Beyond grateful for this incredible school. My son attended TK -8th. The staff and faculty were…read moredevoted, kind and steadfast in their commitment to not just teach academics but character, and beyond that, how to be good stewards of their community and the planet. And it was fascinating to watch the transition from Kinder, through the grades and into the rigorous middle grade years. Each building block preparing them for the next milestone. He was well-prepared for high school!

We signed up for a prospective family tour and came with our son, excited to show him a potential…read morenew school. Unfortunately, the front desk staff were rude and inflexible from the moment we walked in. Rather than welcoming a prospective student, they spent the entire interaction explaining all the reasons he couldn't see the campus that day. A simple gesture -- "since you're here, let us take five minutes to show him around" -- would have meant the world to a child. Instead, we got rigid rules and zero warmth. If this is how a school treats prospective families during what should be their best foot forward, I can only imagine the day-to-day environment for kids. We made the decision on the spot not to enroll. I'd recommend other families look elsewhere.

A very diverse neighborhood school with strong community, parent involvement and experienced…read moreteachers. Hands down the most green, modern, equipped and well maintained campus in the area. The booster club raises $450,000-500,000 per year for enrichment, class size reduction teachers, expanded STEAM activities, color runs, cultural events, extra field trips, curated programs, new computers, etc. Several aftercare options including free BTB&ELOP and paid enrichment options like STAR, basketball, soccer, tennis, orchestra, chess, culinary.

Our experience at this school has been overwhelmingly disappointing. One of the biggest concerns is…read morethat families' experiences can seem to vary dramatically depending on whether they are part of certain social circles, closely connected to administration, or involved in the PV mom group. Parents who have the flexibility to volunteer as room parents often appear to be more included and informed. Unfortunately, many working parents simply don't have that option. While some teachers care and work hard for their students, their efforts are often overshadowed by what feels like a culture of parent politics and favoritism. The school community can feel unwelcoming and exclusionary if you are not part of the "right" group. The PTA's annual fundraising ask of approximately $1,500 per family can also create pressure for those who cannot comfortably contribute at that level. Whether intentional or not, families who aren't able to participate financially may feel LESS VALUED by the administration. And trust the other negative reviews. We're just trying to focus on one main issue. The administrators seem to forget they work for the district, not for the affluent parents. Peasants beware, indeed! Overall, this has been a very negative experience for our family, and we would not choose this school again.

The proof is in the pudding! Upon graduating from preschool at Blue Oak, our 5 year old son is…read morearticulate, confident, competent, independent, self-aware and kind. Words like, "inspired, identity, collaboration, advocacy, equality, mentorship, hospitality, and community" are not only commonplace in his vocabulary, but they are part of who he is and how he understands himself and his world.  We moved our son to Blue Oak after having completed 1.5  years at another local preschool when we had serious concerns about how he was being treated and how he was learning to behave.  The contrast between these two schools could not have been more striking. When my son joined his Blue Oak class mid year, the teachers prepared the class to welcome and embrace him. A few weeks before he started, they placed photos of him and our family in the class room and spoke all about him at morning meetings. They asked the children what they wanted to learn about him and asked them how it might feel to be new to a group of already established friends (using the opportunity both to ensure our son was welcomed with so much warmth but also to teach the other children empathy). They scheduled a playdate for him and us to come meet a few of the children prior to his start date. On this play date, we were all welcomed with such warmth. All of the teachers and administrators greeted us by name (before we introduced ourselves) and you would have thought my son was  a celebrity based on the reception he received from the children. The children (not the adults) gave us a tour and showed our son their favorite things to do at school. Additionally, the administration had a family in his class reach out to us to welcome our family to the community and set up a play date outside of school so our son could build rapport with their son prior to starting school. How they handled this transition was a glimpse into how they do everything; with so much deliberate intention;  knowing that every action, every conversation, every word impacts others (and especially these precious young souls).  I was so worried about my son when he started at Blue Oak, not so much about the transition, as I immediately knew that Blue Oak had that handled, but concerned he'd continue the behaviors he learned at the other preschool - hitting, kicking, biting. I heard nothing from the teachers for the first few weeks, but immediately started to see pictures of my son on the blog looking content and focused, engaging with new friends, digging, wire cutting, climbing, reading quietly in cozy spaces, sitting in small storytelling groups "collaborating" with others and I couldn't help but compare it to the scenes I would witness at pickup at the other school we had just left - unsettled children, chaos, yelling, hitting, frenetic energy while the teachers were eating or gossiping with parents or each other, in short - dysregulated little nervous systems in desperate need of competent adults with both the will and skill to support and guide them. If only that other school could learn from the brilliant directors and teachers at Blue Oak!  .  When we had his first parent/teacher conference, I was in tears when the teachers shared that on his first day at Blue Oak, a friend took a toy from him and he hit that friend. The teachers said that they fully expected this behavior given the environment he had come from and that they were thrilled that they had this opportunity to work with him and teach him the norms and behavior expectations. They explained how they worked with our son and the other friend on conflict resolution (without shame or blame) and THAT WAS THE LAST TIME he ever hit at school.  I remember feeling so relieved, our son was going to be fine...and now after his 1.5 years at Blue Oak, I see that he is so so much more than "fine." He is thriving! I feel so beyond proud of the 5 year old he has become and see nothing but a bright future for him (based on this critical foundation of respect, social and emotional intelligence, empathy, self-regulation and love).  Send your child to Blue Oak if you believe your child is capable far beyond what conventional societal wisdom would assume and if you want your child to be seen and honored for exactly who they are. Your child will be treated consistently by all adults (admin teachers and aides) with nothing but respect, kindness and the healthy structure and boundaries that they need to explore their limits safely and to grow to be their "best self"...and DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED! I think I might have had we not had the "other" experience at another school first. This school is the real deal. You will count yourselves among the luckiest (and blown away by the results)  if your child (and family) have this experience.

Going into this profession I was beyond excited to jump start a career surrounded by children and…read morelike minded adults who wanted to make a change in children's lives. While working with children was a nice experience, considering I have always been able to gain a child's trust since I was younger, I was excited for the connections I was building. Two months into my employment I started to realize how toxic the team is at the Sawtelle /Mar Vista location. I don't believe they have the best interest in the children who attend this location. They never came up to me to evaluate my performance but instead went straight to the director and told her a bunch of lies. If they are genuinely concerned about your child's well being don't you think they would speak to me immediately about my performance? That certainly did not happen. The director took their word and ultimately told me " you're not fit for this company." Seems to me like they just wanted me out but in the end they did me a huge favor! I wish blue oak the best but they should definitely re-think the people they are hiring. As of right now this location only seems to care about getting through the day and making sure they have someone to clean the classrooms, not a genuine authentic team building atmosphere.

this school is amazing! I have 2 kids here and this is their 2nd year here they love the staff and…read moreteachers

This school is terrible. It is disgusting, the student to teacher ratio is horrific, and the kids…read moreare foul. At this school, children are using profanity and derogatory language everywhere, including but not limited to slurs. This school also inforces labor on older people. The custodians, both for the elementary and middle schools, are older women. Some of the teachers themselves also use such profanity! Do not send your children here, it will take a turn for the worst.

This place really is a "Happy Land!"…read more Both my kids attended this preschool. The owners Aly & Yasmin are darling. I haven't had much one-on-one experience with Yasmin but Aly has always been very friendly, accommodating, professional, caring, and excellent with the kids. I really do believe that these people care for the kids and that they do not see it as a business. I would recommend this preschool to any parent out there!

I went here for my whole preschool life, I am now 16 and hold extreme hatred for this place, it…read moresmelled like crap constantly the second year (the first year it didn't) also they tried to make me throw my stuffed animal away for being too attached to it. I hate this place i have like 2 happy memories.

I was the typical Westside mom with a Microsoft excel spreadsheet of all the private elementary…read moreschools that we were interested in for our son. The Willows was the only school on my list that wasn't on the "Westside" and I was hesitant to even go to the tour because of that very reason, but I am so glad I did. Touring private schools is like being on the Bachelor. You get to know each other by going on dates (tours), spend money (applications), and one magical day (in March) you get a rose or not. Usually the process is very one sided being that there are way more applications than availability, but Willows never made me feel like they were dating anyone else. I toured a total of 5 schools, but Willows was the only school that sent me a thank you note for the time I spent on my tour. I'm sorry, but a gesture like that goes a long way. We as parents are expected to send follow up notes (hello beyondthebrochure), but to receive one- made me get butterflies. Who wants to date someone and not feel special? When I toured Willows, we lucked out and had Kim Feldman as our tour guide. She is not only the director of enrollment for the school, but she started there as a parent. I toured the school and was just in awe of their progressive approach. They recognize that every child learns differently- so they offer different approaches and strategies when it comes to teaching. This was the only school that I toured that left me wishing that I went to a school like this as a child. The school is warm and beautiful, but what makes the school stand out the most are the teachers and support staff. You can tell that everyone that works there loves their job and love what they represent. They genuinely care about you and your children. They are known throughout the community for hosting some exceptional parent education events - Besty Brown Braun, Dan Siegel, Frank Bruni, and etc were all speakers this year. They have a wonderful WPA and there's always events going on that promotes community and unity. If you are looking for a haven where your child will grow and thrive. Willows is it. My son has grown immensely not only intelligently, but emotionally as well. I credit them because they use the RULER approach which really resonated with him (so much that he wanted to make our very own "mood meter" at home). He has gained so much confidence and found his voice in such a short period of time here and I'll be forever grateful to the Willows because of it.

The Willows is the best elementary school in Los Angeles! It is academically challenging while…read morebeing so warm and supportive.

Montessori Academy of Culver City (MACC) was such a wonderful experience for both of our kids. The…read moreteachers were truly amazing - warm, thoughtful, attentive, and clearly invested in every child's growth. Our kids became so independent and capable during their time at MACC, while still getting to be silly, have fun, and genuinely love going to school. They came home excited about all the things they had learned, and it was clear they felt safe, supported, and happy there. We also appreciated the care the teachers took in every detail. You could really tell how much they cared about the kids. We love our children's new school, but we still miss MACC and its wonderful teachers. We have enthusiastically recommended MACC to other families.

Finding a preschool for my oldest child during COVID was no small feat. The options to tour and…read morescope out schools were limited as there is only so much a video conference can show. I knew MACC was special from the moment our virtual tour started. Ms. Ruhi showed us not only the school but exemplified specific activities our child would do and clearly explained what the curriculum would be. And everything she said and showed us was on point. Now, with a MACC graduate, and another still attending, I can completely and confidently attest to the amazing curriculum, staff, and community at MACC. More personally, we have gotten to know each of our children's teachers very well. We receive daily reports and touch base at pickup and drop off. It is very personal and the teachers genuinely care about and love their students. Even teachers our children used to have or never had are always eager to say hello to our children and greet them with a hug. Our children know everyone there and have always felt comfortable with them. Ms. Alie was our oldest child's first teacher and she always greeted us and our child with the most love and concern and always shared specific examples of our child's days from work to funny things they said, among other things. Ms. Gaby was our child's most recent teacher and between her and Ms. Melody, the pre-k/TK equivalent curriculum was unreal. Our oldest and their classmates learned SO much but also created some of the coolest art projects. The class was also extremely close and tight knit and you could tell they loved their teachers and each other and vice versa. Our younger child had Ms. Sheuly this year who also provided regular feedback to us at pickup and dropoff and would walk through our child's weekly worksheets so we could reinforce at home. Even though our oldest child didn't have Ms. Sheuly, the curriculum was just the same as was the quality of teaching and perhaps more importantly, the care and concern for our child. On top of all of this, the parent community is wonderful and we have made some very close friends through the years. Anytime a local parent asks about preschool options, I always recommend MACC for its community, curriculum, and supporting, talented and caring staff/teachers. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the speedy communication from Ms. MaryCarmen and Ms. Michelle and the love and support of the co-teachers in all classrooms. My only complaint is MACC doesn't go through high school!

New World Montessori has been so incredible to me and my family over the past half a decade. They…read morehad good ratings and a good reputation amongst parents that I knew in the area. I was on a waiting list for a while but I got in after the pandemic and they have been a fundamental foundation for my children's education and I couldn't be more grateful. Extremely attentive, very careful about cleanliness and if your child had allergies they were extremely careful, plus it's a nut free campus. You can choose to add a language like Mandarin or Spanish. During the summer there are swimming opportunities along with many other extracurricular choices if you so want. It's a wonderful school and I highly recommend it. They even potty trained my children. 10 out of 10.

Two of our children attended New World, one starting in preschool and the other in the toddler…read moreroom. We picked NW mostly for logistics, because it was close to home and offered extended care, rather than a particular desire for Montessori education. Having also had a positive experience with a play-based preschool before this, it is definitely a different approach--there is not much emphasis on imaginative play, for example. The initial enrollment process also has a lot of steps that was a little hard to accommodate with work schedules. Other than that our family had a great experience here for the past 3 years. Specific things we appreciated: -contrary to some other reviews, most of the teachers had been there for years and were very experienced and dedicated -they put a lot of emphasis on practical skills and manners both of which carried over a little outside of school -the approach to literacy and math helped them both be well prepared for elementary school -the school administration is very well organized with a calendar for the whole academic year so you can plan ahead for special events. My favorite is the science fair where each classroom sets up a bunch of hands on activities for the other kids to try -there is a warm and welcoming school/parent community Most importantly our kids were always happy at the end of the day. We recommend New World highly!