Rating: 1 out of 5 Posted on: October 02, 2009

FUPPAMB: Unfortunately, the Gooden School is not the loving caring place it once was. Ever since the change in head of school 4-5 years ago, the mission, the atmosphere, the reputation and the school as a whole have gone downhill. There is a general lack of strong leadership (good luck even finding the principal) and the academics are mediocre at best, with the exception of the latin and music programs. If you have a gifted child or one who is even above average intelligence this is not the right school for you. There is a subliminal atmosphere of bullying, intolerance, discrimination and fear that goes unaddressed by the faculty and head of school even though it has been brought to their attention several times by both students and parents alike. They like to call themselves "The Gooden Family". I would call them the " Gooden Dysfuntional Family" that refuses to see the elephant in the living room. They simply refuse to address problems brought to their attention This is unacceptable given the amount of money people pay to sent their children to this place. It is to their detriment as many have left the school for this very reason. A very disturbing aspect of the school is the extremely unsafe conditions surrounding the K-3 classrooms on the north side of the campus where the church is. There is no fence, barrier, guard or anything of any kind to prevent somebody from walking right off the street into one of the classrooms. This is not acceptable nor is it a place where very young children should be. The school is beautiful and will try to woo you with their idyllic atmosphere and parents and children specifically picked to talk to you. Please don't be fooled. If you choose to send your children to private school, choose one that has a lot more to offer, higher standards and fewer problems.

Rating: 1 out of 5 Posted on: November 14, 2009

A parent: After six years at Gooden we ended up leaving being very disappointed with the leadership, the quality of the education, and the general well being of our child. Yes, the school has a wonderful music program and the Latin courses, which are offered to the upper grade students, are a great asset; nevertheless, we came to realize that in all other areas the academics are merely average and there is hardly anything in the curriculum designed for gifted students -- nothing equivalent to AP courses offered at other schools. Most importantly, we completely lost our sense of trust in the leadership and their genuine concern for our child's well being. We experienced repeated incidents of bullying, which when brought to the attention of the school leadership was handled, in our opinion, so poorly that it only further contributed to a general sense of fear and distrust. In hindsight, leaving the school was the best thing we could have done for our child. We have learned of other families that have left (or are contemplating leaving) for similar reasons, including feeling discriminated against. This all flies in the face of the school's motto "Respect for Self, Respect for Others, Respect for the World." We feel that what was once a stimulating, enriching, and caring environment under the prior administration has since turned into a secretive, untrusting, and at times hurtful place.