We absolutely adore Copernicus, we could not have asked for a better or more caring environment for…read moreour child's first daycare/school experience. The class sizes are very small and the communication is outstanding. We have had a few waitlist spots open up at other schools and continue to choose Copernicus because our girl has loved each teacher and gets so excited when we drop her off. Thanks for being such incredible care givers to our kiddo!

Bone dry truth. They target black children ( my child is actually Asian and West Indian but…read moreidentifies as black) and make them feel bad about themselves. Yesenia complained about my child a lot. He was only two and had not been enrolled a full two months and had not attended a full week due to constant illness. There is no curriculum. My child often played alone and the staff did not help him develop any skills. They are his linch and told me he didn't eat. Km aware of this because when he came home and I would give him a similar snack he was say "give me that!" and snatch from me which was new behavior since he was entilled. He often came home with cuts and scrapes and one time a burn on his arm. Do not leave your minority child in their care. Not warm and fuzzy towards blacks. Period.

Our son started at stepping stone Hyde park when he was 5 months and almost a year later we are so…read moresad to leave (we are moving out of state). We love Calen the principal and Ms Karina in the infant room (along with a bunch of other amazing teachers). Stepping stone has been a safe, reliable and caring environment for our son and he is thriving. He is so happy, so active and loves his school and classmates. We are truly so sad to go and have can't thank stepping stone enough for the amazing experience. This location is adorable, has great hours, strong communication and overall an amazing place. We truly had an outstanding experience. I also love that they are open while many others are closed

We loved having our daughter attending Stepping Stone Mueller! She learned so much thanks to the…read morewonderful care of her teachers. Miss Alasia and Miss Shay took such diligent care of our girl. When she first started, she was just starting to become mobile and show her personality. They really helped her flourish. She learned how to hold her own bottle, sit up independently, and was able to start rocking back and forth on her hands and knees. We would have loved continuing her early life education there if not for life changes. We are forever grateful for the love and support we received at Stepping Stone, and would not hesitate to return if our circumstances change. Miss Devin and Miss Emily were also wonderful with sharing updates, and helping us feel comfortable with all of the staff and the establishment as a whole. Thank you Devin, Emily, Alasia, and Shay!

We are beyond thankful and equally impressed with this school. From the start, the Director gave…read moreme much confidence that we were making the right choice for our then 3.5 year old son. We felt at home from the beginning when we showed up to observe on a tour last fall. I sat in on both 3-6 yr old classes (one of the classes was set up in the back of the main house while the other class took up the front space). During my 10 min observation of each class, I noticed the following montessorian traits: -focus that each child or group of children exhibited in respective work/socialization -what appeared to me as a very calm and controlled environment from the children themselves -a sense of enjoyment by all At the time, I was extremely cautious mainly around how my son would behave knowing his impulse control behaviors and most importantly his delay in speech had been issues at a prior school. I laid my concerns out for the TMC and they only reassured me that our son was the typical 3 yr old. Within a weeks time, we transferred our son to TMC with a gradual transition based on his needs. That was over 6 months ago and our son couldn't be thriving more. We attribute this to an entire staff of loving, caring and very patient super-star individuals at TMC. While our son still is difficult to understand with his speech and still has outbursts, luckily they're short-lived; but furthermore, our son's vocabulary has exploded since his time at TMC. And even more importantly is that our son really does enjoy going to school and when we pick him up rarely does he want to leave. When your child begins to talk about his friends and the teachers he says he loves, unsolicited --- you know you made the right decision with TMC!! I wish all of our friends' kids could experience The Montessori Center!

We moved to Austin recently and were in search of a summer program for our three year old. I felt…read morean instant connect with Jessica - the director of the school, she is warm and very accommodating. Our son was here for two months and we loved it. They teachers are wonderful - Bekah, Barbara, CJ and Augusta.It was easy to slip into conversation with them during pick up and they were generous with mindful observations about how my son was doing at school. The school is located in a charming street with plenty of green tress and has been a place of learning since 1970. The bricks have inscriptions on them and the tiles have pictures that peek and tell stories of children who were here. The classrooms have plenty of material for children to choose from and they are very aesthetically done. Every time I drop off the little one the atmosphere has been so lively with music and sprinklers - I wish I could stay a little longer. My wish was granted when Jessica allowed me to stay for an hour and shadow the class. The rest of my review is details of the a few hours I spent in the classroom with Barbara and Bekah. It was the last day of summer so the excitement and restlessness was palpable. Children were being dropped off and they were helping themselves to a snack of whole wheat toast and delicious cream. They started to settle down and pick activities. Some worked on alphabet activities, some with books, some with puzzles, some picked numeric activities and some art and sensory activities. Children either worked alone or in small groups. The teacher helped the children who worked with letters to understand phonetics. Two little girls settled down with books - the younger a little distracted and the older focussed, learning from each other. Another little girl got a bunch of pocket books and flipped through them alone - immersed. The teachers did a fine job of balancing - offering help when needed and letting the children be as needed. The little ones seemed to prefer sensory work - coloring, playing with cotton swabs, watering plants and painting. Each activity is set up on a quaint tray and children are encouraged to clean up after they are done. The class is soon settled and bustling with an air of calm, busy, enthusiasm. Everyone finding their zone, their space, taking time to choose an activity, work and wind up. Some stick with an activity for 10 mins, some 20 and others longer. Little girls are busy drawing a unicorn, a boy in learning to sew with thread and paper. Two little girls sit together and play with colored tiles, learning to match and compare. A little boy who has been playing with shimmer - used a dust pan to clean up and does a throughout job. Older kids tend to persist more and interaction with adults definitely encourages them. Overall a great environment to learn to pick what you like, stick and find meaning in what you do, learn to wind down and clean up when you are done and derive joy through the process.

Austin Play Garden is the absolute best place to send your child! My daughter attended starting at…read more12 weeks old, and every teacher truly treated her like family. Hannah (the director), as well as all the teachers learned her quirks, personality, and interest as she grew up there. Through our daily updates and conversations, it was so clear that the staff really knew her and cared -- she was never just a number. They would even check in on her when she was out sick. I always knew she was safe there. I love that it's a play-based preschool, so the kids can learn through playing and crafts. APG was my only real "village" in Austin when raising my daughter, and they were truly a godsend. They also do a lot of things to reduce teacher turnover on the staffing side, so we hardly ever had teacher changes. I highly recommend them!

I worked for Austin Play Garden for 3 years and loved every minute. The work space Claire and…read moreHannah provided was basically home away from home. As an employee your mental and physical health are prioritized. Staff developments were always so help and encouraged team engagement. Couldn't recommend working here enough. 10/10

Excellent staff . Cannot recommend enough. Kind and caring. Love it here. Child has improved alot…read morein speech and eats great. Everyone really shows they care.

My child has been with Primrose for about a year now. She is definitely learning and thriving, but…read moreI do think there are things that could be improved. First, the good: the staff is incredibly warm and each of my child's teachers have been gentle and kind. I appreciate how often they update parents through the Procare app. You get updates for everything - from diaper changes to how much they eat at each meal or snack, nap durations, and a glimpse into the curriculum for the day. This data helps plan the rest of the evening after pick up. I also appreciate the events and gatherings they offer to both kids and parents. There's a nice sense of community forming in that way. Drop off and pick up is also simple. You are given a code to enter the building and can quickly sign your child in and out on a tablet. But I would ask that they seriously streamline their office communications. There are days when I get four or five emails from the staff about events, newsletters, activities, etc. If you're going to have a newsletter, make it monthly, and have it include all of the aforementioned items. Stop sending email after email. And while I did mention the teachers display a strong sense of kindness and care, my child has had so many different teachers in a year. And that's not even due to the turnover - which there has been a ton between teachers and office staff. On a daily basis, she has two main teachers and by the time we pick her up at 5:00, she's with two new people. Now I'm not an educator - perhaps it is healthy for children to experience learning from various adults. But classroom and teacher moves seem to happen often.

Our child went to the Discovery Center Central for just over a year. We really loved CDC at first,…read moreand continued to really like the teachers and classmates and school. We left the school due to an unfortunate incident involving our child eating inedible items during sensory play, which kept showing up in his stool. We alerted the director via email and then also talked to the teachers, who at first promptly addressed the issue by removing some sensory play items and changing all play with food to be with edible food. But then one night he was up all night vomiting glitter, and then over the next 24 hours he continued to have glitter in his diaper. A very large amount of glitter. My partner emailed the director of the school about the issue, and also raised the issue of glitter itself being a microplastic that is bad for the environment. The response from the daycare was not reassuring, and we were threatened with a cease and desist lawsuit if we talked to other parents about the issue [and more recently we were threatened with a lawsuit for a previous longer version of this review].  We obviously took our son out of the school. We have no problems with the teachers or classroom, and really enjoyed the free spirit of the school; but feel it is my duty as a parent to share this with others.

The Children's Discovery Center is not for everyone, but it's pretty perfect for us. The teachers…read moreare loving, and the emphasis is on creativity and letting kids be kids- this means that children run around in underwear or diapers or costumes - really, whatever they want. I've often chuckled at the sight of very masculine boys in pink leotards and tutus - but you know what? They are having a blast. One of the biggest challenges is figuring out how to get glitter out of kids' hair - you wouldn't believe how hard it is! I far prefer when my toddler is covered head to toe in green paint, the "incredible hulk" comments notwithstanding. The good: the kids are really, really happy and learn great social skills - the philosophy emphasizes teaching the kids to work it out themselves (with teacher guidance, of course). The center provides healthy snacks and has recently started using non-toxic cleaners in the classrooms. The bad: the administration is disorganized and laid back to the extreme. The ugly: there is one problem teacher, and the administration is reportedly unresponsive to parental complaints about her. I know at least one child that was pulled out of CDC because of her. Overall, we have been extremely pleased with our experience there. We LOVE the teachers and appreciate that there is a balanced gender split among them. They treat the children with respect, and my children are very happy there - and to me, that's what counts.

Great kids, great teachers and great parents make for a great environment to learn and socialize…read more A great lead into kindergarten, school and life.

Amazing school that centers the child's learning experience and prioritizes community!read more

I don't generally write a lot of reviews, but I'd be remiss if I didn't commend the staff at Olas…read morepublicly! The school is absolutely incredible, and my wife and I feel so grateful we found it for our 2 year old son. He has been attending twice a week for about ten months, and we are astonished by how much he has learned in this short time. Each day he surprises us with new usage of the Spanish language...from numbers, to the alphabet, to colors, to days of the week, to fun songs which he adores singing. He gets so excited on the days he attends, which really warms our hearts, and on the days he doesn't go, he talks about his teachers and friends there. I would give Olas 100 out of 100 stars if I could! Thanks so much for everything you all do, and we look forward to entrusting Olas with our son's development for years to come!

Wow - this little school is amazing. My 6 year old had not been to school all year (pandemic…read moreconcerns) and we just enrolled her at Olas and she is thriving. We feel super safe there and my kid who knows no Spanish is loving it. The teachers are so sweet and fun, the school grounds are adorable, and we just love how happy our kid is to go to school. It's been a total dream. The teachers are super flexible and accommodating to our needs and it's just a super cute community. Thrilled and will continue coming to Olas throughout the summer and even during the school year. Muchas Gracias!

We transferred here to 1st grade from a public charter school and I didn't realize how unhappy my…read moredaughter was at the charter school until she was enrolled in Sankalpa and seeing the difference. She now looks forward to going to school and describes school as awesome and fun - every parents dream come true for their kid to love school! She now comes home singing songs whereas before she needed to disconnect and would beg to watch TV (she's not interested in TV since Sankalpa - I think the environment fosters self esteem and love of productivity). She does yoga, learns Chinese and Spanish, and the staff are unflinching in their standards for teaching the children grace and curtesy. I'd say this school is great for any child, but more for children and parents who: 1. Like a quieter learning environment: it gets loud, but at specific times. During the work hours it's quiet and relaxed. 2. Love nature (they're often out and even with clipboards studying things like plants and fractals) 3. Like forging deeper relationships with others: because of the more intimate setting, you're going to interact with parents and the teachers every day. This isn't for everyone, but if you like that sense of community and extended family, it's like that here. 4. Are ok with their child not taking state tests: there are other tests given (one of the very cool things about Sankalpa, it's what first perked my ears) to see where the child is in their learning, and then to tweak their learning program to "fill in the gaps" so to speak. This is how every child has their own individual learning program. 5. Are willing to pay tuition: I was worried about this until I saw how much she loved school and learning, then I realized it was the best investment ever. They're only this little once, and it's the best thing ever to find the school where they can thrive and be enlivened. 6. Want experienced teachers: Sankalpa might be a new school but all the teachers are seasoned and it shows in their interactions with the kids. The principal also has worked at nearly all the alternative schools in Austin so she knows what's what. 7. Are okay with going through Sankalpas admission process: for us this was actually fun, but everyone is different. We enjoyed taking the tour, meeting with the principal and spending an hour getting to know each other, and our daughter loved her trial time at the school which was a week, some kids might be longer or shorter. I loved going through all this because it really helped us make a decision based on facts rather a feeling. It's like getting to know someone before getting married or making a commitment. :) If you're considering Sankalpa at least go through the admission process, it's the best way to really know if it's the right match for your family (but more importantly your child).

Our family has enjoyed our time at Sankalpa. We really appreciate how warm and welcoming the staff…read moreis every single time we see them - it is clear they are all dedicated to the students and to their growth and success. The small class size is wonderful, as it is a great location for walks and field trips. They do a great job of instilling a sense of ownership in the students - the kids are responsible for their rooms, their supplies and their work. It's awesome to witness them tiding up at the end of each day. An all around inclusive education.

We've been more than thrilled to have found this Family Learning Center! The staff is excellent! Ms…read moreAmelia stays on top of everything and runs a great operation. Ms Natasha knows all the kids names and welcomes you with a bright smile every mornin... Ms Yuliana and Ms Maritza are just the sweetest and always remind that my little sunshine will be cared for and looked after with the most care... I'm at peace with this institution... Can't recommend them enough...

We had a mixed experience with PromiseLand. We had our daughter there in the infant room from the…read moretime she was about five months old. The teachers were loving and I generally felt like she was in good hands. From our perspective, it didn't seem like a ton of enrichment/learning activity was happening-- but we figured maybe that was because she was so young, and those activities don't happen until the babies are a little older. It was only after we switched daycares that we realized that other places pay close attention to enrichment/learning from the time babies are old enough to be in daycare in the first place. Another thing: when she was six months old, our daughter contracted RSV (scary respiratory virus) and had to be hospitalized for four days. When her hospital stay was over, we (by happenstance) found out that one of her classmates had also been hospitalized for RSV shortly before our daughter had. We were pretty dismayed that we hadn't been given a heads-up about a contagious illness in the classroom as a matter of policy. If we had, we might have been able to avoid sending our child to daycare that week and potentially avoided the hospital stay. It could be that the PromiseLand policy of notifying parents of illnesses has changed since then. But from our perspective, communication was not very strong and enrichment in general was pretty limited.