McKeel Academy of Technology

User Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

My daughter is only beginning to recover physically and emotionally from the yoyo of the staff in the 6th and 7th grades at Mckeel. The language arts and gifted teacher are the only two people who seem to have an idea how to teach children without overloading them with showy projects that do not add to the quality of education but only make the teachers look like they are working hard.

They spend too much time in the classes spinning their wheels on new and grand schemes to out shine each other to teach and require ridiculous amounts of homework as a result. The economy system of discipline makes a lot of sense up front, but is only enforced if your parent is not a board member or prized office lady.

The administrator spends his time surrounded by his harem of pretty petted office women to know what is going on for the kids anymore. His vision for a fun school has turned into a school where the kids suffer at the ever changing environment. My daughter's class was repeatedly informed that they were the worst group of kids in Mckeel history by the adults who were supposed to be their mentors and advocates. Every privilege was taken away in blanket form from the entire class punishing the who group while offenders skirted the system and were able to remain.

I watched my happy quiet straight A student become a sad child with lower and lower self esteem when each new reward that was dangled in front of the students was snatched away due to the actions of a few. Bullies reigned over the quiet students and were coddled and protected due to their homelives. It has taken two years to over come some of the horrible experiences.

Teachers who screamed and screamed in classes. Blanket punishment after commiting no offense. On one occasion (the last day of school before Christmas Break) her entire grade was confined to a seat in the auditorium for 4 hours. The had to sit absolutely still and quiet for 4 hours because 4 or 5 kids had called 911 on the morning field trip to the park. The offenders had confessed and were in the office, but my daughter quietly cried away the last 4 hours of school before Christmas break.

Incidents like this were continual. Being placed in groups with students who would not do any work, and either having to take a bad grade when the other members did not complete their work, or being ridiculed as a perfectionist who did non know how to work with other if she did the work herself. Consdtantly changing levels of expectations. Making assignments and then half way through the project, upping the standards to an unreachable height.

I think the teachers are so stressed about losing their jobs that they are in constant competition to out perform or out work the kids and show outlandish projects. You can take this as the word of a disgruntled parent and dismiss it if you wish, but my child maintained As and was not dismissed from the school. I say this only to say if you have a mild mannered well behaved child, you do not want them to attend this school. They will become a nervous wreck trying to please and stay on the good side of Jekyl and Hyde mentality of the teachers and administrators.

A young man quiet and very well behaved, who is deaf, the son of a close friend, had a hard time with his academics was railed upon by Maready in a meeting to determine if he would get to continue attending Mckeel. The young man could only understand a portion of the lecture, and in trying to process what was being said and form a response, was accused of playing the part of a dumb mute to get out of doing work. There was never an apology to the student or parent, when Maready was later informed that the young man read lips. Few of his teachers made any accomodations for his hearing imparement either.

I had only a few real encounters with Maready, but it only took that little time to see that he was an egotistical spoiled man used to having people grovel for his favor.

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