Waldorf is such a wonderful education. Unfortunately if the teacher is not great (or going through…read morepersonal crisis and has a large and demanding class) your child will suffer. Steiner's view was to nurture the soul of the child and unfortunately Austin Waldorf is seeming more budget focused and the teacher for our grade certainly really let us down and did not even have the care for us as a family to speak with us directly. I would avoid this particular Waldorf.

Beautiful campus with beautiful traditions. It is easy to get swept up in the idea of the school…read more Met the most wonderful, involved, and caring parents and a couple of wonderful teachers too. This school, however has absolutely failed my children academically. If you have a child that is neurodiverse, this school cannot meet their needs. If you have a child that is gifted, they will not be able to meet their full potential. The class sizes are at 30-33 in 1st and 2nd grade! My child's teacher assured us multiple times that my child would get the help they need. In the end my child's teacher, who had been his teacher for 1.5 years "strongly encouraged" us to find a new school midyear, with no warning. All of the previous reassurance, that they had resources for his learning needs, from her swept away. Now the same teacher is asking for parent volunteers to go in and teach children, not their own, to read. She cannot meet the needs of these children, yet you will not hear this, when the class size concern is brought up at parent meetings. You will be reassured over and over until your child has fallen so far behind, they need multiple interventions to catch up to where they should be or where they were before they started this school. My daughter was advanced for her age before this school. She requested to go back to homeschooling. She would sit in class, at AWS, with her hand raised and never get any help. She was quiet and not one of the louder children yelling out for help. She said she could not focus and would get pushed around by the boys on the playground. The school purposely holds children back from progressing "too fast." They have reasons for this. The issue is the class sizes hinder the children from moving as quickly as they need to, given the Waldorf methods, when they reach the appropriate age/grade level to do so; and they refuse to change. You will hear promises of expanding the grades to have fewer children in the classroom. This has been a promise for years. They have yet to follow through and deny any issues, even though there are many. The teachers do not fight for their students. The office staff is sweet, but when you get down to the people truly in charge, they only care about money.

Wow, what can I say, I feel like we won the jackpot when we found Magellan. our daughter started in…read moreKindergarten and although she isn't very good at adapting or transitions, she immediately fell in love with her teachers and school friends.. There are no cliques and no bullying and when we have had issues we have raised them with the teachers and they have jumped on them to solve them immediately, and unlike other private schools there's no sense of entitlement from the parents or students. Also, because the school is so good at awarding scholarships not everyone is 'rich'! The school also has a great parent teacher association which offer weekly meet-ups and play dates as well as adult only events. Each class also has a WhatsApp chat group so parents can easily communicate with each other. If it sounds like one big happy family you'd be right, that's exactly what it feels like. In terms of academics my adhd child has thrived. Diagnosed at 4 we thought she would struggle but the school has been amazing at supporting her needs and accommodating her. They also offer many different seating types from a bouncy ball chair, to cushions on the floor and other such. It's very holistic and non political and offers many diverse ways of learning. They have a calming corner, encourage reading and emotional open communication as well many other ways of teaching emotional and academic intelligence. They teach in Spanish from day one and introduce Mandarin from 3rd grade, they also teach following the international Baccalaureate which is amazing. It teaches the children self confidence through weekly presentations and teaches them autonomy. Honestly this school is amazing and now it goes until 12th grade we are obsessed and so you will be too. But, sshh don't tell anyone about our secret slice of heaven.

My son has attended Magellan since the age of three years old-- he is now in second and we have…read morealready registered him for third grade. Hands down, my husband and I feel it is best decision we have made for his education. Although it can be a bit pricey, we have felt that it has been worth every dollar. He is growing up to be a well spoken, well thought, caring little human. I love that he is bilingual, but I really love his open minded views and his eagerness to learn. The teachers... the teachers have all been so amazing. They are loving, caring and really take each student's personalities and abilities into consideration as they grow from year to year. As I said, it's not the cheapest option and we do discuss yearly if we will be renewing his tuition-- and, with each year this answer comes easier and easier with an astounding "YES". We love the school, the community, the parents and look forward to many more years at Magellan!

This elementary school is amazing. Everyone from the front office staff to the leadership to the…read moreteachers and librarians are dedicated to student success and wellness. We couldn't be happier with our sweet neighbor in school!

Best school in the known universe. All the teachers really care what they are doing and have…read morevested interest in all of their students doing well. They are strict on timings and take showing up on time very seriously. Keep up the good work staff!!!

Update 2: Not much to add to my previous reviews. Kiddo is now in first grade, second year in the…read more"K-1" group after 2 years in preschool. He's continuing to thrive and love school. Attentive, engaged, loving guides are supplemented with well loved "specials" teachers in PE, gardening, music, and Spanish. And the educational model allows each kid to progress at his own rate without isolating or stigmatizing the differences. The parent community is engaged and generally quite pleased with the school. Is it perfect? No, because it involves humans. But the administration seems to look honestly and regularly at its own strengths and needs, and makes improvements in a structured way. For our money, Headwaters continues to offer our little guy a great start in education, and that feels like the most important investment we can make at this age. ---------- Update: It's been over a year since my review below and things keep getting better. Thanks to the combination of attentive, loving guides and Montessori based curriculum, our little guy has really blossomed. He's headed into kindergarten in the fall and he's both socially and academically ready. And I mean really ready... he's already reading at the complexity level of "Elephant and Piggie" books, and doing addition and subtraction,all before spending a single day in K and with admittedly very little prodding at home. Mostly we're trying to keep up! (Side Note: if you're a parent of littles and haven't yet discovered Elephant and Piggie, you're missing out! But I digress.) Unsurprisingly, we're staying with Headwaters. It's a commitment and a significant expense, but given what they've done for him so far, and what we see coming based on several visits, it's an easy decision. By my reckoning it's one of the best parenting decisions we've made, and that counts not letting him run with scissors and hiding the chocolate syrup. ------Original Review--------- Headwaters is the new name for the school which operates three campuses in Austin, together spanning pre-k through 12. This review is for the "Springs" campus on Manchaca and Berkeley, which serves the preschool population. Our son started in another local, well-regarded school, but we pulled him out because it was such a "strict" Montessori program that forced our bright, happy, highly verbal little one to work in solitude for hours at a time. I am so glad we got a spot here. The guides are caring and knowledgeable, and strike a balance between kids working alone and working together. The Montessori approach we wanted is here, but in a "follow the child" sense, as opposed to a "dogmatically do exactly what you think Maria Montessori did a hundred years ago" sense. Since MM's fundamental idea was in fact "follow the child," for my money, this is more authentically Montessori than the other program which boasted more certifications. There's even more to love here. The program includes mental, physical, and social & emotional development, but without pushing kids past what's age appropriate. They're encouraged to challenge themselves but also to play and be kids. After 7 months, the positive effects on our kiddo are apparent. He's learning, he's being guided and cared for, and he loves it. As I write this, he's on spring break and asking daily when he gets to go back. As an added bonus, we've also enjoyed the parent community and the many opportunities to join the class for some holiday songs and a party here and there. We have one more year on this campus before moving on to the early elementary level. But all indications from parents and my own investigation is that it's as good over there as it is where we are. I think we're in it for the long haul.

I worked there for 13 years and only left because I got married and relocated. It is truly a…read morecommunity. My realtor was a former parent, our campus manager was our officiant. This place is a family and I miss it every day. Every child is known by everyone who works there.

This is a good school, principal Yilmaz is super nice . Most teachers are helpful, the environment…read moreis small and safe. It is a good stem school.

My kid went missing and because of t was after 4pm some of the staff did not care and walked off…read morewhen I asked for help. Thankfully the security guard was as nice and also the principal was as very helpful. The school took his phone and did not return it to him and I could not get in touch with him. This school is great for academics but the some of staff could care less about the students. And the location and the layout of the school is horrible. It was a great location for a local business but not a school. The parking is horrible and the pick up line is even worse and it's next to an apartment complex and a car dealership not ideal for a school hut other than that the school is okay.

Our son started Kirby Hall this past school year in 3rd grade after spending his first 3 years of…read moreschool in our local public school. While we loved our public school, he was not being challenged and was getting bored and started disliking school. We are not private school snobs. Both my wife and I are public school products and our oldest daughter is finishing 7th grade at a public school ... but this was just not a good fit for our son. When we started looking at other options, a friend told us about Kirby Hall. We are so glad we looked into this school! Fast-forward a full school year and our son is thriving. Not only is he being challenged in the classroom, but he is enjoying learning and school. Everyday he comes home and makes some sort of comment about how awesome his teacher is or tells us about a cool thing he learned in class. This is a kid who used to come home grumpy most days while stating that he hadn't learned anything. He even takes it upon himself to do his homework without us prodding him! Not only are the academics top notch, but they kids get plenty of outside time throughout the day (this seems like a shrinking occurrence in public schools). My son's peers are bright and eager to learn. The teachers are creative and passionate about their craft. The location is as central as you can get, too!

We absolutely love Kirby Hall. It has been a great fit for our child, who transferred from a strong…read morepublic school that wasn't able to meet his needs academically. He came in passionate about math, art, and sports and in the time he's been at Kirby, he's grown to love history, Spanish, and drama. He's developed deeper skills as a writer and his passion for reading and discussing diverse books has expanded tremendously. His classmates are academically curious and creative: they have the opportunity to write, perform, and build for the stage each semester. Their grade-level performance yesterday was incredibly funny and sweet, definitely exceeded my expectations! Overall, Kirby Hall is academically rigorous and welcoming, the teachers and staff are kind, accessible, and open, and the athletics are inclusive, positive, competitive, and well-run by the excellent PE teacher. The teachers and staff know each child so well and work hard to bring out the best in each-- and they chat easily with parents in the hall after school. The education has inquiry-based components, and they take multiple field trips each semester. The academic offerings for upper grades are constantly evolving as they are building a thoughtful and unique middle school. Most faculty have advanced degrees. I can't imagine a better education. I'd recommend Kirby Hall to anyone looking for a well-rounded, rigorous, inspiring education for their child.

This is a special gem of a place. It's filled with kind, caring compassionate people who teach your…read morekids how they learn. They have a rigorous academic environment while having fun. What a special place to learn and grow.. Truly one of a kind. And the impact on my son and our family has been life changing. The kids learn manners, kindness, friendship, & teamwork on top of the academics.

I wanted to love Magnolia. We carefully chose this program because it presented itself as a place…read morethat understood autistic children and used modern, supportive, ABA-informed practices. Unfortunately, our experience did not match those expectations. During a trial day, a young autistic child became upset after a developmentally typical frustration in a new environment. Instead of observing the calm support, co-regulation, and individualized approach we expected from a program with this stated level of expertise, we experienced a response that felt escalating rather than supportive. There were also concerns with the emotional regulation of the leading staff member, and online records that reinforced concerns related to emotional regulation and safety. The biggest concern was the disconnect between the program's stated philosophy and what we observed in practice. A moment that could have been handled as an opportunity for connection, regulation, and teaching instead left us questioning whether the environment was truly equipped to support autistic children in the way it represents, or any child. Ultimately I did not feel comfortable trusting my daughter to Magnolia. I am grateful we had the opportunity to see this before the school year began, but it was disappointing to have to reconsider so close to the start of school after believing we had found the right fit. Every child deserves a program whose practices match its promises.

Well run institution with a great culture…read more Pro: - Long Term: with over 35 years in operation, they've had time to build a strong program that will last through economic downturns. - Culture: teachers, students and parents are fully bought-in to the schools values (see school site for details). - Student attention: lower than average student/teacher ratios plus a dedicated, free-standing tutoring building adjacent to the school. Con: - Playground: nice but not inline with the quality of the rest of the institution. - Admissions: it's a centrally located, high quality private school in a growing city, meaning demand is high Personal lessons from our school search: After spending 12 months searching for the 'best school', we realized the importance of finding the 'best school for our child'. Initially, I was too tied up in rankings to spend the time to understand what was important for our family and how that lined up with each program. In the end, we loved the goals at St. Francis of (1) excellence without exclusivity, (2) a meaningful commitment to diversity and (3) attention to the needs of every student. Covid-19 update: School is really stepping up to deliver for students in a difficult time. The teachers are really going above-and-beyond.

Our family loves St. Francis School (SFS, a pre-K through 8th-grade private nonprofit…read moreinterdenominational school operating for 30+ years near the ACC Highland campus in north-central Austin). After a mixed but ultimately disappointing experience in 1st - 3rd grades at a crowded, overpriced, chaotic start-up foreign language immersion school, our family needed a fresh start. Our once confident and joyful learner of a child had been reduced to an overstressed student who loathed school and struggled through hours of tedious homework each night. St. Francis provided the small, truly diverse and welcoming community environment we wanted for our child, with a balance of challenging academics, ethics reinforcement, and attention to the nurturing & development of the whole child by experienced educators who really know how to differentiate instruction to many types of learners. This approach has totally turned around our child's experience of school and his learning & achievement have skyrocketed over the past 2 years. His school grades are now more in line with his always high standardized testing results, and homework no longer comes to tears! Another parent reviewer said it well when she described the diverse and "unpretentious atmosphere" at SFS. Every imaginable demographic is represented in both the student body and faculty. People are kind and friendly and welcoming, and individual differences are celebrated. Every time I'm on campus, I just feel inspired and hopeful. Because SFS keeps class size (max of 15) and total enrollment (around 400) in check and teachers love the place so much they stay for decades, the small, cohesive "neighborhood school" feel is maintained. Huge props go to the incomparable founding head of school, Barbara Porter, who has since 1985 guided SFS on its core mission of "excellence without exclusivity." SFS backs that sentiment up by supporting 25% of the student body with scholarships and charging one of the lowest private school tuition rates in the Austin area, while consistently graduating their students into the most competitive public school magnet programs and private high schools. Another wonderfully unique feature among area private schools is the SFS Learning Center, where students with special needs can receive tutoring and additional services to support their success in school. Kids with learning differences are fully integrated into SFS classrooms and are able to thrive as part of a truly diverse school community. At the same time, a large proportion of the student body would be described as "gifted & talented," demonstrating highest performance in academics, the arts, and sports. Each Friday morning, an optional hour of "chapel" is held in which the entire student body and faculty, as well as any parents & family members who wish to attend, gather together in the gym to share an uplifting community-building and/or character-building assembly or pep rally to celebrate that month's achievements. It's not actually religious (although some religious content is shared from time-to-time; the school is named for St. Francis of Assisi, after all). The 8th-grade year culminates in a transformative Spring Break trip to Italy to visit the hometown of St. Francis (among other sites), and the kids raise all of the money for the trip themselves over the course of their years at SFS. I could say much more about all the reasons we love SFS, but if you are considering private school or are just looking for a better school for your unique learner, I encourage you to take a tour and see for yourself. Curriculum and other details are available on the school website at http://www.stfrancis-school.org.

Our family is very pleased with this gem of a school. The girls are so bright, kind, uplifting and…read moresupportive of each other no matter the grade level. This is in part due to the practiced philosophy running deep within the school of girl empowerment and the drive to encourage them to be thoughtful leaders. I can already see the benefits in my daughter through her language, actions and overall confidence. Picking her up each day with a huge smile on her face says it all. Even as a new student she has developed pride and loves telling people she goes to "The Girls School"! Thank you GSA for all you do each day to not only maintain your magic but also pushing towards the future continuing to grow as well.

Do not send your daughter there. Woefully over priced for the subpar middle school experience. And…read morethe head of school is quite possibly the worst person I've ever met in my lifetime.

My first grader transferred to BASIS Austin Primary this past January and we absolutely love it…read more BASIS has an advanced curriculum and a faster pace than most other schools. I would recommend BASIS to anyone with children that want more challenging work and have a true love of learning. At my daughters previous school, we were frustrated with the level of work that had been coming home. She's a bit advanced. She MAP tested in 90th and 95th percentiles. Our daughter was stagnating, as first grade classes were taught as a whole and the level taught was much lower than her capabilities. In speaking with her about her days, it turned out that she was spending much of her day coloring or reading, to fill in the time after she had completed her work, but the majority of the class had not. As an example, she was bringing home CVC word worksheets when she could read words like princess and bubble. She was consistently complaining of boredom. After countless requests for more challenging material for her and not feeling like they were helping her to reach her full potential, we decided to transfer her to BASIS. Ultimately, it was the absolute best decision and we just wish that we had made it sooner. Looking back, we can't believe that we ever even questioned switching her. After the first week, my daughter told me "mom, my last school was fun, but I know what was missing: the school part! I'm learning so much more at BASIS!" Don't get me wrong, BASIS won't be a great fit for every kid. It's challenging. My daughter has even failed a couple of quizzes here, but she has still maintained a 94% average last grading period. She thrives in this type of environment. To give an idea of the level of work for first grade, there's generally weekly graded spelling quizzes and literacy assessments, math assessments every 2-3 weeks, Mandarin quizzes every few weeks, various projects or presentations throughout the year and even an in class research paper (nothing too in depth, but still impressive for first grade). She has done solo presentations in front of her classmates a couple of times as well. For "Teach the Teachers" the kids pick a topic and teach it to both their teachers and classmates. This was a timed 5 minute minimum, 15 minute maximum presentation. My child loves to present. I love that she is not afraid to get up and speak to a room of 30+ people. BASIS starts them presenting early and it seems to work well, at least for my kiddo. There is almost always homework too. If your child is highly motivated to succeed and would enjoy a more challenging curriculum, BASIS is a fantastic choice. Also noteable: There is no cafeteria or regular hot lunch here, nor is there a bus service. This could always change in the future, but currently there is neither. Keep in mind, if they do add them, they will be fee based, as this is a charter. The only way bussing and/or hot lunch gets added is if the parents pay and arrange it. There is occasional pizza Fridays. These are supported through the parents volunteering. It's basically local pizza brought in and served for ~$6 per child. The school gets less funding than an ISD school. Donate, if you're able. There is a high mobility rate between 8th and 12th grade. Over 50% end up leaving. I believe ~65%, but you can google this. Some leave for the typical reasons like relocation, wanting a more "normal" highschool experience (larger graduating class, prom, sports, etc) and some leave due to the challenging curriculum becoming more intense. It's something to be aware of, as not every BASIS kid will end up graduating from BASIS. More than half don't. If and when they do leave though, they will likely be very well prepared for wherever they transfer to. This particular campus will not exist next year. All BASIS Austin Primary students will attend the Kramer campus. My daughter, along with many other children, will be transferring to the brand new BASIS Pflugerville campus. There are BASIS telegram parent groups for both the Pflugerville and Austin locations. These are great resources to set up carpooling and/or connect with other BASIS parents. Feel free to reach out with questions.

We are drowning in homework. My kid goes to "student hours" which is an after school supplement,…read moreeveryday, except for Friday and is still struggling to keep up. Homework is anywhere from 3-4 hours nightly, often times homework on the weekends. No joke. Though he really enjoys the extracurricular classes like art and engineering...this school is overworked (read indeed teacher reviews) and won't pause for anyone. Specifically my kid with adhd (who wouldn't be overwhelmed in this environment) and dyslexia. Though programs are put in place, the principal does not take it seriously and teachers don't implement policy. So the 504 plan is obsolete. With the several meetings I've had with the principal, my feelings are they see it as a weakness and don't put forth capacity, much past the minimal, legal paperwork, to help. I felt the principal, Ms. Higgins, trying to push us out, instead of working with us...which I have no respect for. Shout out to Mrs. Burke though, the special needs teacher! If only she was able to do her job. Definitely no work/life balance going on here, though it may feel like it initially with the luring "hands on" projects. This is not a think out of the box kind of school, it's a private school with a big ego on performance. They want numbers from your kid. Not enrichment. Not balanced. Maybe we could hang on for a little bit this year, but in the end, it's too much for my guy to handle and he and I are constantly stressed with deadlines and papers due. They treat 4th graders like college students. In my opinion, school at a young age should still be fun. Learning should be fun period. You stop learning when it's about the numbers...and unfortunately it comes down to that here. If your kid is destined to learn 7th grade content in 4th grade, with 3-4 hours of daily homework, after-school tutoring and learning disabilities not taken seriously, this is your jam. If you want no free time as a parent (you will be helping your kid in that 3-4 hour time frame), then I urge you to apply to this school. Mental health is very important to me and work/life balance is the key to excellence. Academics alone, are cool, but not THAT cool. Life is waiting for us on the other side. We will not be attending next year. There were some great teachers along the way, so shout out to them for helping when they could.