After years of heavy frustration with my children's previous schools, we were delighted to have TISA as our new school. The partnership in educating our children has been phenomenal and the small class sizes have given our children the attention that they deserve. We believe that it is our responsibility to educate our family and the school is there to assist us in that education. So we are very active with the school and the teaching at the school fits well with the learning that goes on outside the school at home. We did not have that same experience at Taos Municipal Schools.

The administration is wonderful and easy to work with. The faculty are highly qualified and creative. Unlike other schools where the full curriculum comes "out of a box" with no alteration, the curriculum at TISA is standards based but allows for creativity to be added by the teachers. The 4 day week is important for creating this unique curriculum and Mondays are an all day enrichment program while the teachers are busy working on the curriculum. This is not unlike the half days every week at Taos Municipal Schools given to teachers to do whatever they need to do.

Unlike other schools, TISA is very responsive to parents and strives to create a community of learning. For us the school has been exactly what we needed! Thank goodness for the ability to have Charter Schools and school choice!

We started out being very excited about Tisa Charter Shool. That changed very fast. I would not send my daughter there if there was any other choice. No matter what we are pulling her out next year. Believe it or not I would rather send her to a public school than send her to Tisa. I don't want my daughter to go to a charter school that has a four day week. Charter schools are supposed to have a higher bar. This charter school sets the bar too low. I just want my child educated, why is that so freaking hard? To not sent your child to T.I.S.A. in Taos.

Tisa Charter School may be the biggest joke in taos. They have NO idea what they are doing. The teachers just let the kids run crazy. They have no safety protocol in play. They seem very confused and lost all the time. I suggest you call your local rep and ask them to stop funding these charter schools.

Matt

My daughter and I are very happy with TISA. It's a small school with small class room sizes, beautiful buildings, and a safe environment. I am very impressed with the level of academic quality, and all of the hands-on projects my daughter and all the students have been involved with in just the first year. The atmosphere is very friendly; the staff and teachers are very approachable and it was easy to get to know them all on a first-name basis. Staff and teachers are very responsive to all my questions and needs. I feel very welcomed to drop in any time; and often talk to teachers or staff during drop-off or pick-up, when everyone is outside to greet students and parents.

I knew when I entered my daughter into TISA that this was an educational experiment. A new school will face many challenges to secure resources and provide all the educational and health opportunities that other, more established schools might already have in place. But I believed in the mission of TISA, and since enrolling my child I have been more and more inspired to actively participate in the school. I joined the PTO and discovered a wonderful group of parents, teachers and staff devoting their time to creating a solid, creative, fun school with the goal of academic excellence. At the PTO we are working on raising funds for ground cover and playground equipment (the one thing the school is sorely lacking in), more field trips, and guest artist programs. We are also developing enrichment programs, school socials, and class events. This experience has taught me how to participate in that experiment, and it's been a joy in the effort. I am eager for my son to start kindergarten at TISA next year, and for myself to continue working with the PTO to helping the school grow into its potential as a place of excellent, dynamic learning.

If you are looking for a friendly, safe school, with high academic standards, hands-on projects and community involvement and engagement, I would highly recommend TISA.

Taos Charter school, Tisa (Taos Integrated School for the Ats) may be one of the worst examples of a school that I have ever seen. The board does not respect nor does it listen to parents wishes. It is prime example of Taos power trip and corruption. It may have started with good intentions but within months it turned to the same old "we know better than you so sit down and shut up".
When other districts are going to a 4 day week for money reasons TISA does it so the teachers can have an extra day to do what teachers used to in their spare time. Money will not be saved because the teachers will be in the building. This is NOT a proven successful formula for learning (Mondays off) what are we teaching our children? 4 days a week enough to work and be a success? I understand there is a lot of anti-success and it is O.K. to be average and mediocrity is fine. Well not with my kid!
Tisa has no parking of it's own so they were supposed to have a teacher outside when you drop your kids off.. Well that lasted for about a day (until the temp dropped below 70 degrees). The drop off is a nightmare, Parents honking and cutting each other off in this tiny little area that is riot waiting to happen. You then just have to drop your kid off and hope he makes it into the school.
They allow the younger (under 1st grade) to play with candles and hot wax in a building that is all wood and 100 years old. They allow them to use sharp knives to cut fruit, they allow the kids play with huge wood sticks (like spears) on the playground because they have no toys or anything so they play with big sticks and play in the mud. At the beginning of the year two kids in my daughters class got out and walked home.
I would not recommend TISA to anyone in Taos. If anyone knows of a good school in Taos PLEASE let me know because we will not be sending our daughter back there next year. Do Not send your child to TISA Charter school in Taos or you feel the same as ALOT of the parents I have talked with.