I never thought I'd be writing a review like this after spending thousands in donations on top of…read morenormal tuition. The school does not live up to its marketing pitch. However, most of ESK's flaws will not be readily apparent to those visiting. You'll likely assume that your kids are in a small class and teachers are working with them. But, if you read no further than here, I suggest that you consider what ESK is actually teaching (the actual core curriculum) and compare it to national, local, or other private school standards. It falls drastically short - particularly in reading, history, and science. They don't even have textbooks or teach basic phonics in the lower grades. Problems: 1) While they hang their hat on the student/teacher ratio, the additional teaching assistant more often just allows the teacher to slack off. This surprised us because, like most people, we thought that more teachers would mean more attention. However, that didn't happen. 2) Instead of the usual schoolwork, a lot of class time is spent on projects designed to continuously impress the parents. Regularly, you'll get something like a laminated book with a storyline about how mom and dad are awesome. But, at the expense of this, there's not much time for the true nuts-and-bolts of teaching your kid. Among other things, ESK skips over phonics and does not even have textbooks to send home (just copies of worksheets). Since ESK doesn't conduct tests or assign grades, parents may not notice deficiencies until it's too late. It's a "participation trophy" philosophy that is, in the end, harmful to kids' academic success. The fuzzy standards also help teachers do whatever they want in teaching. This is particularly true for one 1st grade teacher who favors studying butterflies and outdoors over reading and writing. Likewise, in Kindergarten, our child went many weeks without doing reading assignments because the teacher just didn't send anything home. In second grade, the teacher had a love for Civil Rights, politics, and Black history. Again, fine material for older kids or college, but not for 2.5 months of class time in second grade. The peculiar history lessons also created confusion since there was no clear timeline or context (as one would have with most American history textbooks). 3) Schools should be apolitical. As a middle of the road guy, I'm bothered by right or left political indoctrination of my elementary school kids. In this instance, ESK has a decidedly liberal political agenda and incorporates it into the curriculum. They also teach inappropriate content at a young age. We had enough when our 7 year old child was assigned a book entitled, Maya Angelou: Journey of the Heart by Jayne Pettit. On pages 16-18 of this book, there is a graphic description of a young Maya Angelou being molested by her mother's boyfriend. 4) If you plan on earning money to pay the $15,000 tuition, be prepared to take a lot of time off for the various activities during the school day. Very little, if anything, is scheduled for after school. 5) The new headmaster is an ineffective leader. He previously led a NC charter school ranked average by that state. Moreover, unlike the former headmaster, he lacks charisma and was unable to handle routine issues. 6) If you are a Christian, you'll be disappointed by the fact that ESK seems to shy away from embracing the religious aspects that could offend someone. During the holidays, there was always an email practically apologizing to non-Christian students for having Christmas and Easter events. Overall: There are much better options in Knoxville. ESK puts on a good front. But, it is woefully deficient in how it prepares children for later academic success.

Wow! What a great school. We have been so impressed. I love seeing pictures and videos of what goes…read moreon during the day through the parent-teacher app. Our daughter started JK4 with a basic knowledge of some sight words and what sounds letters make. Within 3 weeks of class, she was reading... and FAST! She also tells me certain arithmetic facts and wants me to quiz her. She's made great friends here, and I love that she gets to play outside often. The teacher incorporate outside activities into the lessons. I appreciate that her weekly schedule includes P.E., library, art, music, and two foreign languages. I also like that the cafeteria food is farm-to-table. Parents are encouraged to participate and visit. The students attend chapel every day, and I love when my daughter tells me what she prayed about. I have no complaints about ESK.

Jamie is wonderful! We worked together at a Montessori school in Portland for quite some time - she…read morewas an excellent guide to our students and had immense patience. Jamie also has an incredible sense for what types of learning activities would be interesting for kids in the 1-6 age group, often making materials herself, to help students learn life skills such as folding towels or opening and closing snaps, buttons, zippers, and velcro. I would trust Jamie with my child in a heartbeat, and know that she is extremely dedicated to creating a wonderful learning environment, focused on child needs, opportunities for learning, and school organization to assist in keeping parents updated and involved in their child's development.

Jamie came into our life several years ago and has been taking care of our little girl for the past…read more18 months, since she was 14 months old. Since then our girl has blossomed - learning language skills, socialization, independence, and was even potty-trained around her 2 year old birthday. I attribute this to the amazing environment Jamie has created with Norwood. Jamie is patient and kind, she treats the kiddos with respect and such great love. Both of my girls have been in Jamie's care and they both feel confident and secure with Jamie. Outside of the children's care, Jamie has created a community for the families who are attending and have attended Norwood. It is simply the most amazing, special place and I feel lucky to be a part of it with my family.

Update: I still have not received my $200 refund & when I contacted the owner & advised that she…read morehas wasted 2 weeks of my daughter not being able to be tutored plus she has tied up my funds for a service we were not provided she responded I would get my refund by Monday April 12th. I reminded her that the check I mailed her to pay for tutoring was received by her & cashed within 2 days so there's no reason it should take that long! I will update Monday as to whether I receive the refund or not. There was a total lack of care that shows this business is in it for the money & could not care less about helping a child with their study needs! The first clue was sending a tutor who was not qualified in the first place!

From the owner: Tutoring Services With tutors available in all scholastic areas for all academic levels, from…read morepreschool to college and adult including gifted and special education students, Tutor Connection satisfies any educational or life skills need. Tutoring Services - Tutor Connection - Knoxville, TN With tutors available in all scholastic areas for all academic levels, Tutor Connection satisfies any educational or life skill need. We have tutoring services available in a variety of subjects for students in preschool through college. Our services also extend to the special education, gifted and adult students. Beyond the typical school disciplines, our services include test preparation, studying, time management, organizational and public speaking skills. We also offer continuing education instruction in areas such as foreign language learning or other travel and/or business needs. We understand learning is best done in an environment where the student feels comfortable. Thus, we bring private tutoring to your child or to youin your home or office, in a local library or wherever is most suitable for you. We operate year-round with tutoring sessions available during the day, in the evening or on the weekend.