IDEA Carver Academy

Posted: February 27, 2026

This school used to be great, A rated and a blue ribbon school. That's when Ms. Diaz was running it. It was amazing. Now it's run by Laura Flack. Since she was given this amazing school, it has now dropped to a C rating with many students leaving mid-year due to bullying, lack of transparency and accountability for bullying, biases from administration, and many, many, many other reasons. This has essentially become an alternative school. They no longer have a lottery for students, they beg for students to fill all the empty seats. Not only is the student turnover high, so is the administration. Many of the good ones have moved to other IDEA schools. Dealing with Laura Flack and, most IDEA Carver staff, is like nails on a chalkboard. Do not send your kids here, you will regret it.

Posted: February 27, 2026

Posted: February 27, 2026

Posted: February 27, 2026

Posted: February 27, 2026

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Posted: February 27, 2026

Posted: January 15, 2019

Posted: January 15, 2019

Posted: January 15, 2019

Posted: January 15, 2019

Posted: January 15, 2019

Amazing school... Noticed the poor rating are years ago on this sight. Those are not accurate descriptions of the school now. Current principal is amazing and teachers really care about the students. My daughter has excelled at this school the short time she has been attending. Love this school!!!

Posted: January 15, 2019

Posted: January 15, 2019

Posted: April 27, 2018

I have not been overly impressed by the bullying policy at the school.

Posted: April 27, 2018

Too much homework for young children. Often assignments are above grade level (my kindergartener was asked to write an essay before she could read).

Posted: April 27, 2018

Teachers are communicative and dedicated to helping students achieve.

Posted: April 27, 2018

The kids are taught core values and know how to live within those values.

Posted: April 27, 2018

The administrators are always available and open to feedback.

Posted: April 27, 2018

I have not had experience with this so I do not know.

Posted: April 27, 2018

Overall, wonderful. My kids started in kinder and are outperforming averages. They have learned good values and character and the teachers are open and accessible.

Posted: January 30, 2018

im autistic and i dont support thes rule because it doset help me because there is no school for secil class

Posted: January 30, 2018

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Posted: January 30, 2018

Posted: May 12, 2016

Posted: May 12, 2016

Posted: May 12, 2016

Posted: May 12, 2016

I feel that my granddaughter is getting a better quality education than in public school if for no other reason than the children at this school have manners and are respectful.

Posted: February 5, 2016

Posted: February 5, 2016

Everyone associated with this school from grounds maintenance to security have constantly demonstrated a very professional approach. Your staff cares about the future of these young minds. As a grandparent, I thank you for your service.

Posted: November 19, 2015

First let me say this school is not for everyone. But this school is excellent for my child. The rotating schedule and the fact that they are taught in groups based off of how well they grasp the material is an excellent approach and prevents children from being left behind. Depending upon the subject my child has been in both the lower level class and advanced class and by the end of the year she is always on target or higher. Everyone that I have ever dealt with has been friendly and all my calls and texts have been returned in a timely manner. My daughter has even called her teachers and they have assisted her with her homework. The school does have strict policies and they follow each rule no matter how minor which can drive a parent crazy but at the end of the day it is our responsibility to make sure our kids follow the rules.

Posted: January 14, 2015

This is the absolute WORST IDEA school ever! My family moved here from the Valley. My niece graduated from IDEA Donna & my older daughter attended an IDEA McAllen which is why we chose this school thinking they were all great. WRONG!!! Maybe the IDEA school at South Flores is good but not Carver. Terrible leadership from Ms. Arismendi who replaced Mr. Mason. She fired some teachers, but kept others who should have never been hired in the first place. How can this school get kids into college without highly qualified, certified teachers who actually like children & know how to speak to & treat them with respect? The teachers must take direct notes from Ms. Arismendi and now Ms. Diaz the latest principal. I have seen them both totally dismiss parents who have tried to speak with them about their kids. The school has no relationship with parents & needs to take some lessons on how to communicate better with families besides sending home a weekly newsletter.

Posted: January 13, 2015

in regards to the 2013-14 year.There is not enough room here to disclose all the negative, sickening disappointment this JOKE of a school and system really is.. they would be better off closing the place and just let the kids run wild in the streets as they are allowed to do in the classroom . I wished it would let me rate it at NO stars because even one is too much. The administrators are about a joke and would not work for me.. period !! The Faculty spends most of their time with unruly/ problem kids which takes away from teaching (their Jobs) without any support from the administrators in dealing with problem kids ( their job ) . Lunchtime is like watching Wild Kingdom with some of the animals who attend there. very disgusted with IDEA Carver, but a great place for aspiring inmates !!!

Posted: December 10, 2014

Idea Carver is one of the worst schools in SA if not THE worst. My son attended 1st & 2nd grade there in 2012-2014. 1st, children are allowed to bully without any punishment. My son was violently choked, kicked, punched, & slapped in the face - all 4 acts were separate incidents by different bullies! 2nd, kids are allowed to misbehave & disrupt class continuously. The teachers have no support from the administrative or the San Antonio Exective Director Rolando Pasado. I personally spoke with Mr. Pasado about my concerns with the continued disruption & bullying. His response in summary was that it's the teachers' fault if the kids misbehave. Although when the teacher would send a misbehaving or bullying student to the office, nothing would happen. I am aware of a first year teacher who was suppose to be co-teaching & she was put alone to teach. She asked for help from the high school principal ref kids' disruptive behavior, the principal told her if she couldn't handle it on her own then she shouldn't be teaching. 3rd, this school is so unorganized. Minimum communication between the school & parents. 4th, teacher turnover was just heartbreaking. This school is horrible.

Posted: November 2, 2014

This is the 3rd and most likely last year we will have our children at this school. At first, it was great. But it would appear the school has taken on more children than the teacher or facilities can handle. There are too many children per teacher and there is an extremely high rate of teacher turn over. There are almost no teachers left from 3 years ago. Additionally, 700 students are currently sharing 12 bathroom stalls. Its unacceptable. I will definitely be moving my children from this school.

Posted: October 27, 2014

It has been a disappointment having my 3 kids here. One of my kids has a learning disability in reading and is 3 grades below her grade level but I was told that she can t attend tutoring because she s not as low as the other kids. This has greatly affected her self-esteem and now she doesn't even want to go to school. My other daughter on the other hand is 1 years above grade level but the school does nothing to challenge or engage her. The bullying is out of control and she's often teased and called a nerd & teacher's pet because she reads a lot & has manners. Even though she tells the teachers and academic counselor no one does anything. My oldest son is just above grade level but the kids in his overcrowded class are so rude & disruptive that he can barely focus on learning & the teachers can hardly control the behaviors. We have had 4 principals in 2 years and this year alone my son has had 4 different teachers quit! The administration keeps asking families to bear with them until the new building comes and things get better. Even if they have to go to 3 different schools, I have to do whatever it takes so my kids' education doesn't suffer any longer at this zoo!

Posted: October 14, 2014

My nieces were Carver Christian students before this school changed to IDEA. There were less behavior problems & professional, experienced, kind teachers who cared about the students. EVERYTHING is different. Neither of my nieces like school anymore & one has headaches caused by all the chaos & changes at school. From the rude students & rampant bullying to the 5+ teachers who have quit since school started in August. In the past 3 years alone the school has had 4 different principals including the most recent one who says anything to pacify parents. Carver was once a really good school that taught morals & values but has changed into a school that talks a good talk about high expectations & college prep when actually it s the complete opposite! Classes are over-crowded; teachers yell to manage the class, one of my nieces receives extra HW as punishment because of some disruptive kids in her class & my other niece gets minimal to no HW which is hardly ever even graded! The principals have been saying the school is in transition but my sister has finally decided that enough is enough & is putting them in private school. This is a better idea for the success of my nieces!

Posted: June 15, 2014

Excellent Staff, Excellent academics. The best thing about this school is the dedication to actual learning and not a standardized test.

Posted: May 22, 2014

I am disappointed and angry at the way this school is being run. The staff almost make the curriculum a secret and do not give parents enough credit to help their kids at home. The communication between parents and staff is almost non-existent. I believe that they think that since the majority of the children come from low-income households that the parents don't really have time or care enough to advocate for their children. The secretaries are unprofessional. Many of the teachers are in over their heads. The principal is not very accessible and has been programmed to say the right thing to keep you quite until the next thing that sets you off. I was surprised to hear that she does not support nor care much about the awesome PTA that was organized this year. Despite her lack of interest or support, the PTA has done many great things for the kids. I've never heard of a school that did not yearn for more parental involvement! There is a bullying problem that has not been addressed and the administration is NOT willing to have a meeting with parents to address their concerns. This only discourages anyone to come forward. When will the parents be heard?

Posted: April 3, 2014

The "idea" of college 4 everyone is great compared 2 many of the local ISD's - the sad part is the school is all talk & does nothing 2 develop the whole child except drill test prep in 2+hours of instruction for all the kids regardless of their needs. Sadly, there are no extracurriculars except a quick 20 minute recess. Only the older kids get 2 participate in sports & that is SO unorganized - no schedules, transportation, etc. Parent input about ANYTHING is a joke - communication is NON- existent & even though there's an organized & competent PTA, they aren't even able 2 do much because the schools administration is so anti-parent it's like a communism. The former principal was visible, greeted students & parents EVERY morning & everyone knew who he was. The new principal has been there 4 months & barely anyone knows who she is except that she's condescending & belittles students, parents & even staff w/her tone! Hopefully the organization sees that San Antonio IS NOT the Valley where IDEA is popular & sees that Urban San Antonio students & families have different needs & it takes MORE than academics 2 prepare students 2 compete 4 top colleges.

Posted: January 26, 2014

I'm beyond disappointed with Idea Carver Academy. The staff is careless and incompetent. Their communication skills are horrible , almost non existent. The children are scared to talk about what goes on in the school for fear they will be in trouble after the parents speak to the school staff. Speaking to the staff about any issues is pointless either way. Whether you speak to the teacher directly, the teacher assistant, the office staff, the principal, the assistant principal of operations, even the communications director, it just won't make a difference. This school is not a good environment to help children thrive and build self confidence. My heart hurts every morning I have to drop off my child at school not knowing what else might happen.

Posted: September 12, 2013

I had high hopes for this school. My son had always been an A-B kind of kid and when we transferred to Carver Academy, his grades decreased dramatically. He lost interest in school and we learned he was being bullied almost every day. We talked to teachers, counselor, and the principal but NOTHING was done. No sports were offered nor any kind of energy release. Their afterschool care was just keeping the kids at the front door while waiting for their parents. NO plan whatsoever! My son slowed down in his reading level when he used to read avidly every day!! We were assured the school would make dramatic changes this year so we decided to give it a vote of confidence again. BIG mistake!! My son is being bullied again and nothings is changing. What they preach is way different from what they do. I am considering others schools right now or even homeschooling my son.

Posted: August 7, 2013

okay okay, I know my child has not attended this school, but I really NEED to voice my concerns. The year my son was entering kinder, Carver was switched to Idea. On paper it looked excellent. I was excited to know that I could afford to send him there (since it is free). I went to orientation and was horrified. No exaggeration. I homeschooled my son, I have been formally trained in childhood education/development so I have some knowledge in this matter. My son was reading above a kinder level. They told me he didn't know how read! I asked them to retest him, and they gave me some information on how the children were tested. Their testing methods are completely flawed. I am not sending him there, I found another school to send him too, I just hope Idea humbles out and do better for their children

Posted: December 19, 2012

Disappointing transition from private school. My children have learned all the cursewords and seen more fights than ever before. They have learned less and I fear will be behind in the public schools. Curriculum is a script that is strictly followed. Students advance in groups not on individual merit as they claim. Staff say it will get better as the children learn the system. I can't let my children be part of the experiment for the rest of this year much less a 2nd one. The quality and character has decreased significantly.