It was okay, for the most part. I was a student here not too long ago, and overall had a fairly…read moreokay experience here for some of my middle school years. While some teachers and staff were nice or at least professional, some completely disregarded the students feelings. At the time I was going through a rough time and would often have issues with getting into trouble for 'skipping class' when I was crying in the bathrooms. When someone came into the bathrooms to get me, the office workers would tell I couldn't leave class or just not go, regardless of what was happening, unless it was some sort of 'real' emergency like medical. This part I'm not proud of. I got suspended multiple times for coming to school high, and there were a few times I had to leave because of hurting myself and getting caught with a blade to do so. Eventually of course I was told to leave, and while I know I could've prevented this, I also know I turned to these bad coping mechanisms because nobody was listening and trying to help me. When I was kicked out from the school the principal, Mr. Taylor, yelled at me and cussed, saying I was 'past the point of helping' and that I was hopeless. While I did do some things that I shouldn't have, students should be talked to properly and not yelled at for things they can't help like mental health issues. Many of my other friends experienced similar issues.

My 1st kid loved it all the way from K until she graduated 8th and moved to a high school. Now I…read morehave 2 other kids going here. I remind them they have choices and can go to any school yet they insist on staying at museum until they graduate. We have seen many staff changes over the years but the core values seem to carry on. Its a small tight-knit school with around 25 kids per grade. Miss Jaleh TK and Miss Diana K are the perfect teachers to kickoff your kids learning journey. The drive thru lane for drop offs and picks ups is top.

My son has been attending here for almost a year and we are very happy here. He has learned so much…read morein his short time there. His confidence and independence is skyrocketing too! The teachers and staff have been very accommodating to us as parents as well. We feel very supported here and glad this school is part of our tribe.

This school was such a wonderful place for my daughters to start their education. Both of my…read moredaughters attended and came away with a genuine love of learning. The teachers are incredibly attentive, taking the time to understand and connect with each child and make learning engaging through hands-on experiences. There's also a special sense of community here that's hard to find. It feels like a close-knit family--teachers and administrators know every student and parent, which creates such a supportive and welcoming environment. I'm so grateful for the impact this school and its teachers had on my daughters and would highly recommend it.

If you're looking for a quality school environment for your child-- my recommendation is to look…read moreelsewhere. Our experience with a kindergartener. --The school experienced much upheaval last year when the beloved Principal of over a decade, was fired, no explanation given. She was just "gone". -- the school makes it very difficult to have informal conversation with a teacher. Parents are not allowed inside the gates, so they rarely have the opportunity to have a casual "check in". This makes for a very impersonal relationship and lacks fluidity between school and home. -- If you're interested in the 50/50 German immersion, last year the SDUSD approved a change in the charter, which alters how German will be taught, and how often. The German teachers are the best-- they hold that school together, but who knows now that changes to the school charter have been made, exactly how much input they will have -- the uniform code is ridiculous, and enforced sporadically. Our kinder wore the wrong colored skirt on the second day of school and she was sent to the office to change . A simple note home would have been far more preferable than to frighten and humiliate a five year old in a new school -- this is a minor point, but one to consider. If you're picking your child up in the afternoon, plan to be in the pickup line for 20-30 mins, occasionally longer. Their drop off/pick up system is highly inefficient. --Our child was hit with a basketball, not once, but twice in the head by accident, by an older child. No msg from the teacher, school nurse, nothing the first time. The second time the hit was hard enough to cause a nosebleed, and she was sent to the office, but still no note from the teacher. --The instruction was "all over the map". Homework packets were sent home, rarely was it ever checked, some lessons were turned in that required the child to explain their homework to the class, but the teacher never acknowledged their work. This certainly sends the wrong message. Parents of kinders were told that homework was "optional". Also, at the beginning of the year, at orientation our child's kinder teacher announced that she would be attending every soccer tournament, ballet or piano recital-- to our knowledge she never attended a single one. There is massive building expansion going on at the school. With quality already at an abysmal level, adding more children does not seem to be a good direction for the school to go. --This is not to disparage all of the teachers at AEA, but our child's kinder experience fell far short of expectations. She is now in a different school and has already participated in several back to school events that have brought exuberance towards school, and helped ease the transition of being in a new school environment. I would definitely not recommend AEA, San Diego.

I applied for the lottery believing this was the best possible school my daughter could go to. I…read morehad previous connections to some staff and the best principle I've ever met, Greta Bouterse. I absolutely love Frau Claudia & Holt, and despite my multiple requests being denied for my daughter to be in the latter's class, after jumping through all of the other hoops, we put her in the school anyway. Sadly, just after the cutoff date for applications to other charter schools closed, Superintendent David Sciaretta and the Board deviated from their charter, firing Principal Bouterse under suspect circumstances, truly undermining the foundation of the school and damaging relationships with parents, faculty and staff. This single blow has been truly devastating to our community, and has shattered our confidence in Sciaretta and the Board, who seem corrupt, power-hungry and lack transparency and integrity. We have yet to receive a reason for this firing, after 23 years of excellent service by Greta, 12 as Principal. Furthermore, despite parents and faculty showing up en-masse to meetings, airing grievances and raising objections, with hundreds more emailing in, requesting that Superintendent Sciaretta and the Board hold true to their charter and divulge information, all requests unheard or denied. On site, there is consistent physical assault, bullying, teasing, and unhealthy, unsafe, and unnecessary negative interactions that are not being resolved in quality manners. Office staff deny requests for restorative justice, there is no on-site nurse, and many of the teachers lack quality pay or resources to support their needs. Many of whom are paying out of pocket for supplies, with parents also donating to make up the difference. All this while Sciaretta has spent over 300,000$ on advertising and has a ridiculously large salary as well. The administration of Sciaretta and the Board is appalling, injust, disheartening, and disappointing. Many efforts are being made to protest, demand transparency and a return to the schools charter. I will be enrolling my child in a different school next year. It is pathetic and unconscionable to see the downfall of this school, once a heralded, prestigious institution of our community. Do NOT SUPPORT this corrupt administration, demand justice be served!

I could not imagine a better place to send my children. We've had such a positive experience at…read morethe Waldorf School of San Diego. The teachers genuinely know our child, and it's clear that child development is at the heart of everything they do. The balance of academics, art, movement, and meaningful relationships has been such a gift. One thing I really appreciate is that the school understands Waldorf education as something living. Steiner's ideas were never meant to be frozen in time--they were meant to keep evolving as our understanding of children grows. I see that here. The school stays grounded in the core principles while continuing to grow and meet the needs of today's children. We're so grateful to be part of this community.

This school lost its principal core Rudolf Steiner teachings...it should be called a Waldorf…read moreinspired school. My child was bullied in kindergarten, then in first grade and finally in second grade he was bullied by an uncertified teacher. The school doesn't try to remedy the bully issue. Go to Sanderling if you can...a true Waldorf school with qualified teachers. We are at Sanderling now, a wonderful and caring community.

I love this school my daughter went here for kinder and first and she loved it. She misses this…read moreschool so much and still till this day says she wants to go back. If we didn't have to move she would still be going here. The only thing that I didn't like was how small the school is and the parking but besides that it's wonderful elementary school. The teachers are really involved in the care of each and all their students. I also love that they had an afterschool program and a huge fair every year. We are planning on moving back closer just for this school and fair. My daughter loved her teacher "Mrs. Repaire" in the year of 2024 kindergarten English class. Thank God we never met the former teacher which we heard in 2023 was a nightmare, "Mr. Kruel" his name says it all and we heard he got fired also for being mean to the the kindergartners.

Our family had a deeply troubling experience at John Adams Elementary School during the 2023-2024…read moreschool year, specifically with my son's kindergarten teacher, Mr. Kuehl. From the very first weeks of school in August and September 2023, my son began expressing distress about his classroom environment. He often told me that his teacher yelled at him and his classmates. I tried speaking with Mr. Kuehl on many occasions, but he was often irritable and dismissive. I once arranged to quietly observe my son's class; the teacher appeared visibly upset that I was present, stating that my presence "messes up the classroom dynamic." The principal, Ms. Decy Piña, later insisted that I volunteer at lunchtime instead, rather than in the classroom. My son also reported telling Mr. Kuehl about another student hitting him, only to be told, "I don't care." The most upsetting incident occurred when my son came home crying, saying that Mr. Kuehl grabbed his lunch pail from his desk, threw it on the floor, and then yelled at him to pick it up. He described feeling both sad and scared. I contacted the principal immediately after this incident, and my son was excused from multiple days of school until a meeting could be arranged with both the teacher and the principal. At that meeting, Mr. Kuehl denied all the allegations. The environment was tense, and I found his demeanor to be defensive and hostile, further reinforcing my concerns about his ability to regulate his emotions around young children. Principal Piña sat through the meeting emotionless. This was my son's first year of kindergarten -- it should have been a positive learning experience, but instead, it was a nightmare. Not only were we navigating our first year of school, but I was also seven months pregnant, dealing with the stress the school brought on. We ultimately decided to transfer my son to another school because Mr. Kuehl was the only English teacher. If we stayed, he would have been placed back in his classroom or moved into a dual-language class, which was not the right fit for him. A few parents privately expressed concerns about this teacher to me, sharing that they knew of students who had been moved out of his class. After we left, another parent reached out to tell me that her son, still in that classroom, was experiencing the same, if not worse, treatment. I never received an apology. I contacted the district, but they simply forwarded my complaint back to Ms. Piña, who never followed up with me. Based on our experience, I cannot recommend this school without significant changes to staff training, communication, and accountability. Young children deserve a safe, respectful, and nurturing environment, unfortunately, that was not what we experienced here.

We are very happy with the experience we've had during our daughter Elena's first year at the…read moreschool. Her growth has been remarkable in every way -- academically, emotionally, and socially. From the very beginning, we felt welcomed and part of a true community, which made all the difference for us as a family. Principal Dena Stoneman is always attentive, approachable, and thoughtful in every detail. Secretary Sara Sinclair is a kind and loving person, always willing to help with warmth and efficiency. We are also deeply grateful to Elena's teachers -- Ms. Chu, Ms. Delgado, and Ms. Andy -- for the care, dedication, and love they've shown throughout her learning journey this year. We fully trust the school and are excited to continue this journey with you all in the upcoming school year!

It has taken me months of reflection to write this review because our experience with MMS was…read moredeeply confusing and upsetting. Our 3-year-old daughter started at MMS in January 2024. We really loved her primary teachers, and initially, she seemed to be doing well. There were a few incidents of misbehavior (hitting, biting, not listening--maybe three times?) but overall, it was a positive experience. She made friends, spoke happily about school and her teachers, and seemed engaged. From the beginning, I found Dena to be condescending and sanctimonious, but I tried to overlook it. After summer camp, she returned to the same class with many of the same students. But from the start of the new school year, we began receiving frequent calls and incident reports about her behavior--hitting, biting, disrupting nap time, etc. Over the next few months, things unraveled. Our daughter no longer wanted to go to school. She became hysterical every morning at drop-off. We received daily incident reports and multiple phone calls from the school. At home and in other settings, playdates, gymnastics, family events, her behavior was very different. She wasn't perfect, but she was typical for a 3-4-year-old. It began to feel like the school had completely lost control of the situation. She was regularly sent to the office for "breaks" or timeouts, but she would just sit and color, so it didn't feel like a consequence to her. The school called us to pick her up early several times, saying they couldn't manage her and that she was essentially a danger to others. She also began saying things like "I'm bad" and "I'm mean," which was a major red flag. We took her to the pediatrician, an occupational therapist, and had her evaluated for ADHD and other potential concerns. Everything came back within the range of typical development. We had multiple meetings with the school. Dena assured us they were trying everything, but their actions didn't reflect that. Eventually, they asked if we could switch her to half days. Although it was a major challenge for our full-time working household, we agreed, hoping it would help. It didn't. The daily calls continued, and we were still asked to pick her up early. They assigned an aide to shadow her, but the behavior didn't improve. Our daughter started coming home saying no one wanted to play with her, that she had no friends, and that she was bad. Our OT was confused--if she had a one-on-one aide, how was she still getting into so many incidents? We tried sticker charts, calming strategies, every tool recommended by professionals. And yes, our daughter is emotional and sometimes struggles to keep her hands to herself, but again, not in a way that felt outside the norm for her age. We received two to three detailed incident reports each day. It often seemed like the school was spending more energy documenting her behavior than actually helping her. Over time, it became clear we weren't welcome. Dena and some of the teachers began giving us cold looks. Dena even told us that other parents didn't want their kids playing with ours. The whole environment felt hostile and out of control. After another unproductive meeting with Dena, we were told our options were to find a new school or pay for a full-time aide, on top of tuition. We enrolled her in a new school the following week, and the difference has been incredible. One of the strangest parts came when we decided to withdraw our daughter. Dena asked if we would bring her by for "closure." I declined, as I didn't feel that would be appropriate. I went to pick up her belongings, and while the students and teachers had made her a goodbye card, which seemed sweet at first, the messages inside were deeply unsettling. Things like "We know there's good in you" made it sound like she was evil or broken. Again, she was THREE. And she really is a sweet, loving kid (who gives the best hugs). At her new school, she has many friends, and in 7 months, she's had one behavioral incident. We still recognize that she is an emotional and spirited child, but she is thriving in a supportive environment. I only wish we had made the switch sooner. Looking back, it's shocking to realize that for the entire second half of the school year at MMS, we didn't hear a single positive thing about our daughter. I feel heartbroken thinking about the constant negative feedback loop she was caught in. no wonder she thought she was "bad." I'm not saying MMS is a terrible school for everyone. Clearly, some families have had positive experiences. But it seems that if your child doesn't fit a certain mold, they are unwilling or unequipped to support them. I still struggle to understand how things got so bad, especially considering the immediate change we saw when we moved her. Even at home, she was noticeably happier. she now runs into school every morning and i have so much peace of mind.

There are not enough good words to say about this school. Children's Growing Center is an amazing…read moreplace to send your kid for their 0-4 years. My daughter went there for the past three years, and the experience was great. Every class was fun, engaging, exploratory, and my child looked forward to going every day. The school was good with communication, they have cute performances for families throughout the year, and you can tell all the teachers are genuinely invested in the kids. What amazed me the most is that every single teacher at that school knew my kid's name. Every single one. It feels like such a safe and loving community. The director has been there for close to 30 years, and she's great. Straightforward, no nonsense, and kind, and loving to the kids. They spend a lot of time outdoors and have a very play-focused curriculum. The families are warm and friendly. We were genuinely sad to go. I picked this preschool in part because of the excellent reviews, and I wanted to contribute to that. These reviews are spot on--the school is as good as the reviews say it is. 10/10 preschool, absolutely recommend.

My daughter spent about two years at this school and went through three classrooms. The great thing…read moreabout schools like this is that children will move up to a new classroom about every 9 months and the curriculum targets the age group. All the teachers were very caring and the teacher the student ratio was good. They had a lot of volunteer opportunities and there were a few of parent led events each year so I thought that was really neat. This school would have been more fun if it weren't for COVID. During normal times, they had school performances in the spring and early December that they rehearse for. We moved to Santee and since I work from home, going to this school became a hardship. We were sad to leave but my daughter will always have great memories of this place.

I would like to begin by sharing what a truly pleasant experience Montessori Explorer has been from…read morethe very first visit. From the moment you walk in and are welcomed with a tour, you immediately feel the warmth and care that defines this school. Ms. Jennifer does an exceptional job creating a welcoming environment not only for families, but also for the staff. She is always kind, attentive, and genuinely invested in everyone who walks through the doors. What stands out most is their openness to feedback. Ms. Jennifer and the team consistently invite parents to share their thoughts and truly take that feedback into consideration. This reflects their genuine commitment to growth and excellence. It's rare to find a school so dedicated to continuous improvement although, honestly, it's hard to identify anything they need to improve, as they already go above and beyond in every aspect. In addition to their outstanding program, Montessori Explorer now offers parent workshops and classes that have been incredibly valuable. These have supported not only our family, but many others as well. Within my circle of fellow parents, we often find ourselves talking about how wonderful this school is and how much it has positively impacted our children and families. If you are looking for a place where your child will feel safe, supported, and inspired to learn, I highly recommend visiting Montessori Explorer. It is a place where children truly enjoy being and where they are nurtured to grow academically, socially, and emotionally. I share this not only as a parent, but also as an educator. Montessori Explorer has been an exceptional experience for my child, and I am incredibly grateful to be part of this community.

Overall, our child had a wonderful experience attending Explorer for kinder through second grade…read more The director--who taught those classes--is a very practiced teacher. She knows how to run a classroom. Your kids will be in great hands as far as academics and structure is concerned. There are some peculiarities to how the school is run that may not work well for all children. Cleanliness and politeness is highly valued. This is a very ordered school. Kids who need to stim with fidgets or walk back and forth frequently may not be as supported as they might in other environments. (I'm being very general with the "may not be" since I don't know for sure. I just know that my kid appreciated a very ordered classroom thrived, but there may not be a lot of room for deviation from the standard.) In an age where EdTech is dominating schools with computer programs in every class, it was wonderful to give our child a tech-free start away from the pressure of assessments and CAASP testing. I wish we could go back.