The staff is super nice and friendly. My son got a lot of help from Dr Valdes and teachers.read more

My daughter came to this school as an international student from Vietnam and found out this school…read moreis for special educations which is for students with special needs. The owner is advertising this school in US and Vietnam as regular school for all students including international. By mixing regular and special needs student, they are harming all students. My daughter was depressed with the school environment and we had to move her to a difference school. This school was registered as "Special Education", why it is advertised as regular school, it is completely wrong and needs to be investigated. Please check this school before registering your kid here.

A Heartfelt Thank You to Ms. Elena Morales and Smaller Scholars Montessori Academy !…read more Our son has been at the school since he was just 18 months old, and this place has truly become a second home for our family. As he now prepares to start elementary here, we reflect with deep gratitude on the impact Ms. Elena has had on his journey. Ms. Elena's dedication, warmth, and the thoughtful application of Montessori principles have been transformational. Thanks to her care and guidance, our son is not only well-prepared to start Elementary but he has also grown into a more confident, independent, and kind-hearted little boy. She has nurtured his curiosity, encouraged his growth, and helped shape the values he will carry with him into this next chapter. Thank you Smaller Scholars for everything you've done for our son and to Ms Elena for all the children lucky enough to be in your classroom. -- The Iannone Family

Great school and great community! We love the school and our daughter has flourished here. Any…read morequestions or concerns are always addressed immediately. I love that all the teachers know all the students name in the school regardless if they are in that class or not. Couldn't be happier with our decision to send our toddler here!

I'm a 13-year-old student at Memorial Private School in Houston, and because it's a small school,…read moreit's easy to get to know people quickly and feel comfortable from the start. Academically, there's a strong focus on **memorization**, but in some subjects we also do **projects**, which adds some variety. We usually take **five classes**, so when exams come around it feels **more manageable** to plan your studying, since you're balancing fewer subjects at the same time. Even though the school is small, the **6th period (electives)** has a nice range of options, including creative classes and sports like **martial arts** or **pickleball**. One thing I would improve is **Spanish**: if you already speak it, the class can end up being mostly **tests**, and you don't always get the chance to work on material that actually helps you improve.

My experience with this school was extremely disappointing. The values and mission promoted on the…read moreschool's website did not match what I observed during my time there. The educational program lacked rigor and failed to provide the level of academic challenge and support that students deserve. I was particularly concerned by what appeared to be a greater focus on financial gain than on student development and educational excellence. Rather than fostering a positive learning environment centered on student success, many decisions seemed driven by business interests. Communication was often lacking, and concerns raised by families were not addressed in a meaningful way. The overall atmosphere did not reflect the professionalism, integrity, or commitment to education that the school publicly advertises. Based on my experience, I would encourage prospective families to thoroughly research the school, ask detailed questions about academic expectations, and speak with current and former families before making a decision.

My experience in having one of my children as a high school student here has been excellent. Some…read morepeople ask, "Why have your child attend an online school?" Every child is different. Every child handles their teen adolescent years and the pressures and struggles associated with those years differently. Some are able to manage through the trouble; some are not mentally or emotionally able to handle the pressures. It affects every child differently. In my case, my teenager needed to be out of the regular public school environment in order to regain focus and prosper. TCAH has helped keep my child on-target, focused, and advancing. My child is getting the same quality education (if not better) as before when in regular public school, as now with Texas Connections Academy, and it's FREE! The enrollment process was a breeze...super simple. It was actually more streamlined and faster than enrolling a child at a regular brick and mortar school, from my experience anyway. The teachers and staff are very thorough and responsive. There is a wide range of courses offered, just like a regular public brick and mortar school. Because it is a public school, there is no tuition and the school is able to obtain Title 1 funds to help with the school's funding needs. I can only give an opinion on the coursework for 9th thru 11th grade since those are the only two grades to which I have been exposed via Connections Academy. The coursework is challenging but manageable. I like the fact that parents/guardians are "Learning Coaches" and NOT the teachers. THIS IS NOT A HOMESCHOOL VENTURE. I work during the day. But, I'm able to remote into my daughter's computer while she is working on her classwork, etc. As a learning coach, I'm able to supervise and guide, but am not her teacher. Students have a teacher for each subject. It's a real-life teacher with a phone number and email contact. A few times a month, the teachers call the students and vice versa. It's a part of the required contact between them. The teachers also perform a few Live Lessons each week for the students to join. Each Live Lesson is recorded though for those who are unable to attend at the specific time. The rest of the time, the teachers are mainly interacting with the students via message boards and webmail. The assignments for each class are organized and what I love is that the assignments are to be completed by the end of the semester. This is very much like the online college courses in the interface and responsibilities, but with more interaction with the teacher and actual attendance requirements. The students' attendance is entered/submitted by the Learning Coaches and regular live interaction for each student with the TCAH teachers is required and monitored in terms of frequency by the school staff. Each student is assigned a counselor to help with course selections, transcripts, and academic progress too. This keeps each student on track with their graduation plan. This is essentially an "online" school, but there are many opportunities for actual live interaction with other students and the teachers. The students are still required to take state exams, which are administered at several testing facilities around the state. The students/parents can choose whichever location is closest and most convenient for them. If your child has a hectic extracurricular activity schedule, health issues, or for whatever reason has trouble with the typical hours of a regular public school, look into TCAH! Students are required to have 25 hours of school time each week. This is the same for regular public schools. But with TCAH, you and your child can set whatever schedule works best for your child. If you have a child who has trouble with the social difficulties associated with teenagers in a regular public school environment, whether it be fighting, peer pressure, depression, failing grades, a lack of focus, etc., look into Texas Connections Academy! The admissions process is just as easy as with a regular public school, if not easier because it can all be done electronically. The staff is welcoming and very helpful. The online interface of education is a modern approach that is becoming more popular and appealing to families because of the flexibility and benefits while maintaining high standards in curriculum. TCAH has a tech department that is available to help at any time if you or your student run into technical difficulty or aren't very tech savvy. Personally, my child and I haven't had any technical issues in the 2 years we've been a part of TCAH and have never had to call. I have recommended TCAH to many people because I genuinely feel it's an excellent school. Check out their website or call to speak to one of their admissions personnel or counselors for more information! My daughter will be attending again for her junior year. We couldn't be more pleased with Texas Connections Academy!

Today was Starr testing and I had the most racist experience this afternoon. I went to pick up my…read moreboys from taking the exam..... when I got their I was point to another table that say exist. The lady asked for my id when I try to had to her ....she look at my id with disgust......she didnt want to hold it or take it......she had me hold it up to verify who I was.......then she gave me a weird smirk....then point at boys an was like " oh u can go now......like what .....how racist is that.....mine this school is pretty diverse.......I say took other folks id who didn't look like us....with no issues....wow

My daughter is now in her 4th year at St. Thomas - and over those years I have come to know several…read moreof the faculty and parents, including the headmaster, Michael Cusack. They truly have my respect, not only as teachers.. but as thinkers, innovators, and leaders in education. The curriculum is challenging and encourages an understanding of the liberal arts and sciences, balanced by the values of forgiveness, love, and understanding deeply rooted in Christian belief systems. Their Scottish Arts program is unbelievable to see and I am constantly amazed at the artistic abilities of the students who have been encouraged over the years by the school. My daughter, who deals with sensory issues that affect her learning, has always been treated with the utmost respect and has been encouraged to embrace new ideas while being challenged by proven methods of teaching that instill an understanding of the world around her while teaching her to effectively communicate those ideas. I am not an alumni and I was only aware of the school through long time friends. But, having faced the challenges of the current public school system with our oldest child, my wife and I came to believe that a private school was our only acceptable option for our youngest child (and any future children). We explored several private schools in Houston and decided on St. Thomas' based on a tour of the school and talking with faculty and others who knew of or had experienced the school. Also, I believe that the tuition is quite reasonable compared with other private schools in Houston that we considered. We intend to keep our 8 year old at St. Thomas' through 12th grade and we plan to send our 3 year old there as well when she reaches school age. I would also encourage any parents considering a private school education to meet with Mr. Cusack and the faculty and see it for yourself. I believe that you will like what you see.

My daughter attends school here. She is currently in 9th grade and as been attending since 4th…read moregrade. This school offers a great classical education to its students. The teachers are awesome and the administration is very helpful. They also have a Scottish Arts program which is excellent. The band is full of bagpipers and drums. There is also a Scottish dance program which has produced many U.S. champions. If you are around the Meyerland plaza area around 4pm you will hear the bagpipers practicing.

Both my kids are at Yorkshire and it is the perfect school for them because of the low teacher to…read morestudent ratio, small total class size and strength & encouragement in the academic, music and arts. My children have loved being at Yorkshire and we are extremely grateful for the opportunity for balanced growth YA provides. The teachers are AMAZING and truly care about the students. Its Cottage class teachers are the best for 2-4 years old. I've also found the families warm and friendly and a great mix and diversity amongst the students. Such a unique school to be able to see at the Memorial Area!

We love Yorkshire Academy! We love the community it provides, the education with small classrooms…read moreand amazing teachers, and the activities that my children get to do are so unique and fun! Also, YA doesn't go by SBISD school openings and closings. So sometimes YA is open when public schools are not (due to weather or Covid etc). YA is much more consistent with school NOT closing. It's a lovely place to be, my children are ALWAYS happy and my 3 year old wants to be a teacher now because of her amazing teacher at YA!

I toured this school for my son who has autism and is struggling in a public school. It is…read morewonderful private school for high functioning children with autism for age 2-15 years. I like that they focus on academics as well as therapeutic aspects. I am impressed how involved they seem with the students and offer speech, occupational therapies and much more. I just wish they were more centrally located as we live south of Houston; it's a 70 mile round trip daily for us! The tuition is about 27k, financial aid is available.

My son went to WV from age 4 through middle school and had a truly wonderful experience. I highly…read morerecommend WV to anyone whose child has high functioning autism.

Our children attended The Branch School for many years. It was a wonderful experience. They…read morereceived a top notch education.. They teach respect for others, peace making, compassion, team work, as well a love for learning. We could not have found a better school for them.

My experience with Ms. Lifsey as a first and second grade teacher has been very disappointing. I…read morewitnessed her speak harshly to children, including insulting, yelling at, and unfairly punishing students, including my own child. A teacher working with young children should show patience, encouragement, and care, but Ms. Lifsey consistently failed to do so. It also seems these concerns are known by the administration, yet little has been done to address them. While many other teachers at The Branch School have been caring and supportive, this review is specifically about Ms. Lifsey and the administration's handling of these concerns. I would encourage parents considering first or second grade placement here to ask careful questions before enrolling their child.