So not actually having a child enrolled in this school MAY mess with my ability to accurately judge…read morethe quality of this school....but my rating is as a spectator. Midway Elementary has two of the best playgrounds in DesMoines! A fantastic overall facility, and sits right next-door to Mt. Rainer HS's facility,track, pools, gym, tennis courts & more. I'd say that if my kids weren't in private school, they'd be in this school, for sure. (p.s. I've heard a lot of positive feedback from parents who's kids actually go here!)

the best English school in Washington my kid is learning so much from recommended for other kidsread more

I was just telling some friends how great our school is. Then I saw a bummer of a review on here,…read morebased on a short transition period, so I'm writing this. The short story is - it's a very good school run by professionals. A wonderful environment for kids who are neurodivergent or similar and have struggled in a larger school setting. It is supportive and non-judgmental, and we've found it to be a great balance of a place to learn and grow and a place to be supported and accepted. We were worried that it wouldn't be academically rigorous but found that it exceeded our expectations when our child was ready to learn. They meet all children where they are at every step of the way. Also, they do so many fun educational field trips. Here's the long version if you're interested: Our family started at Academy in 2024. That year, the old school director retired. Yes, there were staff changes. Yes, there was an interim director. Yes, it was a time of change and changes is hard especially when you are emotionally invested. Some families were so attached to the old director they didn't come back. Two years later and we're still very happily there. We found gold. Is it fancy? No. Is it exactly like a larger school? No. In areas where a child needs more support, they have it. The policy of "walk to math/language arts/science" allows them to learn subjects at a level and in a group setting difficult to access in larger private or public schools in a supportive way, whether accelerated or at a slower pace. Curriculum is solid and classroom size is excellent. As to the information concern - no. Many kids are district placements. The oversight and regulation involved in that is significant. No public school would partner with them if they broke any laws about information handling and they have placements from many districts. In May of 2024 they had just interviewed candidates for a new permanent director. I hope people will consider that Spring 2024 was just one rare season in the school's administration and while the other review was from someone that felt upset by how that transition was going, the new school director who was hired at the end of that year is awesome. I think she will be there for years to come. I never post reviews, but I hate that that review might be pushing families away from a truly excellent option for kids. To whoever you were it sounds like you felt like your school family was being ripped apart and you were afraid the whole place would be ruined, which must have been awful. Maybe you lost your job, maybe you pulled your child from the school. Regardless, please know that it is still "the little school with a big heart" and from my perspective as a very aware parent, it's in responsible hands.

Academy Schools was a buoy for our family after several years of struggling to stay afloat. The…read morestaff are compassionate, patient, and deeply dedicated to providing an individualized education in an environment that allows many students to feel accepted and safe in school for the first time ever. I'll forever be grateful for the tools and community they provided for both my kid and myself.

My son goes here. He has excelled here since the 8th grade. He is now a senior. If you're child has…read morea learning disorder or disability this school is geared towards that.

Great place for children with learning differences to explore and thrive in their individual…read morelearning styles. Helpful teachers, low teacher to student ratio, and numerous student lead ASB activities gives the feel of a larger welcoming education community. Their mission states this is a place where students come first and it's definitely apparent in the effort and caring attitude of their office personnel and staff.

TTM is a pedagogically-observant Montessori school, which will come as a relief to those parents…read morewho believe in the method and seek something more for their kids (and their expense) than a glorified day care. The classes are appropriately sized and more than adequately staffed with Montessori-trained guides & aides, and feature a full complement of beautiful wood, metal, and fabric Montessori-specific works arranged to allow curious minds instant access to meaningful, self-directed learning. The administrative staff is exceptional, led by a 20+ year veteran of both Pacific Crest Montessori & Northwest Montessori School. While transparently placing the student experience first (as they should), this administration takes great pains to accommodate the needs of parents by being respectful of the scant spare time available to most parents, and by reaching out to parents with lots of pertinent information & updates. The building itself is a high-security cruciform arrangement where toddler, primary, and elementary classes are housed in their own wings. It appears to be a former hospice or nursing home, the practical upshot of which is wide hallways and doors, bright sunny rooms, and lots of 'safety' hardware in common areas. The outside play areas are securely fenced (with locking, key-coded gates) and include play structures, gardening, and opportunities to get messy in real dirt in the time-honored tradition. The location is a quarter mile off WA-509 in Burien at 160th Street, just down the street from Highline Medical Center. We make the drive from Capitol Hill every day in 20 minutes. The location is also served by several bus lines from downtown Seattle (#131 & #121 pass 1/8 mi. to the east @ 160th & 1st; #123 1/8 mi. to the west @ 160th & 4th).

I have worked at Three Tree Montessori for twelve years and can only say wonderful, positive things…read moreabout it. The staff are incredible and the families, along with the children are amazing. Each day I go to school, I am amazed by the love and ability of the teaching staff, class assistants and the support staff. Each one cares deeply for the children and it shows in all they do. I am also incredibly proud of our administration and board of directors. They have weathered many storms through the years well and led us through difficulties with wisdom, always putting the children and their care first.

Campus needs updating ... except for the wood bleachers in the gym ... I love that!…read more Here for the high school girls basketball game - on the visitors side. The people here are friendly and helpful.

Beautiful auditorium. Our family is in Washington for my…read moresister's girlfriend's graduation, and I honestly expected to be under the sun (or rain, for that matter--because DUH, Seattle lol), but the graduation is being held at a beautiful fully air-conditioned auditorium with pretty comfortable seats. A lot more convenient and comfortable than I though, to be honest. Always awesome to be perfectly comfy

When my wife and I moved out of our last neighborhood, we were just starting the process of…read morebecoming foster to adopt parents of older kids. School quality was not our first thought when we chose our home, we just wanted a safer neighborhood. We loved Bible Park, I had lived in the area previously, we knew it was a perfect fit for us. It was the perfect place for us until we were placed with a 3rd and 6th grader in September of 2013. And it wasn't the place that was the problem, it was the schools. tWe immediately toured our local elementary school and middle school. When we toured the elementary school, there was a real fear that our son would be quickly grouped with other kids in the area who have lacked regular schooling, maybe had no parental involvement at home, and who were among the 25% of kids that changed schools every year. And if our youngest was assumed to be part of this group of kids, would the teachers invest the time and energy into him that we knew he would need? We then found an opening at a different magnet school in the area. We were excited about the possibility of our 3rd grader and 6th grader going to the same school while they endured such dramatic changes in their lives. And this school was amazing for our third grader. They specialized in English as a second language students who had large gaps in their education. And our third grader was taken under the wing of some good hearted teacher and he made some huge advances. But our 6th grader floundered. See our oldest is highly intelligent. But he had 11 years of using his intelligence just having to do just enough to exceed the average of his peers. And his peers were mostly struggling with poverty. His peers had not had expectations to succeed in school. And when he started at this school it became quickly evident that his peers had not changed much from his previous 6 years of education. What you may not understand about the dynamic of being a foster to adopt parent is that our kids absolutely do not trust that our expectations and rules for them are ever associated with our love, care, or best wishes for them. They are just another thing that is different and wrong about the life they are now forced to live. So if their friends don't have rules, if their friends don't have to get high grades, if their friends don't have to do their homework, it reinforces their already held belief that their new parents are unfair, and don't get what they are going through. And our version of love is a language that they have no interest in learning. When we tried to be proactive regarding the education of our 6th grader, requesting regular status updates, we were assured that it would happen. But routinely we were surprised with disappointing grades, and the progress in our oldest's education seemed stalled throughout 7th grade as well. We could not trust him to be supervised if he hung out with friends. When requesting effort from our oldest, we were legitimately confronted with the fact that most of his peers were not expected to put effort into their education at school or at home. Our youngest had made good progress in this school in 3rd and 4th grade but we were scared he would face the same middle school future at this school. We knew it would be hard for a seventh grader to switch schools but we were determined to salvage his last year before high school. We did not expect that we would get into Highline. It was a long shot, and we were thrilled when we got in. The differences in this school were much more than we even expected. It starts with the front desk. Every other school we had encountered, the front dest was like the DMV. But the front desk at Highline was eager to facilitate any needs. The 5th grade team with Ms. Chandlier has taken our 5th grader under their wing as I see them doing with a number of kids. His academic progress is astounding. He was doing sight words and muddling his way through the occasional Dr. Seus book midway through 3rd grade, not registering on any reading ability scales. This year Ms. Chandlier and him set the high goal of reading Harry Potter books by the end of the year. This is a goal that has already been reached. And for all of our youngest's success I am just as grateful for what Highline has given our 8th grader. After 8 years of just getting by, after 8 years of just staying off the radar, our oldest has made tremendous progress in doing more than just using his high intelligence to be lazy. He has become an active partner in his education. He has made choices to try to be a successful student thanks to the partnership we have with his teachers. And his chances of high school success are much more than I could have hoped for when he entered Highline Academy. I am so jealous of all of these kids who have had this amazing experience for 9 years. All of this success does not just happen. It is a result of a team and community that that are all working towards the same goal.