Our daughter started at Raskob in 3rd grade, after trying two different schools (public and…read moreprivate) that did not provide her the support that she needed for her learning differences. It has been an absolute game-changer for her (and our whole family!). She went from hating school and feeling bullied by peers to loving school, forming sweet social bonds and making strong academic progress. Her teachers have all been extremely caring and attentive with great home-school communication. Each child has an individualized learning plan specifically tailored to their needs and core subjects are grouped by skill level, not by grade level. So a 3rd grader with stronger math skills might spend math class with a 5th grader who is more challenged in this area. We haven't experienced middle school yet but I know that kids graduate from 8th grade at Raskob and receive great high school counseling to help them choose the just-right school for them (I've seen some kids graduate on to O'Dowd, or public high schools and others stay in private schools for learning differences like Sterne or Orinda Academy). It really depends on what the kids need at that point. Huge Raskob fans in our household!

They kicked my son out a few months before he was to graduate for reasons that, I'll say were…read morehighly suspect. In a meeting with the school they said some things about middle schoolers in general were pretty terrible in my opinion. That meeting was recorded by lawyers present. Can't imagine what they would say off the record. Inner monologue must be be pretty bad. Stay away.

Ms. Adams spent an hour talking to us, she was engaged, helpful and thoughtful. She went above and…read morebeyond in this simple discussion and we were very grateful to her for it. She seems to have a lot of knowledge and a passion for her area of law.

I highly recommend if you have a child with special needs. They're wonderful. Please reach out to…read morethem if you need help.

Sport L.'s experience doesn't reflect the Redwood Day School that I send my kids to. Redwood Day is…read moregreat in so many ways, from the teachers, administration, the beautiful campus, and a true sense of community. I have two kids at the school, and I am grateful that I made the decision to send them here for these very important years of their education. For math, the school uses a hybrid form of Singapore Math, which for most parents seems very different from what we learned, but it works (and has success metrics - students in Singapore have one of the highest math mastery in the world). They use a different model in the Middle School for the 6-8th span that equally prepares students for higher level math in High School. Redwood Day has ways for kids who need or seek more in math - my kids are always challenged. They also have a Math Olympiad program and programs/staff to help students who may need additional support. I have never found Redwood Day to be lacking in helping my kids learn, grow, and master math. Culture and celebrations are also very integrated at the school - which celebrates everything from Latin, African American, Asian American, and Jewish Heritage months to Women's History. The school is having something for Ramadan, and I know they have also hosted a Shabbat dinner in addition to other cultural celebrations. All to say, Redwood Day is super inclusive, and my kids come home learning a lot about their friends' cultural traditions - just a couple weeks ago, they did a Holi event. No school is perfect, but I believe that Redwood Day is always evolving, changing, and listening to the parent community. For discipline, I'm thankful for the social and emotional learning that starts in K and goes through 8th. Even as 5 year olds, kids learn about choices, options for dealing with conflict, and what and how to make different (and better) choices when there is conflict. I don't know what the prior post means about authoritative discipline, but long gone are the days of that type of discipline model. My kids (and these next generations) need to learn self-awareness, self-regulation, critical thinking, and agency in working out their own differences - with the guidance and oversight of teachers, coaches, mentors, and role models. Personally, I much prefer that my children talk through issues with their friends, take accountability, practice humility, and have the support of trusted adults to help them navigate challenges. Not everyone is the right fit for any school - and as a parent, it is absolutely on us to ensure that we find mutual synergy with the school, teachers, faculty, and community. For me, Redwood Day was the absolute right choice for my kids - and I know they are more because of it.

Sometimes I get parents who reach out and ask me more about redwood day school to them I say we…read moreleft here and went to Berkwood Hedge School in Berkeley where my daughter thrived. We made it though covid with an amazing pivot to outdoor classrooms and my child didn't miss a beat. She's now in a public middle school: wise, self assured, kind. confident and getting straight A's. I believe her courage and strong sense of self come from the education she received at Berkwood Hedge School. If you're looking for a truly inspiring progressive independent education check them out. Not as many Bells and whistles but what matters is there the heart and the academics.

Brilliant tuition with expert teachers. They really know how to craft engaging lessons that are…read moreacademically rigorous, playful and holistic. The teachers here know how to teach to the whole child. Could not recommended higher.

From the owner: I am an elementary teacher and reading specialist with over 15 years of experience. I offer one on…read moreone support for children struggling with literacy and math. I specialize in supporting kids with learning differences, IEPs and 504 plans. I offer in school support as well as family advocacy.

I honestly wouldn't recommend sending your child to Oakland Unified schools. My experience with the…read moredistrict has been frustrating and disappointing. While I've dealt with a specific school, the bigger issue is the district as a whole. They weren't transparent, they were often disrespectful, and they rarely took accountability for their actions. If your child has special needs and you're the type of parent who advocates for them (as you should), prepare for a fight. The district doesn't make it easy--they operate with a "this is how we do things, take it or leave it" attitude. I experienced firsthand how real the discrimination is and how poorly privacy is handled by some of the staff. Communication is seriously lacking, and trying to get clear answers or basic follow-up was like pulling teeth. There's also a strong sense of favoritism--when staff mess up, others rush in to cover for them instead of fixing the problem. It feels like a system designed to protect each other, not serve families. That said, I won't say everyone is bad--there are some amazing staff and not all schools are the same. But unfortunately, the leadership and culture at the district level trickles down, and it shows. If OUSD wants to do better, they need to start with training their employees--especially the ones at the top--on the rights of students and parents. And they need to hold people accountable across the board. Until that happens, I'd strongly suggest families think twice. And let's just take a moment to appreciate the fact that Oakland Unified built themselves a brand-new, shiny district headquarters at 1011 Union St., Oakland, CA 94607--ground up, all the bells and whistles. Meanwhile, the auditorium seats at Oakland Tech still look like they're straight out of the 1950s. But hey, at least the admin folks are sitting pretty.

After several failed attempts to get my info from their website, I decided to go here in person…read more Although there were 2 ladies sitting at the front counter, only one was willing to work. The unhelpful older lady just sat expressionless and uninterested. I pleasantly explained to the other lady what I was requesting, but was redirected to another location for my request! The next day, I went to the recommended location, but that lady only worked on certain days of the week, so I was told to come back on another day. I'm currently trying to find out how I can get a job with OUSD Admin so I too can get paid for doing nothing.

Soooo I was a student for them a in school program were it's a bunch of young people who are…read moreinterns and we called them counselor an it was like 4 in our classrooms and when I tell you they made my life for 4 years straight a living hell I'm not even being dramatic about it they always say they support when in fact they just nosy and wont do anything and I had a therapist who I told was homeless and she didn't do nothing about it she didnt even help me get into a shelter and they gave her information that the office gave her didn't even mind telling me the counselors just judge you and hate everything you do when you just sit down and do your work and they also get there pay check by writing about you and send it to medical also my therapist would gossip about my issues to the teachers and counselors and try to gang up on me with the 21 on year old counselor who wreak of weed and only pick favorites

These services are a scam. Since Seneca has been in my home things are worse than before. The…read moreamount of time these people take vacations blows my mind. I believe part of the reason these services are the way they are is because the connects are in between lapse and "time off".. having parent support services didn't happen for me. Never a stable person. My husband and I got no help. If you want an effective team to help meet the family and child I would look elsewhere.

A magical place! My 6-year-old son is autistic and it was such a relief to be welcomed by a team…read morethat just gets it. The space is super clean and feels like a kid's dream. There's so much to do, climbing, building, exploring, getting wiggles out, and even a quiet room to chill. You can tell the folks behind it really thought through everything. The vibe, the décor, even the website feel so neurodiverse-affirming. They have tech to help build community around members too. We live in Novato so the distance makes a membership tough right now, but I'm hoping we can join in the summer when school isn't in the way. I'd love to see Spirited Play Labs expand to more places as this is the future IMO (please come to Novato, I'll help!). For families like ours, where typical play spaces can feel stressful or isolating, this place is a true gem, welcoming, thoughtful, and hopeful for the future. Thank you!!!

My 16 month girl has been pushed and attacked by older kids multiple times over the last few…read moremonths. Kids are getting more and more violent in this place. As neurodivergent individuals, they may simply be seeking connection and interaction, or they might be oversimulated. But where are their parents and staff members? The lack of adult supervision is leaving younger children vulnerable to injury.

My experience with Northern Light School was extremely disappointing. After removing my child and…read moreenrolling them in another private school, I could clearly see how academically behind my child was. The difference in curriculum, expectations, homework, and preparation was obvious. For a private school, the product does NOT match the price tag. The curriculum did not compare to what my child receives now. Homework was poor, and I often felt like I had to teach my own child at home. Parents should not pay private-school tuition and still have to teach the curriculum themselves. There is a serious lack of transparency. Parents should be able to see student work, testing scores, academic progress, and meaningful statistics. Conferences and Back to School Night provided very little substance. Parents should not have to guess where their child stands academically or be discouraged from seeing what is happening in classrooms. I also had concerns about teachers being mean or treating children poorly behind closed doors. When concerns were raised, I felt administrators made excuses, defended the behavior, and ignored the concerns. Constructive criticism was not welcomed, and I felt administration and teachers became defensive instead of working with me and became very unprofessional, to the point not speaking and other administrators acting in same rude manner! There were also inconsistent school-wide rules and expectations. I strongly disagreed with the school's approach to ADHD and neurodivergence. From my experience, there was too much emphasis on pushing the idea of neurodivergence and encouraging children to question whether they were neurodivergent. Children should be supported without being pushed toward a label or agenda. I also felt Northern Light had moved away from the professional-family environment I originally associated with the school and was accepting families who did not seem aligned with the professional, academic, and behavioral culture I expected. The facilities are old, staff appeared burnt out, and the school needs fresh leadership, including more male leaders. There needs to be accountability above administration and a place for parents to be heard. After transferring my child to another private school, the academic difference became undeniable. My child is now receiving stronger curriculum, expectations, and preparation. Moving my child was the right decision. Northern Light needs more transparency, accountability, stronger academics, consistent rules, better leadership, and a serious evaluation of whether the education actually justifies the price.

I am an alum of NLS from a single parent home in East Oakland. From there I went to Marin Academy…read morefor high school, received a bachelor's degree in economics from UC Berkeley, last year I received my MBA from Stanford University, and I currently work at Google. I would not have achieved any of those things without NLS. I split my elementary school years between public school and private school, so I'll speak to what makes NLS special. From my perspective, many schools (public and private) can provide a strong academic foundation. NLS was just as good as my strong public school in that regard. What I gained from NLS is belief in myself that anything is possible. It came from the dreams fulfilled that line the walls, the stories told at morning circle, and from teachers and administrators truly caring about what I wanted to be when I grew up. And in a practical sense, the school provided access, access to the most elite prep high schools in the U.S. Before NLS, I had not even heard of the majority of them. NLS represents a turning point in my life in terms of building confidence, ambition, and knowledge of opportunities that were previously unknown to me.

the people that run the program are very fucking shitty if you put your child in this program Your…read morechild will fail and when they get to their senior year, you're going to realize your child is missing credits because the teacher Ayesha money does not give your child the credits they're supposed to have she actually short them of their credits and then makes them redo the classes when she gets her program shut down for being frustrated and taking children to houses when she supposed to be taking them to a building do not put your child in this program. That will be your worst mistake in life

From the owner: Innovative Education provides academic support to students with disabilities. We also provide…read moreeducation consultation and therapeutic services for LEA’s, Regional Centers, Community Organizations, and Parents.

Our child was a late talker, so we did our research and found East Bay Child Development Center…read more(formerly PLTA). From intake to our final class, the staff made sure that the scheduling process was a breeze, and that visits did not fall short of expectations. They have an excellent staff dedicated to your child's development, and the office is pristine. Not just clean; very well kept. I noticed that there wasn't one tear on a book or broken toys. They put lots of effort into upkeep, knowing well that toys and books can take a beating with younger kids. East Bay Child Development Center has terrific speech therapists and therapists specialized in helping in all other types of child development, including but not limited to physical therapy, etc. We went through 2 different speech therapists and 1 or 2 therapy students which was a little harder for our son to grow accustomed to because it would take him awhile to warm up (which I've learned isn't unusual for any development therapy center), but each therapist tried their absolute best to ensure they were giving him the utmost care and attention.

They failed my son after 3 session. Excuses that he doesn't listen, he runs fast that worried about…read moreyounger children there. That speech is not a good fit for him, that his sister runs around the hallways exploring toys and opened doors of offices, about me get a phone call so they discharged him from services. This is racism and discrimination by the way ladies I want to give you suggestions, your office needs a new administration, organisation and functionality. Everybody there seems to go everywhere, I don't know if these people work here are they clients. The back door to the outside was open, this is called dysfunctional. The office receptionist was like his first day to work, confused and looked around like a lost boy. There four people by office were speaking loud and chatting. They failed my son years ago when he was younger because they said he was not ready for speech when I just changed my insurance to get accepted to come here. Now he's 12 years old saying he's not a good fit. Shame on you to say that to me. You can't discharge him that's illegal. My son is trying with his speech and he has rights in California to receive speech therapy any age. Discrimination by the ability, then age, what's next because his sister running around the office and also I was on the phone? For that lady who spoke with me today over the phone couldn't wait on me. And making me feel like I was being fired from the job, she sounded rude and said my daughter was running around the room and I was speaking loud on the phone so the excuse to fail my son. Then changed her words saying he's not a good fit and he runs fast and wants to push the kids. She needs to find more excuses for her to dismiss him. You don't know how hard and challenging to be a mother of autistic kid. I finally thought I have him his speech going and then you locked me up like shutting my mouth. Go see if your speech therapist is the one who has the problem. She too lazy to give speech therapy or has a lack of skills. This is Shameless and discrimination.