Odyssey Charter School

This is our first year with Odyssey. This is the first year of middle school for our daughter. She has been in the gifted program since 2nd grade. We felt like middle school was going to be the most important part of her learning, so choosing a good middle school where she will excel was very important to us as parents. We learned of Odyssey from another parent who's child was attending Odyssey this year for the first time as well. Upon meeting with Odyssey before the start of this school year we where told and under the impression that Odyssey was a charter school for the gifted. Needless to say we where very excited when she was called in to be tested and accepted into Odyssey. Boy where we fooled! This is the most unorganized school. Nothing that was told to us prior to enrolling has been true. The school is the most filthy school we have ever seen, we can never get through to the school during school hours, they do not offer lunches therefore if your child forgets their lunch then they must go without, the teachers have personally told us that the gifted program was an option and if your child decides they do not want to attend class that day then thats ok, teachers do not push your child to the fullest it is more of a learn as you please level. Grades are not entered into the school site for several weeks, the rules are made up as you go. Mr. Geter holds no one responsible for anything. Emails and calls are never returned. The athletic department is a joke!! It has been made very clear that even though expectations are set they are not required to be met. If you are part of the "favorites" then the rules and guide lines do not apply to you. This has been such a disappointment to us as parents but also to our child. A child that has never made below a B average til this year. We do plan on contacting the state in regards to all the regulations that have been broke, the uncleanness but most importantly the lack of education our children receive.

Odyssey Charter School has many staff who are not open to the education of African American students, especially the males. The Special Education Director insisted that my grandson needed to attend special education classes, however; my grandson's scores did not reflect the need for these classes. She also suggested that we need to medicate my grandson. In the 3 years that my grandson attended Odyssey he has never had to visit the principals office for disrupting class or behavioral problems. After observing and speaking to other parents, I have discovered that this is a pattern for the treatment of African American children at Odyssey. We have decided to removed our grandson from Odyssey to another prominent school. He is excelling; special education classes or the need to medicate has never been suggested by the staff. After a meeting with staff, one teacher spoke to me away from her peers, she did not agree with what was said in the meeting. Unfortunately, key staff at Odyssey is only interested in enrolling children of color for statistical purposes only to obtain government funding.