Wisdom Ranch School

[jellybean]

Has anybody been to or heard anything about Wisdom Ranch School in Arco, Idaho?  Any info would be helpful.

Thanks

Give me the youth, and Germany will rule the world.
--Hitler

[Anonymous]

Is this a WWASP facility?

[jellybean]

I do not knowif it is or not, sorry

You know, if Mama Cass Elliot would have shared that damn sandwich
with Karen Carpenter, they would both still be alive today!!!!!!!

--chongo

[Shortbus]

I think it was started by an ex-SUWS instrucor. It is relatively close to Gooding, Idaho where SUWS is located. I also had a student referred there by an EC. He and his parents flew there, his dad thought it was a big joke and the student didnt enroll there. Dont know much more than that - just the same stuff youd see on their web site.

[jellybean]

I do recall seeing that someone on the staff was affiliated with SUWS.  I am wondering what they meant by a big joke.  I did notice that it is not a punitive style school where contact is limited and such, but hopefully that doesn't mean something bad.  This is a stressful process for a parent to research these schools and I have found some bad info on a lot of them such as Diamond Ranch (ouch)!  I haven't been able to find anything adverse on this school and was referred to your site for help.

Thanks

Any priest or shaman must be presumed guilty until proven innocent.
--Robert A. Heinlen, American science-ficiton author

[Anonymous]

Jellybean, Who REFERRED you to Wisdom Ranch School? Have you checked out private schools in your own area?  Why are you considering sending your child to a school away from home anyway? Have you considered all other alternatives available to you that would allow your child to remain in the home?  Or perhaps have the child live with another relative? There may be other answers besides a 24-hour-a-day...7 days-a-week- YEAR LONG...live-in-program.

[Troll Control]

This place looks like the typical scam.  How can it be a "school" without even a SINGLE TEACHER on the staff?

What problems is your kid having?  Any of the ones listed here?

Students with the following conditions are best served at a different facility.
* Severe Chronic depression
* Severe suicide risk
* Personality disorders
* Psychosis
* Antisocial personality disorder
* Multiple personality disorder
* Dissociative Disorder NOS
* Severe Self Mutilation
* Sex offenders
* Arsonists
* Excessive physical violence

Why exactly do yo uwant to send your kid there?

What it looks like to me is a big scam where people pay this guy to use their kids as free labor on a ranch.

It looks as if there are no classes, no teachers, no therapists (I could find no credentials for Mr. Monte except that he is an ex-marine and worked at some other programs).

They have other kids taking primary care of your kid ("student mentors") and seemingly no credentialed therapists or teachers.

Man, this website raises RED FLAGS all over the place.  What's scarier than the stuff listed on the website is the stuff you'd expect to see, but don't ("clinical director," "psychologist," "doctor," "nurse," "teacher," etc.).

Here's a link to their "accreditation":
http://www2.boisestate.edu/nasc/directory.htm

Yet another "Specialty School."  Not a high school, not a middle school, a "specialty school" (i.e. public school academic requirements don't apply).  I'd also check with the state of Idaho dept of Ed to see if they are listed there as "specialty" as well.

I'd have some SERIOUS reservations about this place....

[Anonymous]

AGAIN:  the question--who REFERRED YOU TO THIS PLACE?

This question is asking: who wants to make money off of sending your kid to this place?

The person who referred you to this site gave you GOOOD SOUND ADVICE.  I certainly hope you are reading, reading, reading.

Please do not send your son to some facility until you have given this some SERIOUS THOUGHT, and have researched this issue.

I made this mistake, and THOUGHT I was sending my child to a  NICE BOARDING SCHOOL to owners that "just loved children," and I was assured  that it offered therapy and a fully accredited educational school with certified teachers. That's what the referring company, P.U.R.E, and its owner, Sue Scheff told me.  The owner of Whitmore Academy, Cheryl Sudweeks is now charged with criminally abusing 4 children and is facing a criminal trial.

BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE!!!!!!!

[jellybean]

Nobody referred me to this school.  I have done research on about 8 schools and I have a friend who has experience with Diamond Ranch.  Nearly every school I have researched has come up with something scary except this one and I like the concept better than a facility that has steps and limited contact with parents, specific parent visit dates, only calls made that are monitored by staff, that don't encourage you to some see the place,etc.  I have checked their accredidations through ID state and NW schools the BBB in idaho, spoken to the local chamber of commerce and the sheriff.  They have given me ref's but I haven't called them yet.  I chose not to use an education consultant.  I am a healthcare consultant and am very used to having conversations with different types of businesses and can tell generally tell when I am being sold a used car.  I understand that this is "big" business which is why I am trying to be so careful.  Someone posted on here that the staff didn't have teaching credentials, but the bios on the website show those who are teaching have education and wildernes backgrounds. What site were you looking at?  That's why I am asking because maybe someone else has another source of info that I can't find.  I've done everything short of background checks on the staff member, which I may also do.  I even checked recent loan history for the school.  My son does not have any of the behavioral diagnoses listed in the post.  He's struggling with self esteem issues and extreme peer pressure. He does much better when away from the pressures of his friends and specifically here in the city. I wish I had a good solid support system from family, but I don't and I am a single mother. As far as trying a facility close to home.  I live in AZ and there is nothing here that I would get near.  I read an article by someone named Sturdevant that was pretty positive.  Anyone know who he is?  

I give money for church organs in the hope the organ music will distract the congregation's attention from the rest of the service.
--Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-born American industrialist and philanthropist

[Anonymous]

NORTHWEST would certify a "school of fish" if this "school" of fish could write a check for $150 bucks....this means NOTHING!!!

Read about IVY RIDGE Academy if you want to know how NORTHWEST certifies "SCHOOLS"....The Attorney General of New York just settled with parents for $1 million for accreditation problems... would NOT GIVE A LOT of attention of NORTHWEST.

Lady: if the only problem you have with your son is "peer problems" and esteem problems--you need to be thanking your lucky stars, and patting yourself and your son on the back!!!!

DON'T Send this boy off to some wilderness program...treatment facility.  BE A MOM and do your job!!!!

[OverLordd]

and I like the concept better than a facility that has steps and limited contact with parents, specific parent visit dates, only calls made that are monitored by staff, that don't encourage you to some see the place,etc.

Thats a major red flag for most people, why in the world does that not bother you?

He's struggling with self esteem issues and extreme peer pressure. He does much better when away from the pressures of his friends and specifically here in the city.

Look, ma'am or sir, that is being a teenager. I dont know if you remember, but at some point in time im sure you were kicked in the but by some bad feelings. I'm sure your friends wanted you to do something you thought was stupid. This is how a person grows, by living with it and dealing with it. Don't run from it by sending him away or he will never develop coping skills of his own. If he develops anything at all it will be tramatic, and posiblity dangerous.

[jellybean]

Listen, I didn't log onto this website to be riduculed and judged.  i was asking for info on this school and I appreciate your feedback however I have not gone into the entire story and probably don't have enough space here.  To the person who told me to "be a mom", I take offense to that statement.  Maybe I wasn't clear enough that peer pressure and succumbing to it for my son has been three, recent, serious close calls mixing drugs and alcohol and many sleepness nights worrying. This past year has been excruciating and in the last 3 months has been spiraling downward. How many moms do you know have had the guts to take the police to a party where underage kids are drinking and drugging including her own son.  Not many parents even care when you try to talk to them and get their help, most won't get off the couch. And before any of you say, well he must have a drug problem, no not yet and that is what I'm trying to avoid as well as accidentally dying from doing something stupid. He has the potential for that and I am more afraid of that than anything else.  He lost his father 4 years ago and he found him dead. Regardless of what we have tried, sports, music, anything to give him motivation it only lasts awhile, he's got major wounds to heal and it's not easy for him.  He's been in counseling for 4 years and he's not built enough inner strength to stand independently yet and I've tried everything. He has no male role model and is starving for that.  He got attached to his personal trainer and then was crushed when he moved, he gets jsut as attached to his friends and will do anything not to lose them even dangerous things. I am not an idiot and I know what it happening with my son I just don't have all of the resources, myself, that I know he needs. I would love nothing more than to keep him at home, I cry everyday just because he's not home now, but I'm trying to help save his life and give him a chance. I am trying to be as careful as I can in this investigation and I know there have got to be good programs out there somewhere, just trying to find them.

Religion is comparable to a childhood neurosis.
--Sigmund Freud, Austrian-born psychologist

[jellybean]

I can't find any private messages

Speak gently! 't is a little thing Dropp'd in the heart's deep well; The good, the joy, that it may bring Eternity shall tell.
-- G. W. Langford: Speak gently.

[Anonymous]

check them again before I start trolling you. Trust me you don't want that. I have a half used tin of KY, and a stale bottle of beer. It could get ugly.

 :lol:

[Anonymous]

Jelly--keep checking, and let us know when you find a GOOD PROGRAM OUT THERE, ok?

THERE ARE NO GOOD PROGRAMS...NONE!!!!

What advice does his therapist there in AZ have for you?  What does this therapist tell you to do?

You need to go and read the site: Teen Advocates USA...read the articles written by Barbe Stamps. Write to these moms who have dead children. Ask these moms if they are sorry they sent their children to these programs? Story after story after story---all dead children who had self-esteem problems; some drug issues; skipping school; kids who were a bit defiant. NONE of these kids deserved to die, but they did. None of these moms deserve to have dead children, but the do.