Johnston Charter Academy

Posted: September 13, 2025

It is one thing to write a review but her is the Principal of the school stating what her school is like and how it is staffed:

"As a charter school, there are lots of misconceptions regarding class size and staffing. Currently, Johnston Charter has 82 kindercats and no full-time para in the classroom. We do not follow the local county school system when staffing and/or class size. The county typically has 15 students to 1 teacher and a full-time teacher assistant. We have 21 students to 1 teacher and no full-time teacher assistant. Please know that any additional supports we may provide are temporary and are being pulled from across the building, across curricular needs, and based on dire needs that fall outside the traditional staffing model".

The above means that your K student does not have a certified teacher, as a matter of fact, none of the K students have a certified teacher in the classroom which means that your student is being taught by a DAYCARE TEACHER.

YOU DID NOT WIN THE LOTTERY....YOU JUST GOT AN INVITATION TO A SCHOOL THAT LESS THAN 50% OF ALL STAFF IS A CERTIFIED TEACHER.

BEWARE!

Both my children have been pulled for this reason!!

Posted: September 13, 2025

Posted: September 13, 2025

Posted: September 13, 2025

Posted: September 13, 2025

Posted: September 13, 2025

Posted: September 13, 2025

Posted: January 11, 2025

The 8th grade classrooms are very small and cannot fit all the 30+ kids in my class.Although the lunch ladies are nice the school lunch isnt very good.The principal acts nice but only belives what techers say and not what the students say or do.I’ve been here since 2018 and it was good until the year we went back after covid then every teacher taught only for one year then left to another school that is far better than this school.If your child talks once even to ask for a pencil or sharpener,the new 8th english teacher will freak out and say do they need meds since they talk so much.The bathrooms are disgusting,for all grades.The kindergarten bathrooms smelt of pee,the 1-3 bathrooms reek in there,4-5 bathroom always is a mess and the air is not easy to breathe and finally the middle school one always has at least one bathroom closed full of fecees.Parents do NOT put them in here,go to another school like ALA or NCS(neuse charter).

Posted: January 11, 2025

Posted: January 11, 2025

Posted: January 11, 2025

Posted: January 11, 2025

Posted: January 11, 2025

Posted: January 11, 2025

Posted: September 6, 2024

We love this school for our children. We’ve have had a great experience here. Our kids are so much happier and thriving here at JCA compared to their experience with Public School. The teachers this year are excited to be there and really love teaching which makes a huge difference in your children’s academic life.

When we came last year the principal was new to the school and made some much needed changes to the school. These changes followed NHA protocols. Because of the pandemic and high turnover of Principals at the school before she came the school was in disarray in its structure and things that were against school policy were happening with parents encouraging the behavior and making the school environment worse. When the new principal started at the school a lot of parents gave her a hard time and lot of petty behavior. Eventually those unhappy and bitter families who wanted to be treated “special” or have rules broken for their familiesbecause they were at the school since it opened, learned that the new principal wasn’t going to let them walk all over her and do whatever they wanted so they left. They started a smear campaign on social media and other places to try to discredit all of the great work she’s done at our school. Some of them left without even giving her a chance. The school has been much better off this year in their absence. The drama has left the building!

Before listening to bitter parents I would suggest taking a tour of our school and seeing what you personally think of it. We love it and we know that the grass is greenest where you water it and where you work in collaboration with your school to make it better.

Posted: September 6, 2024

Posted: September 6, 2024

Posted: September 6, 2024

Posted: September 6, 2024

Posted: September 6, 2024

Posted: September 6, 2024

Posted: September 6, 2024

Posted: September 5, 2024

I love my school and my teacher

Posted: September 5, 2024

Posted: September 5, 2024

Posted: September 5, 2024

Posted: September 5, 2024

Posted: September 5, 2024

Posted: September 5, 2024

Posted: September 5, 2024

Posted: September 1, 2024

My child attended JCA for 6 years (2018-2024). JCA had large class sizes (24-33 students per teacher) last year. The school is too small to accommodate the number of students enrolled. The teachers were very overwhelmed and felt unsupported by admin. Several teachers had quit mid-school year causing a lot of instability for the students. There was an increase in bullying and behavioral issues last year and a lack of discipline for repeat offenders. Several parents withdrew their children mid-year due to the chaotic environment and what their children were getting exposed to at school. JCA has a legal team that gets them out of everything!
Overall, JCA lacks communication, consistency, stability, and accountability. Also, the school doesn't have a cafeteria. Prepackaged subpar meals are delivered to the school to be reheated on site. No library. No transportation. Very little is offered at this school. The school is very dependent on chromebooks that the students don't know how to handwrite actual papers well. I am so glad I got my kid out when I did.

Posted: September 1, 2024

Posted: September 1, 2024

Posted: September 1, 2024

Posted: September 1, 2024

Posted: September 1, 2024

Posted: September 1, 2024

Posted: September 1, 2024

Posted: March 5, 2024

My 6th grader had been being bullied for a while and now being threatened to be jumped. She does not feel safe here and I don't blame her.

Posted: March 5, 2024

Posted: March 5, 2024

Posted: March 5, 2024

Posted: February 7, 2024

This is pretty bad school if your child is ADHD. They will punish him/her every silly thing and won’t accumulate. Management is not held accountable to any agency. Principal will abuse her power and there is nothing you can do.

Posted: February 7, 2024

Posted: February 7, 2024

Posted: February 7, 2024

Posted: February 7, 2024

Posted: February 7, 2024

Posted: February 7, 2024

Posted: September 26, 2021

This school was good till middle school. Now they have a new dean that has no personality and lacks any type of emotions that would make a parent or student feel comfortable. She is more like a robot than a human. The fourth-grade Math teacher is also a parent there so God forbid you complain about or ask questions on the JCA parent page then she targets your kid. The Social Studies/ Science teacher tells the students they can hold their bladder for 6 hours..... Only letting them go to the restroom during transitions and if it's an emergency. She yells at the students and if they cry she tells them to go fix their face in the bathroom. She has her favorites so it makes other students feel not worthy and very confused. To top it all off she did not let my daughter call me after a head injury and my daughter told her she felt worse. This school does have some amazing teachers we were very lucky up until 4th grade. The front desk and most of the administrators were very helpful but overall I don't feel that my daughter is safe at this school physically and mentally any longer. Up until this year I felt like it was a private school I am very sad and disappointed how 2021 started I was thrilled to have new principal.

Posted: September 26, 2021

Posted: September 26, 2021

Posted: September 26, 2021

Posted: September 26, 2021

Posted: September 26, 2021

Posted: September 26, 2021

Posted: September 26, 2021

Posted: December 3, 2020

Raising the bar, management walking the walk!

Posted: December 3, 2020

Posted: December 3, 2020

Posted: December 3, 2020

Posted: December 3, 2020

Posted: December 3, 2020

Posted: December 3, 2020

Posted: December 3, 2020

Posted: September 4, 2020

The school is definitely needed in our community. Hardworking teachers and a focused principal that cares about his students. That has grown a team that will only enhance our community for the better. Thank you.

Posted: September 4, 2020

This school has excelled in our community. Dr. Chisnall and his team has worked hard to ensure its success. I look at the exciting things happening using facebook and I enjoy seeing the principal so involved and caring about his students and staff. As a business leader a great school comes from the leader ensuring that the right people are on staff, and that they are there for kids, clearly this is happening. Thank you JCA.

Posted: September 4, 2020

Good work is essential to our students growth and I am happy to know that the students are held to a high standard.

Posted: September 4, 2020

Clearly the teachers care about their students. They are online and helping them in these crazy times. I love the work that is being done.

Posted: September 4, 2020

I really the Character focus, with their moral lessons at each grade level.

Posted: September 4, 2020

Posted: September 4, 2020

Posted: September 4, 2020

Homework is almost exclusively worksheets. Very little hands-on opportunities. VERY cookie-cutter.

Posted: September 4, 2020

For the most part the teachers here are very good. However, the curriculum and NHA's methods are very old school and cookie cutter; 30 kids to a classroom, the school is extremely over-crowded, worksheet based learning, no text books, very little project based learning. Students with learning deficiencies receive instruction on the hallway floors.

Posted: September 4, 2020

The moral focus content is great, especially for younger students.

Posted: September 4, 2020

The Deans are very good and respond quickly to parent concerns. The principal puts on a great show for the parents and communicates frequently, but treats his teachers poorly. He has a very "old school" mindset when it comes to education. He believes in quantity over quality, mandatory homework for all students, and still believes suspensions are the best practice for behavior incidents (when all research shows that suspensions are counter-productive to child development).

Posted: September 4, 2020

The special education in this school is lacking. The principal does not hold teachers accountable for not following IEP's. Students with disabilities have no designated space and services are often provided on hallway floors.

Posted: September 4, 2020

Posted: September 4, 2020

Very disappointing. We were so excited when we won the "lottery." We quickly learned that JCA is just like every other school in the area, except for the parents are more engaged and seem to be much more involved and well off financially. This school is all about reputation, despite the fact that the reputation is not warranted. The scores are about average in comparison to surrounding schools and they don't have nearly the learning options that other schools do, especially in the areas of electives, foreign languages and STEM. High teacher turnover and poor opportunities were the reason we left this school. They also do not have an AIG program, which was a big disappointment.

Posted: August 27, 2020

Academic Excellence is one of JCA's four pillars and JCA is a college readiness school. JCA wants to prepare their scholars for the extra work that HS Hons and AP courses require in conjunction with the associated extra-curricular activities that today are the challenges before us to grow as individuals, support others and apply for the best jobs or colleges in our nation.

Posted: August 27, 2020

JCA's teachers are dedicated, creative and resilient - that is well established having opened a brand new school very successfully and adapting to remote learning in record time (weeks before major surrounding school districts) and providing a rigorous remote learning program in 2020-21 to mitigate learning loss and aim to have our scholars at grade-level or better in the current school year. In addition, we have been blessed to maintain the vast majority of our staff that opened the school and where we have had to hire new staff as our school has expanded each year we have ensured the needs of our students continue to be at the forefront.

Posted: August 27, 2020

Without a doubt, JCA is focused daily on "opening minds and inspiring hearts" - that is at our core. Quality character education is scheduled daily and instruction occurs explicitly and implicitly. #MoralFocus

Posted: August 27, 2020

There are three Deans (lower ES, upper ES and Middle School) - the team is exceptional and each cares immensely for their teachers and supporting them as best possible. In our opening year our school exceeded state averages for academic performance - math, reading and special education and we MET growth (meaning the clear majority of students enrolled met their academic growth targets). In JCA's second year of operation our school continued to make major strides across the board - academics, athletics (conference wins & some undefeated athletic teams despite not having an 8th grade cohort at the time), extra-curricular activities and then COVID-19 struck. That did not stop JCA in their tracks - the JCA team was back teaching three days later (after the state "closed" schools) with major school districts still planning versus operating - weeks later. JCA is definitely seeking "strongly agree" but we have a growth mindset so the need for change and growth is continuous. We can never be content - our staff, families and students deserve better. #neversettle

Posted: August 27, 2020

A "Cookie Cutter" approach does not fly at JCA. A "same for all" approach is NOT equal - JCA's staff knows they need to learn their students' academic readiness, interests (relationships matter) and learning styles and adjust, plan and teach accordingly. Our high quality teachers, implementation of the workshop model (learning stations tiered to needs of students) and integration of blended learning allows us to strive to meet the needs of every JCA scholar.

Posted: August 27, 2020

Our staff aim to be visible and present at all transitions, lunch and recess and with security cameras in EVERY classroom, hallways and exterior sections of the school, administration is able to explore any "serious" allegation or issue comprehensively (cameras are not intended for trivial issues). Above all JCA knows what is critical: #Safetyfirst #JCAfamily

Posted: August 27, 2020

Simply blessed based on the engaged & supportive parents and dedicated teachers at JCA along with a very supportive JCA Board of Directors, very competent leadership team AND the wonderful scholars we are privileged to serve. #JCAfamily #NHAmazing

Posted: August 27, 2020

When I boil down everything my kids have done at this school meeting the other wonderful children that go to this school has been by far the best thing about this school. The moral focus has also been something that I actually did love about this school- but I also teach that at home ..so...

Posted: August 27, 2020

The principal is a bully to his colleagues. If you know too much you get fired or forced to resign!

Posted: August 27, 2020

4- context of material taught is poor but they claim it is rigorous.

Posted: August 27, 2020

Elementary teachers mostly have it together at this school. (K-2) The middle school teachers do not listen to parent concerns. Not sure if this is leadership or the teachers, probably both from my experience. The few teachers that were good in middle school have been pushed out by the principal. They knew too much

Posted: August 27, 2020

We have had a great experience at JCA thus far. Teachers are dedicated and always make learning fun! My child thrives in the workshop style of teaching. The students are always held to high moral standards as moral focus is part of their daily curriculum!

Posted: August 27, 2020

Posted: August 27, 2020

Posted: August 27, 2020

Posted: August 27, 2020

Posted: August 27, 2020

Posted: August 27, 2020

Posted: August 27, 2020

Homework is not just busy work, but actual lessons to help my child build her critical thinking skills that go along with the class lessons. We love that we get them for the week on each Monday so we know how to prepare for the upcoming week.

Posted: August 27, 2020

We have had, hands down, the best teachers. We came from JCPS and had the WORST experience with my child being scared to even go to school. The teachers that we have had, you can see and feel the love that they pour into their students.

Posted: August 27, 2020

The moral focus curriculum is my favorite. I love that my child learns what these virtues mean and taught how she can apply them.

Posted: August 27, 2020

The Deans have always been very open and you can tell they support their teachers. The principal has the best line of communication with his parents. We have been pleased that he's so transparent and quick to get information out to us.

Posted: August 27, 2020

The way the teachers teach each child can be different. We love the small groups that separate them by ability. My child also has trouble sitting still, instead of sitting her by herself, like in her previous public school, they worked with her and used alternative seating to help her manage.

Posted: August 27, 2020

I love that there's a zero tolerance policy and the principal effectively communicates this and handles it immediately.

Posted: August 27, 2020

We love it at JCA. My child is thriving in school and we don't dread taking her in the morning or picking her up everyday. She feels safe and loved. Even teachers that are not her teachers, love my child. The sense of community is what will always keep us here.

Posted: August 25, 2020

Phenomenal! After a difficult experience with the public school system in Johnston County and the lack of communication by our zoned school we were so pleased to see how JCA runs! They effectively communicate, care for each student, and as a whole work to see each Bobcat succeed. So grateful for this school, the amazing teachers, and wonderful administrators!

Posted: August 25, 2020

Clear communication with homework expectations that supports coursework, questions addressed thoroughly and quickly!

Posted: August 25, 2020

Our teachers are so kind and caring! They connect with each student, maintain a high expectation level while guiding your student to achieve it!

Posted: August 25, 2020

Absolutely! Moral focus and course work to support each virtue helps develop the character of our students. Love that they focus on our student as a whole!

Posted: August 25, 2020

Amazing! We are always clued in to what is going on in our weekly updates and kept informed on what is going on. Way to go Dr. Chisnall!

Posted: August 25, 2020

Posted: August 25, 2020

Posted: August 25, 2020

We have had such a great experience so far and wouldn't trade it for anything. The students and staff are quite diverse in race and socioeconomic background 10/10

Posted: August 25, 2020

Our experience is K and 1st. The homework takes about 5 minutes a day, mostly spelling words to remember for Friday's spelling test.

Posted: August 25, 2020

We've had such a great experience with our K and 1st teachers. They're very helpful and caring. They go above and beyond for their students, especially through the beginning of Covid in the spring of 2020. They worked so hard to get the students remote learning within the first couple of days after lockdown was announced.

Posted: August 25, 2020

The school's Moral Focus program is what attracted us to the school at first. They cover a different characteristic each month and they spend every morning discussing the moral focus of the month in a way that is relatable to each grade/age level. Students who exemplify the month's moral focus characteristic are recognized every month.

Posted: August 25, 2020

The leadership is very impressive and they make themselves available and visible.

Posted: August 25, 2020

We appreciate how each student's abilities are recognized and lessons are individualized in small groups.

Posted: August 25, 2020

The teachers and staff are very receptive to student's issues and act accordingly and effectively.