This school was not on our radar when we were looking for an alternate placement for our moderately…read moreaffected son. He started here in third grade, and some of the behaviors we were having issues with were spitting, hitting, elopement, throwing tables, chairs, stripping off his clothing, breaking windows, etc. (sound familiar?) His elementary placement had been a nightmare. We were picking him up from class every day, and he was expelled from school because they don't have the resources to care for a child like our son. The spectrum school was the one everyone talked about, and we were very unimpressed when we visited that school as we searched for alternate placement. Tucked away in an office park, admittedly it was a slight turn-off, we met the staff and his new instructor (to be). It was well lit, student art lined the halls, the staff and teacher were welcoming, and every person there was as sharp as a pin. We were so impressed, it was like night and day different from any placement he had before that time. We couldn't wait for him to begin, and for the first time for as long as we could remember, we felt optimistic. With a full-time behaviorist, language pathologist and occupational therapist; not to mention real 1:1 (or 2:1 or 3:1 when needed) staffing coverage, they assured us we would never receive a call to pick up our son because he was acting out. They didn't. They do not react to behaviors, they extinguish them. We are moving out of state, and the first thought is how terrified we are of the possible placement he may have as he finishes eleventh grade and completes his senior year; especially when we think back to how bad it can be. BUT, we are so optimistic about our son's future because ABC has given him the tools he needs to cope with whatever challenges face him in the future. We know we will be able to help him with whatever placement because he is a very different person now than he was when he entered this school. At one time we thought we would need to place him in a group home before he became an adult simply because his behaviors were out of control. Now, we KNOW that he will be able to transition into adulthood in a very organic way, and when the time comes for him to move out with some "room-mates", it will be because of a mutual understanding, not because we are unable to control him. His time at ABC is what has helped to make this possible. The workability program has given him a great sense of pride and accomplishment, and when he moves into the transition program as a young adult, he will be ready. We will miss them terribly, and we hope that this helps someone who is looking for a good placement for a child on the spectrum. They know how to help your child.

As an advocate and special educator of 24 yrs, I highly recommend this school. Great, professional…read morestaff. Great atmosphere and powerful learning going on. Age-appropriate skills development

It's all about safety, local state fed. EPA . The training is top notch. Refineries have to train…read morepeople about safety to save there lives or insurance and local state fed shuts them down.

These people came up with a way to hijack all the refineries. If you want to work in any refinery…read moreyou must pay $40 to get a little card that says you know how to work safely in a refinery. The problem is all refinery require workers to go through a orientation that covers the same thing. What a scam!

My son attended Core academy for four years, and unfortunately, our experience was extremely…read moredisappointing. By 6th grade, he was still reading at a 2nd-grade level, despite the school's promises to help him catch up. It wasn't until we hired an outside tutor that he finally began to make meaningful progress. He was also repeatedly bullied, and the school failed to take effective action. The bullying only stopped after we made the difficult decision to leave. Academically, he never learned basic skills like division, even after four years. There was a constant turnover of teachers new faces every few months and the leadership was ineffective. If my son said a bad word, he was forced to sit in the principal's office all day, doing absolutely nothing educational. There was a serious lack of supervision; he would often come home with bruises and clearly explain who was responsible, yet the school never followed up or addressed the situation. Since switching to Stern School in San Francisco, the difference has been night and day. He's thriving academically and emotionally. Next school year, he'll be attending JCHS with A+ grades across all his classes. This has shown us what a truly supportive and effective educational environment can look like.

Core Academy is an awesome school with a really positive and supportive environment that helps…read morestudents succeed. Lainie is fantastic--she's caring, dedicated, and makes a huge difference for everyone there!

Our child loved ELA and Math tutoring. The teacher's attention and character, along with the…read moreevidence-based curriculum, have shown good academic results. Highly recommend!

I had been thinking about putting my kid there for a while. then a sudden passing of my autistic…read morechild's father suddenly, made me postpone our first session until recently. Guess what, the Director of Lanies Learning and the school associated didn't really care about my kid learning Math. Even though it was a bit sketchy how they charged me more because I won a district settlement and charged me the "district rate" vs. the cheaper family rate, although both come with the same work involved. I questioned that at our final meeting. So here I come on the first day all the way from Piedmont to Concord, and I barely get a "hello" and no official introduction to anyone or condolences. I had to ask for a little sit down before my kid went the tutor. Then when I picked him up, I peaked at where she was having the tutoring of multi-sensory tutoring, and he was on the floor w/ many desks all around him, squished. When I brought this up to the Director in an email. She was so offended, she tore up my check she said and would give me that lesson for free. She apparently didn't like me questioning what I saw or what I expected from a "round up" after a first session. I was so excited too, but it seemed it was about conforming and not asking too many questions, than really helping my child. We since got a very amazing tutor who is amazing and trained in the exactly what he needed. I was saddened that the Director of this center and the Core Academy that it is associated with would treat a widow this way. So disappointed that they acted in such a way, after they accepted my kid, then said "he wasn't a good fit," after I had a few questions about the first session. Then to make matters worse, they let him go and tore up my check as they let me know in an email. How cruel. I really hope they don't respond, but it did happen and nothing they say, will make it ok. accept an apology.

Dr. Bylund assessed my teenage daughter who was struggling with test taking and other school work…read more She had to work 10 times harder than her peers to get decent grades and we were concerned about how she would manage in college in a couple years. Her issues weren't severe enough for any teachers or school officials to notice and she was at risk of slipping through the cracks. Dr. Bylund conducted a thorough assessment and provided us with not only answers as to what she was dealing with, but a comprehensive plan of practical suggestions to help her succeed. Understanding her learning issues and how to help her made such a difference. In fact, she used the strategies in college and graduated with honors. She now works a special education teacher as a way to help other students reach their full potential. I highly recommend Dr. Bylund!

Dr. Bylund is a powerful advocate for children and people with learning disabilities. His knowledge…read moreas a former school site and district professional, allows him to provide the best advocacy and evaluation for your child. This is a huge difference. There are so many Neuropsychologists who can evaluate for Dyslexia or learning disabilities, however, many of them have mostly clinical experience and have never been at the school or district level. Dr. Bylund understands learning differences, he can help explain how these differences are impacting your child at school. He can help advocate for your child. We were specifically seeking a licensed, Neuropsychologist who was expert in Dyslexia and who would be willing evaluate our child, attend IEP meetings, and also be willing to ultimately go with us to court if our fight to help our son get placement in private school was not successful. After looking for a Dyslexia Expert for about 8 mos, we had called many well-known Neuropsychologists up and down the SF Bay Area Peninsula, San Francisco, and greater Bay Area, and though many are licensed, they were not willing to testify in court as an expert in Dyslexia. Many were willing to charge me 2-4x's what Dr. Bylund charges, but they would not stand up for my child at IEP meetings or testify as an expert. They merely wanted money to evaluate my child but not speak up for him. Dr. Bylund's evaluation was thorough and he was more reasonably priced than so many. He is professional, kind, and most importantly, an expert at evaluating your child. He impressed everyone with his knowledge about learning differences and Dyslexia at my son's IEP meetings. My educational attorney and educational advocate refer all of their clients to Dr. Bylund. Even if you live out of the area, call or contact Dr. Bylund.

Top notch school and really excels in working with Special Needs children if you are so lucky to…read moreget Ms. Prado and her team and Dale is exceptional.

Burton valley is the best school i have ever been I just finished 5th grade and I going to miss my…read moreteachers and friends I was always welcome education was always the best I really like this school

This school is okay. I'm not the biggest fan of some of the…read moresubs and yard duties but whatever, The roach and ant infestation is disgusting. Some of these teachers need to work on getting people's grades updated faster, And I feel like many of the teacher are breathing down my neck when I'm doing absolutely nothing. But Seriously, I loved all my teachers (except my 6th and 7th grade PE teacher.) And if you want your child to make funny but weird memories, send them here.

I give this school a 1. The Special Needs Department was…read morehorrific. Words cannot express the wrong done to my child and other children in the class my daughter was in. I've always taught my daughter to stand up for herself. She decided to stand up for another child in class. What did they do as adults? Treated my kid terribly!!! Like they have no clue how it is to have a disability. They are screwed up! It's honestly been 10 years, and I still send hate their way. I give great reviews when you deserve one, know that! Helen should not be anywhere near disabled children.

We were so lucky to find Orion Academy! Our teen joined sophomore year, and they have been thriving…read morein ways we've never seen them thrive before. The kids are bright and quirky and kind, and the teachers and leadership truly understand how to support 2E/ASD kids in ways that will prepare them for life after high school. My teen has become so independent in just a year at Orion, and I am confident that this will only increase as they begin the transitions program in 11th grade. Social emotional, speech, executive function, and self-regulation support is cohesively built into all aspects of every class in ways that are clearly transferable to other settings during and post-high school. The school is 100% committed to helping prepare every student for whatever their goals are for after high school. As a bonus, the school is super sensory friendly in all ways, something no public school IEP can really accommodate for. Dr. Stewart has designed a real gem of a school!

My son is now 26. He went to Orion for 4 years starting in 8th grade…read more The school insisted on laptops but refused to allow parental control software. The school puts personal laptops in front of the kids all day at school and all evening for homework. These smart obsessive kids search porn and develop computer addictions due to unlimited computer use and no supervisory software. One girl cyber bullied others then hacked the school's system. The school refused any responsibility. The school said keeping kids from porn and obsessive use was a parenting issue. Secondly, they have no physical education for already resistant kids. They made it mandatory for parents to provide PE after school and on weekends. Overstressed, overtired parents battled to get homework done. and did their best but failed. My son is now a computer/porn addicted adult who has no physical passion. He is a shut in. This happened to several of the kids in my son's class. Be warned. As there may not be options. Insist on parental software if you can. Talk with other parents.

Wildcat Canyon community school is an amazing and healthy environment for children and families…read morelooking for a like-minded community! Waldorf education is a world class education serving the children with a wide variety of subjects and languages, math and science all given through the arts. "Education from the inside out" the children are thought to freely think and with empathy and compassion for each other and the world. This is our fourth year at the school and our two children are loving it! Every year we fall deeper in love with the curriculum, teachers, and community members! Truly, a futuristic school that gives a Renaissance style of education with top-notch educators and holistic minded families. It would be in your best interest to take a tour of the school and then you will be able to see and feel the uniqueness for yourself! Don't be surprised if you see healthy children running and skipping and singing and climbing trees and gardening and playing games together just like schools should be producing healthy, open minded free thinking, individuals!

My partner and I had our child in East Bay Waldorf school for three years. EBWS shut down during…read morethe pandemic and some families, like ours, participated in "pods" with the EBWS teachers who were laid off. We contemplated participating in this "restart" but fortunately made the decision to send our child to another school. We made the decision to send our child elsewhere because this "restart" of EBWS under a different name is , unfortunately, plagued by the same cultish, administratively dysfunctional, and subtly racist practices that characterized the original EBWS. Without going into detail here, our child experienced a consistent pattern of discrimination and exclusion by both teachers and other Waldorf parents. The only regret my partner and I have now is that we didn't take our child out of this school sooner and go elsewhere.

As someone who moved to the Bay Area about a decade ago, I've often missed the sense of Persian…read morecommunity I grew up with, attending "mehmoonis" (parties), hearing Iranian music fill our home, and being surrounded by our rich, beautiful culture. When it came time to find a preschool for my son, I dreamed of a place that could offer him that same warmth and connection, and Golestan has given us exactly that and more. The first time I stepped into Golestan's "hayaat" (yard), I was instantly transported to my grandpa's garden in Iran. The laughter, the trees, the care woven into every detail. It's such a lively, loving, and vibrant space where my son learns, plays, makes friends, and creates lasting memories. The teachers are absolute angels, deeply nurturing, creative, and so attuned to each child. From the thoughtfully designed classrooms to the fresh, nourishing food (with ingredients straight from their learning garden!), every aspect of Golestan reflects an intentional, heartful approach to education and community. I feel truly honored for my son to spend his days in such a magical and enriching environment, surrounded by love, culture, and curiosity, and I'm already dreaming of the day my daughter can join. Regardless of your background or heritage, Golestan is a place worth experiencing. I'm sure they'll woo you at "Salaam" :)

It is an AMAZING school. They have created magic at the school and it has become an extension of…read moreour home. The teachers love being there and always have a smile. The happy environment is very accepting of kids and loving towards them. The environment is very conducive to learning and building self confidence for the kids. The Director is probably the most passionate person I have met about education and every detail in the school show it.