Success Academy Charter School - Bergen Beach Elementary

"This school is so unprofessional !!! They called me and said my son was crying and couldn’t tell me why. The AP was so disrespectful to the fullest !!! I lost my mind in there !! The Princple trying to brush it under the rug !!!! My son isn’t getting the 1on 1 help that he needs when it comes to his reading !! This is a military school !!! They had me waiting to see the Princple since 1:30 on September 22 2022 !! She finally came out at 4pm to have a idgaf (her body language ) conversation !!! She then told me that when a parent comes and have a question or concern that she doesn’t have to get up!!!! Very disrespectful !!!"

"I went the charter school route because the public school system wanted to put my child in a special education classroom. This will be my son’s 3rd year attending Success Academy and his first year at this specific location. I transferred him from the SA at Hudson Yards & I can confidently say that every Success Academy is built different. DO NOT EMAIL these people, I’m not sure if they check their emails. If you need any assistance then call. The staff doesn’t care about what your family needs ESPECIALLY if they find it to be an inconvenience to them. There is no school-life balance for this specific location. It’s as if they don’t care about your child’s mental health. They give so much homework that my child spends the rest of his day after school doing homework. If you’re expecting to rest on the weekend then think again, they assign weekend homework as well. I’m all about working hard but there has to be a balance because this is not living. They claim that what they do is done at EVERY one of their locations. I keep in contact with other parents from his previous school and the culture is different. I can’t help but wonder if the culture is different because Bergen Beach is mostly Carribean students or maybe they’re incapable of creating a fun, nurturing environment where having fun is prioritized right next to learning… I’m just deeply disappointed at the difference in experience. If it wasn’t for Ms. Arellano then I would’ve rated the school 1 star. It feels as if she’s the only one that cares about my scholar’s progress. She has been taking the time out to get to know my scholar and provide guidance to the best of her ability. I’m use to having a great relationship with my child’s teachers, working in collaboration with one another and she lives up to the expectations. You can tell that she cares about her students, she takes initiative. She noticed that my son wasn’t eating lunch so sometimes she sits with my son during lunch time and advocates for him to get more of the foods he actually eats. My son is extremely shy. As soon as Ms. Arellano noticed, she changed his seat and figured out a way to engage him in class discussions. She looks at the kids like they’re people and works with them. The school year just started, I’m hoping that things get better or else I’m going to have to find my child another school to attend."

"The Principal is horrible she doesn't care about the students or staff. The turn over in this location is excessive. They throw the struggling kids to the back of the classroom with no support. Overall the SA system is declining drastically."

"Great school, teachers and overall staff. Once you're in, the parents form a tight-knit community. Class and teachers were pretty consistent and work always engaging. I can say I'm happy my daughter went to this school. If you've had a negative first impression, I'd advise you to see past it and give them another (fair) chance."

"Excellent school, my son has improved in so many ways since attending this school."