Polaris Expeditionary Learning School

I think this school is phenomenal and the numbers don't do it justice. They do well on tests because they have a wholistic approach to learning that makes the kids better, smarter people. It's not an accident of being in a low performing state or district. This is not a low performing district. This is however partially a rural district and not all kids plan on attending college. This school respects students choices and strives to make them the best people they can be while being the kind of people they want to be, rather than trying o cram them into a mold.

I am currently a high school student at Polaris and have loved it so far. The teachers are amazing and the students are kind to eachother.

I have two children at this school, and their experience has been extremely positive. The K-12 environment is rich with a genuine focus on deeper learning. Both of my kids regularly have opportunities to apply and broaden their skills in the real world, through field work. For example, while learning about the concept of community, my daughter's class took the city bus to a meeting with the mayor. My son's class, exploring different topics in writing, visited local spots for inspiration, including the library and a community garden. The atmosphere in the school is warm and welcoming, run by a team of administrators and teachers who embrace best practices in education. They encourage my kids to take ownership of their learning and focus on balanced growth, from academics to emotional intelligence. I feel fortunate for this school in our community.

I really wanted to like this school but it's just like any other school. It's trying really hard to say it's different. It's not. There are teachers here who only care about themselves and their image. If you see through this and you don't kiss butt, they will dislike you and punish you with lower grades and zero encouragement. Some will even demean you and your work in front of other students just to prove they have some kind of power.The school says there is no bullying here. Did I mention teachers use grades and lack of encouragement to bully? There is also rampant bullying among students. I've seen students gang up and walk up to someone and say "We hate you. Why don't you kill yourself" and laugh and walk away. Ironically these bullies are the students winning all the awards and getting all the praise from the teachers who only care about image. So what the school really teaches is, bow down to "authority" and don't think for yourself or you'll get punished. If you want to thrive this isn't the school for you despite all the trying it's doing to convince everyone it's "cool".