Great Hearts Monte Vista

Posted: August 13, 2026

At this school, a certain HL teacher would hold students back during break for a while and try to convert them religiously. School is not church and students are allowed to have whatever beliefs they have. That is unacceptable and an abuse of power. I do not recommend this school. They have had issues with staffing for years now. Great hearts used to be such a great school but I think after the whole background check thing in 2024 it has severely gone down hill.

Posted: August 13, 2026

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Posted: February 17, 2019

Homework amount fits the age level. I have 6 in the school from senior in high school all the way to elementary. My senior has about 2 hrs of homework most nights. My elementary student has about 30 minutes (including practicing reading).

Posted: February 17, 2019

Most teachers we've worked with at GH are fantastic, and go above expectations.

Posted: February 17, 2019

Anyone who disagrees that GH is great in this regard is either ignorant or a weak and ineffective parent.

Posted: February 17, 2019

I really like the leaders at GHMV North. I'm not a fan of the headmaster at GHMV South. I had one major incident she was involved in and I wasn't happy with how it was handled, and I have a friend who worked for her at one point and I wasn't happy with how that friend was treated by the current headmaster.

Posted: February 17, 2019

We only have one student who fits this category, but it's been handled well.

Posted: February 17, 2019

We did have a bullying incident that was handled. I wasn't pleased with the amount of time it took to get a response, but this is why I have an issue with the headmaster at GHMV South.

Posted: February 17, 2019

GH has been one of the best things to happen to my family. My oldest was an apathetic, average student in public schools, carrying an A/B average. He started at GH in 8th grade and is now set to graduate this spring as a top student. He has great SAT/ACT scores and has options for college I wouldn't have imagined for him 5 years ago.

Posted: September 24, 2018

Great environment staff are very knowledgeable , Great communication with parents and their students .

Posted: September 24, 2018

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Posted: June 3, 2018

Experienced the latest High School Commencement exercise and was profoundly impressed by the attitudes and genuine concern for truth and excellence in communication of such at this level of academia!

Posted: June 3, 2018

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Posted: February 1, 2018

They drill character into the kids, but do not show these character traits themselves. From kinder, the kids are encouraged to tell on each other and they even have a member of their class watch the line to tattle on anyone they see not following directions. I can understand notifying someone of something important, but to be assigned the task of watching for your classmate to mess up is ridiculous.

Posted: February 1, 2018

The headmaster worked at a daycare and is now over an elementary school. She is not equipped to manage staff or provide training to assist teachers. She is also unaware of, or just does not care about, best practices for education different learners. People in disciplinarian roles double as specials teachers and special education compliance experts (without any experience). They also misrepresent qualifications. For example, they will give someone the title of "school counselor", and that person will have no license, not even an intern license, in counseling of any kind, but they graduated so...? School counselors are supposed to be fully licensed and have at least 2 years of experience teaching. Not here.

Posted: February 1, 2018

There is only one kind of learner that is right for this school. They need to be quiet, have no opinions, have little energy, no motivation to connect with others, and no prior learning. Maybe it is different in 4th or 5th grade, but this is the case for 3rd and below.

Posted: February 1, 2018

My child has mentioned another child being a bully, but says everyone just ignores the bully and they aren't upset about it.

Posted: February 1, 2018

In the negatives for my child. Some children thrive in such a restrictive setting, as many prisoners thrive in prison. If your child is above grade level, has a lot of energy and always wants to learn something new, do not send them here. If you want to be included in your child's education (class parties, awards ceremonies, parental involvement past giving money), don't send your kid here.

Posted: February 1, 2018

Homework seems to be a repeat of the day instead of used to expand upon what they have learned. 10 spelling words, written 3x each, with markings and rules and perfect hand writing, 20 minutes of reading, reading books for signatures, math workbook pages and memorizing a poem each week. Sometimes we spend all of our family time just on homework because we work full time and don't even get home until 6pm; bed time is 730pm.

Posted: February 1, 2018

We have gone through 4 in 2 years. Some leave for reasons outside of their control, which is fine, but they aren't replaced by qualified teachers. They are new to their field and ill equipped to think independently. There is no individuality at all, even at the kinder level. Forget the "getting to know you" activities to help kids transition or feel included in their classroom. It is very cold and technical.

Posted: October 13, 2017

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Posted: October 13, 2017

We have been at GHMV since Kinder and have loved it.

Posted: June 2, 2017

We have little to no experience in this area.

Posted: June 2, 2017

Posted: June 2, 2017

The teachers love the students and get to know them on a personal level. Just wait until you get a 3 page evaluation form! Your child is not just a name and a face, he is a person and the teachers know him. As with most schools, I imagine there are some teachers that are better than others.

Posted: June 2, 2017

I have seen so much growth in my son and his friends since kinder.

Posted: June 2, 2017

Wow! Because of the leadership, teachers are free to teach and not spend their time disciplining. The rules can seem a bit constricting at first, but if you and your student will open up a bit, you will both see how greatly the rules benefit the students and the school community as a whole.

Posted: June 2, 2017

I don't personally have experience in this area.

Posted: June 2, 2017

This school has been an amazing godsend to our family. I do not believe that it is for every family or even every child in a family. As for the reviews complaining about teachers - yes, there are some young teachers that are still learning. This does not make them ineffective teachers. There is a disturbing lack of respect for teachers in our society. Perhaps if we were to show teachers respect and treat them as the professionals that they are, our students would find that their whole experience would be different. Those who are slamming teachers here, will never be happy with teachers at any school.

Posted: February 8, 2017

We have not experienced any bullying that I'm aware of at this time.

Posted: February 8, 2017

Posted: February 8, 2017

I must disagree with some of the other reviews of leadership at GHMV. I believe the administrators are doing a wonderful job running the school. Children are held to high standards. The Headmaster and Assistant Headmaster are wonderful caring people that truly love the kids.

Posted: February 8, 2017

Each student is treated with respect and is expected to perform at his/her best at all times. Children at held to high standards.

Posted: February 8, 2017

My children's teachers have been great! Each has demonstrated all of the qualities one would expect in an educator. They are very knowledgeable and compassionate. They can also be strict when needed.

Posted: February 8, 2017

The Curriculum is both challenging and fast-paced. It's not a perfect school for all children. The small class sizes and after-school tutoring sessions are a big plus. Children are expected to study. There's no doubt in my mind that my children will be adequately prepared for college.

Posted: February 8, 2017

Currently, we have two children attending Great Hearts Monte Vista South. Although we didn't have any complaints about their previous school (in NEISD), we are very happy that we moved to G. H.. The atmosphere is very different than Public School. The smaller class sizes afford the teachers more time to help individual students that may be struggling to keep up with the accelerated curriculum. Also, because there is such a high demand of parents wanting to enroll their children at G. H., I feel there aren't as many discipline problems as one might see in the Public School System. I'm not sure who wrote some of the other reviews, but I have not seen any of the problems mentioned in those reviews. We have been blessed with excellent, caring teachers. The Administrators and Staff have been equally as great! If you have an opportunity to send your child to GHMV, take advantage of it! You will not be sorry you did.

Posted: October 13, 2016

This school definitely puts procedures over people and they do not even use a common sense approach. My kid and another kid (who are best friends outside of school) were rough-housing during PE and they both got punished.

Posted: October 13, 2016

I do not know, but other parents seem to be on both sides of the fence on this one.

Posted: October 13, 2016

Leadership is lacking big time. The good leaders all were transferred to the new schools. In general, these teachers, leaders, and admin are very inexperienced and YOUNG.

Posted: October 13, 2016

Not as much as some, but pretty good for a public school. Seems to be better at lower school than at upper.

Posted: October 13, 2016

There are really FEW GREAT teachers left in this world (about 1 in 8 at this school).

Posted: October 13, 2016

It's about discipline. Don't make it about anything other than that. They do a good job with this, although at times there is a lot. Teachers need to coordinate assignments.

Posted: October 13, 2016

Because of the lack of experience of many of the teachers, they rely heavily on procedures and definitely put them over people and common sense. The upper and lower school have totally different breaks and holidays which makes it especially difficult for working parents. Love the classical content and material, but think the approach is lacking. As with most schools, there are very FEW truly GREAT teachers. Many of these seem miserable and do NOT love learning (their motto) or teaching.

Posted: August 15, 2016

They are effective at discipline and effective at replying to emails, but they are not masters of their craft. They are kind and sweet, but don't typically have the experience to understand the complexities of learning.

Of course, some of the more experienced teachers are very strong. They are very hard working.

Posted: August 15, 2016

Too much depends on kid. Some kids are very responsible and a 20 min assignment will take 20 min. Other kids may not approach homework in this same way. There is nothing virtuous or beautiful about homework. Homework is more about control than it is about learning. Family time after school should be the priority.
Also, 'grading' homework as the same weight as classwork (which is done for kindergarten and upper elementary) is absurd and does not follow best practices for assesment.

Posted: August 15, 2016

The children are expected to do reading logs - and they are given points for each day. It does not encourage the love of reading - it paperwork. We have often lied to 'get the points'. All grading is done through points. Children realize that they do their work for points, not for meaning.

Posted: August 15, 2016

In general there is a culture of 'protection' around this school. So many parents are grateful to have this option that criticism gets shut down. The school started as a secondary school - they don't have wisdom in teaching the little ones - especially kindergarten.

Texas Law says that Kinder classes can be no larger than 22 - because Great Hearts is a charter, they can override this rule. GH kindergartens are 25. They claim that they can manage this size because of their disciplinary strategies. Yes, their discipline is strong - but to the detriment of best practices of that age group.

They are expected to sit at desks about 4x longer than what an average 5 year old should do. This is not rigor. This is not what is done at elite private schools. Yes, some children will conform to this and love it - but in general everyone I have spoken to said that school gets better once they leave kindergarten.

Posted: July 9, 2016

Posted: July 9, 2016

Posted: July 9, 2016

I have had a woderful experience with his school. A spot opened up for my daughter mid year to attend this school. I transfered her from our local NEISD school into this school. It was the best decision I could of made for her. She struggled at first, but the teachers went out of their way to help her with after school tutoring. Her classmated are very warm and kind. She is continuously invited to parties and out of school functions. I am very pleased with this school.

Posted: June 6, 2016

Posted: June 6, 2016

Posted: June 6, 2016

Respect and honesty are valued highly at this school. Students are treated and expected to treat others this way.

Posted: June 6, 2016

This was the first year for my child at this school. I have seen a great improvement in critical thinking skills.

Posted: March 30, 2016

I have three children at Great Hearts Monte Vista. We transitioned to the school after homeschooling for many years. Although the coursework is difficult, the kids enjoy it and look forward to going to school. My children have required accommodations for health issues (autism, epilepsy, TBI), and the teachers and administration have been very accommodating and compassionate. We are thankful to be part of this community.

Posted: March 30, 2016

I am very impressed by the caliber of teachers Great Hearts has been able to recruit and retain.

Posted: March 30, 2016

There is a lot of homework. However, my kids do it without complaining. They also have regular R&R weekends where they don't have any homework at all, so it balances out.

Posted: March 30, 2016

The teachers take character development seriously, and encourage the students to pursue and value honesty and integrity. The classics they read and study also promote positive character development.

Posted: January 30, 2016

Posted: January 30, 2016

Posted: January 30, 2016

Average. This rating applies to Great Hearts Northern Oaks. GHNO is a new GH campus.

Posted: December 18, 2015

It is hard to know for sure, but the peer discussion for the fourth graders I know make me think that teachers are sometimes second-guessed by other teachers or the headmaster in front of kids and they are not allowed to teach in their own, best personality. Most are not trained in childhood education, but rather specific scholarly disciplines. This is both good and bad because it leaves some teachers ill-prepared to convey their message correctly among the balance of personalities and learning styles in the room -- but they may know a subject very well and bring a lot of passion for it.

Posted: December 6, 2015

There are two Great Hearts campuses in San Antonio: Monte Vista & Northern Oaks. My sons attend the Monte Vista location and absolutely LOVE it! This is such a warm, close-knit family oriented school with a rigorous liberal-arts, classical curriculum. Although it doesn't offer much in STEM (robotics, coding, etc), scholastic competitive chess, music classes (instrument instruction) or foreign languages like Mandarin that specifically interest my sons, we supplement outside of school - as we would if they attended any other public school.

Due to the heavy emphasis on verbal participation at Great Hearts, my sons have grown with "public speaking" which has helped them come out of their shy shells. One of my sons is gifted and the other is considered twice exceptional which is another reason we chose Great Hearts. We are SO pleased that we made this choice for our sons as neither the local public ISD's or the private schools were an option.

I highly recommend more parents tour the school, speak with other GH parents & consider it as an option for their K-10th grade children. It's a wonderful public school with a private school feel.

Posted: December 6, 2015

Like most public charter schools, the teachers are knowledgable in their respective academic area however many are young and would benefit from more classroom management strategies to keep students engaged in lively lessons/discussions to minimize any chance of off-task behaviors.

Posted: December 6, 2015

Posted: December 6, 2015

Posted: August 26, 2015

My son goes here and we love it. He is shy and the orderly nature keeps it so he doesn't fall into the background with all the high energy kids around.

To the Special needs mom comments, I know several Autistic kids who are thriving here.

Posted: August 26, 2015

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Posted: August 26, 2015

Posted: May 25, 2015

First: I'd like to comment on the parent's comments from March. There are students from all walks and backgrounds, as well as physically, mentally and emotionally challenged students. It is unfortunate that the mom who's children are not currently attending Great Hearts did not have the Director of Special Education return her phone call; however, that one event does not and should not dictate the heart of the Director, nor Great Hearts. Second: I have two children who attend Great Hearts. I love how much my children have grown. The teachers know my children so well which is evident in the report cards they receive. Each one documenting not only their grades, but how they are participating in the class, where they are struggling and recommendations on how they can improve. Even though my children are doing very well, they still see such potential that they even give recommendations in areas where they can become better students/leaders. I believe my choice to move my children from the "traditional public schools" to Great Hearts is one of the best choices I have made and I look forward to the next 12 years!

Posted: March 23, 2015

First, I'd like to mention that my child is not a student at Greathearts, nor will he ever be. As a mother of a special needs child, I am very involved in all aspects of my child's education. I'd read some bad press about Greathearts and their approach to dealing with special needs children, but I want the best for my child, so I wanted to find out for myself if Greathearts would be a viable option for my high functioning autistic child. I left several messages for the Director of Special Education at Greathearts Monte Vista on his direct line. Months have passed and he hasn't bothered to return any of my calls. Guess the bad press is accurate. Their focus is on those who are doing well (ie.. Test scores) rather than those who need more help to be successful. Very sad.