Petaluma Accelerated Charter

A fantastic choice for the oh-so-difficult middle school years. An amazing and passionate principal and staff who have developed a program for academically gifted and high achieving students. This is a gem of a school. My daughter has thrived here and developed close working relationships with her teachers. I can't say enough good things about PACS. Just wish we had a follow on program at the high schools that pursued the accelerated, rigorous model set here.

I believe the teachers are pretty good, but I think the rules need to be a little looser, and that I feel we are being treated younger than we are, for example, we aren't allowed to use our phones AFTER school on the campus, let alone the place where parents pick up. The math, English, science, and history curriculums are very good, but the band needs major improvement and the Spanish isn't very great either, as we are practicing the alphabet after a full year of learning last year. I don't feel a great improvement from my old school to here, as my old school has three ratings, and this one has five. I really like Mrs. Gill and Mrs. Clemmens, as they are really good teachers.

When searching for a middle school for our child, our family took a close look at every middle school option in town and in Sebastopol, from information nights, to shadow days to school tours to talking to parents. After gathering every bit of information we could, PACS rose above the rest for a variety of reasons, especially the STEAM curriculum and approach to instruction, so we took a leap of faith by enrolling our 7th grader in this new middle school. So grateful we listened to our gut. Our child is so happy. She is challenged academically, encouraged to problem solve in a group setting by collaborating with and listening to her peers and she LOVES the two lead teachers, Mr. Jackson and Mrs. Ayala, who are the heart and soul of this program. Their progressive vision of what education can and should be gives children the confidence to take risks in a safe environment and pushes them to reach their academic potential. The approach of supporting groups of kids to work together to solve problems and be able to articulate what they are doing is engaging and fun. Teachers jump in and help when kids are struggling rather than spend the entire work period lecturing. The smaller school setting allows children to develop close relationships with their teachers, which is paramount for kids at this life stage. Before applying, know that PACS is an academically accelerated program. The work and pace are challenging, so it's critical to strongly consider your child's educational needs and academic abilities. Finally, elective choices are of-the-minute relevant and encourage critical thinking. I would love to see more arts electives, including visual art, choir, etc., but they are off to a tremendous beginning and I believe they are just getting started! Bravo to principal Mr. Harris for bringing this badly-needed option to Petaluma!