We have attended DCS for almost two years now and have had nothing but a positive experience. The teachers and staff have always been happy and helpful. They've provided the best experience for my child and myself in a homeschooling environment. read more

A ton of staff turn over, teachers that are still there are noticeably burnt out with their behavior and appearance, extremely unprofessional, they are rude, and they will absolutely treat you and your family different if you disagree with them in any way.. stay clear. If you're not in with the right people, they will absolutely treat you less than. read more

This is our second year at Dimensions and we have established a good rapport with our EF. I'm actually grateful we found this place because I struggled for years to get my son assessed at traditional public schools for an IEP. He is now in fourth grade. Thankfully, they got started on that right away and were able to make accommodations at the learning centers that they provide. Because of the meetings and constant communication with his educators and therapists, I have been able to adjust into a learning style that works for him. If you are a parent trying to homeschool and you need guidance, this is basically homeschooling on training wheels. It can be hybrid or full homeschooling. Your choice. It does not have the structure of the traditional schools because it's more of a free learning and free thinking school. Perfect for creativity and different learning styles. It was a learning curve for me because I was very new to homeschooling. Maybe they had a rough start considering some of the reviews. But honestly, maybe they made improvements or changes which does happen, but it hasn't personally affected us in a negative way. I looked into the school extensively before enrolling and I did have my fingers crossed when I started. To my surprise, it has been pleasant. They host lots of fun field trips and park meet ups and class sizes are small if you choose the hybrid model. read more

Dimensions Collaborative - Elementary Schools Near Me - Escondido, California

Unless your kid works perfectly with no structure, this school isn't for your student. 2nd, the staff and teachers are constantly changing because they always fire everyone. Lastly, this school doesn't even have near the resources of a traditional school. It also cannot provide the same kinds of opportunities to build social skills and college success skills like that of a traditional school. What I liked was the flexibility with scheduling and my kids being able to work semi independently, but the academics, resources, sports, activities, etc., cannot compete with a traditional school, and it bothers me how they treat their staff more than anything. read more

My son has been attending this school for 3 years now and it has been a great experience! He started out kindergarten with a lot of anxiety and the staff was so great and patient with his needs. Now in second grade he has so much more confidence and thrives in his onsite classes. If you enjoy the flexibility of hybrid homeschool then I highly recommend Dimensions! It is the perfect mixture of gaining skills of independent study at home with the flexibility of socializing at the learning centers. read more

Dimensions is a fantastic school for our area! They truly do put a ton of effort into making sure that every student knows that they are cared for and taught well. They tailor solutions to all students! I highly recommend Dimensions. read more

We attend the Newport Beach Student Center and absolutely LOVE every minute of it! For those not familiar with Dehesa's format, they offer classes 2 days a week (tues/thurs from 8:30 - 2:00). They teach science and history each day and offer different electives on Tues/Thurs. Then you homeschool math and reading M/W/F. Mrs. Bar (principal) at the Newport Beach center (I think they call it ACE) is beyond amazing, giving so much to the students and families. She has built an amazing community there with many opportunities to connect with other families. She knows all the students by name, makes herself available to help struggling students and is the sweetest, most friendly principal we could ever dream up. The teachers at the Newport Beach location are credentialed and very experienced. They engage students in active learning with many hands on activities, multi media presentations, songs, poems, games - I'm amazed how much my kids learn and the projects they bring home! They also have 2 huge whole school festivals, a talent show, park days, field trips, spelling bees, parent classes, parent book clubs, curriculum review days - wow - it's been amazing! Their facility is beautiful, very secure with a locked gate you have to "beep" to go through and a full time security guard. We have been with 4 other homeschool options and charter schools and have found Dehesa to be the best option! It is a perfect blend between homeschool and public school. I do have to agree that the registrar, Kim Faust, is extremely curt and could be a lot more helpful. I'm afraid she scares some families away before they really get a chance to experience the Dehesa family. But for the Newport Beach student center and it's staff - 5 stars does not even begin to express how wonderful and amazing they are!! read more

I can't see why this place received a bad star. I came here in person to register my son into their home study program and I don't have a single negative thing to say. Pam the receptionist is always friendly and responsive Emily can get a little busy but she is willing to help when she can or at least get back to you. All I can speak on is the homeschool program and so far it's absolutely amazing. We are both so happy and I'm very proud my son is learning every single day sometimes even on the weekends and it's thanks to Dehesa that I don't need to put him into public school. So thank you ! read more

Low, low expectations. It was simply a waste of a semester. My daughter learned very little there. I couldn't get over how unfriendly and at times, rude, the staff is. The registrar is extremely curt and unhelpful. I went to pick up my daughter's books (as I was told to do). The two women who work at the book area/library stood there chatting away while I waited at the counter for at least five minutes. The main person finally sauntered over, looking annoyed. I asked for the books and she said with an attitude, "Your DAUGHTER needs to do that, not you." I said, "Well, I was told to pick them up for her." She refused to give them to me. I finally had to get the principal involved in order to get the flippin books. They expect you to do just ONE piece of work each day to show the state. It's a great place if you want your kid to just hang out at home and loaf. Mrs. Drown is a good teacher, I will say that. The math is such a joke. They use one teacher for geometry and algebra. Half the time, the geometry kids graded papers while the algebra kids received instruction. I pulled my kid out of there and thank goodness. read more

We have been with Dehesa for nearly 10 years. While I do not believe that there is any perfect school, Dehesa has worked great for us so far. Our children are thriving socially, academically and personally. It is important to know that Dehesa Charter School serves not as a traditional school but as a support for parents who have chosen to school their children at home. The school supports families with materials, information, encouragement, and whatever else is needed in order to have a successful educational experience. If you are a parent who enjoys learning alongside your child(ren) while keeping the learning on track, the support offered by Dehesa may be the fit you are seeking. Our experience has been largely defined by our phenomenal EF (educational facilitator: the credentialed teacher assigned to each student) who has been the greatest resource available to us in the areas of educational requirements and options, future planning (college or career) as well as social and community service opportunities. Our EF has truly gone above and beyond to create a family atmosphere among students and families. She has also been consistently accessible and ready to meet any need we have brought to her. Our EF has truly become a cherished part of the family and one of our students' greatest cheerleaders, attending recitals, performances, sporting events and other activities officially outside of the core educational requirements. While our experience might be unique, it is our impression that most of the facilitators are similarly extraordinary. Choosing to home school can be very personal and is not the best choice for everyone. It requires genuine and persistent parental and student commitment. This would mean that Dehesa would NOT be a good choice for a student looking for daily classroom instruction and spoon-fed facts. Dehesa also would NOT be a good place for a student whose parent/s is/are not interested in being the primary instructor. There are plenty of excellent traditional schools that take care of that population. Dehesa Charter is great for students and parents who want to have their preferences, skills and needs at the heart of their curriculum design rather than being handed a cookie cutter set of courses. Student success at Dehesa will require parental resolve as well as student motivation, which may occur intrinsically, or may emerge with the combined inspirational encouragement and wise guidance of parent and EF. Dehesa also serves a need for families with limited resources to access somewhat elite opportunities for their students such as those we have enjoyed: gymnastics, martial arts, music (instrument and voice), animal husbandry, swimming, theatre as well as science camp at Catalina (to name a few). We have also enjoyed as many as we have been able of the ever growing variety of field trips made available across the curriculum and have found them to be a valuable enrichment of our overall educational experience. Additional support is also available at regional Learning Centers that offer on-site classes twice a week. Enrollment in these courses is not a mandated part of the curriculum, but is available to further support student needs for enrichment and college preparatory/core academic requirements, if chosen. Learning Center classes do not act as a replacement for the efforts of the parents in steering students to reach their potential and beyond the minimum requirements on their 'to-do' lists for graduation. Fast forwarding from our early days with Dehesa, we have successfully graduated our oldest child. This child, who never attended traditional school and is now in college, has an appreciation for the education and preparation received under Dehesa's model, having succeeded in college-prep coursework and admissions test scores while maintaining a love for learning. In the process of applying to colleges, in addition to the wisdom of our EF, the assistance from the Dehesa high school counsellor and the registrar was always truly helpful, efficient and congenial. Requests for multiple transcripts (ordered from the registrar) were promptly handled and correspondence (typically by e-mail) was naturally friendly. I read the currently posted negative review of Dehesa and I can appreciate that there is no room for rudeness. But gratefully, our experience with staff members, including the registrar, has been consistently pleasant and professional. Varied opinions of Dehesa may also reflect differences in how one understands and utilizes this type of a school. For us, Dehesa has been the right fit. read more

Classes are unstructured, confusing , and lack leadership and accountability. Students are constantly subjected to inappropriate religious comments from staff. Our Dehesa Charter School Learning Center is operating out of a church. Really? There is no staff supervision of students. Parents are pressured into volunteering their time to watch over all the children at lunch time with no training, direction or authority. Paperwork is a constant confusing burden. They are in the habit of making changes without notifying parents and/or students. Parents have been pressured to lie about students attendance records. Curriculum always took a month to get to us - so we were always behind schedule. Class credits were missing from graduation summaries. Bullies were allowed to bully without any repercussions. If your child has behavioral issues that prevent them from attending a standard public school then Dehesa Charter School may be for you. They have no school nurse and they are ill equipped to handle any kind of emergency like a school lock down or earthquake. My children and their friends never felt safe at Dehesa. If you voice any complaints they condescendingly remind you that you have other school choices. It takes weeks to get a response from anyone about anything. When they finally do respond it is passive-aggressive and belittling. IEPs are extremely difficult and frustrating to enforce. Many families left our learning center last year and many more are planning to leave soon. What a shame. read more

Dehesa Charter should be investigated. Follow the money, which they have plenty of. They intentionally inhibit parents from observing classes, communicating with each other, or with staff. They will force you out if you ask questions. We had problems with teachers using religious curriculum. Administration said they would do something, didn't, and then waited for an excuse to kick my child out of the center. They closed the school early, didn't notify parents directly, and when I left a message to speak to an administrator, the Executive Director emailed me and said she was removing my child from classes. Long story short, they said they had a problem with me personally. Really. Point blank. Why? Because I asked questions maybe? If the school doesn't want parents to ask questions, they are hiding something. This school DOES NOT WANT to help give your kids an education, they just want THE MONEY!!! This charter should be investigated and hopefully closed so that it stops sponging our tax dollars away from deserving public schools. If you haven't had a problem with Dehesa, you should still SAY SOMETHING. Make the school better. "If I stand, and then you stand, the rest will follow." read more