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.

This school is a very good school in our neighborhood…read more Teachers are awesome, has a clean and safe environment. Highly recommended.

I am milana and I like this school although there is to many kids it is hard to walk around and…read morethere's and there is no playground just a Field I was in tk This is my moms account

I worked at this school as a PrimeTime staff and I gotta say that this is a good school. They have…read moregood teachers and good faculty. I really enjoyed working with the kids after school during PrimeTime. The kids are wonderful!

Wish I would of seen some of these bad reviews before sending my kid here. She got into the gate…read moreseminar program and hawthorne was the only available school for it in our area. Needless to say the principal said they don't allow bullying but she is a bully herself always yelling at my kid even when me and my wife are present. The principal doesn't have any children of her own but acts like she knows everything about disciplining kids, i'm sorry but yelling at kids with autism doesn't accomplish anything. The new teacher they have running the seminar program doesn't know how to teach these kids or handle them, she is always taking personal days and having substitutes and she cancelled all the future field trips for the rest of the year because she said the kids are out of control. We brought up to the teacher that she has trouble learning math, and they didn't help her. I've also noticed a change in my kids study habits she used to read 2 grades above and do good in math. Now she reads average and is failing math. She also picked up bad habits from her classmates she never used to fight or argue with us but now its everyday. I will be making a complaint with the superintendent about the school and the principal it is not a safe place for neurodivergent kids they should move the seminar program to a school that actually cares about these kids and wants them to learn. They also make you pay money out of pocket for the seminar program since the state doesn't cover it anymore. The principal also shamed our daughter when my wife was carrying her backpack. There was also a incident when a kid brought a gun to school and the principal was yelling saying i'm so mad your kids i could kill them. The tone of voice an approach when talking with the kids is very agressive... our new school the principal and teacher are the exact opposite and our child is thriving again. we figured out over summer when we got a tutor what the math issues was. She is back to having good study habits and isn't yelling all the time

When we first started looking at elementary schools, we were living in Hillcrest and zoned for…read moreAlice Birney, a very good public school. We spent a lot of time at libraries and often picked up family magazines. At one point, we attended Clairemont Family Day, where TCPS had a booth. I spoke with Mrs. Szalay, then the kindergarten teacher (now assistant), and soon after we toured the school and attended its big annual event. That project, created by all grades around a theme, showed us how special the school was. What stood out most was the small size, the attention children receive, and the focus on social-emotional growth, which mattered most to us. From the beginning, TCPS felt like an extension of our home. The values we taught our children were reinforced at school, so we never worried about having to "unteach" conflicting lessons. Now, with a sixth grader, fifth grader, third grader, and kindergartner, we've seen our kids blossom. They're challenged, guided, and cared for. They've benefited from mentoring with older students, from learning public speaking starting in kindergarten, and from being truly heard while also nudged to grow. A major strength of TCPS is communication. Parents can connect with teachers daily at drop-off, pick-up, or by email. Teachers are responsive and proactive, even asking for updates if a child's morning isn't going well so they can be prepared. In addition, we have scheduled conferences before school starts, mid-year, and year-end. These conversations allow teachers to understand each child's personality, strengths, and goals. That personal approach is possible because of the small classes and school size. Our children love being at TCPS. They love learning and growing, and the school has not only nurtured that but also challenged them to reach their potential. In middle school, the transition to multiple teachers and heavier workloads has been significant, but our son isn't left to struggle--he's guided step by step and supported just as we would support him at home. TCPS truly feels like family. Parents are encouraged to be active participants--as room parents, on committees, at events, chaperoning field trips, or volunteering in class. I see this as a blessing, and I'm glad to contribute. In fact, TCPS has meant so much to us that we relocated to the Clairemont area just to be closer to the school. Every teacher also brings their own personality and passions into the classroom, making learning fun and engaging through unique projects. We honestly don't know where we'd be without TCPS. For us, it has been more than a school--it has been an extension of our family.

I am beyond angry with The Child's Primary. My child was repeatedly harassed by another donny Kim a…read moreteacher, and the school failed to properly protect them or take strong action. No parent should have to worry about their child's safety at school, yet that is exactly what happened. The lack of supervision, accountability, and urgency in handling such serious misconduct is unacceptable. I expected safety and responsibility -- instead, we were met with inaction and disappointment.

My cousin is moving to San Diego and looking to live in the University City area. She needs a…read morereally great special education department, so I dropped in here and observed Ms. Hunter's room recently. I remembered Curie Elementary from a few years ago when my own son attended an autism socialization program after school, I really liked the campus and the area. I was really impressed with how Ms. Hunter setup her classroom and how the children had bonded to her, especially after finding out the short amount of time she's been there. She's very personable and funny, imo kids on the spectrum respond to that. It seems like a great school, and it might be a great fit for my cousin's son, the only thing that bothers me is that the teacher that would be a awesome fit for him won't be there in the fall, she got laid off. If she were staying I would definitely recommend this school to my cousin without hesitation. I think Joshua would love it here! The reason I'm giving 5 stars is because of the great experience I had meeting Ms. Hunter, thanks again for opening up your classroom to me, I really appreciated it!

My family has just started our 6th year with kids at Curie and every year has been a fantastic…read moreexperience. It's a very tight-knit community of parents, students, teachers, and staff all working together for the kids. The teachers are remarkably dedicated and the PTA is heavily involved in supporting the school. Definitely recommend!

Ms cazary is super cool but sadly she moved to different school I went here for elemerntry and it…read morewas pretty good but I think recess should be longer and it is better then curie veri easy to make friends only problem is they are sometimes to strict like no running on playground

I've had two of my kids go through Spreckels. It has been a great school, I highly recommend it…read more Principal Michelle Cazary is wonderful; she cares about the children and is skilled at selecting high quality staff. Teachers have been great although there are one or two that are just average. The seminar program is excellent too, although your child must test into that. The PE teacher that they added a couple years ago has been a great help too; he really gets kids excited about PE. They also have before school & after school programs available. The school is in the middle of a huge renovation that will add a two story classroom building and remodel all of the existing classrooms. If you can get into Spreckels then I highly recommend the school for your child.

We really liked this school, the polite staff, but especially this wonderful garden which is…read morelocated on the school grounds.

I went there for 4 years of elementary school. If you're wondering if you should send your kid here…read morethe short answer is maybe. If your kid/s works better in a bigger environment then it's ok. If your kid works better in a smaller environment then you may want to pick another school. When they added a new spanish teacher though, I felt I didn't learn spanish as well. It's more just the culture. Which is fine but they said we'd be learning more spanish. The rest of academics is great and they will give you a tutor if you need. They also have great counselors, the one I know the most is Ms. Kate the military counselor. They really do help although you can't tell them if you don't like your teacher because they tell. The social life their interesting. There is much drama and kids wearing full on eyeliner. If you don't want your kid struggling to make friends/keep friends or complain about the drama in their 5th grade life then maybe don't send them here. One more thing, the kids are over educated in subjects other then school. I learned about *it* at a very young age due to those friends. Overall, ok for a public school but could use some improvement.

WOOHOO!!! Go tigers!!!…read more Haha, Lindbergh-Schweitzer was a pretty fun elementary school. All of my teachers - but one - were all amazing. I especially thought Ms. Grimes, Ms. Norman, and Mr. Patton were the greatest teachers ever! I miss the workload here ... there was hardly any! But very cool and fun school. Put your kids here. =)

Attended Lindbergh Schweitzer Elementary back in the day and it's still one of my fondest memories!…read moreThe teachers were amazing, the friends I made were lifelong, and the education I received set me up for success. Great school with a wonderful community. Nostalgic just thinking about it!

They get a 1 star for the way they handle bullies. A year later and bad behavior still continues…read moreand has started to affect more and more students the longer the bully continues their bad behavior.

It takes a lot for me to write a school review because I'm a teacher and I have extremely high…read moreeducational standards. Kavod has given us a whole lot of amazing learning experiences but I can sum it up by saying that they have cared for my children with respect, consideration and an openness to learning. Both of my children with IEPS have required specialized services and very specific supports. I found the teachers and staff members to be caring, smart, fun and excited about creating a community of respectful and inquisitive learners. No child was ignored, every child was met where they were enthusiastically and the staff worked extremely hard to address needs while simultaneously building on strengths. My kids have both done very well there and the emphasis on languages and culture has been a ton of fun. Projects were meaningful and I appreciated the organized communication and leadership from administration. I would have never imagined my children speaking all these languages so quickly but they have learned because Kavod makes it possible with their organized programming and the support of all team members. As a part of the parent community, I felt welcomed and cared for there as well. In a time where there is so much division, it's a beautiful gift when we can gather, respect one another and learn from one another culturally. Kavod is a gem and I know that their best is yet to come. Don't think, just enroll. Toda Raba, Kavod!

I cannot thank all teachers, PTA and staff members enough for their enthusiasm for supporting the…read morekids here! They are warm and treat us like a family literally. Love their VAPA program and tons of activities and performance opportunities. Recommended.

My daughter's education here was fine. My daughter dealt with bullies since arrived in 2nd grade…read more She used to be the smiling kid all the time but this school changed her. She was always blamed by all for it. Like when kids found out she was gay. She was told to keep to herself. She never felt like she could be herself here. Even last school therapist thought she had too much computer time. I am a good parent and know I have a highly intelligent kid.