Guidance Preparatory Academy - Roanoke

Reviews

• BW

  Brittany Wells

  Aug 20, 2026
  5.0
  My kids attend and love their classes and their teachers. My son loves hugging and learning from the amazing twos teachers. Mrs. Jeanette and Ms Sarah are so attentive to their children in the classroom. My daughter enjoys the schooler activities and tells me how kind and awesome Ms. Adrianna is.
• SR

  Sammi Raley

  Aug 3, 2026
  2.0
  There wasn't one isolated incident that led us to unenroll our children from GPA after a little over 2 years. It was a gradual loss of confidence caused by administration, constant teacher turnover, classrooms that felt increasingly chaotic, and poor communication that never gave us confidence things were improving. We genuinely loved many of their teachers and, for a long time, those teachers were the reason we stayed. Unfortunately GPA no longer felt like a safe, stable environment where our kids were cared for, encouraged, and excited to learn.
• CA

  Chelsea Abbott

  Aug 3, 2026
  1.0
  We’ve been at GPA Roanoke since it was Pettit, and unfortunately it feels like very little has improved. In fact, the overall quality of the daycare has declined. One of my biggest concerns is the lack of a structured, written curriculum. I believe a consistent curriculum is essential for young children, and most daycares in our area provide both a written curriculum and monthly food menus. GPA does not appear to offer the same level of organization or transparency. After speaking with several teachers who have left, I’ve also learned that many felt they were treated poorly. The high teacher turnover at this location has been ongoing and creates instability for the children. When this location was Pettit and my older son attended, we received regular developmental and learning assessments so we could monitor his progress. With my younger son at GPA, we never received anything similar, leaving us with little insight into how he was developing or whether he was meeting milestones. Another concern is the focus on filling classrooms to the maximum allowed ratio, even when teachers are brand new or lack experience. Having one adult responsible for 15 young children, especially an inexperienced teacher, does not provide the level of care and attention that children deserve. Overall, I believe GPA Roanoke has significant room for improvement in its curriculum, communication with families, teacher retention, and classroom staffing practices.
• MF

  Michelle Flinn

  Jul 31, 2026
  2.0
  We made the unfortunate decision to withdraw our child after two years due to an accumulation of concerns and a gradual loss of confidence in the school’s leadership. This was not a decision we made lightly. Our concerns developed over time as individual issues accumulated without meaningful resolution. Over the last year, we watched six of the seven teachers we trusted most leave the school. The constant staff turnover was concerning and contributed to our growing lack of confidence in the stability of the environment. Academically, we were never provided with a curriculum. The Pre-K teacher we had expected to be there for this upcoming school year resigned, and her replacement also resigned after only four days. As our child approached kindergarten, I no longer felt confident he was receiving the preparation I expected. Safety also became an increasing concern. We understand that incident reports are a part of the daycare experience. However in the past year, 7 of his 12 incident reports involved another child causing injury to him. I discussed with his teacher and the director what behaviors we could work on that could be causing children to act out towards him. I was told by both that he was “a good kid who uses his words well to communicate.” The director told me he was simply a “magnet for incidents.” That response did not address my concerns or provide confidence that meaningful changes would be made. More broadly, concerns were often met with sympathy but no clear plan for improvement, or with defensiveness instead of accountability. I never left those conversations feeling reassured that issues would be addressed. Although minor compared to our larger concerns, our final experience reflected the same lack of professionalism. On our child’s last day, I was locked out of the parent app after I had already dropped him off, preventing us from accessing updates or communicating with the teacher directly. Every family’s experience will be different, but ours ultimately led us to believe this was no longer the right environment for our child. Therefore we unfortunately cannot recommend GPA Roanoke.
• KC

  K C

  Jul 24, 2026
  1.0
  A Warning to Parents After two years at this daycare, I feel obligated to share my experience. My concerns involve child safety, inaccurate incident reporting, poor leadership, and a lack of accountability. Parents should also know that many of the positive Google reviews appear to have been written by former employees rather than families, so I encourage you to consider that when evaluating the facility. Concerns began on my son’s first day when staff appeared unaware he was scheduled to start, and his enrollment paperwork was later reported missing despite being submitted electronically and in person. Unfortunately, misplaced paperwork and poor communication became recurring issues throughout our time there. Staffing shortages frequently resulted in children being moved between classrooms without notifying parents, creating an inconsistent environment. The most concerning incidents occurred in the Pre-K classroom. Within one week, my son suffered two head injuries caused by the same child—one from being struck with a metal water bottle and another from a scooter thrown during a tantrum. I also witnessed children throwing chairs and other objects while teachers rushed to move classmates out of harm’s way. Multiple staff members told me administration instructed teachers to document certain incidents as “accidents” rather than accurately describing what occurred. This prevents parents from fully understanding what happened to their children. When I asked how aggressive behavior was being addressed, the director responded, “We can’t help that other parents don’t care.” I found that response deeply concerning. The daycare was later investigated by the State of Texas and cited for deficiencies involving incident documentation, staffing, and accommodations related to a child with significant behavioral needs. After raising concerns, I believe I experienced retaliation. The director blocked me in a hallway, publicly discussed my tuition balance, and raised her voice during a billing dispute. I also frequently overheard administrators discussing parents and employees in common areas, including personal and confidential information. Another concern involved the director’s spouse being present around the daycare during operating hours. Staff told me corporate had addressed this after determining he was not authorized to be onsite, yet he later continued to appear at the facility despite parent concerns. Even on my son’s final day, the lack of organization continued. He had already been removed from the electronic attendance system before his last day was over, preventing me from checking him in or receiving updates through the parent app. Another parent experienced the same issue, and we were told nothing could be done to restore access while our children were still attending. When I requested copies of my son’s developmental assessments, the director stated they had been misplaced and could not be located. Parents should be able to access their child’s records upon request, and important documentation should be maintained in an organized manner. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this facility. Parents should never have to question whether injuries are accurately documented, whether concerns are taken seriously, or whether leadership consistently prioritizes children’s safety. If your child is enrolled, ask questions, stay involved, and advocate for your child.

Frequently Asked Questions About Guidance Preparatory Academy - Roanoke