I am a real student, I know what's going on in the class. So I have to say screw RSM. Mean teachers…read moreand old fashioned learning, it's just terrible with no real benefit, it's far removed from the actual courses you will be taking in school. Don't come here.

Russian Math is great. They keep the kids on top of their math learning and way ahead of what they…read moreare doing in public school. I really have nothing negative to say. From what I see at drop off they are well organized and have a nice operations process. Parents cannot enter so I have no idea how the classroom is run. The only negative is the congestion in their parking lot at drop-off and pick-up so I now go to the side street and park there. Much easier.

Just putting my two cents out in the world! Sequoia carried me through high school, helping me get…read moreAs across all my classes, yielding me a perfect score on the ACT, and allowing me to qualify for the AIME math contest as well as the Jane Street / ATF contest. They also got me into multiple T10 colleges, as well as EVERY UC with Regent's honors at nearly all (incl. Cal's Regents award). The folks here care about each student's individual growth and success and I cannot recommend them more. As an adult I can look back and say that Sequoia set me up for success, so THANK YOU !!

I can't thank the teachers more since they are not only tutoring kids but also helping kids to be…read morebetter people overall. I am a single parent with lots of stress from work. Sequoia Academy have my totally trust and believes. I felt so lucky that I found them!

I highly recommend this learning center for students to want to learn the writing skill…read more Ms. Vivian and Ms. Sophia are really devoted and competent teachers. They are always kind and know well how to deal with foreign students as well. My kid had a great time at First focus during this summer. Thank you very much.

Now in Mountain View at El camino and El Monte, next to the CVS shopping center…read more My 3 year old started reading long vowel words after a few sessions. Teacher Candice doesn't come across like your typical warm and fuzzy preschool teacher and my daughter respects her and likes her. Of all the preschool level activities we've tried, First Focus is the most fun according to my daughter. I observe that she's more confident and engaged here than in any other type of class. Strange, there's homework and she wants to do it. It's expensive so if you are already doing preschool, the cost might be prohibitive. But if you child is begging to read, this is the place. I spent 6 months trying to make learning the alphabet fun for my child but I didn't succeed. After First Focus, my daughter thinks reading is just fun and games.

When my daughter went here last year, they were pretty unorganized compared to other schools in the…read morearea. We prefer Bubb in Mountain View and Cumberland in Sunnyvale a lot more. However their school psychologist is very helpful. If you are looking for a more laid back school then this is probably a good place for you but I prefer one a little more organized and that stresses discipline a little more. We also had a poor experience with one of the second grade teachers, and when we tried to express this to the principal it was just brushed off. The school is not bad, just average. Nothing really special stands out.

My 2 kid go school here great school staff & teacher is very helpful ground is very big play…read morestation is very new all great

I attended RSM for about 10 years, and I can honestly say it played a huge role in shaping both my…read moremathematical foundation and my love for the subject. As I prepare to start studying physics at Caltech this fall, I'm incredibly grateful for everything I learned here. What sets RSM apart is that it complements the math taught in school. Instead of solely focusing on formulas and procedures, it teaches students how to think logically, recognize patterns, and approach unfamiliar problems with confidence. Those problem solving skills have been invaluable not only in math, but in various other fields including physics and computer science. The teachers were exceptional and a primary reason why my experience at RSM was so fulfilling. I always felt supported by my teachers, especially Ms. Helena. Whenever I had questions, she was always happy to stay after class or stayed with me during breaks to explain concepts until I truly understood them. Looking back, I'm thankful not only for the knowledge I gained but also for the confidence, curiosity, and analytical mindset that RSM helped me cultivate over the past ten years.

If i have a chance, i would grade them -1. The teachers are very rude and instead of explaining in…read morethe class, they skip doubts. Never checks completed homework and relies on parents to do their work. Shame on them. They are all scam. Stay away from this place. Experience with our 2nd graders.

My son started Mathnasium a month ago and is loving it. He enjoys the work he is doing. I choose…read moreMathnaisum over other math classes as it offered a better solution to fill in some gaps my son had in some concepts and also provided me with a timeline of when that gap would be filled by. They also gave me a plan of when they would start introducing new concepts for him so he can get ahead. The staff is very friendly with the kids and the center is very inviting. Most importantly my son enjoys it there which is a win because it is hard to get kids to enjoy math.

Both of my kids have attended Mathnasium-Santa Clara and they've both had a great experience. When…read moremy oldest child was in 6th grade, he was struggling in math, so we decided to try out Mathnasium based on a neighbor's recommendation. It was a great investment in my child's education. He did so well that he was able to skip 2 grades and move from CC6 to Algebra 1 once he entered 7th grade. And best of all, he loves math again! The staff in Santa Clara is welcoming and genuinely cares about the kids. Thank you, Mathnasium!

Our two children had drastically different experiences here. For my older child, this was a great…read moreschool (5 stars). For my younger child, it was not (0 stars). Depending on your kid, this may or may not be the right place. First, the basics: MVLA Montessori is well-run, safe, clean, and enriching. I've never seen the teachers discipline the kids inappropriately or do anything unprofessional. All the teachers seem well-qualified and calm. (My daughter especially loved Ms. Michelle.) The classrooms are pleasant and the outdoor space is adequate. No red flags. Second, the administration: This could be positive or negative depending on what you're looking for. Miss Linda and Miss Louanne, the directors, run a tight ship. They have a lot of rules: no parents allowed in the classroom ever; no hanging out on the playground before or after pickup; no chatting in the parking lot; no toys from home; etc. They also have a strict schedule: dropoff is 8:30-9:00 AM only, and if you are a minute late, you may have to wait outside the classroom for 15-20 minutes. Miss Linda and Miss Louanne forbid email communication from parents directly to teachers. They require that all communications go through them, and they sign each email with both of their names. Opportunities to talk to teachers are very limited - usually only 30 seconds through the crack of a door at dropoff or pickup. Otherwise, you must schedule a special meeting with the teacher and the directors after school hours. There is an open house in the fall, but it's focused on showcasing the school rather than on intimate parent-teacher conversations. Third, the activities: The materials are typical for a Montessori school (number blocks, beads to count, water to pour, etc.), but overall the kids do not have as much freedom as at some other Montessori schools. Most of the day is spent doing mandatory activities (circle time, worksheets, identical craft projects, etc.) There is not much free play; kids have only one outdoor recess of ~20 minutes all morning. This was fine for my daughter, who's less active and who could happily do crafts all day. It did not work for my son, who is energetic and independent. Miss Linda and Miss Louanne organize seasonal events throughout the year, including a Halloween party, a Christmas song-and-dance show, and a graduation ceremony. The events are carefully orchestrated to be consistent and tidy (e.g., the kids all wear the same outfit at the dance and recite the same thing at graduation). The overall effect is predictably adorable, but it doesn't allow for much creativity. The same can be said of the avalanche of craft projects that come home weekly (many of which seem to have little involvement from the child him/herself.) Fourth, the classroom organization: This ended up being a deal-breaker for us. When my daughter started in 2015, MVLA had age-cohort classrooms (2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s). This worked well for her, especially the 5s' kindergarten room, which she loved. My son started in 2017 when he turned two, and his first year was OK. But in 2018 at the start of his second year, MVLA (without discussing with parents) eliminated the 2's classroom and switched to a mixed-ages model, combining 3s, 4s, and 5s in each room. Mixed-age classrooms can be great when young kids learn from older ones and older kids develop responsibility for younger ones. But that dynamic works best in a less structured environment. MVLA is very structured, and the result of this change was to expect all the kids to act like pre-kindergartners. My 36-month-old, suddenly the youngest in the school, did not fit into a pre-K classroom where he had to trace alphabet worksheets and paste maps of the continents. He just wanted to play and run. Finally, communication. I was not happy with the lack of communication about my son. Apparently he had not been doing well in his 3-to-5-year-old classroom for months before the teachers finally contacted us. They said the other kids had all "normalized" to the classroom and he had not. We tried to coax him into better behavior (more sleep, exercise, rewards), but the problem ran too deep; he wasn't capable of acting like a pre-kindergartener. The teachers' repeated insistance that he sit still, stop touching things, stop wiggling at circle time, and stop scribbling on his worksheets made him miserable and frustrated. He started calling himself "bad," and his behavior worsened at home, too. Because we kept hearing from the MVLA staff that no other child acted like ours, we thought our son had developmental setbacks and couldn't cope with any school environment. But we have since talked to other former MVLA parents with similar stories; see Gretchen B's inexplicably censored ("not recommended") review below! Thankfully, our son is thriving this year at Orchard GCC (exploration-focused and maker-themed). I wish he hadn't spent last year unnecessarily struggling at MVLA. It is not for everyone.

Miss Linda, Miss Chelly, Miss Michelle and Miss Louanne - Thank you so much for taking care of my…read morebaby girl while I have to work:) Miss Rosa is also amazing - my daughter would come back with the most beautiful hair dos that i simply cannot recreate! I don't have enough praise for this school. It is my first experience with preschools and I signed my daughter up for when they first opened in the summer of 2014. All the teachers are amazing and have the most wonderful energy. There's warmth, and feeling of family with unconditional love. My daughter is learning so much every day and brings home things they create at school and I am at awe of how neat and imaginative they are. She is very proud of them as well as she loves to show them to everyone in our house:) The facilities are brand now and play ground is perfect with lots of space and activities for kids of all ages. I have a really heavy heart about leaving them, but it's just too long of a drive for us. Almost as soon as we started this school we had to move about 30 min away. I feel bad that my daughter spends 1-1.5 hours in the car each day instead of playing with her little sister and doggy. Ever since we moved in October I started to look for another school, and to my surprise I could not find anything that was anywhere close to this amazing school and teachers. I decided that we will keep driving in until we fins something that's close to what we currently have. We finally found another montessori that is close (but still not as great as MVLA) and should be getting in for the fall. I am sad about leaving this school and I am sure my daughter will be too.

This school is awesome and the teachers are great. I love…read morethe activities the school has ive had no complaints about the teachers all have been great and understanding.

Huge tip to anyone registering their child for Bubb -- when filling out the registration form, DO…read moreNOT mark that you speak more that one language a home. Even if your child has some exposure to another language, do not mention it -- tell them that you only speak English, even if it is not true. If you do, your child will be locked into the ESL (English as a second language) level designation. I think they call it ELAC, but you child will be learning English as a foreigner. The Mountain View voice has written several articles over the years about the ELAC program, and none of them have been positive. To be fair, the MVWSD has made some changes to the program, but in general, ELAC students are "stigmatized" (a retired Bubb educator actually used that word) and it puts them at a disadvantage to their peers. The Voice even commented that the consequence of being in the ELAC program even in elementary school can be so broad reaching as to affect them through high school and into college. I do not want to see other kids go through the struggles our family has gone through with this misguided program. Good luck.