I have been involved with this school for about nine years and I have to say it has been a…read moreblessing! It really is a hidden gem. The principle Mrs. Stein is kind and caring, she always listens to everything you say! She works on solutions, not problems and is very pro active! And any well ran school has a team of above average humans that work hard on understanding all the different children's needs. Lori at the front office gives love and support not only to the staff, volunteers, but all the children that need the extra smile and support during the day! They support well rounded children with lots of fun activities throughout the year besides just academics! Although they are great at the academic side as well. My son was behind on his reading skills but by the time he went to middle school he was reading at grade level! I had been to so many schools and doctors! And the teachers are the best! I can not say enough about what a great school this truly is! I read some of the other reviews and I'm sad they have not received the same experience! And as far as some of the same kids in the same class year after year makes sense because they put the children that work well independently in the combo classes and the other children are usually in the single grade class. Hope this helps.

Horrible principal that has no regard for students with disabilities. The principal Deborah Stein…read moreis condescending, rude, and lacks tact. Overall a horrible principal/ person. I wish they would remove her and hire a different principal that has compassion and actually cares about ALL students. Glad my child is no longer enrolled in this school.

The recent issues in the middle school here are very sad. Inexperienced and power hungry…read moreadministrators are ruining an otherwise vibrant and exciting learning environment. We hope this can be corrected before the school goes further downhill.

I just have to write a recommendation for Almaden Country Day Schoo!. We have been there for 2…read moreyears and have had a GREAT experience. They came highly recommended and I was obviously looking for a school with academics as a priority. Math and Language Arts are THE integral part of the school day. I feel confident my child will be more than ready for the most prestigious high schools. One hundred percent of this year's graduating 8th graders applying to private high schools were accepted I just heard. Wow. The hands on Science program and "Maker's Space"(which teaches children coding, robotics, 3D printing, electronics, etc.) are both phenomenal and I cannot say enough about their Art, Music, P.E., Theater, Foreign Language and Library programs. The difference however, with ACDS is its focus on each child. The moment I enrolled I knew I was entering my child into knowledgeable hands under caring and dedicated teachers that would encourage his gifts as well as continuing with academic rigor. Whether it be their after school sports or enrichment programs as well as the over 40 electives in middle school, he would find "his" path. Since that day, my child has broadened both in his academic knowledge and most importantly, his self confidence. He is an 4th grader and loves his school! The tenured teachers, under an exceptional Head of School, encourage self exploration and provide the opportunity for each child individually to find their path while still adhering to curriculum. No school is perfect and I am totally aware...but they ask. In a yearly survey we are asked, How are things? How can we do better? Does your child feel challenged and accepted? Do you feel a part of your child's education and development? Do you and your child feel a part of the community? (Along with much more!) Its other accolade is their TLC program which is one of the only specialized programs of its kind in the Bay Area. It provides 4:1 ratio for children who need small group education (within perimeters) in Math, Language Arts and Social Studies while integrating for other studies into the larger classroom experience in preparation for high school. It is a supportive environment with specially trained teachers that allows children to feel confident in their learning. My child has benefitted tremendously from this program while still feeling accepted within the larger program. ACDS has intentionally planned for seamless transitions within children's daily routines. I encourage anyone interested to go to their website or an open house and see for yourself. I encourage you to talk to other parents! Several! Or even the kids (whom by the way give the open house tours.). Your school choice is a big decision I know. I was there. The more information the better so you can make the decision what is right for your child and your family. ACDS was the right choice for mine.

My kids are much older and yes I have adjusted. I am more than grateful for the school that my boys…read moreare attending. They have a new Principal and both my boys are equally impressed with her format as they loved the old principal as well. They do seem to mention that they see her more around campus...So thats a plus in my books!

Excellent school, great library and teachers, only complaint is that the garden is just dead…read moreplants, and smells like weed, but otherwise it's a great school.

We are so happy to have spent our pre K ， K and first-grade in this campus. It has been years full…read moreof love, fun, and exciting activities. We will cherish all the wonderful memories and keep all the good memories. As we move on to second grade, we will carry these happy experiences with us. We like this campus and are grateful for such a wonderful year.

We are very happy with our experience at Stratford! Our son has been attending Stratford at the…read moreAlmaden campus since kindergarten. All his teachers, Ms Sangeetha & Ms Allie (K), Ms Shilpa (1st grade), have been excellent at encouraging our son to do well and have also provided critical feedback when needed. Our son adores his teachers and has made friends that hopefully stay for lifelong. We also like the balance Stratford offers in terms of academics and extra-curriculars. One minor feedback for the school would be to improve the summer program as our experience has been alright thus far. More creative program options would be nice. Overall, very happy with Stratford Almaden.

John Muir did not fit well with my child. We were there for two years and had issues with a couple…read moreof teachers that the administration did nothing to help resolve. In fact, we were constantly ignored my the administration and we are not complainers. In two years, we contacted the administration four times and were ignored three of those times. The overall feeling is that they just want kids to get by. I have been told by countless parents that you just need to survive John Muir in order to get to Pioneer High School. We couldn't take it anymore and pulled our son for his 8th grade year. He is now at an academically challenging school and thriving. Don't get me wrong, I do know families that have had decent experiences with John Muir. You can get a good education there, but it is the exception, not the rule. Mediocrity was the norm.

I worked for San Jose Unified School District for 3 years, at an elementary school…read more When I first started, my daughters had just begun attending kindergarten. I spoke Spanish, so I sought to work in their school, wanting to be close to them. I took the tests for employment, and began working as a paraprofessional, Spanish bilingual. I was in love with my job. Little by little, I started seeing behind the scenes: the favoritism, the politics, the corruption, how many teachers forgot the reason they were there: the children, how so many teachers, upon achieving tenure, just give up trying to inspire their students, and just sit, like a spider in a web, waiting for retirement. I was discouraged from continuing my credential because of this disillusionment. I was struggling to pay my tuition, and for what? To return to that nightmare?

My daughter has been at Challenger School Harwood for two years, and we've loved the strong…read moreacademics and the incredibly caring staff. The teachers and management are truly involved in each child's wellbeing. A special shout‑out to Mrs. Sukaina in the office team is always warm, responsive, and a delight to talk to. Highly recommend.

We are thrilled with our experience at Challenger School (Harwood Campus) this year! Our son is in…read morethe 4-year preschool program, and the growth we have seen in him is remarkable. A huge part of this success is due to his incredible teachers, Ms. Lourenda and Ms. Samita. They are a great team--warm, attentive, and dedicated to the students. You can tell they truly care about each child's individual progress. They have created such a disciplined yet joyful environment where our son feels confident and excited to learn every day. Academically, the curriculum is fantastic. Our son is currently learning vowel blending, which is a good achievement for his age! It is wonderful to watch him building such strong reading skills so early on. Thank you, Ms. Lourenda, Ms. Samita, and the entire Challenger Harwood team for giving our son such a strong foundation. We couldn't be happier with our decision to send him here!

This school was the bane of my absolute existance for 4 years. The academics are stressful, and the…read moretuition is extensive for a school that places no money towards paying teachers ( and one teacher will let you know that every single day) or upgrading the campus.

Stratford Middle School on Andover Lane in Cambrian Park has no respect for their neighbors at all…read more They mow their huge lawn every Tuesday morning starting from 6:30am-7:15am with no respect for their neighbors sleep at that time. Totally rude and disrespectful of their neighbors. We have tried calling about this with no response at all!