Douglas Anderson School of The in Jacksonville, Florida

“Just to let you know parents, as an alumni, I received $2000-$5000 in yearly scholarships from 3 different schools based on DA's reputation alone.”
This review was posted by a other.

“I am a Junior at DA for Orchestra (violin). I love being able to study music at school. The arts have improved and every year the level rises. I have seen this in orchestra. This year we topped our previous school record(10) of the number of string students to make it into the Florida All-State orchestras with 11 students accepted (9th/10th grade: 4 violins, 2 violas, and 1 bass; 11th/12th grade: 3 violins and 1 bass). This is the highest number accepted from a single school this year and I am looking forward to going to all-state for my 2nd year in a row. The academics are improving, with more AP and Honors classes every year. Students aren't allowed to perform during the following quarter if their grades drop(academic probation). According to newsweek, DA is ranked #43 in the nation and #3 in Duval county (the top 2 are academic magnets).”
This review was posted by a student.

“My son attended the inaugural year this school was opened. He did very well at LaVilla and went on to Douglas Anderson HS. It is our hopes that while our daughter wasn't accepted this year due to the number of students that applied that we will hear from LaVilla in the next couple of months that a opening has occured. We feel like they gave our son a solid base to build on and focused on what was important for a teenager. We are very proud parents of 2 great children and plan to keep pushing them to be strong and work hard for what they get. This method hasn't failed us in our past. The most amazing talent comes from just a slight nudge in the right direction. The kids at LaVilla are incredibly talented. They amazed my wife and I the whole time our son attended.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“It is a creative and nurturing environment that places emphasis on both the arts and academics. My daughter has thrived in this environment and is well prepared for college next year.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Douglas Anderson is absolutely not a stressful academic school. I was told I couldn't take advanced or AP classes because they wanted me to have more arts areas. The atmosphere is incredible, though. Kids are truly free to be themselves. But, if you're looking for a school that values academic performance, DA is not for you.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I love that creative children have a place to express themselves and not feel out of place.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Douglas Anderson is an amazing school! The kids there very diverse and friendly as well as the teachers. The work can be intense sometimes, but you actually learn things unlike other schools. The arts areas at DA can even turn into a second family for some kids. If you are serious about your art then you should defiantly come to this school. You'll make great friends and get a superior education in academics and art.”
This review was posted by a student.

“Douglas Anderson is not the best school to send your child. To begin with, instead of being about the buisness of makeing students happy and acheiving thier main goals in life, their main buissness is just being about mainly the money they can get for their school. thier main agenda is to give their students the nessecary tools to make the school(and mainly their principal jakie cournelius )look good. as a student I can truly say that their whole motive is keep getting money. for a student trying to get into school, they have thier students audition to be acepted into the school. in my opinion I don't think this is fair. the neighborhood students have to just acept the students as they are. but as for as for douglas anderson you can live right around the corner from the school and you still have to audition from thousands of students.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This school needs sports and to promote physical education because with students being punished for playing basketball...... no. This school promotes an unhealthy lifestyle with stressful amounts of homework and a strictness that is downright depressing. Arts are more emphasized than academics. Children up north already are ahead of our kids. Not every student at DA will pursue their arts area and i think they should put more emphasis on academics. At the most, allow kids to take less arts and more academics. My daughter was denied a chance to take an extra science class because of her arts area. Overall, the teachers and students that make up the school are truly incredible, but the kids are sometimes pushed too hard. If you want your kids stressed out but completely ready for college by graduation; by all means DA is a great school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“to the people that look down at DA's educational value because we focus on arts areas, they must understand that in no way is it different than a sports program is to a regular school. if you make bad grades, you will be penalized from your dance recitals, or programs. also if one is to drop in grqade point average they put you in your home school. in no way is DA lacking in educational value.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This school is the best high school of the arts in the country, as far as we are concerned. We were transferred to CA after my son's second year at DA. While his new school in CA was very good, it did not compare to the teaching and guidance given at DA. Our son audtitioned and was accepted into the UCLA Theatre program after high school. He attributes his acceptance into this highly ranked program to his teachers and curriculum in the DA Theatre department.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Our daughter transferred her junior year from Paxon IB. What a breath of fresh air for her. She loves the AP classes and the Creative Writing department is amazing. DA gets an A in our book!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I love my school to death! it has amazing arts and great academics.”
This review was posted by a student.

“There are opportunities at every level for students at DA. If you still need your parents to hold your hand through the process at high school level, this school is not for you. There are many opportunities for the parents to be involved. My daughter will be a senior next year and I have been priviledged to attend the shows and events that rival the professionals. If you don't like DA, you are not taking advantage of all that it has to offer. My only regret is that German was not offered. However, my daughter has taken two years of Latin and the Creative Writing department is outstanding.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I am very pleased as the parent of a freshman in the writing department. The child takes five core academic classes and three classes in their art area. What a wonderful chance. Our daughter is very smart, but never excelled until DA. She is so motivated and extremly interested as she is being challanged in her arts area. There is no gifted program at DA but who needs one when Ap classes are offered and advanced placement. For the first tiime in her life, she relaly feels like she belongs in a school.l Plus she has friends of all races.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I am very pleased with this school and my daughter loves it. Because she has been home schooled most of her life her father and I feared that it would be a rough transition for her, but it has turned out amazing. She has made many friends and she continues to excel at this school. DA gets an 'A' from this parent.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I am very pleased with Douglas Anderson. My child looks forward to attending every day, and is eager to share experiences. The teachers are very dedicated and seem to be able to give pertinent information and direction to students. This school is for those who are interested in pursuing ARTS, not sports. For this I am very thankful. The students here have auditioned and excelled in academics before attending. This certainly weeds out students who are not dedicated to a particular arts field or academics. These factors create a safe and pleasant environment for learning to take place. I have been involved in private and public schools in the US. This is one of the finest schools I have ever observed.”
This review was posted by a teacher.

“Too much emphasis on arts and not enough on education. School does not encourage parent involvement unless it is fundraising.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“As one of thousands of proud parents who can attest, DA is an educational experience of the highest calibur. Graduates can honestly look back at their time there & know they have truly earned their diplomas.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We moved here from out of State and are thrilled to have our daughter in DA. It was an easy transition to the south for her as everyone is extremely accepting of assumed differences. I say assumed because obviously, people are the same inside - no matter where you're from. She is doing wonderful in DA both academically and socially. The teachers are stimulating and encouraging. Although we feared the 90 minute periods, they turned out to be a great thing! Homework is kept at a minimum because they actually get to learn during class time. What a wonderful thing! Along with the State A rating, Douglas Anderson gets this parent's A rating too! Only thing that's lacking is useful parent meetings. Fundraisers and newsletters are nice but I think there should be more pertinent parent to parent info and parent involvement on a whole.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Douglas Anderson is a public arts school which has been mistaken for a private school due to its programs. The neighboring magnet high schools and private schools focus only on their academics, while at DA, the student is required to keep a high GPA in arts and academics. At the same time, each arts area and subject has a good amount of wonderful, experienced professors that make projects extremely fun. All the hardwork is recognized by faculty and peers alike. To add, the students are treated more like adults rather than children, which allows them to become more comfortable with themselves earlier than other teenagers. It's truly an A school.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“Both of my children graduated from DA. I cannot say enough about what a wonderful opportunity DA gives to students. Academics are excellent (though necessarily narrow) and arts are wonderful. The self-discipline taught in the arts areas is extraordinary; the transition to college is much easier for most DA kids because of their arts area experience. Both of my children spent 35-45 hours aweek at school, and were happy to do it. A truly extraordinary school - because of the kids, as well as teachers and principal.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This year was my freshman daughter's first year at D.A. This school is a perfect match for her or any student who excels in the arts areas. Obviously, DA is not for kids who desire to be a cheerleader or play sports.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My son is learning alot in the Creative Writing program. My complaints would be the lack of other guys available as friends. The major is small (approx 30 per grade), and more girls than boys. My other complaint is the absentee rate of teachers, and the lack of assignments in their absence. He has watched numerous Disney movies with subs. But, he is doing well, likes his teachers, and seems safe and happy. He keeps his old friends from a prior school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I currently attend DA as a senior. Even though this is a public school, one must not forget that it is still an art school as well as a college prepatory school. If you're child is interested and able to perform in a certain art area, such as visual arts, theatre, technical theatre, film/tv, writing, dancing, piano, or any instrument, then maybe they can audition. About 48% of all auditioners are accepted. Something that will give your child a better advantage at auditioning is making sure they have good grades on their last report card they recieved at their current school. DA students must maintain higher than a 2.0 GPA to do anything at school. DA is a great school for talented, motivated people who are interested n practicing their art and going to college. DA also let's their students express themselves. Students also don't prosecute other students for being different.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I'm a graduate and let me tell you from a student's perspective, attending Douglas Anderson was a wonderful experience. The teachers actually care, one never worries that their person will be harmed, you're challenged academically as well as in your chosen arts concentration. A bit more on safety, there may have been one fight my entire 4 years at this school, I think those involved were expelled. Also, I never felt apprehensive about leaving my purse and my (very expensive) instrument unattended in the instrumental department. My teachers were accesible and they even attended student performances. Now that I'm a university student I've decided to major in Business. The skills I learned at Douglas Anderson (more than academic) helped me land a multi-year PAID internship with a Fortune 250 company. A Douglas Anderson education is a pricelss gift and an opportunity few receive.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“Academics are tough, coupled with tough arts classes, but I believe it really prepares them for a collegiate environment. Make sure your child is arts devoted because those are the courses you will be living with for four years. Great Booster program.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My daughter attended DA 2002/2003. This may be a great school if your student is already an A+ student. Don't expect much if they are average or special needs. They have no idea how to help them. There idea is talented students have to be academic genius as well as talented in an art field. The problem with this idea is that talent may be the only talent God gave that person. This school will waste person and their talent for the sake of an overall A rating. Any school can have an A+ rating if they can throw out the students they don't know how to help. After the right help at my daughters home school she is up to grade level, making Bs and passed all but one part of the FCAT.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Douglas Anderson is by far the best high school for all young artists. The education at this school will expand your child's knowledge and ability in their field and give them a great taste of what they'll expect in their future careers.”
This review was posted by a student.

“It's an amazing school with an equally amazing principal at the helm. The school provides our children with a rich education. I enjoy seeing the students grow into talented thinkers with an appreciation of others and their community. Bravo Douglas Anderson. Thank you for leading the way by providing our children with paths and strategies to deal with the bumps along the way.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My daughter was a past student of Douglass Anderson c/o 2002 and this school truly prepared her for college. She had excellent teachers with lots of passion and drive. The benefits paid off she is now a sohpomore in college pursuing a BA Degree in Fine Arts she has recevied several awards. She's on the Deans List, cast in several musicals at the college to include leading roles. D.A is truly a school where arts and academics meets and thanks D.A For preparing my daughter for college.”
This review was posted by a parent.