The French Immersion program was never the same after Mme. Doran left. I think she was the reason…read morewhy the French program was so successful. In addition, Miss. Jennifer at the front office was kind and wonderful.

I'm very saddened that Desert Canyon isn't better. There are the little things like the school…read moregrounds area always messy with dirt from monsoons still on the walkways weeks after the monsoon, weeds everywhere, etc. It makes the school feel old and dirty, which I expected much better for a city like Scottsdale. Then there are the big things like the very rude lady that works the front office, they work off a reactive model for education instead of proactive waiting around for your child to start failing before they step in to helping bullying my kids from day 1 in the classroom, bus and on the playground, giving kindergarteners homework almost every night. The kids are mean and lye. My kindergartener has started lying and saying mean things on a daily basis. When I brought it up to him today, he said "my friends at school lie and say mean things so I do too to fit in". I am thoroughly disgusted by the culture at this school.

We moved to Scottsdale from the Midwest and I was worried about the public schools in AZ. Desert…read moreCanyon has been impressed me in so many ways. From the wonderful teachers and support staff to the curriculum and high expectations. The grounds are lovely and everyone was/is very welcoming. I am so thankful we chose Desert Canyon Elementary School.

We feel incredibly lucky to have found this school. It's AMI-approved Montessori with a beautiful…read morecampus, and you can truly feel the care and intention that has gone into building this community for over 28 years. We currently have one child in Primary and one in Elementary, and both are thriving beyond what we ever expected. Our extended family has even commented on how much our kids have grown -- not just academically, but in their confidence, curiosity, and love of learning. What stands out most is how personal the experience feels. The teachers are genuinely caring, and we love that there are bilingual educators and an environment that supports the whole child. It's so refreshing to see our kids learning in a way that goes far beyond "sitting at a desk and memorizing." The school offers an abundance of enrichment and extracurricular opportunities, and it's clear they're focused on supporting each child as an individual. We are truly grateful to have our children grow up in such a safe, nurturing, and inspiring environment... even if part of us wants to keep it our little secret!

Last August 25th, after reflecting on the challenges my son faced at DMA in September and October…read moreof last year, I felt ready and shared a down-to-earth personal review.   Instead of receiving public feedback, I received a certified letter from a law firm, demanding for my review to be removed immediately, otherwise "we will sue you to obtain an order requiring you to remove it, and to recover significant monetary damages against you, including, but not limited to, punitive damages, and the attorneys' fees and costs Dynamite Montessori incurs in the case under A.R.S. 12-341.01 and A.R.S. 12-341". They reminded me of a contract clause that restricts what families may share publicly about the school without prior written consent. This clause is part of the agreement that parents must sign when enrolling their children. So, in the interest of focusing on providing for my son instead of defending myself against what I feel are insubstantial accusations, I am removing my previous review. We were part of the DMA family for almost three years. 100% involved and devoted to all the school activities. Our son attended from June 21, 2022, until November 1, 2024. In my personal opinion, DMA can be a good choice for any "non-Montessori" child to gain some exposure to a Montessori environment in their early years. The place looks pristine, with the right materials, strong infrastructure, and opportunities for children to learn--especially if they happen to be among the more "gifted" ones and can learn by themselves. I have been a Montessori mom since our son was born, and we initially thought this was the perfect place for him. Last year, however, in his third year of primary, my son developed a behavior we felt unrecognizable to us and was told "not to be kindergarten ready" and "maybe not a good fit for a classroom at all". My family, especially my son (5 years old at the time), went through a nightmare that took almost a year to recover from. Fortunately, today he attends a large Montessori school where he has adapted beautifully and is thriving as the amazing child he has always been. In his new school he is considered a bright kid and so far, there is not a single incident regarding his behavior. Looking back, we feel that his experience at DMA was heavily affected by a classroom dynamic that was challenging for his naturally calm demeanor. Today, we are sharing our feelings, in case it helps other families who may be uncertain--whether you already have a child enrolled or are considering enrollment.

A good flat walking area. The field area was closed but there is plenty of other areas to walk the…read morepremises. Clean and quiet on the weekends. Parking available.

Police pointing guns at students, drug epidemic, teachers assaulting children, terrible staff,…read moremissing stall doors, unsanitary... the list goes on. The worst high school I've ever seen, and I whole-heartedly regret sending one of my children there. Any other school is a better option compared to this. I've seen multiple videos of students selling marijuana, mushrooms, and nicotine (products) in classes and the teachers are completely oblivious. Forcing every student to have a Chromebook with spyware on them, even if they had their own computers, was incredibly stupid. My child now had to carry around an extra computer constantly... Teacher stole and refused to give a fidget toy to my child, and then got mad at them when they couldn't concentrate anymore... He has diagnosed ADHD. From what I've heard and photos I've seen, the entire campus is extremely unsanitary and the janitors don't do anything about it. Feces covering the walls and floors, litter everywhere. School will refuse to give children lunch if they're just a few dollars under, letting them be hungry for no reason. Won't let students get food off campus, regardless of how old they are. Even the food they do serve is extremely low quality and unhealthy. There's been at least 2 instances (That are proven and I've heard of/seen videos of) of teachers physically assaulting students. They're lucky it wasn't my child or they wouldn't have made it home that day. They once closed down the whole school because a kid jumped over a gate that should've been opened at the time, because they had a Chromebook charger (that they forced them to have) and thought it was a gun. Multiple armed police were then sent to "evacuate" random classrooms... which consisted of pointing a gun at innocent children and screaming at them. Besides a few anomalies, the entire staff here is stuck up and power hungry. They're always on some power trip wanting to needlessly punish and harass students that are completely innocent and even lie to us about things that have happened. My child's friend had a situation where they sent an email home lying about things the student did in an interaction, but the student secretly recorded the entire thing. The teachers and staff love to exaggerate and make up fake details about every little thing in order to feel better about it their sad life as an underpaid employee that probably just got the job because they like telling people what to do...