In my opinion a lot of these reviews are probably overdramatized & posted by angsty students. I…read moreleft this school in 2023-2024. I went here for about a year growing up against my volition and it honestly wasn't that bad, the school just caters to a specific niche. My individual experience could be skewed by the fact that each class & social scene is different and since this is a newer campus, the upper classes had far fewer students than the lower classes when I attended. This is the main deal: John Adams is a charter school that clearly caters & advertises itself as a more conservative "right-leaning" education. They don't publicly state that, but the notion is clearly there, it's basically a red-pill school. It doesn't have a public religious affiliation, but once you're in the school you'll hear through word of mouth about its background, that it's a Mormon organization. The founder is Mormon, and at higher levels most admin are Mormon; at the Lincoln campus (the original school), all the teachers were Mormon. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and religion is its own debate, but take of that what you will. The school's sentiment gets more value by the fact that in recent years there's been a lot of controversy around public school curriculum, and while some of those criticisms are valid, I'm not sure John Adams is the solution. A positive is the teachers. John Adams pays less than public schools, which means the teachers who work here are doing it out of passion and belief in the school's mission. Most of the teachers & admin genuinely care about the students and provide a solid education. Academically, the education is mostly the same as public school. The main difference is that more credits are required to graduate and there are extra classes, especially in junior/senior year, primarily focused on things like American history/government. One thing I didn't like (that some might) was the political skewing. In one class, our teacher directly told us the book we were using was written from a libertarian perspective and that's what we were being taught because "that's the ethos here." That bothered me because I wanted a more neutral education that showed both sides, but again, that's the school's niche. You either like it or you don't. It's a "free charter school," but you pay for uniforms and the parents are forced to either pay $200 or complete volunteer hours. So there's not really a free lunch here The social scene is what you'd expect: mostly White kids from Mormon/conservative families, plus students whose parents sent them here due to behavior issues or as a "troubled teen"-style alternative. There's also a sizeable Slavic population, mostly Russian/Ukrainian kids, likely due to the Orthodox community in the area. One of my main complaints is the lack of diversity. EDH is already a rich white Republican town, and this is a Mormon Republican school inside of it. I could count the number of black students in the entire school on one hand. Personally, I'd want my kids in public school for the American melting pot experience. That said, I did make real, likely lifelong friends here. The reviews mention drugs and bullying, but I personally didn't see much of that, and whatever exists is probably less than in public school. There's a strict no-phone policy with lockers. If you're caught, your phone is taken and your parents have to pick it up. This is probably a good thing for most people but I don't know. I feel like the right thing is teaching proper discipline with phones and then punishing those who abuse the freedom, not this hardcore approach which just encourages more hiding & breaking of the rules. In general I feel like the rules and discipline were unnecessarily strict. A common complaint with a lot of the upperclassmen was that admin treated them like little kids instead of young adults. Senior early leave required proof of employment even if you already had enough credits, which defeats the whole point of earning early dismissal in the first place. There's also some controversy around legality and ethics. The school has hired uncredentialed teachers without supervision, which I personally witnessed and is likely not legal. There was also a wave of teachers who quit due to disagreements with admin. I won't speculate too much, but teachers and management clearly don't always get along. As for pickup, I still work nearby and the car line regularly wraps around the entire business complex. I genuinely don't know how they haven't figured out a better system given how large the lot is. The best word to describe my time at John Adams is boring. Boring education, boring social scene, boring uniforms, boring decor. That can be a good thing because boring also meant no fights or chaos. but it's definitely not an exciting or diverse environment. I would send your kids here if you're Mormon, or if you want your kids in a conservative-leaning environment and you don't care about diversity.

this school and its staff are absolutely horrible. If you want your kids to be trained like…read moremilitary sergeants, this is your place. I was here for about two semesters, and in both i dealt with continuous harassment from an aid who was told to not speak to me, and she directly violated that multiple times. She has zero patience and somehow works with children with special needs and yells at them whenever they have episodes. One of the students she was an aid for even said that he hated her. All of the deans for the school are another reason why your children should not be here. They're all extremely rude, selfish, careless and flat out disrespectful to everybody. The dean of academics has a terrible temper and only talks about himself. Doesn't care about any of the students at the school. The school would have so much more potential if they just had better staff. Another major issue is how political these teachers are.I've sat in Latin class and listened to my teacher go on about abortions and how amazing Donald Trump is. I've also seen how religious these teachers are and I'm not against to anyone's religion, but the fact that they pressure people to be Christian or catholic is a bit much. The school is filled with Mormons, Christians, Catholics and Republican conservatives that will judge you if you are not any of those. All the teachers here are so incredibly strict, you get detentions for breathing the same air as your teachers, you get judged for having to use the restroom and if you go, one minute over there, precious, five minute time limit, you get lectured on how your education is more important than using the restroom. I wouldn't recommend this school at all, unless you want your kids to dread going to school, and never have anything to tell you about what they learned.

Yard Duty 10/10! I'm constantly on my kid about leaving his gear at Football Lax Baseball etc, AND…read moreguess what...DAD left his glove and turf shoes at Oak Meadow post practice! I didn't realize until a week later, then ski week took place! The incredible Yard Duty Staff kept my glove and shoes for weeks in a safe spot for me! Could not be more grateful! I know it's silly but this is a great glove! THANKS OM STAFF! PS front office staff ALSO AWESOME!

I love Oak Meadow. I noticed someone else mentioned something about this school not being inclusive…read morewhen it comes to households.....that is absolutely false. I am a single mother and have never been made to feel "less than" I never worry about my child when I drop him off at school. The teachers are wonderful and very committed to helping us raise intelligent, compassionate human beings. I could have him in a private school if I wanted to do that but I'm very doubtful that he would get a better education. My advice is...... Put your children in public school and support the teachers and staff who care and educate them.

My son loves going to Golden Hills!…read more We switched him over to GHS during the transition from 5th to 6th grade. He had a pretty rough experience at Folsom Middle School, but had wanted to give it a try because his friends were moving there as well. He found out it was very different than elementary school! We switched Calvin to GHS and he really enjoys it. I appreciate the staff and teachers who have worked so hard to give him a very good education and lots of individualized attention. We received a tremendous amount of information from the school each week and were always well informed on what was going on. Couldn't be happier to send him back for 7th and 8th grade.

It took me a couple of years to write a review with some hope, I would hear great things about the…read moremiddle school as well. Here is the biggest issue, the school is not academically strong, it is actually super weak and behind comparing the local public schools. We came from the Bay Area from a school more expensive, and much better academically. We stayed here at Golden Hills for two years with two kids and we left to the local public school to find out even the public schools here are way more advanced. After some thinking as a teacher myself, I realized the biggest issue is that the school cater for families who is willing to pay, but not to push their kids academically. That combo is a bit odd, but because this is a small school, it makes sense once you see all the drama in the back ground among parents. Both my children are scoring much higher in reading and math than any child same age in Golden hills now. We kept in touch with their friends and it was sad to see their 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade classes being behind curriculum wise than the nearest public school in town. Then, we met some families from middle school and that was quite a disappointment. Any child leaving Golden Hills and arriving to the public school will have to study much hard to catch up to the public school kids in math, reading and etc.

Exceptional, child-centered, high expectation administration and teachers. A highly collaborative…read moreschool with parents. Your child will love it at MVA - and, so will the parents.

My daughter attended Marble Valley Academy for 3 years. It was such a special place and I feel like…read moreit helped shape her into a more confident young lady! I really appreciate what Marble Valley gave to our family, so many fond memories!

Although I have long since finished my years at Brooks, I still retain fond memories of going to…read moreschool here. I lived nearby and walking was the best way to get to school. This provided many hours of developing a skill for internal contemplation. Also, I got very good at kicking the same rock to school and then home. I'm not sure how useful a review of an institution I attended well over a decade will be; perhaps you want to know how your children will turn out. I was here when they changed from the Brooks Badgers to the Brooks Bears. I think that helped me realize as an eight-year-old that mascots are bullshit. I learned to "just say no" here and have since said no at least two-thousand times. I developed my first crushes here and they never resulted in any teen pregnancies. I learned to ford a river, kill buffalo, and bury my sister who died of malaria playing a mess of Oregon Trail. I've never been arrested, so they must have taught me how to commit crimes and cover my tracks. Kidding. Sort of. An on-site vegetable garden taught me that you can eat raw beans. Or anything green and in a garden, really. I am actively involved in my community and spend time crime-fighting thanks to the superhero appreciation day in the fifth grade. That's probably a false memory, but at least I'm crime-fighting and that's what counts. I would give this five stars, but there were two huge drug busts in houses within a quarter mile of the school within the last few years. Also, I'm still bitter that I got away without actually learning long division. Then again, I made it through college without learning long division and every gadget invented in the past ten years comes with a calculator anyway.

Brooks is a top notch elementary school. Some very strong veteran teachers here. I am from the…read morebay area and I have been more than pleased with the education my children are getting here.

I felt absolutely horrible for having my son (8 yrs old) move 4 months ago from out of the area and…read morenow once again after just getting settled due to medical transport issues for his grandmother. From the moment we arrived at this school the entire staff really did an outstanding job making our boy feel welcomed and safe at his new school. Thank you Jackson Elementary staff for helping my family and I transition to being part of your family. We are forever eternally grateful. God bless

What an amazing school! My daughter has attended Jackson for TK and is currently in kindergarten…read more The school, the staff, the principal, and the PTO have far exceeded my expectations. Go Jaguars!

We have loved Bergamo! Our daughter has been at the Serrano campus since she was two years old and…read morehas grown in so many ways over the past three years. It is such a wonderful and welcoming community. All the teachers and staff know our daughter and us and it feels like dropping her off with extended family in the mornings. The mixed age class has been such a great way for our child to learn when she was younger and, now, develop into a leader and teacher. Her teachers have been amazing at developing a relationship with her and honing in on how she likes to learn so all the learning feels fun for her. We are so thankful for the past four years and sad to move on!

I would give Bergamo at Serrano 10 stars if I could! It has been a fantastic experience for my…read moredaughters, 2 and 4. They are in the Primary and Toddler rooms and have learned so much just in the year they have attended! I am constantly in awe at their growth, independence, learning of life skills and respect for others, themselves and the environment. They immediately felt right at ease here and are excited to attend each day. This school teaches all the right things at this age! My 4 year old is on the verge of reading already and my 2 year old's language skills are exceptional with her communication skills and ability to make connections. The guides, assistants and entire staff are all phenomenal and so caring and attentive to my little girls. The school really feels like a family and I am so grateful they attend here. I wish the programs extended to elementary and middle school as it will be a sad day when they have to leave this caring nest! Bergamo is Worth. Every. Penny!

No more playing tag? I guess more dumbing down the kids and turning them into sissies…read more Let's see the proof it's harmful, I myself and many others are doing just fine in life.

Awesome teachers who genuinely care and out in extra effort for the kids, great staff, and the…read morefamilies truly have a sense of community. My two nieces and sons all had a wonderful experience with nothing but positive memories. Highly recommend!

The Cottonwood School has a hybrid High School Called -Cottonwood College Prep Academy…read more(Montessori-inspired charter high school). As a Montessori School Educator and a mom of three children, my children were Montessori-educated from kindergarten to eighth grade. At the time of my first daughter's 8th-grade graduation from The California Montessori Project, I had concerns about how she would adjust to public school. However, I did not have a choice. She stated that adapting to these new surroundings was hard and often didn't want to go to school. It was heartbreaking to see her so upset. She was just one person in class, but the teachers didn't have time to help her. They had too many students coming through their class to provide the guidance that she needed. My second daughter entered her freshman year under COVID/ Zoom in the Public school three years later. She struggled and was about to fail her freshman year when I happened to find out through a friend about the Cottonwood College Prep Academy, which was Montessori-Inspired in El Dorado Hills. I was beyond excited to take a chance. For my daughter's sophomore year, I transferred her from the public school system to CCPA. My daughter was extremely shy, but with all the one-on-one help and support from all the teachers, she never had a chance to fall through the cracks. She was able to stay after school and get the support she needed. My daughter received the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma upon graduation. She has overcome her shyness and grown into a self-sufficient adult working in retail while pursuing her college degree in nursing. I owe the CCPA teachers and staff all the credit. Principal, Dr. Jodiann Beeson and Board President, Dr. Norman Lorenz developed this idea that students need to experience Montessori-style learning in High School. I urge you to experience it for yourself by taking a tour!