South Academy of International Languages in Charlotte

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	9/10	The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 North Carolina End-of-Course Tests data from North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and using 2025 North Carolina End-of-Grade Tests data from North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
Student Growth	4/10	The Student Progress Rating measures whether students at this school are making academic progress over time based on student growth data provided by the Department of Education. Specifically, this rating looks at how much progress individual students have made on state assessments during the past year or more, how this performance aligns with expected progress based on a student growth model established by the state Department of Education, and how this school's growth data compares to other schools in the state. The Growth Rating was created using 2024 Student growth data from North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Posted: August 31, 2025

I am a Chinese imm student at SAIL and in my 8 years of being in the school I have never, EVER encountered a Teacher, custodian, or any other staff member be a really mad or generally pissed off by any student. And I love that the teachers are supper engaging to teach their assigned subject and they always include everyone no matter what race, color, background or anything, and I just wanted to show from a inside perspective that this school is one of the best schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area!:)

Posted: August 31, 2025

Posted: April 26, 2025

SAIL has been the perfect fit for my oldest child. She started in middle school and the transition has been so smooth. All of her teachers have been amazing. Admin has also been top notch.

Posted: April 26, 2025

Posted: October 30, 2024

We have had a great experience with this school so far. My child has an IEP and the school has been great about providing accommodations, therapies, and setting up meetings in a timely manner. We have great communication from teachers and lots of information sent out from school and PTSO about school and community events. We are at the school at least once a month for some kind of event or class party. There are lots of volunteer opportunities and ways for parents to easily get involved. I feel like we are getting a private school education at a public school price. Very happy with our decision to send our child to SAIL.

Posted: September 19, 2023

i dont recommend this school. maybe for parent that want their children to learn another language.
Staff are rude. School structure is aweful. No specific plan for traffic during arrival and dismissal
Appeared to be overrun and overwhelm and does not know how to maintain school organization
Staff appear not to help at all and rude to parents.

Do not select this school for your children

Posted: September 19, 2023

Posted: February 18, 2023

Great School, great learning environment. PTSO is very engaged and do an amazing job. Very good administration aswell.

Posted: February 18, 2023

Posted: September 6, 2022

I have had one son complete the Chinese Mandarin program and continue with Mandarin in high school after leaving SAIL. He loved having the opportunity to travel to China and use the language and culture he had learned about since kindergarten. My younger son is in middle school and enjoying the teachers that challenge him to think and get involved. There are many extracurricular activities offered to find one that your child enjoys, mine enjoyed soccer and chess.

Posted: September 6, 2022

Posted: February 17, 2021

Phenomenal school with a very active PTSO. Our children don't just learn the Chinese language they are immersed in Chinese culture. I cannot recommend this school enough!

Posted: February 17, 2021

Posted: November 14, 2019

This is the best school I have ever dealt with. I have five kids who have been in all types of different schools and Waddell beats them hands down.

Posted: January 12, 2019

We have been at this school for 4 years now and finally I'm realizing that we need to leave. My children have been bullied by other children and now a teacher is bullying. The language and culture portion is cool but the education is inferior to other magnet programs, it's just not worth it to be here.

Posted: October 31, 2018

The language program teaches relatively advanced vocabulary, but falls behind severely in teaching grammatical structures. This creates problems for those who take language classes in higher levels of education, such as high school or university.

Posted: September 12, 2017

We moved from out of state where our children were attending a French bilingual school and are so happy that we found Waddell and that our children were able to test in to the program. There is a strong, diverse, international community at Waddell and a very involved PTSO and parent network. I've been very happy with the teachers and staff and have been so impressed that a school like this exists within the public school system, which certainly wasn't the case where we moved from.

Posted: September 12, 2017

Posted: June 7, 2017

Faculty and administration members try their best and they do very well teaching the children that being different is not a sin. However, we do not have enough counselors or psychologists assigned to the school but that is the norm in public schools.

Posted: June 7, 2017

This is an amazing school if you care about languages (French, German, Chinese and Japanese) and diversity, both racial and financial. Teachers come from all places where those languages are spoken and they bring their culture, knowledge and educational views with them. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to send my daughter to Waddell Language Academic. We had the option of private school but they lack diversity and language education does not start until middle school (Elementary school offers 3 twenty minutes sessions per week and that is not enough). School scores are way above the state level and pupils are growing up bilingual. I must say that the Waddell PTO is very active and works energetically to provide the faculty and students with all tools necessary to succeed. The state budget could never cover all the necessary material, teachers' development costs, technological equipment etc. This school in an oasis in the desert that is our public educational system.

Posted: March 22, 2017

Wonderful school community, supportive staff and administration, high behavioral and academic expectations.

Posted: November 18, 2015

Smith is now Waddell Language Academy. I have three children in the Japanese program and we are so happy! The teachers are truly invested in the students' learning experience! We tell everyone we meet about this program and the terrific opportunity to enroll children in language immersion.

Posted: May 15, 2014

Waddell is a EXCELLENT school!!! The teachers are great!!! My daughter is in the Immersion German KI program and she LOVES going to school! The school curriculum is challenging that makes your child advance to the next level!! The Principal is SUPERIOR with 19 years experience!!!! I was thinking about enrolling my child in private school, but after attending this year, NOT NECESSARY!! I made the right decision!! There a lot of activities the children can enrolled in while attending this "GREAT SCHOOL". I will enroll my daughter in the Chess Club the next academic year! The Admin. Assistant is so nice, sweet, and helpful when I attend the school. Keep up the "GREAT WORK"!!!

Posted: April 28, 2014

Waddell is an excellent school with excellent teachers. The opportunities the children receive are amazing and we have been very happy there.

Posted: August 8, 2013

This school is wonderful. When we enrolled our daughter in SAIL we had no idea she would study more than one language. She now speaks Spanish and Chinese. The teachers are great and down to earth. My daughter often speaks of her teachers as if they were friends. I wish the school went up to 12th grade. It would have been wonderful to keep her there for four more years.

Posted: May 26, 2013

When I tell others about my children's experience and becoming fluent in Chinese and German respectively the next question is how much does it cost. Answer- free its just the hidden gem of cms since the early 90s. The leadership of the school is very strong and the teachers have been wonderful. We thought the children learning the language would be difficult... it is not. The altering our cultural expectations of our international teachers was challenging at first. It has worked beautifully though.

Posted: May 15, 2013

We love the school. We are very lucky here in Charlotte to have an educational opportunity like Waddell. The teachers we've had so far, are wonderful and parent participation seems high. The carpool is a pain & it seems like there should be an easier (faster) way to organize it, but other than that, I can't think of any negatives.

South Academy of International Languages

Charlotte, NC 28217

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