Both of our kids went to this school. We couldn't have been HAPPIER with our experience. The…read moreteachers of the school truly care about the students - this is reflected in every detail of the day and curriculum. TCI built an amazing community that we still keep in touch with years later. We are so grateful to have found this school when we did!!

Two months since my last child graduated from TCI and they still talk so positively about their…read moreexperience there! They still get emotional when we reflect on how much they miss TCI as TCI has been such an integral part of our lives for so long! They fingerknit (something they learned at the school) as they reflect and reminisce. I've had both of my daughters attend TCI - my oldest started at age 4 and went until she went to Kindergarten and came back for all the breaks and the summer. My youngest started at 20 months and just graduated this past summer at 5.5 years old. I frequently travel for work and my kids have been to over 10 child care/day care facilities (Creme, other montessoris, Goddard, Kindercare, ISM private academy, immersion academies etc.) and my oldest will be in 2nd grade at XinXing Academy in Hopkins....so I can confidently say that TCI is, by far, the best school for children for SO many reasons. They are 1000% child focused. - They always do what is best for the children from how the environment is carefully prepared and the word choices the guides use in each language they speak. - The environment is set up for a child's lifetime success and it is absolutely beautiful with high quality materials and crazy attention to detail. - The children learn independence and responsibility - they get their own water and snack, they sweep up their own messes, materials are put away when completed. Plus they learn how to plant and pick their own food in the garden. - The guides are HIGHLY qualified in both the toddler and children house communities (think graduate level credentials) in addition to the AMI certification. This is a huge difference compared the frequently underpaid 'teachers' in 'day cares' that just watch the kids. - The lead teacher and staff are amazing partners in parenting - they help think through challenges a child might be having and provide a lot of insight into their development - it's like having a developmental coach for the child! Some things to be aware of is that you need to make lunch each day - I know other places will provide lunch, TCI does not. There are a lot fewer pictures that you receive in comparison to other pictures - as Lishi said, the focus is on child development, not taking pictures. I would be happy to talk to any parent who is interested in TCI - I know that sometimes it is daunting if you aren't familiar with the Montessori approach. I've added in a few pictures to this review - these are my children only (which is why I blocked out the other child's face). Masks are not required, the one picture that had a mask on was because my daughter was coughing and I didn't want her to get others sick :)

Both of my children have learned and grown at APMS and we wouldn't change it for the world. It is a…read morewonderful community of families. Welcoming without being weird about it (you know what I mean). I highly recommend APMS to everyone.

This school is amazing. My children have come so far while attending. I have seen unbelievable…read morechanges in how they interact with others, how they manage themselves at home, and how independent they can be. The teachers are so kind, the environment is bright and clean and inviting. My younger son has always been very strong willed, and refuses to be coerced into anything, but at school, he has begun to challenge himself more and more. Skills that we can't get him to try at all, he suddenly comes home willing and proud to show us. The community is warm, and I adore everyone there. It's affordable, small, and very personal. I can't recommend Augsburg Park Montessori enough.

Don't be fooled. I am not saying this school is perfect but by no means does it deserve its current…read morerating. This is the classic case of the few people that had negative experiences going out of their way to post their feedback while those of us that are extremely satisfied don't share our feedback. I sent my two daughters to this school. They had the same teacher the entire time. The same manager the entire time. I am shocked at the lack of turnover. When a teacher does leave, it is usually to another Step by Step facility because of a promotion. Highly recommend SbS Edina!

We do not have good experience with this school, my kids went for almost a year. teachers are rude,…read moreand kids feel disconnected with teachers.

I would like to share my experience with EPM, which has been quite mixed. While the school has a…read moresolid reputation, I left disappointed.  Not only in the education my daughter received, but also the overall attitude of the staff and unprofessional communication.   Communication from the staff was often unclear and inconsistent. I found myself acting on their recommendations, only to have them recant those suggestions when it was convenient for them.  It felt like I was being gaslit.  At times, my daughter's provider recommendations were not followed.  They would state my daughter was the only child not napping as an example, but yet there was a room full of children not napping.  They stated my daughter didn't have friends not knowing that we played with kids from class on regular basis and still do to this day.    A particularly memorable incident that encapsulates my experience occurred on Halloween. My daughter was thrilled to wear her light-up princess dress, exuding pride and excitement as she arrived at school. However, the teacher checking in students remarked, "wow, that is distracting," in an annoyed voice, which was incredibly deflating for my daughter.  I think my daughter picked up on that she was not liked by the staff and that impacted her.  The overall lack of smiles or morale didn't seem good in my experience.   Changing a child's daycare/school setting can cause a lot of disruption.  That is the only reason why we stayed as long as we did and tried to make it work.   On a positive note, Soccer Shots, Wee-Move, and Piano teachers/coach were great.

We moved our kids to EP Montessori last summer from an early childhood center, and we and our kids…read morehave been so happy there! The teachers and staff are all very caring, and got to know our kids really well from the start. Our kids (2.5 year-old in Toddler and almost 5 year-old in Casa) had an easy time adjusting. We have a rule follower and an independent spirit, and the approach at EP Montessori has really helped both of them as they develop and learn. Both of our kids participate in activities that come to school (piano, dance, yoga, soccer) and enjoyed them, too!

We sent our sons here for the past 3 years and couldn't be happier! My preschooler loves going to…read moreschool each day, and learns so many different things! The staff are courteous, friendly, and very responsive to various communications. My preschooler comes home every day with a new song, artwork, or a new fact that revolves around events happening throughout the world. Throughout his time here my son has learned more about the world around him and has gained the confidence to share this knowledge with others. We are very grateful to have found Rainbow Montessori Academy!

We have two kids at Rainbow and have loved it! Both started attending at 12 weeks old and we have…read morehad great experiences in the infant, toddler and preschool rooms. The staff cares so much about the kids, they do so many fun activities like weekly music lessons, fitness boomers, seasonal concerts, and field trips, and they learn so much. My oldest is definitely well prepared for Kindergarten this fall.

If you love 7 a.m. meetings, rigid staff, and be assigned homework to talk to your three-year-old…read moreabout being a three-year old, this is your place. (e.g., "We really need you to discuss the importance of naps with your child.") Ed, the head of the place, has caused high staff turnover and is unreasonable. He also subjected our kid to pseudo-interrogations. This is the place where the Valley of the Dolls Stepford children go to not learn anything. No thanks. It's less work to watch your child at home than to deal with these folks.

Have a back up plan for this Montessori school. I was so shocked by our experience that I had to…read morewait a week to calm down and write this review. When I was pregnant a year and a half ago, we toured all the Montessori schools near our home and work. We decided to enroll our son in the fall of 2015, once he was over his stranger danger/sensitive period. We hired a wonderful nanny in the meantime. She and her husband planned the birth of their own firstborn around our son's 2015 fall enrollment. Mayflower was our top pick and their toddler teacher came highly recommended by an old friend, another Montessori teacher and Children's House owner in the community. We signed up when our son was a newborn, 14 months ago, and waited. We were excited for visiting day this past month, but shocked to learn we were not actually enrolled. I'm a first time mom, but based on my own research and tours of other toddler programs, this was highly irregular, so I reached out for confirmation. The response from their director Nanci was very canned and left me stunned, "Thanks for coming to Visiting Day. Our application process is continuing and we will be making final decisions for enrollment in the next few weeks. There are many factors we take into account to make our decisions and we balance the classrooms by age and gender. You will hear from us by Friday, March 27. Thanks, Nanci Olesen Director Mayflower Early Childhood Center" Rumor has it there were only 4-7 openings for fall 2015. The visiting day we attended last week was an absolute carnival with 40 families and toddlers! I feel the number of attendees was very misleading for so few openings. I hope that this was an isolated incident. We may have fallen through the cracks since we signed up on recommendation from a Montessori teacher before the toddler program even began at Mayflower. We are still really disappointed and terribly inconvenienced by our experience. We are now scrambling to find an acceptable daycare for our happy, healthy 15 month-old boy. Every place has a year wait. Any insights or advice are most welcome! Our amazing nanny will be on maternity leave and we are really stuck!

Both my children have been students at Ramalynn. My daughter went on to Blake and then the U as a…read moreSTEM Major with Honors and my son is currently enrolled. It is a second home for the children and has a very strong academic environment. The school is diverse, has an amazing sports camp, and fosters a love of learning. As a Ramalynn parent for 17 years, I couldn't be happier with the school. The sports program is co-ed with girls and boys competing together - very confidence-building. I would highly recommend the school to anyone considering a private school - you won't find anything better.

Ramalynn is a small school with a very large impact. Academics are impressive; sports are…read moreexcellent; and culture makes Ramalynn a school like none other. We, my partner and I, want our children to grow with knowledge, confidence, kindness and tolerance. The students of Ramalynn are disproportionately represented in top academic and athletic honors, but their ability to weather defeat and help each other through loss is truly remarkable. If we are daring to achieve in our lives, we will all fail and lose along the way. The students of Ramalynn are taught, practice and demonstrate resilience. We also want our children to have a global appreciation and tolerance. Lack of prejudice is learned at Ramalynn by knowledge of the world and an appreciation for culture. The academic viewpoint is not "other cultures and people," but just culture and people. Approaching humanities with this mindset allows greater tolerance and appreciation for each other. I do not expect our children to be college or professional athletes, but Ramalynn has nurtured many young athletes, who have gone on for remarkable athletic careers. Mr. Krishna's ability to connect, motivate and teach sports and how to be a team should be the focus of a master class for ALL coaches. Ms. Cassy incredibly recognizes and appreciates each child's (yes EACH) gifts while nurturing curiosity and development. In Ramalynn Montessori Academy tradition, the teachers are a curated team from preschool through 8th grade, effectively educating to surpass standardized testing expectations, inter-school competitions and real world challenges. The multitude of incredibly successful and creative students and parents of high integrity are not on the walls or website. Word of accolades achieved by former students and parents is quietly passed with genuine happiness for another's success. Ramalynn's value is not in being a scene to be seen or an association to "name drop." Ramalynn is invaluable as a school because it is designed to and succeeds in allowing every child to become the most they can be while having enough courage to support their classmates to succeed.