100000 stars!! There aren't enough words to say how AMAZING this school is!!! Athena is a special,…read moremagical gem and we feel so absolutely lucky to have found it. The teachers and the atmosphere just radiate peace and positivity. The quality of education is incredible. My son turned 5 yesterday and is already about to start reading!! The amount of personal attention and care each student receives is incredible. My second child is about to "walk through the gates of life" this May and head to kindergarten.. I am honestly heartbroken to not go there everyday anymore lol! We have had a child there for the past 5 years and if I could keep them there forever, I would! We have had the honor to get to know Ms. Alex, Ms. Jazmin and Ms. Morgan over the years and these women are absolutely INCREDIBLE! They have huge hearts and really LOVE what they do, and it shows!! They have a magic way of connecting, communicating and relating to the kids. We are so THANKFUL for the values and knowledge they have bestowed in our children that will shape who they become forever!! We love each of you so much!! My kids made me promise to always take them back to say hello as they grow...that speaks volumes in my book. Athena is a purely magical place!

We have been blown away by our experience with Athena. The support and caring from the staff has…read morebeen amazing. Our son has flourished at the school. The growth from August until now has been exponential on all fronts. He is more independent, communicating more and becoming a member of his classroom community. The other parents as well have created a lovely community and support system as well. My husband and I didn't realize just how lucky we were to get a spot in the school!

My little has been at this school for the past 2 1/2 years and has been provided wonderful care of…read moreby their loving staff. Would recommend to anybody who wants a safe, fun, play centered daycare. She is now about to start kindergarten and it will be bitter sweet to leave but she has been given the foundation she needs. I will be forever grateful for "her tribe" that has nurtured her through her toddler years.

We love this school. Last spring we started our son at a highly rated daycare school that was…read morepretty expensive and although we loved the teacher nothing about dealing with the school or director went smoothly. We moved our son to child craft and were a little hesitant at first with the price being significantly lower than the previous and just not appearing quite as new or fresh I could say. We love love miss rachel and my son is happy here. He isn't nearly as aggressive at home as he was with the other school and has learning to communicate better and follow direction better and he just loves the playground so much too and they do full on potty training too so the months of stalled potty training at his last school and two months of being at this one and at home training he is almost 100% trained aside from nighttime.

Wow, what can I say, I feel like we won the jackpot when we found Magellan. our daughter started in…read moreKindergarten and although she isn't very good at adapting or transitions, she immediately fell in love with her teachers and school friends.. There are no cliques and no bullying and when we have had issues we have raised them with the teachers and they have jumped on them to solve them immediately, and unlike other private schools there's no sense of entitlement from the parents or students. Also, because the school is so good at awarding scholarships not everyone is 'rich'! The school also has a great parent teacher association which offer weekly meet-ups and play dates as well as adult only events. Each class also has a WhatsApp chat group so parents can easily communicate with each other. If it sounds like one big happy family you'd be right, that's exactly what it feels like. In terms of academics my adhd child has thrived. Diagnosed at 4 we thought she would struggle but the school has been amazing at supporting her needs and accommodating her. They also offer many different seating types from a bouncy ball chair, to cushions on the floor and other such. It's very holistic and non political and offers many diverse ways of learning. They have a calming corner, encourage reading and emotional open communication as well many other ways of teaching emotional and academic intelligence. They teach in Spanish from day one and introduce Mandarin from 3rd grade, they also teach following the international Baccalaureate which is amazing. It teaches the children self confidence through weekly presentations and teaches them autonomy. Honestly this school is amazing and now it goes until 12th grade we are obsessed and so you will be too. But, sshh don't tell anyone about our secret slice of heaven.

My son has attended Magellan since the age of three years old-- he is now in second and we have…read morealready registered him for third grade. Hands down, my husband and I feel it is best decision we have made for his education. Although it can be a bit pricey, we have felt that it has been worth every dollar. He is growing up to be a well spoken, well thought, caring little human. I love that he is bilingual, but I really love his open minded views and his eagerness to learn. The teachers... the teachers have all been so amazing. They are loving, caring and really take each student's personalities and abilities into consideration as they grow from year to year. As I said, it's not the cheapest option and we do discuss yearly if we will be renewing his tuition-- and, with each year this answer comes easier and easier with an astounding "YES". We love the school, the community, the parents and look forward to many more years at Magellan!

My daughter started at Twin Oak Montessori School when she was 3 years and 10 months old and has…read morenow graduated at 5 years old. Our family moved to the US from another country, and her English level was very basic. I was worried about her adaptation without knowing the language. I'm so happy that I found Twin Oak because, over this period, she has quickly become fluent in English, made many friends, and looks forward to coming to school every day. The wonderful people from the school helped my daughter adapt to a new culture so easily. All the teachers, especially Miss Chuti and Miss Alina, have been incredibly kind and friendly to Nika. They really love children, and this is incredibly valuable to me. My heart always swells with happiness when I see my daughter smiling and happy after school. I love the educational program, which includes many topics such as science, math, new vocabulary, creative projects, and physical exercises like bicycling, splash days, and dance. Additionally, I appreciate how they support parents and lift my mood every morning when I drop off my kids. I'm so grateful to the Team! Sofia, mom of Nika

I love the Twin Oaks Montessori experience for my child. She joined at 18 months and just turned 3…read more She loves going to Twin Oaks every day, loves her teachers, and loves her friends. They may be more traditional (no screens, no digital communication), but I actually enjoy that. I don't need photos of her everyday. I can tell she's learning and engaged by the things she tells and shows us at home and how happy she is to see her teachers and friends each day at drop-off. I appreciate that the teachers are spending their time with my child actually teaching and guiding. My daughter knows her numbers, colors, shapes - even a song that names all the planets. She gets exposed to foreign languages (Spanish, French, Japanese, ASL), music, yoga, other cultures and countries, and so much more. There are some older reviews that mention coloring sheets, but we haven't experienced that. One of the teachers who has been there for roughly 2 years is an artist herself and helps the children with a guided (every child makes their version of the same image) or self-expressive (every child creates what they would like) each week. We even have some framed up in our child's room. I highly recommend Twin Oaks.

Amazing school and teachers. Our daughter has been attending NWM since she was 18 months old, and…read morewe couldn't be happier with her growth and progress. It's a wonderful community of parents and educators who are truly dedicated to supporting the whole child. We're so grateful for Northwest Montessori!

We have 3 children at NWM and always say it's such a hidden gem! The variety of instruction and…read moreactivities (especially science) is phenomenal and I cannot say enough about the wonderful teachers. Thank you, NWM, for all you've done and do for our three children.

Great kids, great teachers and great parents make for a great environment to learn and socialize…read more A great lead into kindergarten, school and life.

Amazing school that centers the child's learning experience and prioritizes community!read more

This is a special gem of a place. It's filled with kind, caring compassionate people who teach your…read morekids how they learn. They have a rigorous academic environment while having fun. What a special place to learn and grow.. Truly one of a kind. And the impact on my son and our family has been life changing. The kids learn manners, kindness, friendship, & teamwork on top of the academics.

I wanted to love Magnolia. We carefully chose this program because it presented itself as a place…read morethat understood autistic children and used modern, supportive, ABA-informed practices. Unfortunately, our experience did not match those expectations. During a trial day, a young autistic child became upset after a developmentally typical frustration in a new environment. Instead of observing the calm support, co-regulation, and individualized approach we expected from a program with this stated level of expertise, we experienced a response that felt escalating rather than supportive. There were also concerns with the emotional regulation of the leading staff member, and online records that reinforced concerns related to emotional regulation and safety. The biggest concern was the disconnect between the program's stated philosophy and what we observed in practice. A moment that could have been handled as an opportunity for connection, regulation, and teaching instead left us questioning whether the environment was truly equipped to support autistic children in the way it represents, or any child. Ultimately I did not feel comfortable trusting my daughter to Magnolia. I am grateful we had the opportunity to see this before the school year began, but it was disappointing to have to reconsider so close to the start of school after believing we had found the right fit. Every child deserves a program whose practices match its promises.

We been with INIC for almost a year now , my baby started when she was 11 months old! She loves it…read moreand is always excited to go, she loves her teachers. Our family loves everything about this school, and we get to check on what activities she's doing throughout the day in real life time. After touring multiple daycares, this was hands down the best decision we could have made.

My family was part of the INIC community for nearly four years. I sent both of my daughters there…read moreas infants and previously left a 5-star review. I would have enthusiastically recommended this school. Today, I cannot. The issue is not the teachers. The teachers have been exceptional and are the reason so many families choose this school. Despite years of tuition increases and persistent concerns from teachers and families, the school has not made the investments necessary to retain them. In early March alone, at least 7 teachers left or announced their departures--nearly 20% of the teaching staff by parents' count. Both of my daughters experienced unexpected teacher departures in their classrooms during that same period. For young children, teachers are not interchangeable. They are trusted caregivers and a critical source of stability. When teachers leave, children lose important relationships and families are left helping them navigate yet another transition. During enrollment, families are told classrooms are staffed with a lead teacher, an assistant teacher, and additional flex staff available for coverage. In reality, my oldest daughter's classroom frequently operated at the legal minimum ratio of one teacher for fifteen four-year-olds. Multiple current and former teachers described being unable to reliably use sick days, vacation days, or even take basic bathroom breaks because there was often insufficient coverage available. When a school is staffed so leanly that teachers struggle to meet basic human needs during the day, it raises serious questions about how well both teachers and students are being supported. Teachers reported compensation in the $14-$17/hour range despite bilingual education being one of the school's primary differentiators. Comparable non-bilingual childcare positions in Austin often advertise higher wages. The result is predictable: teachers leave. Children lose stability. Families absorb the consequences. Demand for bilingual childcare in Austin far exceeds supply, and many families have few realistic alternatives once enrolled. Given that reality--and given that tuition has continued to increase year after year--I expected a greater commitment to investing in the teachers and staffing stability that families are ultimately paying for. Parents who attempted to ask questions and advocate for improvements--including efforts to reestablish the PTA--often received little to no response. While our family's relationship with the school ultimately ended following disagreements with leadership about these issues, the concerns described here are based on nearly four years of experience and conversations with numerous current and former teachers and families. The teachers are the school's greatest strength. The challenge is whether the school will make the investments necessary to retain them long enough to provide the stability and continuity that young children deserve.