Complaint Review: Space of Mind - Delray Beach Florida

My cousin's child almost became a victim of this horrible place! I write this so that other parents do not fall for this scam! scam! scam!

Section 1: They are unsafe

They are an unsafe place! Why?

*The owner Ali Kaufman runs this school (they call it a schoolhouse or "social homeschool" so they do not have to follow zoning regulations or deal with the district) out of a small building where she packs in kids like sardines in small rooms to do "lessons." They fill this old building (which had a dead RAT in the wall of it for months without removal) to the brim with kids, so she can make more money$$$.

*There is no regard for safety and kids have been known to be injured there.  A student SLASHED his leg as he was volunteering to break up tile on a construction project at SOM when the owner asked him and another high schooler to help with "schoolhouse projects." One time high school kids tied another elementary kid up in a classroom with no adults around.  Two children have almost been hit by cars and trucks, and their building is on the corner of a very busy street in Delray. The owner often sits these children down in her "office" and tells them that if they promise to be careful, the staff will not tell their parents. Sick!

*There are not enough exits and no fire or lockdown procedure. One former staffer said that after the Parkland shooting the owner had a meeting with the staff and said that the lockdown procedure for the building is "that she (Kaufman) said, "I give you and the kids full permission to break all the windows and do whatever you need to exit the building." 

*The owner (Ali Kaufman) brings her dog to the schoolhouse, and it pees and poops everywhere and has injured children.  In one instance, her dog BIT A 10 YEAR OLD CHILD!!!! She made one of her employees ERASE the camera footage of the dog BITING AN ELEMENTARY AGED CHILD.

*They have an unlicensed and unexamined kitchen that should have health inspections!!!!!! Go ahead and take a tour of the schoolhouse in downtown delray and see that their kitchen is NOT INSPECTED by the health department even though IT FEEDS 50-60 KIDS AND ADULTS EVERYDAY.

*I asked a former employee once I started asking around about this dangerous place about how have the fire marshall and the city know these AGGREGIOUS offenses.  They said that everytime insurance, or an inspector came by she demand that the staff take most of the kids out of the building on a "walk" or "off campus learning" so the city would not know.  So far this place has lived under the radar!

Section 2: unaccredited and ineffective

*Go on their website and facebook page and see that they say they are a school but then say they are a "social homeschool." Why? Because not calling themselves a school makes it so they do not have to be approved by the district or follow any safety or education rules that schools have to (and should) follow.

*Space of Mind talks a good talk and has a way with words to seduce you into thinking that your kid will have "individualized" or "creative" or "project based" or "family centered" or "social emotional" learning.  NO! What they get is UNEDUCATED ACTIVITIES only used to increase SOM's brand (another MONEY MAKER).  Former students say that all they do for the ENTIRE month of october is PREP FOR A HAUNTED HOUSE.  NOTHING THEY DO is for the children's learning! Kids that want to do actual academic work are SILENCED and told that they need more community spirit. 

*Many children that switch to a new school often have to repeat a grade because of the wasted time they spent at Space of Mind.

*Ask for yourself! Go to them and ask for any data on student progress! Do not accept a write out or profile or some fancy words. Or college acceptance rate! That rate is BS because they only have like 2-3 seniors a year.  If the senior wants to get into college, they have to get outside help!!!

*Former parents say that when they confront the founder and staff on issues with academics, all they say is that their student needs something called, "academic coaching" or "backpack coaching."  All this means is that they CHARGE YOUR MORE MONEY$$ for aftercare programs that once again are BS!!!!!!!

*A former parent complained to the school board that the founder/boss violate HIPAA laws by disclosing confidential information about students in therapy sessions to the employees.  Ali Kaufman makes up some meaningless "release" that parents sign and calls therapists to hear what her students talk about in therapy.  Then she talks about it to the staff. A former employee said she was troubled one staff meeting when Ali Kaufman disclosed that a student had just revealed that she was sexually abused in her therapy sessions. SHE IS GOSSIPPING ABOUT WHAT KIDS ARE TALKING ABOUT IN THERAPY! Kaufman and her "coaching director" frequently tell staff and encourages students to talk about deeply personal issues to other students.  This is sick and UNETHICAL! NONE OF THESE PEOPLE ARE LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.

*A former parent said, "I cannot tell you what a JOKE their academics are. I asked them at a parent meeting whether my student was being given math facts to do, which is important to an elementary education. They joked and said we do not need to do math facts because there are calculators now."

*If you are called into talk about your kid or have an issue with their "coaching methods", Kaufman and her coaches will MAKE YOU BELIEVE that your child needs a lot of "coaching" and that it is THEIR fault! This again is another way for them to  TRAP you into their web of educational mismanagment.

Section 3: Their fake non profit

*I wish this was not true, but they just launched a FAKE NON PROFIT!!!!! This is probably a way to get the focus off of the schoolhouse and not have any attention on their SCHOOL SCAM.

*Community Classroom Project or Community Classroom Kitchen or CCP is the name and it is located in the MONEY PIT of the building next to  102 N Swinton.

*Ali Kaufman started this a couple of years ago, and since then it is a COMPLETE DISASTER. She did not even nominate a board to take control but has all the control herself.

*Several local businesses REFUSE TO WORK WITH HER because she is known to have several FAILED projects, and she also is difficult to work with because of her TEMPER TANTRUMS (over 2/3 of her staff quits one year or less after starting there).

*Recently she HAS TAKEN ADVANTAGE of the PANDEMIC by trying to sell the idea that they are an example of good will and charity by advertising that they offer a meal for meal assistance program.  This is JUST ANOTHER WAY FOR THEM TO SCAM THE COMMUNITY.

*Why is it a SCAM? Because there is actually not a Community Classroom Project. A former staff member said that their "opening" event, "Pub at the Hub," was a FAKE OPENING.  They RENTED FURNITURE and toured around "potential investors" to talk ABOUT THE GREAT THINGS they were doing.  THE NEXT DAY, they had to RETURN the furniture and the BUILDING CLOSED!

I do this SO YOUR CHILD DOES NOT SUFFER THERE.  TOO MANY families have suffered and lost money.  FIND A REAL SCHOOL with REAL EDUCATORS that will help your child LEARN. I AM HAPPY MY FAMILY SAW THROUGH THE SCAM.