Stevens Cooperative School in New York, New York

“We pulled our children out of Stevens for many reasons: The school fundraisng and socials were excessive and exhausting. It did seem odd to do so much extra work when we were already paying tuition. As working parents highly involved with our children's lives, feeding the Stevens' machine was more work than we bargained for. For the most part, we found the other parents at the school to be socially needy and more concerned with fitting in than to improving the academics or challenging the Boards and administration to become more active, and responsible. There were quite a few children with serious behavior problems and they were not handled. Worse yet, our children were overly praised for the most typical projects and despite our requests, this behavior continued. After three years, we got up the courage and found a much better school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My husband and I are very pleased with Stevens. Our children are doing very well academically and socially. At ages 13 and 9 they are truly impressive. We give partial credit to Stevens for their suceess thus far. I say 'partial' because any school deserves only partial credit- we reserve the bulk of the credit for ourselves and our children :-). Seriously though, we've had a great experience over the past decade at Stevens. We highly recommend it.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The school that Stevens is trying to sell existed years ago. It is a business now, which is why our family has left. It's sad and embarrassing that Board members and Administration do not listen to the needs or serious complaints that Coop members have. Most of the good teachers are now gone, and the new and inexperienced ones left, seem to have no idea what actually is progressive about education. Stevens has changed over the years and not for the better. We feel its a sham and not worth the money anymore.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Singapore math? Both my wife and I laughed out loud when we read that last post as it is a gross exaggeration. Part of the reason we moved our children out of Stevens was because we found the math and science programs somewhat typical and weak. Clearly some parents need to continue the hype to justify their decision to send their kids. We found most of the kids at Stevens quite average in terms of academic performance. Perhaps we expected too much from the school but the tours, interviews, beautifully appointed class rooms, and academic claims blindsided us. We are not too proud to admit that we made a mistake when we sent our kids to the school. We are thankfully making better choices now.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Terrible school. Please don't waste your money and send your kids here for quality education. The academics are below average and administration is busy with fund raisers as this school is a coop. If you are one of those parents who are extremely overwhelmed with work, this is a good place for kids to hang out. Its safe, building is kept neat, kids learn a little bit and their after school staff is wonderful. After school is part of the tuition and you need to pick your kids up only at 6:00.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Singapore math? Both my wife and I laughed out loud when we read that last post as it is a gross exaggeration. Part of the reason we moved our children out of Stevens was because the math and science programs were somewhat typical and weak. Clearly some parents need to continue the hype to justify their decision to send their kids. We on the other hand aren't too proud to admit that we made a mistake and bought into all the over inflation of the schools methods and can see past all the hype: We found Stevens to be an average experience hiding behing the fancy term of 'progressive' education. The many mean spirited kids at the school left us reeling and the handling of them was terrible. Perhaps Stevens should focus more on that than on their marketing to parents on how unique their very typical school is.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I wonder how these posts about Stevens math curriculum stacks against the poster who said they benchmarked it against Singapore math? And the idea that parents at Stevens celebrates mediocrity doesn't sound right either. My family's experience is that Stevens is a wonderful school. Anyone looking for a school in the area should look past one or two people who repeatedly post negative reviews and check it out for yourself. I'm sure you'll like what you see.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We agree with the post stating that most schools (besides Stevens) teach kids how to apply math to 'real' world problems. After two years at Stevens, our children are now in a different school and the curriculum at Stevens pales in comparison as far as being dimensional and challenging. We did not find the climate at Stevens very 'real wordly' with the cultures and gender so planned out. The fundraising took so much of our energy and time as if our tuition wasn't enough! There were many misbehaved kids as well and the tolerance extended to them went beyond our comfort zone. We were also set back a bit by the large amount of parents at Stevens who really seemed to celebrate mediocrity. The school does have some nice teachers but overall, nothing impressive enough to make us want to stay. For all the claims, we were very disappointed.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We are happily not part of the 'Stevens Family' anymore. We found the administration to be heavy handed, unprofessional, and not very good at partnering with its families. In fact, most parents seem to operate in fear of the 'Head of School' and do not voice their true issues. It's a shame since the school is promoted as progressive.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“As a math professor, I am all to glad to say that we took both of our children out of Stevens because the math was too easy for them. We have found that numerous schools provide the 'magic' of teaching kids to apply knowledge, particularly in math. It is laughable to hear claims that this type of teaching is exclusive to Stevens. As convincing as others need to be to feel better about their decision, I can confirm first hand that curriculum like Stevens is quite common these days. To those who continue to go to Stevens with tutors on the side: your child's brilliant mind is ultimately in your hands and I commend you for making up for what Stevens can't provide to your intelligent child. Lastly, there were many children at the school that were fresh mouthed and mean. The school did very little to curb the behavior.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Contrary to popular claims, we did not find the math curriculum particularly challenging for our bright child. As a seasoned educator myself, the proportedly 'innovative' techniques used by Stevens are really quite common and far from 'amazing'. Understandably, many want to believe their child is 'gifted' when in reality, they are probably just bright like most children are and perform a little above average. If a child were truly gifted, they would be attending schools created specifically for such children. While at Stevens, we too had to pay for a tutor outside of school as we wanted more challenge for our non-gifted, yet bright child enough. Stevens is an acceptable school but certainly not worth the money. We are very glad Jersey City has expanded on educational options and are all to happy to be using our finances more wisely.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Every school has a handful of children that are advanced and commonly, win math awards. We happen to be the parents of a child gifted in math that did attend Stevens for three years. We found Stevens to be quite average in academics and the school's culture very superficial and lacking. For these reasons, we did not renew our contract and found a much better school. Make no mistake about this: We don't give credit to Stevens for our child's brilliant math mind as they contributed very little to it. Rather, we credit his natural gift and our guidance as his parents. Our child's current school doesn't take the credit either but rather admires and encourages our child's wonderful mind. Schools like Stevens are going to have to do a little bit more than flaunt and hide behind the accomplishments of a handful of naturally gifted students.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“When you have school that is #1 in the state Math League for 6th and 7th grade, and #2 for 8th grade, I think that speaks volumes about the rigor of the school. When parents says that the school is not advanced enough for their gifted child, or that the curriculum is demanding enough, I wonder how such a school could produce these results”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I go to Stevens, I think it's an okay school. I think the teachers are decent they teach everything but the math teacher is very strict, she was saying that Americans are stupid. The other teachers are pretty good. What we learn about is intersesting. But i think my parents pay way to much money. I also do not like that one day a week we go into Newport and its very unconveinent for me. Also, I hate the head of the school, she makes stupid rules and dose not admit that she is wrong. I got in trouble last year and she did not know all the facts, when she found out that it was wrong, what she had done, she did not admit it, she just lifted the punishments.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I have two children at Stevens. I ask myself three questions: -Do I like the cirriculum? -Are my children learning? -Are my children happy? The answer to all three is an emphatic YES! A couple of people keep posting negative reviews, but realize that's but a couple of disgruntled parents. Stevens kids excel whereever they go and it's for a reason!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I want to add that in the year of possibly the worst recession in the US, Stevens increased their tuition $1800 or about 14% while many independent schools kept their tuition increases to about 2.5 to 3.5%. Again, a sign that the admin simply turns a deaf ear to parent the parent body. Leaving Stevens behind was the best thing we did for our family. Like other posters say, don't believe the hype!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Unfortunately, there will be many who love the school, and many who don't for various reasons. The administration, more than the school, was ultimately the reason for our leaving. The unprofessional conduct was just too much to stomach and what we saw in the classroom just didn't make up in value. Both our children are much happier in their current school. I think some children need the type of atmosphere that Stevens provides. But the truth is children who are flexible will flourish anywhere. It's a matter of preference and what's right for each individual child and family. I have heard from some disgruntled parents who are finishing out their year that some good teachers have left and it has caused a divisive atmosphere among staff. But I guess every school has drama. We're glad to be rid of it!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We had 2 children enrolled at Stevens and were unhappy and disappointed with our experiences. We witnessed many disheartening situations while there. Some personally and some that were directed at other families. The administration is a failure -unfriendly, unprofessional and not very good at what they do. My advice to anyone that is looking to enroll their child there is to give some thought to all the stories you have heard about Stevens. Yes, you can't please everyone but something is to be said for hearing bad experience after bad experience.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I am a parent who is new to Stevens and while I appreciate the progressive teaching style and the way that the teachers demand a high degree of responsibility from the students, I love the new facility that they have moved into at Newport, called Aqua Blue which is one of the nicest schools in the area. There's lots of open space, a gym/auditorium for the students, a lab for science and computers, ample outdoor play space -- and that's not even mentioning the NYC views. It's a great building for a great school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I wonder if some of the parents on this board who say that all of the other schools are commonly practicing 'progressive education' know what they are talking about! Yes, most schools have students working in groups and try to relate some of the curriculum to the students' life experiences, but I know that many of my friends in the suburbs still complain about reams of worksheets for their kindergarteners' homework, essays that have to follow a rigid format for their 3rd graders, and science or social studies projects that only earn an A if completed by the parent. Sure, their public schools are 'free' but our private school costs less than half of comparable schools in Manhattan, which is much closer to us than most suburbs. That's something my husband I think about every day when we drop our daughter off at Stevens. We are getting great value here.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We would not recommend Stevens for many reasons. The main reason is that it is overpriced for what you are getting. The education is mediocre at best. The school does look good on the outside and is designed to ease parents of their choice of enrolling. The school is run by parents who are board members and this is quite disturbing considering how inactive they are. The administration is just awful and many parents that speak up have been threatened that their 'contract' wouldn't be renewed. Thank Goodness that there are many better options out there besides Stevens. The expansion of the school and the the now common experience of being 'progressive' in most schools has brought Stevens down.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We found Stevens to be quite average in terms of educating our children. Our childen have always been well behaved and our family life is quite stable so we don't credit the school for our pleasant dispositioned kids. We expect that the school would continue what we demonstate at home, much like all the schools do. Our recent move caused us to leave the school but we were planning on leaving Stevens if our move didn't go through. The expansion of the school combined with the fact that all the other schools are commonly practicing progressive education leaves Stevens mediocre at best. The school would like you to believe you are getting so much more but in reality, you are getting an average experience with a lot of bells and whistles on it. The latter must be included to justify the price. Overall, very disappointing.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The school has a great reputation in providing so much more than a great education. They are involved in developing a well rounded child.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We are unhappy with our experience with Stevens Cooperative. After four months into the school year, we decided that the school was not a good match for our family: The school had a weak discipline response to the many misbehaved children (bratty,punchers, potty mouthed). The curriculum was so easy for our child that she excelled at everything and was bored. She already knew how to get along with others so the school had little to offer her. When we met with the administrators to discuss pulling her out, we were confused as to why they would become so defensive and combative. They held us legally bound to the contract. Despite this threat, we took her out of Stevens, enrolled her in a better school and went broke fulfilling the Stevens contract. Good news: We are rid of Stevens and our daughter is now thriving.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I am a graduate of Stevens Cooperative School. I am a rising senior at a top US college, which is consistently ranked in the top 10. After Stevens I turned down acceptance to the local specialized public high school to attend a top tier NYC independent school. My parents and I were extremely pleased with the experience I had at Stevens. I left the school with a base of knowledge far beyond my peers from other schools both public and private. It is, without a doubt, writing intensive. The math program has always been superior. At Stevens you are expected to be motivated to do a great deal of work, participate in group discussions, read lots of material and to have a point of view. I thank my parents often for allowing me to be part of such a wonderful community. I love going back to visit!”
This review was posted by a student.

“Mediocre school with less than adequate administration. Some teachers shine, while others do not. After a while, seeing my child fail to progress in comparison to his peers in other schools, we decided to enroll elsewhere.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“If you are a parent who thinks for your child, chooses for your child, speaks for your child, or intervenes and kills a beautiful mistake before it happens, then Stevens is most likely not the appropriate learning community for you. SCS is much more interested in ensuring that children explore themselves as intellectually curious learners so that they may utilize their solid critical thinking skills in jobs that are not likely to be off-shored or outsourced. Stevens students are socially responsible and metacognitive of their abilities. To them I say, 'It has been an honor to be your guide and facilitator in learning.' To those hasty skeptics, I say, 'There's still time.'”
This review was posted by a teacher.

“Our son who is gifted in math and science was bored at Stevens and didn't look forward to attending. We pulled him out and got him into another school and he is now thriving. Many of the children (3rd grade) seemed to lack discipline and the structure in the school is rather loose. There was also too much tolerance in the classrooms for children who were troubled and disruptive. Word to the wise: think twice about sending your child to this school if you value learning.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“As a teacher who used to work at Stevens, I regret to say that the expanding of the school greatly took away from what made Stevens so special in the first place. Even the Hoboken campus has suffered and the word is spreading: Stevens has become just another typical progressive school producing very typical progressive school children.”
This review was posted by a other.

“I'm a big fan of progressive and most of the teachers are excellent but the administration is horrible, to the point where it undercuts the faculty. Also, this small precious school is suddenly expanding left and right. There seems to be a new push to develop the school into some sort of megastar with maximized earning power, putting education on the far back burner lately.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Great school, amazing teachers. Great enviroment!Excellent after school program.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This is a progessive school. The concept is good. My child enjoys it. The staff appears elite and the adminstration is about $. Be sure to read the find print. It is a costly school and rather needed for the $ you pay.”
This review was posted by a parent.