is 96% african american where are the african american teachers. Having just 3 is not enough. Neither my child or I were happy at Dove during 2001-02 school year.”

“I am a teacher at Dove Academy and have been for the past five years. It bothered me to read that parent review. Everyone on our staff works hard to give the students the best education possible. I'm proud to work at Dove and will continue to give 100% effort for my students.”

“I am not a parent of a child that attends the Academy of Detroit yet, but I have heard very good things about this school system. I think that the parent who gave a bad review should probably look into a different location of the Academy of Detroit because for the West Side Schools, Oak Park, and Southfield Area I have heard many good things from the parents. They do have foreign language, extracurricular activities, and after school learning. I also like the discipline that is applied by the schools which keep the students out of trouble and in line. I believe that if you find these things inappropriate, you should enroll your child in a Detroit Public School where your child will learn nothing and go to college feeling dumb-founded like I did (graduated from a Detroit Public School with a 3.8--top 3% of all Detroit Public Schools). Good luck.”

“Dove academy is a stressful school for kids and parents. My child often pleads to be taken out of the school. Many of her friends have been removed from the school. The problems always stem from the teaching staff. Some parents feel the majority of the staff has a lack of concern for the students success. There are some great teachers at Dove Academy; however, the bad apples imprint the reputation of the school. The principal seems to uphold the doings of her staff members, eventhough they may be wrong and unfair. Academic wise Dove Academy is a challenging school. Kindergardners make-up 75% of the schools enrollment. Dropout rate or student removal seems to increase each year. There are no extracurriculars, no foreign lanugages, no hot lunches, no latch key, the library has very few books. You and your child must be determined to be a success at this school.”