The bottom line with this or with any school is that when the administration has to go to such lengths to defend itself and to explain its philosophy then something is wrong. The idea that parents who feel that their children are unsafe or not properly attended to are parents who just don't "get it" is extremely condescending and combative. Several parents on this site have reported similar negative experiences with this school, yet the administration's response is to blame those parents instead of correcting their mistakes and improving their facility and that speaks volumes.
And as for the idea that children in safe schools with locks on the doors and administrative oversight are somehow repressed by the tyranny of conformity--well, in my view, children as young as two and three do not need to be confronted with the responsibility of making personal choices about safety issues, such as whether or not to walk out of an unlocked front door (or leave with a stranger who has come in through one), or to walk up a flight of stairs unmonitored carrying items, or remaining safe in a classroom without an adult in it for half an hour. There is a recognition of appropriateness that is severely lacking here. I agree wholeheartedly with teaching responsibility and accountability, but I think my child can learn that they are trusted, respected, and loved in a school with a teacher that is present at all times and a front door equipped with a buzzer and an intercom.
Evergreen knows that it doesn't have its act together. Whenever I, as a parent of a child who will definitely not be going back there, brought up a concern with the administration of this school, their inevitable response was to get highly defensive and brush off my concern entirely. A solid school that is run well and that is confident in its philosophy does not have this sort of attitude or these sorts of issues. In Memphis, we have many excellent private schools. I suggest parents look to them for their child's education.
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