I am an alum of NLS from a single parent home in East Oakland. From there I went to Marin Academy…read morefor high school, received a bachelor's degree in economics from UC Berkeley, last year I received my MBA from Stanford University, and I currently work at Google. I would not have achieved any of those things without NLS. I split my elementary school years between public school and private school, so I'll speak to what makes NLS special. From my perspective, many schools (public and private) can provide a strong academic foundation. NLS was just as good as my strong public school in that regard. What I gained from NLS is belief in myself that anything is possible. It came from the dreams fulfilled that line the walls, the stories told at morning circle, and from teachers and administrators truly caring about what I wanted to be when I grew up. And in a practical sense, the school provided access, access to the most elite prep high schools in the U.S. Before NLS, I had not even heard of the majority of them. NLS represents a turning point in my life in terms of building confidence, ambition, and knowledge of opportunities that were previously unknown to me.

It's so sad that I have to give this school such a low rating, but it is very well deserved when it…read morecomes to how they nurture 5 year old children. I am writing this review not to bash this school, but to make prospective parents and current parents aware of the principle and the kindergarten teacher Ms. Jennifer and Mr. Peter; the director of student affairs. These three people at this school support yelling and snatching from children. Now this school promotes anti -bullying and respect, however do not display this toward the children. I will give a brief on my particular experience. Ms. Jennifer is one of the kindergarten teachers at this school. She is an emotional wreck and has expressed that she gets very frustrated with the children when they aren't orderly and she admitted to snatching from my child and others. Her reasoning for this was because and I quote "It's the end of the day and I'm dealing with 15 5 year old's and your child has told me multiple times that snatching isn't nice". On this particular day, my child walked out of the classroom at the end of the day crying hysterically. Ms. Jennifer didn't tell me the whole story when I asked why my child was crying, she just told me that she told my child "no" and that made her cry. But the real story of why my child was crying at the end of the day, was because this lady yelled at her and snatched something out of her hand in front of the entire class. When I asked Ms. Jennifer about the incident again she said, " No I didn't yell at her, I just spoke to her in a really mean way and in a really loud voice, honestly I just got really frustrated and yes I did snatch from her". Now when is it ever appropriate as a kindergarten teacher to behave this way? That was rhetorical..... Not ever. I appreciate the honesty, but it's never OK to yell and scream at a 5 year old or snatch. I tried to have an additional meeting with this lady, to try and see if we could move past the situation. She walked out of the meeting like a 5 year old and her supervisor Peter is an enabler because he coddled her like a 5 year old. I guess she can dish it to a 5 year old, but can't take it from an adult. I reached out to the principle about the incident, she sent me some 5 paragraph reply which 3 of the paragraphs was a copy and paste. Non the less, she said she didn't think that the teacher acted inappropriate. She's a joke! Collecting money from the state, acting like she cares about our black babies, but really what their doing behind closed doors, is not what they're advertising. Just be aware!!! Their fraudulent and after 25 years, you would think this Michelle lady would be way more professional and know the difference between appropriate behavior and egregious behavior from her faculty. I definitely reached out to the organization that they are members of and filed a complaint and took my child out of this school. You get what you pay for. I'll take my $1,000.00 somewhere else. My child is so amazing and a blessing to me and so may other people that meet her. I will not let anybody dim her light or steal her sunshine.

Mills College Children's School is an absolute gem and a truly transformative environment for…read morechildren and families alike. The teachers and staff are incredibly supportive, creating an inclusive and diverse community where every child and family feels welcomed and valued. Their ability to meet each child where they are--both in terms of needs and abilities--is unmatched. The educators here are first-rate, highly educated, and deeply dedicated to their craft. They foster an environment where children can blossom socially, emotionally, and academically. Every child is seen, supported, and celebrated, which allows them to build confidence and thrive in all aspects of their development. The care and thoughtfulness that go into every interaction and every element of the program are evident. I feel so privileged to have my child--and myself--be part of this extraordinary community. Mills College Children's School is a place where children and families grow together, and I cannot recommend it highly enough!

My son started in the kindergarten class and is now a 5th grader. My daughter started in the blue…read moreroom (if I remember the color correctly!). And so far our experience has great! We really couldn't think of a better school that would nurture them as individuals and build a strong academic foundation. Mills really focuses on building socio-emotional skills. My kids often came home talking about the brain and how they were in their "reptilian brain" and what they could do to get centered. As a parent who is in the education field, I can't tell you how important this is to building skills that will allow them to self-regulate and to understand what's going on internally with them. I'm a high school administrator in a public school and I can tell you that the biggest challenge I see with students that academically struggle is their inability to self-regulate and access the part of their brain where executive skills are at. I'm so glad that both my kids could come here. I know that they have a strong foundation to succeed in middle and high school and beyond! Did I also mention how beautiful the campus is! Teachers take full advantage of this.

Our daughter is starting TK at Francophone, and I am already grateful for the kind, attentive care…read morestaff has shown to us as a low-income queer/trans Latine family with a child with serious physical disabilities. When we asked to meet with the student support coordinator about accommodations, they went above and beyond-- not just discussing the legally required 504 stuff, but taking a genuine interest in her needs and emotional health instead of viewing her very existence as a disabled child like a burden (the attitude of the OUSD school we were initially set on). As a family who can't afford private school and who already speaks Spanish, we are SO happy to have gotten a spot at one of the only free/public non-Spanish language immersion programs on the entire west coast.

I am very disappointed with the treatment my child received at Francophone. I was excited when I…read moreheard that this establishment would provide a good education and friendly environment for my child. However, my family received the opposite. My child was bullied and when I tried to reach out to the authorities and parents, I was ignored. I feel like school should be a safe place for our children since they spend a lot of time there. The staff did not behave very professionally either. I recommend to take your child(ren) elsewhere. If I could, I would actually rate this a 0. :)

Great school. Students work hard. Teachers are capable and young. Security is tight. The Leader…read moreof the school is a star. Can't go wrong here. They improved in the face of a serious pandemic to stem the widespread national CoVid slide. They deserve real praise for that work + result.

This is the best Jewish school you can possibly find in SF-East Bay area…read more We have 2 kids in the school right now and another one will start Kindergarten this coming fall. We chose this school after touring several others and could not be happier with our decision. The school serves a diverse spectrum of Jewish community with various levels of observance and cultural background. They provide excellent general education along with Judaic curriculum and immersive Hebrew language studies. They have amazing art and science program, which my kids are very excited about. Aftercare program has a ton of activities to choose from. The classes are small, which allows for more individual attention. Academically, my kids are very different and require different approach to help them maximize their potential. One child, who is enthusiastic about math, is able to take a more advanced math course, while my daughter is able to get extra support to help her with reading fluency and spelling. The entire school community is very welcoming. I can tell that teachers are truly committed to maintaining a warm school environment where children enjoy learning and also thrive socially. My son transferred there from another school, when he started his 3rd grade, and his transition was very smooth. I really appreciate the fact that the school staff is easily accessible for any questions or concerns. We are able to maintain a great communication with teachers and office staff, even though we live far from school and are not present there daily.

We sent our 5 year old to Laurel for kinder mainly just because it was the local school, but it has…read moreturned out to be a great experience. The teachers and staff and principal all seem to genuinely care and be good at their jobs, and it shows in the happiness of the kids. As an example, my kid for some reason we may never know was scared to go into the lunch line at the cafeteria, and therefor wasn't eating lunch. I mentioned this to the principal who happened to be outside before school and he took us right at that moment to go meet the lunch lady and practice going through the line, and then when we got to class I told the teacher why we were a couple minutes late the teacher said he would walk with my son into the lunch line that day. He's been eating school lunch every day since. He plays better with other kids than he ever did in preschool. Oh, he also reads at a 2nd grade level (but I get part of the credit for that!). They have a pretty awesome brand new playground, a garden, fieldtrips, music class, (optional) parent meetings and volunteer opportunities, and a pretty good budget for a public school. We'll be sending our second kid here in a few years once she's old enough

I think that the new principle has definitely changed things for the better. I'm excited to see…read morewhat else he comes up with that is new and creative. The parents and community have been really reacting well to him....very good thing. I went here, my middle sister went here, my best friends went here, my youngest sister goes here, my younger cousin as well. Its just a really good place to raise your kids. Not just because of the school, but the community around as well. Laurel district ROCKS

Best school ever. Students are all 1 to 2 years ahead of their grade and the staff go above and…read morebeyond to make sure students are successful. Many even give over 10 hours a day to help students succeed. I couldn't ask for a better place

My son graduated from Ile Omode's junior school. He was doing college level Algebra 2 and computer…read moreprogramming as an 8th grader and had already taken the SAT (which he scored in the 1000s). These are the academic opportunities that are afforded to young scholars at Ile Omode. He went on to get multiple scholarships from high schools. He is to this day very successful in high school, as I write this review, because of the study skills, grit and self confidence that was developed in him as a student of this wonderful school. I highly recommend it for your scholar.

Our son & daughter both had a wonderful experience at Oak Grove. The teachers care deeply for all…read morethe kids, who also connect so well with one another that we're still arranging playdates with each other on weekends. The different cohorts (Sprouts, Roots, Blossoms) are well structured, but also mix well with one another at certain points of the day and outside. The graduation ceremony was particularly moving, and we feel our little ones have been well prepared for K and beyond.

I had this on our list for so long and we even went to tour and were impressed by how the children…read morewere. It initially felt like a place we could trust. During the tour, however, Laura, the director disclosed that a child had recently managed to leave the premises unsupervised and although nothing actually happened to the child, she still needed to tell me. While I appreciate the transparency, that should have been a warning sign. She also offered me--twice--the option to apply for their internal financial aid program since 4C's had been unresponsive for over a year. I promptly and successfully completed the application and was told that the school would reach out directly to grant the aid. However, we waited patiently for one month and never received a response. I had to reach out twice, once again to BeneFAQ and also to Laura. Since it is now September, I was hoping to finally get my little one in, but she didn't respond until almost a week later and without any explanation she just said "At this time, we are unable to grant an award. Please reach out again if you are able to receive a certificate from 4C's and we can review." There was no explanation provided, and given that 4C's has been non responsive for over a year now; even after *she* encouraged us to apply through their own financial aid program TWICE to then leave us waiting and offer nothing but a flat rejection feels deeply disappointing and unprofessional. No explanation, no accountability, just weeks of wasted time. If there was never an intention to help, it would have been far more respectful to be upfront rather than leave a family waiting in limbo. But moreover, combined with the earlier safety lapse & a child walking out unsupervised in Oakland is a nightmare scenario on its own; it left us questioning the school's overall quality, value, and management. I understand no school is perfect, but when safety and professionalism fall short, it raises real concerns. I had high regard for this establishment at first but I believe now that lack of respect, follow-through, and transparency ultimately turned out to be a blessing in disguise.