University Preparatory Academy

I have read a couple of the reviews above and can’t disagree enough. Yes this was a fine school 10 years ago when they first started their K-​12. My Son first started in 2005 and is now in 9^th grade. I have a Grandson in first grade in UPA Ellen Thomson Elementary School and have found that the Administration is not what it once was. Their attitude of shoot from the hip before getting all of the facts is causing a lot of frustration among the parents. Their habit of throwing in a half day once a month causes a parent to schedule time off of work. This was not the practice years ago. As one of the posts earlier mentioned the dead-​end road child pick up at the end of the day is pure chaos. Parents and returning Administrators with an entitled mine set just makes it look like a scene out of the old west. Needless to say my grandson will not be returning, it’s a shame, it was once a fine school.

I think its good for the city. Nice looking charter school. We went to take my god daughter b-​day cupcakes. You sign in and have to call to confirm. They require the kids to do an expedition project every month which is a good thing for kids to do in my opinion helps them to discover something new. You have to stand in a long line of cars just to pick up your kid but that’s better than leting them run around and risk someone taking them. Great School Donate today!!!

As a social worker I spend a lot of time going in and out of Detroit public schools. I see some things that really make the hair stand up on the back of my neck. And then, occassionally, I see a few gems.
This school is one of those gems.
UPA and University Prep High School both use project-​based learning so that kids can really focus on the things that interest them. All students do regular internships which are supervised by a local field instructor and a teacher (they get school credit for the internship). This gives them a chance to refine their interests and get exposed to the work world.
But, a few things to note. UPA is a bit overrated in terms of it’s academic rigor. Although it is a world above most of the DPS schools I visit, not all graduates are going to be prepared to start at a mid-​range or top tier university. I’ve seen kids advanced from grade to grade (particularly in math) who really don’t have the basics down well enough.
And, another important thing to remember about UPA is that their teaching approach does not work for all students. Some kids need a lot more structure and will flounder when given so much academic freedom and responsibility for their own education. Parents of UPA students need to stay in close contact with the teachers and review their student’s work on a very regular basis.
Overall, this is a great school. The campus is well laid out, the rooms are clean and things are in repair. There’s not a lot of violence. The teachers and staff are very good at communicating with parents and they take a personal interest in their students.