Can't say enough good things about Aspirations! We have three kids, one has graduated from kinder…read moreand our other two kids still attend. From our time in the baby room, to basically having kids in every room, and almost every teacher, we have loved our time here. I've been a room parent, mystery reader, volunteered at their annual gala and attended their amazing kids art shows. The school and the teachers go above and beyond in everything they do. If your looking to find a caring, safe, creative and loving environment, this is your school.

We have thought a lot before writing this review which mostly reflects how we felt about…read moreAspirations at the end of our almost 5 years with the school. We ended up leaving because despite having had such a long time with the school, it became obvious to us at the end that we weren't valued as a family and that our little one wasn't truly seen as a whole person. We had one child start in the Bambini (baby) room just before COVID, went back after COVID and continued all the way through until starting Kindergarten. We had another child that spent a couple years here before just leaving this year. On a whole, Aspirations feels like a Instagram dreamspace - the Emilio Reggio style learning emphasizes the environment and it truly shows. As a parent, you know your child is surrounded by beauty. The art show feels special (although you eventually come to realize how much "teacher guidance" the final auction pieces actual reflect). The gala is also exciting and fun (when it happens). The playground is spacious and beautiful. Our years through Aspirations meant our kids have been in almost every room and in reflection there were great teachers and there were so-so ones and almost every year there was at least some unexpected teacher turn-over in the middle of the year. We ended up leaving because the first time we had any issues, we were surprised at the inflexibility of the administration and unwillingness to work with us. We requested that our little stay with friends in transitioning to a new class, shared the difficult family/life events that were affecting her and had the admin team tell us that they were not going allow her to change classes that despite the fact that the requested class was not yet being filled (they wanted to keep spots open for newer families/kids). Additionally, they weren't even willing to come up with a alternative plan (ie she could move to that class if someone transitioned out). The finality of "administrator knows best" was a slap in the face and made us finally look around and realize that this was one of the most expensive schools around, does not provide lunch, and its premium for the "extended care" (4-5pm where all extended care kids get placed with another teacher for that last hour, sometimes a different one daily) was not the standard everywhere.

This is one of the best places to send your pre-school child. This family-run business has been in…read morebusiness for over 30 years with two other locations--Encinitas and Vista. Kathy is the head cheese and has guided many children in this space many well-ahead of the game when entering kindergarten. I can honestly say is that the children are really loved and looked after here. She has had the same employees for many years as they also truly love the experience. The emphasis is on supporting the children as they explore art, learning and playing. There is none or only limited time on computers and the kids can even play in their bare feet. My child attended this awesome school for 2.5 years and she still maintains friendships that she established there. Just a note, the location has never been renovated so be prepared.

When I first saw this place, I was like oh it's just old school, California earthy. I liked earthy…read morewhen I was young this will be great. Mistake number one on my part. I am sure this was a great place and idea in the 70s. I don't know the exact history, but it was probably more of a small neighborhood school for the neighborhood when it began. But truth be told, it isn't what it used to be. I don't know maybe it was always like this and nobody expected anything better or thought that they would need to evolve. We have evolved as parents, teachers and guardians of how to raise a healthy secure child and how to really help them thrive and feel safe in a pre-school/school environment. There are too many incidents to mention and too many red flags to mention of what my child witnessed and I myself witnessed and other parents witness but I didn't know any better. Your young child will not be in a physically safe environment in the outside area, there are hiding spots for children of all ages to wreak havoc and harm each other. Despite what you're told, the bigger kids are definitely mixed together with the younger kids without proper supervision and it's basically a free for all. "It's a kids will be kids and boys will be boys environment". That said, they also have them watch tv if they aren't allowed to nap. Yes they can tell your child they can't nap, there is not room for everyone. The teachers feed them candy without asking your permission and your child will be totally filthy when you get them, unless it's raining, then they have to block the whole dirt/Sand back off because it will be totally muddy with pools of water. The bathrooms are also a free for all. If your child is potty training, this is not the place you want them. Although the 2 tiny little potties and sinks are cute, they have zero privacy. Children are allowed to open the doors and crawl under the doors while other children are going potty. I saw this more than once and nobody did a thing. Things such as big boys were slamming the doors back and forth bothering a little girl who was going to the bathroom. My kid who was learning said that he didn't want to go at school because the big kids bothered him, so he was terrified. Maybe they get to eat a proper lunch without being harassed. The children with emotional or behavioral issues are not helped properly and are left to do as they please to the other children if they are not constantly supervised. Even during lunch or snack time. My child literally begged me not to take him to school on several occasions and I just thought he was being a toddler but now I know better. I have also witnessed children climbing the fence begging parents not to leave them. Again, I thought this was normal. It is not. He and his friends were being bullied and tormented by other older children and he was emotionally stressed, time has passed and he STILL talks about it. When I had to address an issue and asked to discuss it, I was heavily dismissed and ignored. Security-They leave signs for delivery people on the front latch gate to leave packages in the outdoor hallway. Which means if your child is hanging around alone someone could easily snatch them. Granted it has probably never happened but it's not actually secure. Anyone can walk in through the two old iron school gates and harm the kids if they wanted to. This place in theory could be great if it were updated, cleaned up, painted, managed and staffed properly and not a total fire hazard. If you let your child go and he or she thrived, great for you, but if your child showed or shows signs of being abnormally stressed, hopefully they will be able to express that to you and hopefully you listen to them. My son was sad and stressed after only a short few months and my heart broke. I felt like the worst parent ever for not noticing it wasn't his age but the environment I placed him in. PROS-great art projects and Ms. Lara One teacher Ms. Lara was always kind and gentle and basically had to protect some of the children and she knew it, but even she was afraid to have a voice. I felt like she was pretty intelligent and should probably be in a better place herself; but Ms. Frankie, Ms. Cathy and the other teacher(s) were not that smart and I am not even sure if they have degrees in child development, If they do, I am shocked and I didn't ask and that is my fault. Cons-Everything else Please do your research, there are much much much better/safer options for your child and you only have to pay as much as this place costs or a few hundred more for a quality education in the area.

This is my child's third preschool (because of moving) and I can't recommend this place enough. The…read moreteachers are so loving and nurturing. They truly care about each child. My kid is always so happy when he gets to school and when i pick him up, he even asks if he can stay. I love that they get a lot of time outdoors with a lot of grass and a big playground. We are so grateful for this school and all the teachers!

Our family loves Lighthouse! The staff and teachers are incredible. They love all the kids so much…read moreand both of my children absolutely love going to school everyday! The school is safe and secure, with a beautiful grassy area and playground where the children love to play. The kids are so sweet and the teachers go above and beyond to create healthy friendships and foundations. Lighthouse does so many amazing and creative things with the kids and my children always come home happy! Lighthouse fosters a beautiful community, it feels like family

Strongly Not Recommended. E3 appears to be primarily profit-driven, focused more on generic…read morehomework help than the meaningful, individualized academic support our family was seeking. We paid $500 per child for intake assessments, only to discover there was no immediate availability for actual instruction. Months later, when a teacher was finally assigned, we were told she was not the right fit and lacked expertise in the area our child needed most--ELA. Their communication was inconsistent, their promises misleading, and overall, the experience felt transactional rather than student-centered. Despite the polished sales pitch, our experience reflected a lack of professionalism, accountability, and genuine concern for our child's education. Be wary of vague assurances and shifting explanations--they always seemed to have an excuse but never a real solution. Ultimately, we found a far better alternative--a certified teacher at a local elementary school who specializes in ELA and comes to our home for a quarter of the $150 per hour E3 charges. Since working with her, our son has made tremendous progress and grown by leaps and bounds in his ELA skills. Save your time, money, and frustration--look elsewhere for real, caring, and qualified support.

My daughter attends an academically rigorous local private school and when I asked what resources…read morethe support staff at the school suggested to help her tackle the various writing projects throughout her junior year, they automatically recommended e3. It's great to have a trusted ally in her corner, working with her each week to get organized and prepare for future projects. I've noticed it's helped her become less stressed as the weekend comes to a close and the school week looms and more confident. So glad we found e3!

This isn't directly related to any child, however, I wanted to share what a quality person the…read moreowner is. I signed up through the dmv website to take my CA written exam on line. Unfortunately I didn't have a laptop with a webcam handy. I called every business and/or library and none of them had computers to rent with cams. I called the learning center and they allowed me to utilize there computer and webcam in a private room free of charge. I still can't believe how kind and accommodating they were? I can only imagine this is how they treat all the parents and children that need the learning center. Thanks again for your kindness. Phil

First of all it's hard to find a place that really understands kids needs and works well with them…read more If your here you know as I do it's such a difficult path to go down. My son is very complicated to say the least. He is ASD, TBI, severe auditory and visual processing, high sensory integration, Irlens Syndrome, extreme anxiety, dyslexia and does not trust anyone. We have not been successful anywhere until here at ELC. Lynda got him in every way and I was taken back. I didn't have to tell her his needs or what we have found that worked for him. She told me and I kept saying yep that's it!!!! She understands how auditory and visual processing affects the ability to learn. They know when to push but not to much. They are looking at body language, fidgeting, behaviors to make sure he is okay. They work with you and your child not against you. One saying that really sticks with me is when Lynda said to me," we are not going to force him to learn our way there are over 20 ways he can learn we just need to figure out which one works best for him." As you can tell I highly, highly recommend ELC. I have referred other parents that have been so frustrated with the access to learning and all live me for recommending ELC. After you speak with Lynda you will understand it all !!!!

We've been with Mathnasium approaching 7 years now. From elementary, middle and high school topics…read more Special shout out to Chris , Kyra, Max, Ethan, and Center Director Benji. Your team is amazing and thank you for being flexible . My son and daughter have excelled in math and preparing my kids for school.

The people who run this Mathanasium are fantastic. They stayed open during a time when most other's…read morewere still doing online only sessions durong the pandemic which was important to me when there wasnt much in person learning avilable or open at the time. They are also very accommodating, such as enrolling my son when he was a grade or two under their starting age/grade range of 2nd grade. They are extremely easy to book online or call and schedule sessions, and they are staffed well with generous availability on time slots. My daughter started out behind on Math and is now easily where she needs to be, and my son is a grade level or two ahead due to their time spent here, and that's with us only able to make it half of the recommended 2x / week. Also they are great with math homework help, my daughter picks them over me now and just saves it for her sessions here!

I love this place and so does my 20 month old. Every other…read morepreschool that I toured was chaotic and toys everywhere and kids screaming. I walk into my daughters room and there are framed family photos and thoughtfully placed out toys and projects for kids to play with. Clean environment and loving attention. Daily updates on a app are my favorite! Mrs Lupe and Mrs Taylor are great teachers! It's hard to get my daughter to leave everyday. She loves it!

Toured the school and have to say felt very warm and genuine in regards to the care the teachers…read morewere showing to their kids. Staff all had smiles on their faces and seemed happy to be there! Leaning towards enrolling my daughter!

We used E3 for over two years…read more My three children span elementary, middle, and high school. Although they had the aptitude to support elementary aged children, they have not demonstrated the same success as the children advanced. As they expanded to two locations the personal service and attention has dropped significantly. As a parent we are careful when changing tutors and therapists until we are certain it is in the child's best interest. So we stayed through E3's growing pains. A mistake which has demonstrated itself in scholastic achievement. The charge a premium for there services and their is no support for their staff. When a problem arises the burden is left to the tutor to solve. The staff turn over occurs at the end of summer and you start with a new tutor each year. For middle and high school your money and time would be better spent with subject matter specialists. Education is important, be sure to set and reinforce your expectations regularly or all you will receive is a hand written note with sentence fragments tracking progress. Best of luck

When my daughter started a private school two years ago, a year ago, her math became challenging. I…read morefound E3 Consulting and from the first phone call, they were welcoming and friendly and they made me feel very comfortable; everyone was so nice that it convinced me to try them. After talking with Becky about my daughter a little bit, she assured me she had the right person, she thought, would be the perfect fit for my 14 year old. She was absolutely right! First Alyse helped my daughter (she would drive to school and tutor her there which was fantastic), and now Tonya tutors my daughter at the Encinitas office. We love Tonya too... She's smart as a whip and my daughter really relates to her as a person and as a tutor. My daughters grades have improved 100% and she is no longer anxious about math. I'm so pleased with E3 and I highly recommend them to anyone who needs that little extra help! Carol W