Our family is incredibly disappointed by our experience with Valley Vista Preschool, and after…read moreeverything that has happened, we cannot recommend this school to other parents.
The final straw came when our child was expelled on his birthday--the same day we had brought cupcakes to school to celebrate with his classmates. Regardless of the circumstances, there is simply no compassionate or professional way to justify delivering that news to a young child on such a meaningful day. It was heartbreaking and is something no family should have to experience.
What makes this even more frustrating is that the school had insisted we complete a comprehensive evaluation through UpLift Therapy. We spent $750 on an assessment, scheduled at the school's request, because we believed we were working collaboratively to support our child. Before that evaluation could even take place, Valley Vista expelled him. Looking back, it feels as though the evaluation was never truly about helping him, but simply about justifying a decision that had already been made.
Throughout our time at Valley Vista, we consistently felt that our child was singled out and treated as though something was inherently wrong with him. He is a loving, bright, energetic little boy. Like many preschoolers, he had moments of conflict and frustration. We have never excused biting or any aggressive behavior, but context matters. Preschool-aged children are still learning emotional regulation, impulse control, and conflict resolution. That is precisely why parents enroll them in preschool.
The school informed us that teachers witnessed the entire interaction leading up to the incident and were in the process of intervening. If staff observed the conflict escalating before it happened, it raises an important question: why wasn't it prevented? Supervising children and intervening before situations escalate is one of the primary responsibilities of preschool staff.
Despite repeatedly asking for objective documentation regarding these incidents, we were never provided with anything beyond verbal descriptions. We also never observed this level of behavior in other environments, making it difficult to understand why our child was consistently portrayed as the problem.
Unfortunately, we also found certain staff members to be cold, dismissive, and lacking the warmth, patience, and encouragement that young children deserve. Children are incredibly perceptive, and they know when they are not welcomed or embraced.
What became increasingly clear is that Valley Vista seems to have very little tolerance for children who require patience, guidance, or individualized support. It felt as though the expectation was for children to behave like robots--quiet, compliant, and never impulsive--instead of recognizing that preschoolers are still developing emotionally and socially. The purpose of early childhood education is not simply to teach children who are already "easy"; it is to help all children learn, grow, and navigate challenges in a safe and supportive environment.
From our experience, our child was treated differently from the beginning. Whether intentional or not, he appeared to be labeled rather than supported. That differential treatment left us questioning whether he was unfairly profiled. A preschool should focus on helping children succeed--not finding reasons to exclude them when they need guidance.
We understand that every school has a responsibility to keep children safe, and we respect that. However, safety and compassion are not mutually exclusive. The way this situation was handled lacked empathy, professionalism, and a genuine commitment to helping a child through a developmentally appropriate challenge.
For us, this experience revealed a school that seemed more interested in maintaining an image of perfect behavior than in fulfilling the mission of early childhood education. Families deserve to know that if their child experiences behavioral challenges, Valley Vista's response may be exclusion rather than partnership.
We sincerely hope the school reflects on how it supports children who need additional patience and guidance. No four-year-old should leave preschool believing they are the problem--especially on their birthday.
