My two daughters have been at sparrow since 2021. It was such a relief to find a school that has…read morecommunity and meets criteria for education. Our teachers thus far have been caring, knowledgeable, and dependable. While the school has gone through a few changes over the years, the sparrow community continues to hold together for the kids with help of parents and staff alike. The most important thing is my children are HAPPY at sparrow. They have made true friendships, they know all the staff on a first name basis, and are learning to love learning. Waldorf education is a different kind of educational pathway, however at sparrow all concepts that are seen in public school are still met at sparrow bcuz they are a charter and state funded. They just teach it in a different way. They are not perfect and it's an uphill battle to keep this charter school functioning as a Waldorf since we still have to meet state testing, but the village it provides makes it worth while. Those looking into Waldorf education private or charter, should really work to understand what, how and why, waldorf curriculum is taught.

DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILDREN HERE. The school is falling apart. They are losing teachers and faculty…read more They don't have a math teacher, hand work teacher and the Spanish teacher is horrible. I regret sending my children here. My son had to repeat 4th grade ("because it follows Waldorf development" but then they changed it a year later to conform to LMSV School District so my son got screwed and now he's a year behind all his friends.) This was the worst decision I have EVER made. The community is great. The families and friends we have met have been great. Thats it. Period.

We feel incredibly grateful to be part of such a warm, welcoming, and enriching school community…read more From the very beginning, our family has felt supported not just academically, but personally as well. The teachers and staff truly go above and beyond to create an environment where each child feels seen, valued, and encouraged to grow. We currently have three children at the school, and each of them has had such a positive and unique experience. The balance between strong academics and character development is something we deeply appreciate. It's clear that the school is focused on nurturing the whole child, building confidence, kindness, and a genuine love for learning. One of the highlights for our family has been the musical program. Our daughters have been involved in the school musical, and it has been such a meaningful experience for them. Not only have they grown in confidence and creativity, but they've also formed friendships across different grade levels, which has been so special to see. The sense of community that comes from these programs is truly something unique. We couldn't be happier with our experience and feel lucky every day to be part of this amazing school. It's a place where children are encouraged to thrive, friendships flourish, and families feel genuinely connected.

My daughter has been attending MHA middle school since 6th grade. I will say the first two years we…read morewere not that happy with a lot of the staff, the non disciplinary action of other students that would misbehave and have no consequences. Even the inside of the middle school was a disappointment because there were no walls separating the different classrooms. Fast forward to present day, my daughter is in 8th grade and I am so sad she is now leaving MHA to go off to high school. Mrs Robertson is now the director at the middle school, there have been major staff changes, they even spent all summer redoing the entire inside of the school! There are walls, student lounge areas, amazing new staff, Mrs Robertson's office is right there so she can oversee everything, and there is even a counselor that comes once a week that will meet with any student or parent that might have any issues or concerns that they want to discuss, they have monthly meetings with the entire middle school about mental health as well. My daughter is thriving and loving school! We feel so confident and comfortable with her there. We love the new/returning staff, new programs, building updates, etc. I wish they had an MHA high school!! We have a younger daughter that will be at the middle school next year and we are so happy that she will be at MHA. She has some learning disabilities and the staff has been so accommodating to her. We really appreciate all the positive changes that MHA has made for this school year. Not only are the students more happy this year, you can tell the staff are excited to be there as well. Thank you MHA!!

Serious Concerns Regarding Student Safety and Administrative Negligence…read more As a concerned parent, I feel it is necessary to raise serious concerns regarding the ongoing lack of safety protocols and administrative accountability at this school, where my child is currently enrolled. Over the past several months, I have witnessed and documented several troubling incidents involving not only negligence on the part of the administration but also potential endangerment of students. These include: Failure to Vet Adults on Campus: The school has allowed unauthorized adults onto school grounds without conducting proper identification or verification procedures. This has resulted in individuals misrepresenting themselves as parents and engaging in inappropriate behavior, including bullying and harassment of students and other parents. Bullying and Harassment: The school has failed to take adequate steps to prevent or address bullying. Specific individuals, including adults, have repeatedly harassed students, with incidents involving verbal threats and coercion. Despite being verbally banned from campus, these individuals were still allowed to return and continue their behavior without consequence. Involvement of Firearms: There was a reported incident involving firearms on or near school grounds, tied to individuals previously reported for misconduct. This incident was not transparently addressed with the school community, and no apparent disciplinary or legal action was taken against those responsible. Neglect of Mandated Reporting Duties: Concerns have been raised with the school about potential neglect and emotional abuse of students, including my own child. Despite these concerns being reported, the school has failed to follow up or escalate them to Child Protective Services, as required by law under mandatory reporting obligations. Lack of Transparency and Cooperation: As a legal parent, I have been repeatedly denied access to basic information such as incident reports or the opportunity to safely communicate with my child on campus. This has occurred despite involving law enforcement and having legal rights in place. Allegations made by another parent were accepted without proper investigation or due process, leading to further barriers in my involvement with my child's education and well-being. Failure to Uphold Protective Orders: The school has not enforced protective measures that are in place to safeguard students and families involved in these conflicts, further putting children at risk. Pattern of Unsafe Environment: There have been multiple incidents requiring law enforcement and school lockdowns. The frequency of such events points to a larger systemic issue in maintaining a safe and secure learning environment. What is most disheartening is that the administration appears more focused on maintaining the school's public image than protecting the students and addressing serious safety concerns. The failure to act responsibly and transparently has significantly eroded trust within the school community. While I do not wish for my child to be removed from their educational setting, it is ultimately the school's responsibility to ensure all students are safe and protected from harm--physically, emotionally, and socially. I urge the district and relevant oversight bodies to thoroughly investigate the current environment at Rolando Elementary and take immediate steps to implement meaningful reform. I have also communicated with a couple of the other parents who have been negatively impacted by the recent turn of events and encouraged them to take these concerns to the board and even take the right legal avenues to hold the school responsible. The safety and well-being of children must be prioritized above all else.

Both my girls go to Rolando. My oldest is in 4th and has been there since TK and through a COVID…read moreKinder year. My second is half way through kindergarten. The girls have really enjoyed their experiences, made good friendships, and have built trust with caring adults-- teachers and support staff. The ESS afterschool program also provides opportunity for them to try new things like drumming, chess and summer field trips. Academically my kiddos are thriving and I can see their growth in reading and math. The PTA is active and sponsors movie nites and dances. The principal hosts monthly "coffee chats" and is approachable.

I went to this school in 1957 from 4th grade to 6th grade. I had both positive and negative…read moreexperiences based on the teachers I had at the time.

We absolutely adore this school…read more We are so lucky to have an opportunity to be apart of this community. This school embraces a sense of connection and care. We feel seen in this school. The school staff reflect those that they serve. Many are people of color and have males of staff, which does not occur at all La Mesa-Spring Valley schools. We feel safe and seen in this school. Please tour it for yourself and talk with the staff and families that choose to come here. You will likely see something different than what's reflected in many of these reviews.

Let's just say we live out of the district and make the commute so that our children can attend…read morethis fine school. Enough said.

My son has been going to Murray Manor for a few years now. We considered private school, but at…read morethe end of the day, public was in the best interest of our family. It was the best decision we could have made! The teachers are wonderful - they know all of the students, their personality, and their skills & weaknesses. They push them to succeed, which is key for growth. The Principal, Mrs. Miller, has created a solid community of kids learning from each other and supporting each other, with a focus on the entire child thriving, not just their academic abilities. The PTA is very involved and does A LOT for our school - thank you! The after-school program (ESS) is fantastic as well. They are always playing games, helping with homework, and treat the kids with kindness & respect. ESS also coordinates with vetted outside vendors to allow kids to take extra curricular activities, such as karate, art, engineering, and Spanish. Murray Manor is a great school! A diverse community made up of teachers, administrators, and parents who genuinely care. Go for a tour, check it out, and look beyond the test scores.

We have had our daughter at St. Martin's for four years now and I am so pleased with our decision…read more Our youngest will be starting there in the Fall. The teachers are all amazing and have exceeded my expectations. Our daughter has learned so much more than academics. The teachers have encouraged a higher understanding of responsibility and respect towards others. The aides and school staff are helpful and well trained to handle issues as they present themselves. We are so pleased with all of the after-school offerings and sports programs as well. The school has a wonderful track in the back and several play yards and basketball and volleyball areas so grades are semi-seperated at recess and lunch. The older-grade students are respectful and kind and partner up with younger grades (Big Friend/Little Friend) to encourage friendships and help little ones learn the ropes. I would encourage anyone interested to schedule a tour and walk through the school, chat with the staff and get your questions answered. You will get a feel for the atmosphere and strong sense of community.

Don't send your innocent young children here…read more My 5yo son was I believe wrongfully removed from school.. He had never experienced pre school and never really had consistent interactions with other kids. So as school started 8/21 he had to be redirected a lot to his station and there were incidences he was struggling with transitions and shows his frustration. There were 3 times he was sent to the office and based on what happened I believe some of those cases the school over reacted. He is 5! And since school started he had been absent 1-2 days each week because he got sick and other days he got sent home. Anyone would agree my son had barely any time to really adjust. The school requested for an IEP assessment from qualified professionals who do these, as well as his pediatrician which I proceed to get set up. The worst is they made us sign a behavior plan saying if things don't get better by 10/3 (document signed 9/19) they will remove him. According to the behavior plan document date - signed by the principal and his teacher SMA provided October 3 as his next review date. Last Thursday 9/27 he was sent to the office and sent home for something I truly believe was not necessary for him to skip the rest of the class. When I picked him up from the office - and on that day during the meeting with the principal and his teacher they reinforced the written Behavior Plan document and told me there can be no further incidents as a "warning". I had kept my home Friday 9/27 to give him some time to reset and start fresh Monday. I got a call from the principal on Friday afternoon 9/27 and she told me in these words "we (her and the diocese) had a meeting and determined that (my son) is not developmentally ready for the school" and they decided he no longer needed to come to school on Monday - she used the words "developmentally ready"... my response was that she (the principal) and the diocese are not qualified to make that assessment. That should be left to the professionals which I set out to make appointments. And if the professionals do conclude that my son is completely normal for his age then that says a lot about the school - this is prejudice. I believe that decision was made in retaliation to the emails I sent on 9/26 to advocate for fairness in disciplinary actions on my son. I requested a meeting to discuss my concerns, and my son was met with removal from school. I am heartbroken for my son and very angry that this school handled this so coldly. I grew up going to a catholic school and believe me there is nothing God loving, compassionate nor kind about the principal running this school.

Love this school and area! The principal is commendable…read morehe's outside directing traffic for the parents daily and continues to stay active in the school! Teachers are all so great.

I go there its good and all but most of the "hot lunch"'s are cold and mushy. The teachers are nice…read moresadly I am going to middle school soon.

My daughter attends this school and she LOVES it! And of course, that makes me happy. They're…read morefocused in great education and creating great citizens. The kids are all wonderful. Her teacher is great and the ESS Leaders are fantastic. Small, nice, SAFE and quite. Hopefully soon they'll get a cafeteria and can provide better school lunches.... ;-)

Love, love, love this school!!! This is our girls' first year at Lemon Ave and what a refreshing…read morechange from their last school. The teachers are kind and knowledgeable. The office staff are courteous and cheerful. The parents are down-to-earth and friendly. After our first week here, the kids decided they love this school and already started making new friends. We've attended two other elementary school in the past and my only regret is we didn't transfer sooner!

This is a smaller school, nestled off of Lake Murray Blvd. My son has been enrolled here for seven…read moreyears. There have been many changes over the years, but it has still managed to keep its community spirit. Due to budget cuts class sizes have gone up since he started here. They do a pretty good job though. I think it helps that it's a smaller campus. One thing I think they've done really well with is the Learning Center. Joe Malek does a tremendous job running it. He is so energetic and positive. Every school would be lucky to have a teacher like him. Maryland Ave has some really great support staff on campus. I think a lot of times people remember the teachers and might forget about all these other wonderful folks who make a huge difference in our children's lives everyday. I know early on I realized this because they ALL knew who my son was within the first few days of school. And it wasn't because he was a problem child, it was because they cared and made a point to get to know him even though he was very shy.

Love the school it's such a great place for your children to go learn and make friends.read more

I have been working as an educational consultant at GSDA for 7 years. It's not only a job for me,…read moreit's like a second home. GSDA provides an alternative T-K through 12th grade educational setting, appealing to families from all walks of life. It's amazing to watch our homeschool parents learn and refine their homeschooling techniques, and I love being a part of that experience. Our high school independent study program is amazing - students don't slip through the cracks at GSDA because the high school team knows exactly how to address the educational and emotional needs of all types of kids. It is an "everyone knows everyone" type of atmosphere. The consultants go above and beyond to make sure that all students are successful, something that is really hard to find in a traditional high school setting. Working at a small school gives all of us the opportunity to get to know each student personally. I love being able to try different curricula, projects, and teaching techniques with my families. No two kids learn in the same way, and GSDA provides a supportive environment for all types of learners. It's a great place to work!

Our daughter will be graduating this from GSDA week, and she has had a wonderful experience. After…read moreattending traditional school for many years, and not being happy there, we made the switch to GSDA when she was in ninth grade. She will be attending a 4 year university in the fall, and she feels that this would not have been possible without the support of her consultant and other teachers at GSDA. She became involved in the ASB, and she enjoyed this as well. We are very happy that we made this decision. A lot of parents don't know that there are choices out there, and that they can make a choice that might make a difference for their child's future. Every student is different, and this school makes a great effort to meet each student's needs. Good job, GSDA!