St. Paul's Episcopal School in Oakland is AMAZING! A strong academic program paired with real…read moreworld skills and an inclusive environment make for an amazing learning experience. The community and education at St. Paul's are top notch!

St. Paul's Episcopal School (SPES) in Oakland has been an incredible experience for our family as…read moreLGBTQ+ parents with two kids attending. From the moment we joined the school community, we've felt welcomed, valued, and supported in a way that's truly meaningful to us. SPES is not just a school--it's a place where diversity and inclusion are celebrated, and every family is embraced. The teachers at SPES are extraordinary. They are kind, engaging, and genuinely invested in each student's success, creating a supportive and inclusive environment where our kids feel seen, respected, and encouraged to thrive. The school also provides ample resources, from state-of-the-art technology to classroom supplies, making learning accessible, engaging, and exciting for every child. What stands out most about SPES is its unwavering commitment to diversity. The student body reflects a wide range of backgrounds, and this rich diversity is woven into the fabric of the school's culture. Weekly Friday chapel gatherings are a highlight, bringing the community together to reflect on shared values and showcase the unique voices and perspectives of different grades. These gatherings create a strong sense of belonging and unity, making every family feel like an integral part of the school. At SPES, diversity and inclusion are not "marketing taglines" or a box to check--they are fundamental to who we are. The school was founded 50 years ago in response to the civil rights movement, and these values and principles are deeply embedded in our DNA. They guide everything we do, from the way we teach to how we build community. SPES also excels in social-emotional learning through its "People Power Skills" framework. This program equips students with the tools to navigate relationships, practice kindness, and build empathy. It's inspiring to see our kids not only learning these skills but also applying them in their daily interactions. The framework helps create a respectful, supportive environment that prioritizes emotional growth alongside academic success. As LGBTQ+ parents, we deeply appreciate how SPES fosters an inclusive atmosphere where all families are welcomed and celebrated. Our kids are growing up in an environment that values compassion, diversity, and acceptance--qualities we hold dear. It's a school where they feel safe and proud of their family, and that means the world to us. St. Paul's is a place where academics, culture, and emotional well-being come together seamlessly. For LGBTQ+ families--or any family looking for a school that truly embodies inclusion and excellence--SPES is an outstanding choice. It's been a wonderful home for our kids and our family, and we couldn't recommend it more highly.

This school is an absolutely gem. My child transferred here from a public school at the beginning…read moreof this year. After having two extremely difficult years in a public school system, where my child went from happy and thirsty to learn, to nearly hating school, we knew we needed a change. From the first conversation with Mel, to watching their open house video and hearing their viewpoint on learning, we instantly felt this could be the environment that our child needed. As a Licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist, I am consistently reminded the importance of a safe and nurturing learning environment for the overall well-being of a child. The Saklan School understand the importance of children feeling safe and connected in order to learn and grow. Today's parent-teacher conference confirmed everything that we had thought this school would be. My child is absolutely thriving. His teacher doesn't just tolerate his "all in" nature, she encourages and celebrates it, while pushing him to be his best self. The small class sizes allow for each kiddo to feel seen and be known, and project-based learning gets them excited. We absolutely adore this school. Yes, it is a big financial investment, but we are already seeing the return in his growth and joy, and it is also having a huge impact on our entire family's quality of life. We're so thankful for The Saklan School.

We gave the Walnut Creek public school system a try then decided to send our 1st grader to Saklan…read more It's been two months and we've seen a huge change in his attitude towards learning. You cannot beat the small class size and the personalized attention your child will get. We've noticed a renewed love of learning, more confidence and comfort in his skin. My husband and I believe that investing early in his education, creative expression and social emotional development will give him a leg up in life and a strong sense of self. We also love Saklan's project based, hands on approach to learning. Focusing on the whole child is difficult to do when there are 23-30 kids in a classroom. In fact, studies show that learning outcomes diminish when there are more than 18 students in a classroom. When our son comes home excited about something he learned/experienced or tells us how much he loves to read, this warms our hearts because his teachers are getting through to him. We also love that he's learning a foreign language early (Spanish); you many not get that in public school. The public school system is a one size fits all mold. Everything is about meeting benchmarks/assessments and keeping the test scores high without looking at the whole child. At Saklan you have the luxury of knowing that your child's education is flexible enough to both challenge and support them where it's needed. We are thrilled with our decision to invest in our son's education at Saklan.

If you are still at BHS or just graduated you will be shocked to learn that my class is having…read moretheir 65th reunion next week. Yes, we graduated in 1960. It was one of the top schools in the US in those days. we won the Bellamy award in 1959. It saddens me to read these reviews with one star. Most of the content of the poor reviews seems to center around lack of organization and social problems. I hope the academic aspect of the school is still high.

This school has gone completely down hill. There is absolutely no safety or control in that school…read more The staff are only there for the paycheck! The dean of students is completely useless, they swear they are here for the students but they don't care at all. SAVE YOUR KIDS!!! DON'T SEND THEM TO THIS HORRIBLE SCHOOL

I wanted St. Perpetua to be a great fit, but our experience was disappointing…read more The school may work well for families looking for a very traditional Catholic environment, but if strong academics are the main priority, I would look closely before assuming this is a better option than the local public schools. In our experience, the administration seemed much more focused on uniforms, skirt length, Mass, and rule-following than on whether students were actually being challenged. There are some genuinely good teachers there, and I don't want to take away from them, but overall the academics felt inconsistent. It also feels like the diocese does not invest enough in teacher pay to consistently attract and keep top talent. And unfortunately, that shows. I'll also just say that the overall leadership of the parish/school gave us an uncomfortable feeling at times. The pastor in particular gave off a strange vibe that made the environment feel less warm and welcoming than we had hoped. For what families pay, I expected St. Perpetua to feel meaningfully stronger than the public school option. For us, it didn't.

We enrolled our kids in 2019. One of our pediatric colleagues highly recommended St. P. He, along…read morewith others, said that St. P really goes the extra mile to serve each student and their family. Another parent reviewer said, "As an educator, I am always impressed by the lengths to which the faculty works to meet the needs of individual students. Creating a triad consisting of student, parent, and teacher is the framework in which they set the goals and objectives for student success." For the above reasons, we enrolled our kids. We found that in 2019, the triad existed. It was wonderful!! We really felt welcomed, our kids were cared about, and we quickly settled. Fast forward...COVID. That spring was a disaster - no two ways about it. No one to blame at all. In the fall of 2020, we quickly noticed a distinct shift in staff attitude, and the school's overall mood changed. Suddenly, things that were "no big deal" became huge deals. We felt like we were constantly "in trouble" for some unrecognized infraction. By 2021, fall, I recognized what went wrong (likely). The administration's response to COVID and the public school shutdown was to allow over-enrollment at St. P. We went from 15 -23 students per classroom to over 30 with one upper grade at 38. So, in short - we were paying a premium for a crappy public school experience! YAY US. Within a year: The support staff for "student success" left or went very part-time. We were suddenly getting calls from other parents asking for our thoughts on how we felt about the school, the principal, and certain teachers. Then, the Principal, an office staffer in charge of admissions, and the parish padre - all retired or left the building. We began to look elsewhere. Nothing is perfect, however, when a solidly performing educational program changes so significantly that its change negatively impacts students and their opportunities - one has to walk away.

Kind, personalized, excellent teaching. Small school is fantastic for brainy kids with sensory…read moreissues.

Holden has been a great place for our daughter who started 9th Grade during Covid. The staff worked…read morehard to keep the students engaged and did everything they could to get through that year which was rough on everyone with all the classes being remote learning. She is finishing up her Junior year now and has made remarkable progress in gaining confidence and making friends. As a parent I appreciate the extra effort and support Holden gives to help students prepare for "what's next". They really care about the students and focus on individual needs for each one.

We love this school. Ever since we arrived, the staff has been incredibly warm and welcoming…read more They provide a loving and nurturing environment for children and my son is so happy here. Academically, it's accredited and offers so much. In kindergarten, my son had a full array of subjects: reading, social studies, science, mathematics, music, Spanish, library, and computers. There are 2 kindergarten classrooms and each has its own potty, which is really nice. We LOVED Mrs. Fustukjian! She was the biggest blessing of a kindergarten teacher we could have ever hoped for. She's super organized, firm, but ultra loving to each child. My son thrives in a structured environment and she really helped him to grow. The thing I liked the most was that whenever there was conflict between students, she always took the time to collect the facts and then addressed the issues accordingly. She made my son feel significant and important because he always felt heard and understood. She made our first year at WCCA great and put all our concerns at ease. The PTF (parent/teacher fellowship...their version of PTA) is very involved and supportive. There are a ton of events they put on throughout the year that gives parents an opportunity to volunteer to support the school. They're amazing and as my kids get older, I can't wait to get more involved. Needless to say, all my babies will attend. We've checked out Christian schools between Dublin/Pleasanton all the way up through to Walnut Creek, and we weren't able to find a comparable school that's both Christ centered and academically excellent. It's an awesome reflection of the church (First Baptist of Walnut Creek) and together, it's a great family oriented community to be a part of. I totally recommend checking them out for your littles if this is what you're looking for.

I am sharing our recent experience to help other families who value clear communication, accurate…read moreenrollment information, and active safety protocols: First, student safety is completely minimized. My child is being repeatedly bullied by the same boy, pushed from behind and had tan bark thrown at them. When I brought this to the director, she completely dismissed it, claiming the boy just "doesn't know how to express himself," and offered absolutely no solution to keep my child safe. Second, the management is incredibly dishonest and unorganized. They cut the fall schedule from 5 classes to 4 because a teacher is pregnant. They knew this when we enrolled in February, yet the director hid it from us and just copy pasted her weekly emails without mentioning the cut. We only found out two months later because we asked. When we brought up our concerns, the director simply offered to refund our last couple of weeks and send us on our way, showing they do not care about a child's stability. Furthermore, they gave us contradictory stories about enrollment, telling me in person that we were first on the waitlist, but telling my husband we were fifth. Every family deserves to feel completely safe, informed, and supported in their preschool community. I hope sharing these facts helps you find the right, transparent fit for your little one.

Nice school to enroll your children ! Teachers are friendly nice safe school! The food is good !…read moreThe kids get happy when they can smell lunch hot lunches an pizza is everyday plus more!!

Leadership is weak. Support staff is lazy and unreliable. On the surface it looks like they're…read moredoing their jobs, but they're not. Had to email the School Superintendent just to get them to act right. Lastly be careful where your address is actually assigned to school district wise. Parts of Martinez falls under Mt. Diablo, but Martinez has a history of accepting students into their schools only to bump them later. Unless you want your child settling in, making friends, and adoring their teachers - only to have to start over - I suggest you verify your address with Mt. Diablo. They're bigger and better with real leaders over there.

I'd suggest you pick a different school in Orinda to send your children to. Many families have had…read moredifficulties with the principal and even though there are some good teachers, the climate is terrible. It is pretty - but its not enough.

Growing up in Orinda was not always pleasant, but I have always had fond memories of attending…read moreWagner Ranch for my first 4 years of elementary school. I had serious hesitations about moving back to a place that so seriously lacks in diversity but the community at Wagner has been surprisingly wonderful and far more diverse than the other elementary schools in Orinda. The teaching staff is excellent and the principal, now in his second year, is not only an experienced educator but a great leader. I would highly recommend this school!