October 22, 2020
by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School
For most of our school’s history, MPA was considered the best-kept secret in the East Metro. Our humble beginning led to an institutional humility that while we enjoyed great success, we were a bit hesitant to say that too loud or too often. That humility was one aspect of MPA that I clearly identified with, personally and professionally. The lack of a sense of entitlement and elitism at MPA is consistent with the admonishment of my parents “to let my actions speak louder than my words.” However, when words and actions do align, people begin to take note and affirmation and recognition soon follow.
Such was the case last week when MPA received news that our school is now ranked #1 among the 62 private schools in the state of Minnesota according to Niche.com and #60 among 2,525 private schools in the United States. Many of you are probably familiar with Niche, an online, crowd-sourced review of schools, colleges, and neighborhoods. Built upon the reviews and recommendations, Niche also incorporates quantitative data in making their determinations.
While a school like MPA can never be fully represented in its entirety by any ranking system, Niche has become a valuable source of information for families beginning their search for the “right” school. It provides a digital forum that begins to tell the MPA story through the reviews given by students, parents, and alums. I’ve pulled a few of them that I find inspiring and that truly breathe life into our mission.
“[My son] is excited to get to school every morning, he adores his teachers, and he’s finally challenged to be academic AND thoughtful about making the world a better place for everyone. His teachers know him individually and they challenge him every day!” –A new parent
“There is a strong sense of community here, and the students, teachers, and administration collaborate to create a learning and social environment that celebrates your successes, and is there to pick you up through the inevitable ups and downs of upper school life. The smaller enrollment and class sizes allows for a great deal of personalized attention, and the teachers really care about all their students and promote a safe, respectful, and nurturing learning environment.” –A current student
“Being an MPA student was incredible. Now that I have graduated and begun my adult life, I see more and more how valuable the education was. MPA graduates are different. They are more confident, more creative, more successful and more “with it” than graduates of any other school I’ve seen.” –An alumnus
MPA is no longer the best-kept secret. The growth in enrollment over the few years has largely come through referrals from current MPA families through a vast network of people including friends, colleagues, neighbors, extended family members, acquaintances through activities, etc.
