Challenger School

The Challenger School network contains, as of 2007, twenty-three educational institutions in multiple U.S. states. Generally associated with the western United States, these private schools are known for their high academic standards.
Founding and early history
Challenger School began as a project by American educator Barbara Baker in the 1960s. Baker taught first grade in the regular U.S. public school system and experienced frustration with changes in teaching methods. She realized that her students were taught how to read in kindergarten by memorizing each individual word rather than using phonics to sound out the words; she felt this method was inefficient and didn't prepare students for future education.
Baker decided to leave her teaching job and start her own preschool, teaching phonics as well as other traits to young children to help them in grade school. Parents in the community gained interest in Baker's preschool work, and what originally started as a very small institution grew into a huge educational system. Baker remained the CEO of the Challenger School network for decades. She died, at age 81, in 2012. At the beginning of the school year, students 5th grade and above are required to do the Daughters Of The American Revolution Essay Contest. Students from grades Kindergarten through 2nd Grade will do a Class Science Project together, while 3rd Grade students and above will create their own Science Project. 3rd and 4th Grade allows you to do a demonstration or experiment, while 5th through 7th only allows you to do an experiment. 8th graders can also create their own inventions. Challenger School also has a Spelling Bee, math contest, Geography Bee, Speech Festival, creative writing contest, and computer programming contest. During the school year, students have to take several CAT (Challenger Achievement Test) tests and an IOWA test in March. In addition, several students participate in activities such as Math Counts, AMC 8, Letters About Literature, and Science Olympiad through their school.
Values
Challenger encourages its students to work hard. Its mission "is to prepare students to become self-reliant and productive individuals; to teach them to think, speak, and write with clarity, precision, and independence; to lead them to recognize their individuality and unalienable rights; and to inspire them to embrace challenge and gain joy and self-worth through achievement."
There are 7 values emphasized at Challenger: rationality, productivity, justice, self-reliance, honesty, integrity, and self-worth.
Reviews and reputation
The schools have been receiving mixed review from the public. Some parents of students in the schools say it's more than amazing, while others say harsh words about the schools. The good reviews are made up of: Excellent curriculum, amazing academics, great teachers. The bad reviews are made up of: Lack of social skills, Not enough Physical Education or Art and Music, Horrible Management. Challenger School has received great reviews from the school analysts, but most of the bad reviews were from the parents themselves. The employees of the schools also say mixed outlooks, considering from pay all the way to staff management.

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