Catalyst High School

We love this school and feel fortunate to be there. We moved to Catalyst after a year in the public school system and what a difference! Our son feels truly valued by all the staff and now loves going to school. He is learning, making good grades and has had opportunities he would never have had in the public system. With the individualized programming, block teaching style with truly engaged teachers, potential for late start (if needed), small class size & community service piece, it is a breath of fresh air. They have a great model for teaching high schoolers and are flexible enough to reach each student. They incorporate a lot about what we all know these days about teens and how they learn (finally, someone who is hearing the consensus!!). A great program for anyone from those who love to learn, to those who just don't know it yet, to those who have obstacles to learning in a larger setting, or who have been disenfranchised by the public system. A welcoming place, where kids are invited to learn and become accountable with learning contracts which become models for living life, really. Lastly, I think it gives the kids opportunities to explore interests or passions, which is great prep. for post-graduate life. The advisor/counselor has been very helpful in preparing students & parents in that vein. Frankly, this is how all students should be taught!!! more

Catalyst High school thoroughly supports kids and their individual learning styles, providing an upbeat alive generous intelligent atmosphere with fine tuned gifted teachers and support staff. The kids look bright comfortable and challenged at their own levels of skill and learning. The atmostphere is full of creativity and ideas, with both freedom and structure in balance and continually assessed for each student. Pros: listed below more

My 15 yo son moved to Catalyst HS from a huge public school. He's always been an out-of-the-box kind of thinker, very experiential, exceptionally gifted, but still did very well in school until this spring. Since moving schools, he's found his ""spark"" for learning again because this school lets kids follow their interests and passions across disciplines. It was like a switch was thrown ON when he started at Catalyst HS - being engaged, interested, motivated, productive... all the things he was not at his old school The admin, staff and teachers all support a large variety of ways to demonstrate aquisition of knowledge instead of the cookie-cutter, for the massive paradigm of one-size-fits-all work at his old school. He is thriving instead of barely surviving. He can't wait to get to class. He feels seen, heard, appreciated by his teachers. Pros: Incredible, engaging teachers; self-paced, can accelerate. Cons: Haven't found any Cons yet... great school. more

I had struggled in traditional high school for a couple years before I finally found what is now Catalyst High School. The one on one attention and self directed learning allowed me to once again thrive in school. I can't thank Catalyst enough for helping me get my life back on track during my tumultuous teen years. Pros: Individualized Learning more