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May 2023 by Emaan K.
Many twelve year olds speak of the poor treatment they were subjected to by their peers in middle school, but I have the privilege of recalling verbal abuse from my previous teachers as well. While the academic rigor of this location may seem appealing, I genuinely warn whoever wants to send their child here. I transferred out halfway through the year after pleading with my parents to let me go to public school, and I look back on this school with sadness, knowing that many children probably silently experienced the same.
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February 2023 by Nathan M.
I am posting this review based on my personal experience on how effective this school has been for my child. Curriculum is fine but that is not the only criteria which will benefit the student. Let me explain why. If you are someone new looking to enroll your child from say 2nd 3rd or 4th grade, don't do it! They are for sure going to treat that child as if he or she is inferior to other students who's already there from preschool or kindergarten. To begin with, the teachers are claimed to be qualified with MASTERS degree and above but they certainly are not CREDENTIALED under state board of California which means they do not go for any training other than being briefed by their management on how to handle things. Some of the teachers at this campus do not possess a good understanding on subjects like history and science and they grade the test paper simply based on their answer guide.Their teacher often based the lecture solely on their notes which i guess anyone could do it. I am not saying all the teachers are incompetent but i'm sure they are not sound in all the subjects being taught. Adding on, the management often shuffle teachers from one grade to another due to the high turnover rate. Furthermore this school does not have a dedicated science lab. For subjects like literature, no matter how well your child has answered their test, the teacher would give them a mediocre score for some reason and i'm seeing this after 1 year of observing their pattern. Other child (mostly their favorites) would score more even when their response only meets minimum criteria for scoring. (confirmed this from my child through their best work board) . Next, the teachers do not CHECK the homework and your child may come home with an incorrect work. The amount of homework is fine even though it is considered a little too much for an elementary grade but the problem is, they have tests every week which i think it's a little unreasonable. Student council board is another joke here. The rule to stay as a class rep is not to get a grade below 75 or 80 in any subjects, so the teacher would always make them stay within or well above the range. you rarely have an opportunity to stay in touch directly with your child's teacher. It is always through the management. I mean, what in the world are they afraid of? The most interesting part of their test system is, it is basically a repeated test questions from the point of Challenger inception. So, let's say if the student has an older sibling here, the younger one will somehow know what's coming ahead for the test. I am sure this is how not Barbara Baker, the founder would have envisioned how the school should be running. Unfortunately, today, that is the case.
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January 2022 by Geri W.
thanksAs a retired elementary school teacher (25 + years,) I am thorough in my evaluation of schools my grandkids attend. Challenge is definitely NOT one I would recommend!The teachers (mostly young women with minimal experience in a classroom) are closely controlled by the administration(which has little to no classroom experience.) Creativity is discouraged, since it's expression would cut into the school's "cookie cutter" approach to education.Another note to consider: Challenger isa "(or profit" school; although I notice it is now using the word "Foundation" in its title. Consider the multiple options of schools in this valley before making a choice; there are many in our valley!
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September 2021 by Krishna K.
The worst school ever. My daughter went to preschool for a year here and she went from a chirpy talkative character to a closed introvert within a year. Its been 2.5 years since we left but still she says those teachers were the worst ever and she hasnt come out of the trauma yet !
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August 2021 by lafia s.
The worst school in the United States is Challenger School. 1. It's the only school that forbids students from taking home textbooks, and most of the teachers' children have access to textbooks so they get better grades. 2.They are based on the premise that they make better disciplined students.3. This school just demotivates kids and looks for higher grade kids and boosts them, not recognizing all kids are unique.4. The teachers don't try to encourage kids; they make their own factory-made students and they always call parents to complain about even minor things.5. Rico, the principal at Shawnee, is just a businessman who has no ethical values.
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June 2021 by Gayatri K.
We used to send our child for the Pre-K and K program at Challenger-Shawnee. The teachers were loving and caring, especially Ms.Sushma.We were worried about how our child was doing in the Pre-K class, but Ms. Sushma made us comfortable by giving us detailed reports on our child. Thanks to Ms.Sushma our child had a great experience at Challenger.
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June 2021 by Yuanyuan M.
My daughter loved her time here when she was in the preschool program. Miss Sushma is a very sweet teacher and cares about all her students. My daughter loves her a lot and always hugs her before she leaves school. Since the shutdown from COVID last year, we have stayed at home for a longtime. We have been missing her a lot especially my daughter. We are back to the preK program in Aug. Hopefully we will see her again on campus.
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May 2021 by Yi H.
We have been with Challenger preschool for 2 years. Shawnee Campus is not big but nice, classroom is neat and clean. The staffs are caring. Teachers are nice. My kid feels good and happy when back from school. I do want to appreciate Ms Sushma, My kid favorite teacher, she is super great and super caring for each kid!
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December 2018 by Teresa Vu
Awesome teachers!!! Great, friendly staff!!! My son loves going to school in the morning and when he gets home, he loves telling me what he learned that day. At only 3 1/2 years old, he's learning how to sound out words. It's amazing!!! His confidence level has improved, he's no longer a shy little boy. Challenger makes learning a fun and enjoyable experience for the kids.
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December 2018 by Layla Wang
My daughter is having a very good time in Challenger-Shawnee campus. She barely talked any English when we sent her here. But now she can even read by herself. The teachers are so passionate. We are very glad of our choice.
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December 2018 by Vasudev Nambakam
Our kids have gone to Challenger Shawnee since they were 3 and 5 ... they have spent about 14 combined years till date with multiple school principals. We have had a great experience here. They used to be in extended care till 6 PM for 12 combined years (we were engaged with work as a priority) where they were exposed to sports and art. They have a large playground and physical activity is encouraged with a couple of staff involved with it at all times. They are mentally challenged too, with the class teacher reaching out when the scores are sub-par. We think they have turned out well. We think the kids will be in their care till their 7th or 8th grades. The only challenge they face is in the lack of diversity in Challenger’s class rooms - we chose to address this by engaging them in other activities outside of school where they are exposed to the broader community ... this continues to be top of our mind.
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December 2018 by vicky huo
Challenger is very good! Within a week, my son learned more then I expected! He says that his classmates are nice to him.
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December 2018 by Ezekiel Robles
Been taking my daughter her for pre school and the staff are fantastic the kids are friendly no complaints.
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December 2018 by Suganya Sridharan
School and the teachers are awesome. They help your child to be successful.
