If only I could give more than 5 stars! This place is fantastic! I'm a Grammy and I grew up in the…read moreBay Area and this is by far the best preschool. It's always hard to leave your 2 yr old at a preschool when you have to go to work but know that when you leave your kids here, they are going to have a great day and you've left them in the BEST hands possible. My grandkids are always smiling and happy coming and going. Mr. Dennis and his team of loving teachers are the best! Family run and always kids first and centered around high quality education. They go above and beyond to make sure the kids learn A LOT....every single day! Very community oriented and I am surprised how much the little ones learn day in and day out! We recommend 10\10

If you're looking for a school that will truly help your child thrive, grow, and soar beyond…read moreexpectations, Mountain Blvd Montessori is a hidden gem that every parent should know about! We cannot say enough wonderful things about Mountain Blvd Montessori. From the moment our son started in the toddler class and continued through preschool and the Pre-K/Kindergarten program, we have felt incredibly supported, welcomed, and confident that he was in the best hands possible. The entire staff is truly exceptional. Every teacher and administrator has shown genuine care, patience, and love for our child throughout every stage of his development. It is clear that this school is more than just a place for learning. It is a nurturing community that helps children grow academically, socially, and emotionally. The results have exceeded all of our expectations. Our son has not only received an amazing education, but he has also gained confidence, independence, and a true love for learning. Most importantly, he has been surrounded by teachers who genuinely cared for him and helped him thrive. Watching him grow over the years has been incredible. As parents, we had different thoughts about the next step for him. My wife initially wanted to enroll him in Transitional Kindergarten (TK), while I felt that he wouldn't gain much beyond a few extra hours of social interaction and fun. Looking back now, Montessori was absolutely the right choice for our family. Thanks to the incredible Pre-K/Kindergarten program, he is beyond prepared for elementary school and will be entering 1st grade this fall with a strong academic foundation, confidence, and excitement for what comes next. One of the most impressive parts of the program has been the language education. Our son was speaking Spanish and Mandarin remarkably well for his age. He can count, sing songs, and communicate with confidence in both languages. It has been amazing to watch how naturally he absorbed and retained what he learned through the school's language program. What stands out most, though, is the love and attention he received every single day. We always knew he was safe, cared for, challenged, and encouraged to become the best version of himself. As parents, there is no greater peace of mind than knowing your child is genuinely loved by the people helping shape their future. Overall, we feel incredibly blessed to have found Mountain Blvd Montessori. The well-rounded curriculum, dedicated teachers, outstanding language program, and focus on developing the whole child have made a lasting impact on our son's life. We wholeheartedly recommend this school to any parent who wants their child to receive an exceptional education while growing into a confident, kind, and capable young learner. Thank you, Mountain Blvd Montessori, for giving our son such an amazing foundation. As he heads off to 1st grade this fall, we know he is more than ready, and we couldn't be more grateful.

We love Sequoia! The pandemic has kept my twins pretty isolated and struggling to socialize. We…read morejust finished our first year and I couldn't ask for more- the wonderful and caring teachers, play based learning that promotes creativity and independence, beautiful, open wide outdoor space, and an amazing group of families that became our community. We loved it so much that we're opting out of TK and staying another year :)

Teachers Margo and Susan are so gentle and effective with the kids. Our child has really enjoyed…read moretheir time with the other kids and the teachers. We see growth and are excited to see how much is to come by the end of the year. The school is managed by the parents and follows an organized model for how teachers & kids are supported in the program. It's a beautiful school and we're happy with our experience and truly welcome others to visit and see for themselves.

Our youngest child went here for the PACT program and it was a wonderful experience. The teachers…read morewere sweet and very attentive and had great interventions and teaching moments (for the kids and me!) throughout the day. Having had an older kid go through a different program I'm familiar with the stress that can sometimes accompany a co-op preschool but they made the experience pleasant, judgment free, and safe for everyone! I highly recommend the school!

Our daughter has been attending BCSO, in the PACT classroom for a year now and words cannot…read moredescribe how much we love this school. First and foremost, the teachers are very caring and attentive, not only to children but to parents as well. Since it is a play-based school, different toys are provided each time we attend class. Hence, children have plenty of learning opportunities through play such as working on their fine motor skills, social skills, and exploring different ways of playing. Having a nurturing environment for our daughter to begin her education journey is very important to us. We are very grateful that we've found BCSO as they continue to exceed our expectations. Our daughter wakes up in the morning wanting to go to school and leaves school with a big smile on her face. She had made tremendous progress with her learning development as well. Lastly, we recently relocated to another city, but decided to have our daughter continue attending BCSO. This school is truly a gem!

We've now sent our second child to SquareCare with Mitzy, and we couldn't be happier! Mitzy is…read moreamazing--caring, patient, fun, and genuinely treats the kids like family. It's such a great feeling knowing your child is happy, safe, and excited to go to school every day. They even have safety cameras for parents to view remotely from their phone to see what kind of fun your child is having. We've had such a positive experience that I would 100% recommend SquareCare Oakland and Mitzy to anyone looking for a great place for their kids!

We are so grateful for our time at Square.Care! It was such a wonderful welcome to California for…read moreour family. Ms. Mitzy's kindness, patience, and curiosity helped our son transition to a new environment. He had so many memorable experiences learning and playing with new friends, and he especially loved learning how to care for the chickens and rabbit! Big thank yous to Ms. Mitzy, Ms. Yessica, and Ms. Tiara. Their dedicated care made such a meaningful difference to our son and our family. We highly recommend Square.Care to other families!

My daughter was at OGS for 2.5 years and really thrived there. We are so, so thankful to have this…read moreamazing place in our neighborhood. Christina, the director is wonderful and so are the teachers. Everyone is dedicated and the kids are happy as clams. The whole facility is great with the amazing backyard with sunny and shady areas, sand pits, mud kitchen, a yurt, a boat and even goats! Every time I picked up my dirty, crusty, smiling kid was a great day! She learned so much every day and came home tired and happy. My kid has now graduated and moved on to TK and it's still bittersweet because of the great people we met there and the wonderful community. We are still in contact with many other families and will hopefully continue to see them

We visited several preschools for our daughter, but nothing came close to the magical wonderland…read morethat is Oakland Garden School! Nevertheless, I was admittedly still nervous after reading some pretty damning reviews. But I soon discovered that pretty much ALL preschools have some real scary reviews, or no reviews at all. What made me feel most optimistic about OGS, was the emphasis on creating a true sense of community and accountability with families. In addition to regular community events and volunteer opportunities, OGS also has a parent advisory committee (PAC). As a former PTA president, I think such a group really can have an impact on as school, and along with Christina's leadership, the school seems to be a thriving community with some VERY skilled and caring teachers. I want to give a special shootout to Teachers Sam, Melissa, Candace, and Emily who all went above and beyond to support, encourage, and care for our neurodivergent daughter. The classrooms at OGS are large, air conditioned, and full of quality and creative toys and activities with special areas for kids who need a quiet and calm space. And absolutely NOTHING compares to the outdoor space. If OGS's outdoor space was a public park, it would be our favorite park! It's true that in this industry there is a fair amount of teacher turnaround. But our sense from teachers (and I really prodded them to give me the dirt!) really like working at OGS. While there was some staff turnover during our time, it certainly didn't strike us as abnormal or excessive and because each class has multiple teachers, there was always some consistency. Director Christina was often helping in classrooms, especially during times of transitions and she also, was great with the kids. My one critique for OGS is something I really doubt other schools are doing better with, that is communicating and enacting protocols for illness. There were many times when I noticed HEPA filters not turned on and I would occasionally not see soap or towels by a sink. We were always given alerts when there was an exposure to anything other than a cold, but it was not always clear when it was or was not OK to bring our child in. Again, I think OGS is probably far above average when it comes to dealing with this stuff, but I would be remiss if I didn't prod them (and other families) to do more. The extra outdoor time at OGS also probably gives the school a leg up on others. My wife and I were so impressed at how OGS went above and beyond our high expectations of the school. We are going to miss it as it sets a pretty high bar for whatever is next for our children!

My niece went here for a three years. It's a wonderful school with excellent teachers. They have an…read moreincredible amount of support programs for parents and family. I was able to tag along on some of the evening nights at the start of the school year. They are very organized and well run.

We initially chose EBI for its Spanish immersion program and were soon delighted to discover it's…read morealso an International Baccalaureate (IB) school. While raising bilingual children is important to us, the IB curriculum has become the most enriching part of our experience. Its inquiry-driven approach inspires curiosity, deep thinking, and a genuine love of learning that keeps our children engaged. Our top priority was to find a school where our kids would enjoy learning, ask big questions, and develop a global perspective--and EBI has exceeded our expectations. The teaching at EBI is high quality. The educators are thoughtful, skilled, and dedicated to helping each child succeed. They create a supportive learning environment that emphasizes both academic and social-emotional growth. Group work and collaboration are central to the school's approach, helping students build important interpersonal and problem-solving skills. EBI has been a great fit for our child with a learning difference, and also the one that doesn't have a learning difference because of their commitment to differentiated learning, which supports all learners! The inquiry-based model allows them to engage with the material without relying on memorization or worksheets. We appreciate the strong Learning Differences and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) support team as well! The EBI community--teachers and parents alike--have been fabulous!

We have two children who have been coming to Bright Futures (BFELC) for a couple of years now (one…read morechild since 2.5 years, another child since 5 months infant) and they are both thriving at this school. We are really grateful to Miss Jenel and her amazing team for their thoughtfulness, care, and professionalism. This school really hit the sweet spot for us in terms of a small and intimate community (rather than a franchise place) that truly puts early childhood education at the center with play-based learning. A few things that encapsulates my experience: 1. Do the staff genuinely care about the children? - YES!! I've had my children in a couple of different daycare/preschools, and they range from daycares where the staff are paid so little that they are literally just phoning it in to the daycares are super fancy and they have bells and whistles and matching t-shirts but little personal touch. BFELC hit the sweet spot for me in terms of being small enough so that it feels like teachers actually deeply know and understand our children as individuals, but also that the school is big and professionalized enough that there are appropriate controls and systems in place - and teachers who can sub for one another, as opposed to everything all falling onto a few people's shoulders. The other thing that contributes to a genuinely caring environment in my opinion is the fact that the teachers seem to really like it here and for the most part are also deeply passionate about early childhood education. It's a good sign to me when teachers are constantly investing in themselves to upskill themselves in certifications on childhood education over and above the professional development that's offered by the school, they see themselves as childhood educators and that makes a big difference. There was also a teacher who had particular gardening skills so she started a vegetable garden which grew and resulted in this beautiful bounty for the children to take home with them. This is the kind of thing that large institutions usually have rules against, but I like the BFELC is enough of a smaller community that it can allow this kind of personal touch and entrepreneurialism from teachers. 2. Is the school administratively okay to deal with - Yes, BFELC is pretty solid in this department. This was a painpoint for me in one of my previous daycares for my child, there was a constant stream of forms to fill out or processes to follow or the school was just super stickler on communicating ONLY in the app so you could not actually TALK to the teachers you had to only go through the app - not a very human experience. At BFELC, it's a much more human experience and the school administration totally understands that parents are juggling a million different things. They keep things systematic and organized (eg using the BrightWheel app for announcements) but also easy going and LOW ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN especially on the number of asks to parents. 3. Are my kids happy and learning and growing? - Yes, they are! One thing I really appreciate about BFELC is how low-key the community of parents are. The student population is generally diverse and representative of the Oakland area (including teachers who speak multiple languages - one of them has been teaching the older kids a bit of french on the side) and the other parents are the kind that get to know my kids' names and bring group snacks at pick-up for everyone when they can. Parent participation is always welcome but never mandatory or looked down upon if you're not able to be more involved, and the other parents are welcoming. I've noticed my children grow meaningful friendships through the school, and grow in leaps and bounds in their social and communication skills as a result.

They do not practice what they preach and huge teacher turn over ! Lack of transparency in…read moreeverything

Awful school. They claim to be a Waldorf school but they have no idea what the true meaning of…read moreWaldorf is and what Rudolf Steiner originally intended. They treat prospective families horribly. At first they appear welcoming and supportive, but that is completely fake. They discriminate and there is complete lack of transparency.

Our family moved to Rockridge specifically for the great K-5 schools, but when those schools closed…read moreduring COVID we found a neighborhood school that was finding innovative ways to stay open and serve the students and their families. Now, 5 years later, we have every intent to see our kids graduate from the BRWS middle school. There is a rhythm to each day, week, and season. That rhythm (and the intentionality behind it) calms my children, grounds them, provides them with stability, and has allowed them to develop at their speed. This is a school that in early childhood lets kids be in nature, play, discover themselves and the world, and lets kids be kids. As the curriculum moves into the grades and middle school, it evolves into a rigorous, really well-rounded education that develops the technical analytical skills needed these days while also cultivating skills like resilience, creativity, and confidence. Beyond that we have found "our people" with the community of parents here. There is real buy-in from everyone. The school's seasonal festivals are wonderful, and weekends and holidays are often spent with other families from the school at parks or each other's houses. Unique aspects of the Waldorf curriculum (like no media in the classrooms and a de-emphasis at home, having one teacher stay with a class for several years at a time, leaning into creativity and skill development as opposed to rote memorization and an abundance of homework) really resonate with the parent community and are gaining mainstream traction for the antidote they seem to provide to many of the perceived struggles this generation of children is encountering (with respect to anxiety, isolation, depression, a lack of connectedness). We couldn't be happier here.

We couldn't be happier with Mechita Preschool! Both of our children (ages 3.5 and 1.5) attend, and…read morewe feel so lucky to have found such a special place. The staff are incredibly warm and attentive, and with a small cohort, every child gets so much individualized love and care. It's a play-based Spanish immersion program, and our kids are thriving in the fun, creative environment filled with art and local excursions. For working parents, it's a dream. The hours are great (8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.), they provide all the high-quality, nutritious food, and they are a massive help with potty training. Our kids are happy, learning, loved, and excited to go to school every day (3.5yo is often disappointed on the weekend when she finds out it's not a preschool day). We wholeheartedly recommend it to any family looking for a nurturing and supportive Spanish immersion preschool.

Mechita's provided a wonderful environment for our daughter! A very loving family that makes…read moreincredible homemade, healthy meals - and even got our daughter loving broccoli and kale. Full Spanish immersion, educational games, lots of music and dancing. They are absolute pros at potty training and have built a lovely community of families around the daycare. Highly recommend!

Our son attended Golden Bay for the 8 months prior to starting TK. He had a great time there, and…read morelearned a number of important things about the transition between daycare and school. Golden Bay's structure and team provided him with the right experience to prepare him for his next steps. All of the staff is very professional, caring and understanding. Highly recommended, especially if you are planning on attending TK in the school district, as your child will have more experience in a class-like setting, which will make the transition process more familiar and less stressful.

This review is long overdue. My daughter has been with Golden Bay preschool for over 2 years,…read morestarting at 2 years old. I'm always impressed by the organization and communication from teachers and staff. Their hours are very accomodating for working parents. The school is very clean, I appreciate the no shoes inside model. Most importantly, my daughter talks highly about her school and misses it on breaks and weekends. She has blossomed in confidence and communication skills since attending. I'm looking forward for my second child to be of age to attend this preschool!