I wanted to drop a quick note to let you know what an awesome first day my student had at your school. He loves it!! He loves his classes and teachers. He said everyone there is really nice. I wanted to say thank you so much for making him feel welcome and like he belongs.      -Shirley P.

I wanted to take a moment to give kudos to our school. At the game last night we had several teachers and a ton of parents cheering on the kids, their great effort, and hard work. A sincere appreciation and thank you to AOT.

We are proud to be Cougars!

Rating: Tricia L.

We have had students at the Academy of Tucson Middle School for 5 years. During that time, we have been very pleased with the quality education our kids have received. The base curriculum is challenging and well rounded. Our kids have benefited from the variety of elective classes offered as well. Beyond the educational curriculum, we have very much appreciated the smaller class size that allows teachers to get to know our kid's needs and learning style.

The staff is very caring and truly enjoys teaching. They also care about the character of the students. Honesty, respect, and discipline are taken seriously. No school is perfect, but any concerns that have arisen have been heard and addressed in an appropriate manner.

Our experience is that Academy of Tucson Middle School strives to produce well-rounded students, equipped to excel in High School.

Rating: Beth D.

Have had two of my kids go to Kellond Elementary and then to Basis before pulling them out of Basis and sending them to Academy of Tucson. TUSD school system has some great schools - Kellond for example - and we liked it. It was a little slow for my highly motivated daughter and she breezed through the coursework. We sent her and her (one year) younger brother to Basis. My daughter was doing OK and my son was floundering. When I told them I was taking them out of Basis they were both REALLY happy. I put them into Academy of Tucson and am pleased. The school pushes harder than I expected it to, and without having been to Basis it is possible to think the school occasionally pushes too hard. I was expecting it to be half way between TUSD and Basis, but its more like 75% Basis and 25% TUSD. Before transferring kids I talked with friends and went to an interview with the Academy of Tucson principle prior to enrolling my kids there. He's a retired US Marine and can come across on the tough side, but after seeing him in action for a semester now - I believe he's doing a great job. He also watches over the kids like a hawk - which I like with the school being on 22nd street and so many people passing by. The school secretaries are some of the best I've ever met and they know my wife and I by name. It appears they enjoy working there. My son's 5th grade teacher also came across as being too tough (again retired military) when I first met her. She had some pointed questions and I felt like I was being interviewed for a job instead of just transferring my kids into the school. Again, a semester later, my son likes her, and prefers to stay after school with her to work on his homework instead of coming home to do it. So three days a week I pick the kids up at 4pm instead of 3pm. Academy of Tucson isn't easy and the homework load is considerable. My 5th grade son spends at least an hour a night doing it, and many nights its more like two hours. My daughter has a fair bit of homework too - but being motivated like she is I rarely have to help her. If you need a school that pushes harder than TUSD and still want your child to have time for a social life or sports then Academy of Tucson is a good choice. My only gripe - (and my kids too) they each have to share a half size locker with another student since there are not enough to go around.

Rating: Robert A.