My kiddos attend this school and it's been a wonderful experience for both of them. The teachers…read moreprovide classic Montessori instruction and work with each kid to know where to push them and where to help them. Very happy with our experience here!

This small school is a gem. My wife and I toured several Montessori programs in central Phoenix…read morebefore deciding on MCH. We love the staff, the curriculum and the other families that attend. Our son started in the beginner program where we saw him grow leaps and bounds developmentally and socially. He is now in the Primary program, and everyday I'm impressed with the knowledge he brings home and how articulately he is able to express himself to adults and peers alike. All of the lead teachers are Montessori certified, but the primary classroom has 2 leads, both certified and a kitchen assistant who cooks with the children and an outdoor assistant. Compared to the other schools we visited the children have more opportunities because of this arrangement. The school is private, so there is tuition even at the higher grades. However, we noticed that because it stayed private when all the other Montessori schools we toured were charter, it seemed to stick closer to the traditional Montessori curriculum we read about in our research. Children were not tested in any standardized way, and the teachers seem more able to truly follow the child. At one of the Montessori charters we saw 5 year olds doing standardized test practice during our tour. Yikes. Another thing we love about this school is how close knit the community is. When we toured we found out that one of the teachers attended the school and all of her children have been through the program, the director's husband was a student there and all of their children attended the school, etc. There is only one of every classroom so the children all know each other. Our son loves all of his friends and speaks of school excitedly everyday. On the weekends he begs to go to school to play with his friends. We have been so pleased with MCH, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a caring, small and diverse school community.

ZERO STARS! ZERO STARS! ZERO STARS!…read more Before considering to work here and ask questions thoroughly. They put kids ON TIME OUT. That's absurd. Also, when I was applying, the director was "nice" but once I got the job her attitude changed. Very inconsiderate, very disrespectful and rude because when I was scheduled to do a "TB test" she immediately thought I did a no call no show! Then fired me. Didn't even give me a chance. I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS PLACE. (Also I tried applying again and the disrespect is through the roof!)

Our 18 month daughter has been at PPP for 5 months after being cared for at home for her fist 13…read more Months. It has given us such piece of mind having our daughter at PPP each day. The professionalism and care of the staff has been exceptional, especially during the challenging economic and covid times. Margot (the director/owner) has been a great coach to us as the parents and to our daughter as she transitioned from home care to day care, walking us through what to expect as our daughter started and adapted to preschool. By the end of the first week our daughter was cheering (YAAAAAY!) when we got to school and does a stomping dance as we walk toward the entrance. We've also learned that if we pick her up during afternoon recess, she cries because she's not ready to leave. This is a great, clean, and well-organized center that our whole family appreciates. Margot runs a tight ship and you can see how much she cares by how involved she is with every classroom and coordinating drop off and pick up. We have watched out daughter grow mentally and physically as she learns to interact with other kids, follow directions, and do arts and crafts. I'd highly recommend PPP and it was a shining light standing out in the limited daycare/preschool options in midtown and we are glad to have found it.

This 32 year old school is a phenomenon and a rarity. It's a Cooperative School - meaning it's set…read moreup for high parental involvement, family support/education, and daily opportunities to interact with the kids, parents, teachers, the owner/administrator, the on campus Speech & Occupational Therapists, and even the PE Coach! The teachers are wohighly trained, warm, & friendlyThe school has had to make adjustments for Covid, of course. My grandson was in a public developmental preschool for a speech delay. It was only 6 hours a week and I was shocked at how little parental involvement, communication, and education existed. I placed him in Creative Bridges the remaining two days a week. Long story short, I ended up placing him in Creative Bridges full time, which was a wonderful decision I learned my grandson was way behind with both his fine & gross motor skills, and had numerous other issues needing investigation. His speech and confidence absolutely blossomed at Creative Bridges. Long story short, he was just diagnosed with autism at age 4 & 1/2 years old, but is still thriving at Creative Bridges.

Let's talk about the problem at CBCP, her name is PAM. Pam has an opinion of your family and child,…read moreshe has a plan for your family and child, and when you do what parents do, and make your own decisions for your family and child, PAM is not happy. When we made a decision to try out an early morning developmental program for our son that Pam advised us not to do based on 10 year old experiences she had, we were on her black list. When the day came to pick up our children and next year registration packets, we were not given one. When confronted, she said that we had made the decision to take him to a different program and therefore she didn't give us a packet. This all came after we sat down to have a meeting with Pam to discuss that the developmental program (for our speech delayed and autistic son) would be before her school hours and only have him arrive about 10-15 minutes late. On another ocassion she told me how unfortunate it was that I was homeschooling my 4 year old since "kids do not learn from their parents". These are a few of my experiences with Pam and lest you think it was just our family, I can assure you I have yet to meet any current or former families of CBCP that have a delightful thing to say about Pam. Her ship floats on the backs of the amazing teachers who out shine the dark little rain cloud that Pam is. I am here to leave anyone considering enrollment in CBCP the favor I wish I had, DO NOT DO IT. What might you consider doing instead? Head north to Northern Ave and make a left turn toward Central, there you will find the small gem called Crossroads Preschool. Go anywhere else, really.

I attended this school about 11 years ago and since then i have been shaped into a outstanding and…read morelaw abiding citizen. I love teacher!

The school is amazing! Both of our daughters have gone through from a young age until kindergarten…read moreand both times, we were sad that they aged out. The teachers are great and we've made some lifelong friends with the staff and students. My wife and her brother also went here as kids. This is such a warm and welcoming environment and our kids got a great head start here. We are so thankful to have been able to attend.

My daughter was in Ms Katie's twos class this past year and we absolutely love her. She loves her…read morebabies so much and everyone at the school is so welcoming.

Very happy with this school. I really like that the infants are broken up by age group in 3 month…read moreintervals so the babies are only around other babies at developmentally similar levels. All of the teachers have been very professional, personable, and have showed great care for my son. The #1 thing I tell people about this place is that my son always comes home from school well rested, fed and in a good mood, and what more could you ask for from a preschool?

I am extremely disappointed in the way Khalsa Montessori School has handled my daughter's presence…read morein the classroom. Instead of working collaboratively with us as parents, she is constantly being singled out in ways that other students are not. This has made her feel excluded and different, which is heartbreaking and unacceptable in an environment that claims to support children's development. As a parent, I am actively doing the work needed to support my child and address any areas that need growth. However, it feels like there is a constant problem being created rather than solutions being offered. The lack of consistency, understanding, and inclusivity has left me frustrated and angry. No child should feel targeted or left out while others are treated differently. I expected a school that values compassion, communication, and partnership with families. Unfortunately, that has not been our experience. I sincerely hope the school reflects on how they approach and support children who may need extra understanding, because the current approach is damaging--not only to the child, but to the trust parents place in the school. My daughter is now in a school where they prioritize all of the needs, but where they focus on the academics and she is thriving which validated all of the concerns I had. Switching my child out of Khalsa was the best choice I ever made!

My name is Anand Khalsa, and I attended Khalsa Montessori School from preschool through 4th grade…read more While my experiences at Khalsa Primary School were nurturing and positive, my three years in elementary school were marked by emotional abuse and neglect from my lead teacher, Carie Modeer. I saw this behavior directed towards a number of students, including myself. My primary school teacher, Judith, created a safe and supportive environment for all students, using Maria Montessori's methods to encourage a vibrant classroom community. When I left primary school, I was a happy, upbeat kid. Judith reported that I was a "fair-minded, natural leader", who would "be an asset to any elementary classroom." Yet, as soon as I entered Carie's classroom, I was singled out for mistreatment and exclusion. Throughout most of my first grade year, I was locked in a bathroom hallway, isolated from my peers, who I later learned had been instructed to ignore me. Later on in elementary school, I was more often shamed in front of my peers than isolated. Isolation, shunning, and shaming were all weaponized as tools of punishment by Carie for anything she deemed as "bad choices", which included (as per my report cards) "gets distracted easily", "has trouble staying organized", "frequently daydreams" or "asks too many questions of adults". I must thank my teacher for, at the very least, accurately recording my early struggles with executive functioning, as her reports were instrumental in getting a diagnosis of ADHD-PI later in life and receiving treatment. Yet unfortunately, in the classroom, Carie treated my neurodevelopmental struggles as serious moral failings warranting punishment, and repeatedly told me I was making "bad choices" and therefore couldn't remain in the classroom environment with my peers. I remember being emotionally crushed by my isolation. My pleas for help with my struggles, and my insistence that I was doing my best, were met with either silence or quiet derision. Maria Montessori strongly discouraged the use of isolation or shunning as a punishment in schools, saying "it behooves us to think of what may happen to the spirit of the child who is condemned to grow in conditions so artificial that his very bones may become deformed." If this is the case, why were these techniques being used at an ostensibly Montessori School? The answer lies in the school's foundations. Yogi Bhajan, as he was known, was a cult leader who taught his own version of Sikhism he called Sikh Dharma or 3HO. The Khalsa School was founded by followers of Bhajan, who has since been disgraced as a serial abuser of women and children, as confirmed by an independent report by The Olive Branch. Bhajan's followers were encouraged to send their children to Indian boarding schools. These schools were run in an intensely disciplinarian, and often highly abusive manner, with children subjected to everything from malnourishment to confinement. While the scale of abuse differs in magnitude, the parallels to the Khalsa School are difficult to ignore. Across these very different educational settings, the underlying educational principles that Bhajan commanded his followers adhere to remain eerily similar. Rather than following the Montessori Method in good faith, the school cynically deploys "Montessori" language and aesthetics in order to conceal their underlying teaching philosophy, which is much closer to that of a strict Christian day school, with some features of an early college preparatory academy. In fact, Khalsa School's principles run in direct opposition to many of Maria Montessori's teachings, which include: accommodating each individual child's unique needs, interests and pace of development, creating a vibrant classroom environment that encourages frequent interaction and collaboration between students, and strongly discourages the use of punishments and rewards, particularly social isolation. Instead, Khalsa School's core principles, include: enforcing strict disciplinarianism with little tolerance for individuality or difference, creating a cold, sterile environment where children are told to sit still and shut their mouths, and creating a culture that encourages faculty and students to shun and bully any children who are different and don't fit in to the "Khalsa mold". These unspoken tenants are all, directly or indirectly, influenced by the teachings of Bhajan. A former assistant teacher who was present during my time in Carie's classroom called it a "prison of silence". That phrase sums up my experience quite well. For those three years, I felt like I was suffocating, drowning, with no escape in sight. I wish I could go back in time and warn my parents to not send me to Khalsa. Instead, it has taken me nearly 20 years of my life to unravel this very traumatic period of my childhood. Now, I hope sharing my story can help others to avoid what I went through.

This is my daughters second year at Little big Minds. I could not be happier with the school,…read moreteacher and the director. My daughter was extremely shy, going into school, so we were nervous about her making friends. She has made so many great friends and her teachers have helped her navigate. In addition to all of the social benefits of school, she has the added benefit of learning Spanish here. She really is picking it up so well and it's awesome to see. Little big minds is a great community, and it seems like all of the teachers know who she is. It really is a great school and that is coming from someone who used to teach!

We ended up choosing this as a back up to our first choice preschool for our daughter, after…read morerealizing we would probably be on the wait list for a year or so and we didn't want to wait. A friend's son had gone to Encanto location and she had always raved about it so we checked it out among others when searching for our second choice option. This ended up working out perfectly because with the new location, that actually was right by our house, we were guaranteed to be able to get a spot, unlike the other locations (and most of the top choice preschools) which had wait lists. We are so glad our first choice wasn't available so we were able to find and look into LBM uptown, it has been nothing short of incredible for both our daughter and myself. The teachers and director, Heyli, are truly amazing, as is the owner, Pilar. They really care about the kids and it is very obvious. Even the teachers from the other classrooms know me daughter and are friendly to me as well. You get a true sense of community from them and the other parents, on spring break some of the parents and kids met up twice to get the kids together and hang out, it's already that type of community. Adding to all this the language factor and we just couldn't be happier. Our daughter is thriving and we are definitely going to stay until she ages out. If you are considering LBM, just do it! :)

My child just aged out of a few years at MCS. I see our family entered the school just after the…read moretransition to the current operator, Ms Li. I have nothing but positive things to say about her and the staff at MCS. She took over the operation just as we hit Covid and the work they've put in to keep things running -- and then make capital improvements and prioritize grounds care on top of it -- I see the love they put into their place. As far as the schooling goes, I'm happy. Really enjoyed the small size, multi age classrooms, and their commitment to the Montessori Method. "I've got friends..." who tried Montessori schools elsewhere with poor results -- but none of their schools sounded like MCS at all. For my two cents, the environment MCS cultivates daily is safe, considerate, honest, and supportive. I'm on my only child so preschool research wasn't a major priority for me. But now, having seen my child grow through MCS and the instruction Ms Li provides-- both to students and staff -- I would recommend any parent consider this school. It's the real deal. I've been so impressed. And because I'm clearly a MCS fan, I'd like to add my own thoughts regarding the ownership transition. I didn't experience the old owner everyone loved. I did experience some parents choosing to leave the school, in part, because of the results of the change. I liked the school enough to stay here as long as i could. My thoughts today: (1) everyone seemed to like the decisions of the old owner; (2) he sold it to the owner; (3) today the new owner seems to have it under control and is putting her mark on it -- sounds like the old owner made another good decision. Since we started at MCS, I've seen a consistent child-first atmosphere from the staff that does not compromise on the child's experience. They've not kept around staff that did not fit. They have invested In the building and landscaping. And they even have a little monthly newsletter now. It's an awesome little school and you deal right with the operators. I love it. Plus Ms Li is really on it about the Montessori Method and she walks the talks. She's a real professional.

I highly do not recommend Montessori Center School under the new ownership of Ms. Li and her…read morehusband, John. Positive reviews are from years ago before Ms. Li and her husband John bought the school. If you notice all parents sharing having a similar experiences. And please read Ms. Li's responses, pointing the finger back at the parents. The gaslighting and lack of accountability by Ms. Li and her husband are not acceptable. There's a reason they always have openings. We had ongoing issues, and every time my wife or I tried to bring something up, it felt like we were met with defensiveness instead of a real conversation. We often left those discussions feeling dismissed and blamed rather than heard. There was no genuine engagement with parents. We were asked what we could contribute to the "community," but we never experienced any real sense of one. Communication felt controlled and one-sided. After we set boundaries around comments we felt were inappropriate, our child was removed from the program without notice. As far as we know, our child had done nothing wrong. It was abrupt, upsetting, and incredibly disruptive for our family. This was not the supportive, respectful Montessori environment we were expecting.

My son has been attending WhizKidz for 2 years and we have come to love this daycare. It's small…read moreand quaint located blocks from our home in the Midtown neighborhood. The teachers treat my son with so much love and support. Regularly my son comes home with new knowledge of Spanish, shapes, and so much more! The daycare provides daily updates via an app of my son throughout his day and it's very assuring he's in great hands. The staff have always been sweet, professional and attentive. #whywelovewk

My daughters dad and I were looking for a new daycare as my daughters old one stopped doing part…read moretime hours. When I toured this place it felt organized and structured yet still very cozy and familial. My daughter has been going here almost two months now and she loves it. I love that they rarely if ever have screen time, they play outside a lot, the teachers communicate important things to us parents, we get little updates during the day, and like I said it's a very familial vibe. They had a fall festival a couple weeks back that was very fun. The price also is extremely reasonable for all they offer. We are SO pleased with this daycare.

this place is MAGICAL. I'm so so so glad we found Stepping Stones! The teachers are full of…read morecompassion and empathy, and provide a beautiful example for my daughter to follow. Mrs. Harpt, Mrs. Jenny, Mrs. Jessie, Mrs. Dunham, Mrs. Page, Mrs. Spade --- these are the teachers my daughter has had direct interaction with, and seriously they are WONDERFUL. I love their approach to resolving conflicts - talk it out, instead of time-outs or punishments. SUPER SMART! Mrs Harpt even has conflict resolution cards that offer different options for the kiddo to take, if s/he feels wronged. It's THE BEST. I love their focus on kindness and respect. When we aided the other day, the ratio was 5 grown-ups to 8 kids. I mean it doesn't get better than that. I also LOVE that the school offers parent aide (volunteer) opportunities that reduce tuition! So, I know all the kids at the school! Which sets my mama heart at ease knowing that my daughter interacts with all sorts of personalities. That way, she and I can discuss her interactions with friends at home, and she can directly transfer what we talk about. I have found myself in an unusual situation with my husband becoming ill, and the directors (Joanne & Julie) and the office staff (Matt & others) have been so very kind --- I forgot my daughters shoes once, and no problem. I had an issue with some aggressive in-laws, and the staff took it very seriously ensuring that no one NOT on the pickup list would ever grab my daughter. Additionally, they have allowed my husband to tag along with me when I aide, which provides him a sense of belonging, even though he lacks capacity to completely fulfill his role in a typical way. The staff and directors are tremendously empathetic, kind, non-reactive, respectful, and truly lovely to interact with. When I can donate or volunteer, I feel HONORED to do so! Whereas in other areas of my life, it can feel like a burden or resentment.... not SSP - It's a really magical place that fills my heart. I have found a family in SSP! (which says a lot since we moved away from family & friends 3 years ago!)

Our family has been so happy with stepping stones preschool. We really needed the consistency of…read moreour kiddo going to full time pre-k but I love how I can help out in the classroom when I want to. I have loved seeing how he interacts with his classmates and it's so fun getting to share some of his school experiences with him and his friends. It's such a fun community feel at the school and I love how they have so many events for the families throughout the school year. All the teachers are amazing and you can tell they really care about your child and provide such individualized support for each student. My kiddo had never been in any type of preschool or extracurricular classes before he started here last year and I was really worried how'd he'd adjust but they did such a good job giving him all the tools to excel and love learning.