We are so happy our kindergartener had the opportunity to join native this year. She has grown so much in her self confidence, exploration skills and we're in awe at how much she's learned in just a few months! The entire staff and all teachers are such incredible people and we couldn't have asked for sweater or more caring teachers for our learner. read more

My daughter is in her second year at Native School and we cannot say enough good things about it! Unfortunately there has been some bad publicity because a former employee (trying to steal students away to a competing school she was opening) fed parents misinformation that scared them, including launching a really personal attack against the amazing director, Shannon, who is an incredibly transparent and thoughtful preschool director. She hosts regular meetings for parents to talk to her and will also always be happy to hop on a meeting any afternoon to discuss any questions and concerns. The program itself stood out to me immediately for being a really good supportive model for development. The students are not playing "Lord of the Flies" out in the woods, they are guided and supported by amazing teachers who spend their afternoons writing documentation of the learning in their classrooms and designing emergent curriculum. We could not be happier with the school we chose and our daughter loves school passionately. We have even decided to keep her in Native School another year instead of moving to the free public TK because of how much we love the program and the teachers. read more

***Warning to parents*** My experience with the teachers was generally good but you could tell there was a disconnect between them and upper management due to the high turnover rate and disruption in teacher continuity. The frequent and disruptive staff changes significantly effected my 4 year old son who was upset to see teachers come and go. At the end of our semester for 2024-2025 it became worse and substitutes/new faces were very common. We were told by some teachers that quit that safety regs/guidelines were not being followed(especially on rainy/stormy days). All that being said, we decided to pull our child out from the Fall 2025 semester. We had already paid for it but we figured we would be returned our reservation money due to the circumstances. Management refused our first attempt to reimburse us even after my child's spot was filled(Bad business etiquette). So here we are with our reviews and our next steps will be small claims. In the contract it states that they will maintain a consistent and properly staffed program...That was not our experience. read more

We attended the 2024 to 2025 school year at the Carlsbad location and had such a fun and memorable experience. The teachers were wonderful, and my 3 year old learned so much while genuinely enjoying being there each day. One of the things I appreciated most was the strong focus on social skills early on. The children were taught how to be kind, understand each other's feelings, and recognize how their actions affect others. That foundation was incredibly valuable. My child even came home teaching me what a honey bird is, which was such a sweet and unexpected moment. We also especially loved the end of the year camping trip. It was a highlight for our family. Ms. Jenna, Ms. Amber, and Ms. Rose were all fantastic, and my child absolutely adored them. read more

My two boys love playing outside and this school is the absolute perfect match for them. At 2.5 and 4.5 they are both so excited to go to school. When I ask my oldest how was school he yells like Tony he tiger "IT WAS GREAT". If I was a boy at this age, playing in the dirt, climbing trees and being in nature is the perfect fit. The structure of the program is great too! Teachers and ownership are both so great to work with and read more

We were so lucky to have our son's TK year with Miss Jenna! She is truly incredible with all the kids and watching our son grow and develop in a beautiful, outdoor space with a truly loving and caring teacher is something we will never regret. There are so many years ahead of plastic chairs and fluorescent lighting - we never get these years back and I'm so glad we seized the opportunity. We visited and trialed pretty much every outdoor school or farm in San Diego and felt this one was consistently the best. I saw some earlier reviews said the staff changed all the time - we had the same teacher every day all year with no changes or inconsistencies. We are now doing their summer camp and that's been an absolute blast with Miss Jenna and Miss Annie. read more

I had moved on from this situation. It has been five months since I put this behind me and I did not plan to comment further. However, today I received another email addressed to current and past families describing ongoing issues within the program. The concerns raised were similar to what I personally experienced during my time there. At that point, I no longer felt comfortable staying silent, especially because young children attend this school. Our interaction and resolution were not amicable whatsoever. I made sure to communicate in writing so that everything was documented. The issue of my refund did not end peacefully or professionally. After months of following up regarding money that was owed to me, the director stated that I was "harassing" and "bullying" her by requesting updates. I strongly disagree with that characterization. As a paying customer whose child was enrolled in the program, I believe I had every right to request updates on a refund and to ask questions about how the company was being run while my child was in their care. Following up on a financial matter over several months is not harassment, it is accountability. Because the refund was not resolved despite repeated requests, I ultimately had to pursue the matter in small claims court in order to recover what I was owed. I would not describe that outcome as amicable. Today's email stated that the school is again experiencing internal issues related to teachers and parent complaints... iissues very similar to those raised during the 2025 school year. Last year, when concerns were raised, responsibility was attributed to certain teachers. Those teachers are no longer employed by the school. However, similar concerns are being raised again this year with an entirely new group of teachers. As a parent observing this, that raises reasonable questions for me. If the original issues were solely tied to specific staff members, one might expect those concerns to resolve once those individuals were no longer part of the program. Instead, similar complaints appear to be continuing into a new school year with whole new staff. I am not speculating about motives. I am pointing out that the pattern of concerns has remained consistent despite a complete change in teaching staff. During my time there, when parents raised concerns, the responses often felt dismissive or minimized. Responsibility was frequently shifted elsewhere. That pattern was deeply concerning to me. One issue that continues to be referenced (including in the recent email)  is CDSS licensing. I want to state this carefully and factually: Based on written confirmation I received directly from CDSS, The Native School does not hold an active CDSS childcare license. Outdoor programs of this type may not be required to hold one because such licensing does not exist for outdoor schools yet.  That distinction matters because it affects what oversight applies and what formal complaint channels exist. My concern was not whether a license was required. My concern was that the messaging around oversight created an impression that did not align with what I later verified in writing with CDSS. Parents deserve clarity about regulatory oversight, especially when children are involved. I am sharing this because families deserve to make informed decisions. I am speaking only about my documented experience and information I verified through official sources. Our teachers were wonderful during our time there. My concerns are centered around administrative communication and transparency. read more

The Native School - My last out of many attempts to receive a refund. I've censored my and the schools personal data such as email and amounts. - Preschools Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I enrolled my 3 year old son in the piccola program at the Native School this fall, and I'm so glad I did! The teachers are warm and loving (and went above and beyond to help with his difficult drop offs... I was never forced to leave him crying and instead they catered to his individual needs, which is rare and amazing for both of us). Aside from that, he is just thriving. He loves his friends, sings new songs he's learned in school, and returns to me each day with a backpack full of leaves and pine cones, telling me all about the new things he's encountered. Given the recent reviews, I did my own due diligence before enrolling him. That said, after talking with the founder Shannon, other parents and TNS staff, it was VERY apparent that the negative feedback on the Native School was an intentional sabotaging by former employees (sounds wildly dramatic and conspiracy-ish, but actually true). Shannon was super responsive and went above and beyond to answer questions while also letting me come to my own conclusions. I am so glad that I did my own research and listened to my intuition... now my son is outside in the most beautiful park 3 days a week, playing with friends and learning about the actual world around him. Thank you Shannon and TNS! read more

The Native School - Reading and playing on the meet and greet day before school started - Preschools Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

Updating my review in response to one recently posted. I am not taking to Yelp in retaliation for not receiving a refund. My child was not enrolled for the summer or upcoming school year anyway. This "data breach" is something that Shannon told parents about after the last day of school. She said it happened in early May. That is the full extent of what has been shared with us, the parents. Many of us don't even know whether we were personally effected. If you had a solely positive experience, good for you, but you can say so without invalidating others. read more

We only did the demo class so far so my review so far is only for 2 days . My 2.5 yr old usually has separation anxiety for any drop offs but the staff were able to warm her up in minutes. She is also in a stage where she usually cries protesting going to bed at night but she happily climbed into bed after the 1st day and said "i go camp tomowow" in her cute 2 yr old voice. She was so excited to return the next day! I have never seen this. I didn't get any reports of my wild spirited 5 year old boy getting into trouble so I'm thinking he is in his happy place. Like their website states, there is no bouncing off the walls if there are no walls. He came home and told me he also wanted to go back. I know both got their energy out as they both immediately started napping on our way home from camp. They brought home journals- I was happy to see my son practice some creative writing. My favorite part is the staff's journal of the day so I get to see photos with detailed description of their days! Through these reports, I know my kiddos sweet souls were nurtured in nature and I'm looking forward to signing them up for more. read more

I've waited to write a review for Native School as I have mixed feelings about the program and leadership. My son attended for 2 years and had the most incredible teachers. Ms. Lizzie, Ms. Shauna, and Ms. Nikki were fantastic. I knew he was in good hands when I dropped him off in the mornings. They made learning fun and immersive. The outdoor environment was the perfect setting for exploring and teaching the fundamentals in preparation for kindergarten. Communication was great and easily accessible via the ProCare app and teachers were readily available for conference calls if needed. In my experience, the teachers truly cared about the students and made the program special. The second year of my son's enrollment the atmosphere did shift a bit. Although the teachers were always professional, it was obvious that the staff seemed to be a bit stressed about stuff behind the scenes. There were a few times throughout the year when the teacher assistant did change but thankfully my son had a consistent lead teacher. On a separate note, another thing that came up a with a few other class parents, the last month of school is not prorated despite there being about a week of classes held for the month. Perhaps that changed since my son attended but to pay for the entire month of June and then to still pay for camps in June was a bit much. We were going to enroll our other son in piccola but my gut was telling me it was no longer a good fit for our family. What started out as a really special experience started to feel more transactional and the change in energy amongst the staff confirmed that. I am curious if the leadership at Native School would care to comment on any of the rumors going around. I've heard from 3 unrelated sources that someone from Native School reported over a dozen competing outdoor early education program/ child care provider to the Dept of Social Services. Unfortunately programs have had to close down, greatly impacting families, kiddos, and educators in our community. read more

We have had a great time at the Native School both times that we have attended for camps. It was a great opportunity for our daughter to spend the day outside and learn more about nature. If you are looking at the reviews you can probably see there was some drama a few months back. But every story has two sides and it would probably be best to reach out to the team at Native and get their take on it. We had zero issues with any of the issues addressed in those reviews. The teacher-child ratio was small and I felt that my daughter was safe and cared for. They also put forth extra effort to help her with a project that was due for school the following week. We would definitely use Native school again. read more

My son absolutely LOVED his time there. Every day he came home talking about the new things he discovered in nature, the friends he made, and the fun projects he got to work on. The teachers are incredibly kind, patient, and genuinely care about helping each child grow -- not just academically, but as a whole person. They supported him through a tricky school project with so much encouragement and creativity, helping him stay confident and proud of his work. It's such a gift to have a school that blends learning with connection to the outdoors and to others. We're so grateful for The Native School. It's everything we hoped it would be and more! read more

I've officially have had 4 years of my children attending here. It started with my son attending from 2.5 to 4 years old and my my other kiddo as well. To this day, my older son who is now in Kinder asks about the Native school. I still sign him up for their summer programs because he just loves it so much here and has so many great memories. My youngest also loves this school, she is extremely happy there. I really encourage you to go in person or try the summer program to see if the program is right for you. It's truly an amazing program with caring teachers. read more

It was no accident that she was still enrolled. I sent three emails making sure it was clear she was not coming. Happened to settle over another families. Doesn't sound like an accident to me. Seems like she's trying to pretend that we are attending to make the company look better. And yes, I realize I signed a contract with nonrefundable enrollment however, when you breach the contract by having kids under supervised and with untrained staff, then yes, I believe that renders the contract void and you should allow families out as they no longer trust your company. read more

The Native School has been an excellent addition to our learning journey. We had a great experience during our child's first year of K, we returned for 1st. And will have another child to follow the next couple of years. The wonder of childhood is celebrated and apart of the learning process for these lucky kids and families. From day one, my child's favorite class. We could not be more grateful for such an outstanding program available to us. We would stay & grow together as long as programs continued to support our learning journey. If considering enrolling, reach out and talk to the admin team, or families, you will then understand the unique value, benefits, and joy they have to offer your family. read more

My kiddo had such a wonderful transitional kinder year here. He was amerced in nature every day and got to have many adventures. The school was STEAM forward in an authentic and natural way. The director is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable and has worked very hard over the course of many years to create a well rounded program with discerning and caring teachers. Nefarious forces have been at play to undermine this school and it breaks my heart as my child and many that came before him had such enriching experiences. Do not just read the reviews and believe them. There are many false testimonials. My child was always safe and well cared for and had an incredible experience. There was a teacher who came through the school who was actually a great teacher, but she had ulterior motives. She essentially stole the curriculum and tried to turn teachers and families against the founding director to bring them into her own school that she had started. She even used photos and materials from Native School to start her wild wander program. The Native School has strong roots and a passionate founder and I have faith that the program will become stronger and better now that much of the wrongdoing has come to light. If you want to send your child to a well established, safe, licensed program, then I highly recommend the Native School. If you have any doubts then reach out to administrators directly. read more

The teachers and all of the staff at The Native School are professional, kind, welcoming, warm, and highly knowledgeable. The environment feels safe, intentional, inspiring and deeply supportive for both children and families. I recommend this school to all of my friends with kids and feel so grateful spaces like this exist! read more

See all

I don't have any personal connection with Shannon beyond my kids attending The Native School. I also rarely write reviews, but I wanted to share my experience so prospective parents can see another perspective in light of the recent influx of reviews. The Native School's rating recently dropped from 5 stars to around 3.4 after many years of positive feedback. If you are considering the school, I'd encourage you to visit in person, spend some time observing, and talk with Shannon and the current teachers before making a decision. Firsthand impressions are far more reliable than relying solely on online reviews or rumors, whether positive or negative. My children attended The Native School over the summer and had a great experience. The teachers were caring and engaged, and my kids especially connected with Ms. Yvonne, who listened to everything they got to say with so much kindness and made every day feel so special for them. I was also impressed at how quickly the school was able to bring in such strong teachers after staff changes earlier this year. While I understand some parents have raised concerns, my own observations and my children's experiences have been entirely positive. I encourage anyone interested to gather their own information and decide based on what they see and feel during a visit. Finally, just a friendly reminder that in today's world, online reviews can be posted quickly, without verification, and sometimes without full context. This can be detrimental even to long-standing, well-respected institutions. That's why I believe it's worth visiting in person before forming a conclusion for yourself. read more

Both of my kids had an incredible experience at The Native School over the years. It was the kind of education you dream about as a parent -- nature-based, community-centered, and deeply respectful of children. They learned, they grew, they thrived. And none of that would have been possible without Shannon. Shannon was a lifeline for our family. She's a rare kind of person -- grounded, brilliant, and fiercely dedicated to creating something meaningful. The program she built changed lives, and I say that without exaggeration. So watching people go after her personally and try to destroy what she's built? It's infuriating. Let's be honest -- this doesn't look like accountability. It looks like a takedown. Ask yourself: who gains from this smear campaign? Because it sure isn't the families, and it definitely isn't the kids. Follow the money. This isn't just gossip -- it's a calculated attempt to erase someone's work for what? Personal gain? Control? It's petty, it's cruel, and it's wrong. We stand with Shannon. We're grateful for every moment our kids had at The Native School, and for the years of care, heart, and integrity she poured into this community. Some of us don't forget where we came from -- or who actually showed up for our children. read more

On the last day of the 2025 school year 5 out of the 6 teachers at our location quit. Many parents including us decided to leave the school as the primary draw was our wonderful teacher Ms Lizzie who left the school. We had a great run with the school but the administration handled this fiasco poorly. The concept is wonderful but be sure you meet the teachers before enrolling and note that the non-refundable deposit is strictly enforced (even when almost the entire teaching staff quits). read more

My kids have been attending Native School in San Dieguito for the past two years, and we couldn't be happier. The teachers are incredible. They are nurturing, engaged, and truly passionate about what they do. The outdoor environment has been such a gift for our family. Highly recommend to any family looking for a meaningful, hands-on learning experience! read more

The Native School has been amazing! We attended summer camp and enrolled for fall. My son absolutely loves going to school every day and always comes home with stories about exploring, discovering bugs, spotting butterflies, and playing with friends. The teachers are so kind and patient, and you can tell they really care. We love Ms. Tamara! I also love that they get so much time outdoors. It's such a healthy, natural way to learn. We couldn't be happier with our experience and are so excited to see what the year has in store! read more

Update: we got a response that they will be doing NO refunds even though we all paid enrollment fees for summer and next fall. Still Shannon is refusing to lose one dime, just like she refused to stop classes due to shortage of teachers, so she wouldn't lose one dime instead she put the teachers and students in danger. She keeps on showing her true character, which is Follow the Money. read more

As a parent, I know how exciting and scary it is to start the search for the right school. You want a place that feels aligned with your values, is safe, and ideally joyful for your child. On the surface, Native School appeared to offer all of that. Our 4 year old son seemed happy, and at first we felt confident in our decision. Any child playing in the mud and creek all day with friends will tell you they love their school, but as parents its up to us to make the right call when you have all the right information. After two years in the program, our experience has shown us a very different reality that I wish was shared before signing up. Let me be clear. The core issue here is not the teachers or the curriculum. Most of the teachers are deeply committed, passionate people doing their best under incredibly difficult circumstances. The real problem lies with the administration, specifically, the Director Shannon. In our second year, it became obvious that something was very wrong. Communication broke down. Teachers were leaving or being pushed out (over 80% of them quit). We built strong relationships with staff who quietly confirmed what we suspected, that the environment behind the scenes was beyond toxic, and Shannon is at the center of it. As we tried to support our teachers and advocate for improvements, we were met with resistance, misdirection, and outright lies from the administration. When we raised our concerns directly with Shannon, they were dismissed. We later learned that these conversations were used against the teachers we were trying to support. It's heartbreaking and infuriating. Now, with only two days left in the school year, another teacher has quit to get away from this toxic leadership, leaving the class without staff to finish the year. This is not an isolated event. Nearly every teacher has left in the past month--not because of the work, the children, or the mission, but because of Shannon. To be blunt, this school is falling apart. It's not because of the model or the potential of what it could be, it's because of mismanagement at the top. If you're considering this school, I urge you to do your research. Speak to current and former parents. Ask the hard questions. Don't be misled by the surface level charm. We wanted this to work, but we've come to realize that unless there is a major change in leadership, this school is not a safe or sustainable place for children or teachers. We're heartbroken and angry, but mostly want other families to understand what is happening behind the scenes to make a proper decision with more knowledge ****There are few positive review that have recently been posted here. One of which the parent directly states that her children are no longer currently enrolled in the Native School Program, but she has many private details and even went as far to attach a private email that was sent to only enrolled parents. There is a lot of praise for Shannon directly. I am not dismissing anyone else's experience, but things CAN change and they DID change. Don't speak to a parents who had a great experience in the past as that is not valid. Especially when the information being shared most likely came directly from the school in hopes to find parents to get their yelp rating back up. read more

I emailed the director and admin team July 2, requesting my child be unenrolled and asking for a refund given the recent developments. I believe a refund of our deposit is a fair request, although I was prepared to hear a "no." What I wasn't prepared for was to be totally ignored until July 19, even after I reached out two other times during that time to ensure my message hadn't been lost or accidentally overlooked. I was surprised at the response I received from the director, which was essentially her asking to have a video call with me, insinuating she would be able to ease my concerns and retain my child as a student. No mention of my original requests were made. On July 21, I replied plainly restating: Withdraw my child from the program, and due to the recent privacy violation involving student information, remove any data from all systems and delete any non-essential records. I asked her to please confirm once this process is completed. Lastly I asked her answer to my request of the refund. It's now July 31 and I have once again heard NOTHING. Literally all I'm expecting is a "Confirming ____ is officially removed from the program and all non essential records have been deleted." And simple yes or no to whether or not we will be getting any money back. WHAT IS THE HOLD UP?!?!?! It's so frustrating to have such a simple request and question be ignored. Clearly, we made the right decision to find a different school for our child. Ridiculously unprofessional. I would advise anyone considering this school to RUN in the opposite direction. I'm so glad we did at the first whiff of all this nonsense. read more

Yes schools go through transitions. All businesses have their growing adjustments. It was how the administration responded to the parents that created the big rift. After that we all discovered the harm and toxic working environment that was happening with the teachers. Resulting in a school wide resignation event. A group of us parents tried to help the school, but the owner Shannon was unable to listen and respond appropriately. We later found out that this was not the first time this happened with this school. read more

I should have written this review earlier, when I first pulled my daughter out of this school. It may have helped other parents avoid some significant trouble. But, I was hoping our experience was unique. My daughter has ASD 1 and is an absolute delight of a kid (I know, I'm biased). She attended Piccola from December 2023 through May. When she came back for the Fall, she had 2 great months, August and September, and then everything started falling apart. After some particularly egregious things happened to our kid personally, I pulled her from the school. It was still a tough choice because she loved her friends there and misses them terribly. But what solidifed my decision was Shannon's phone call to me. This phone call included such highlights as her passive-aggressively referring to my child's behavior as "difficult" (my kid had been running away from class for three months after her grandfather died and no one told us); and throwing her teachers under the bus, including blaming some of the safety concerns on teachers' neurodivergence- a particularly weird thing to say to me, a parent who had identified myself to her as neurodivergent. At no point did she claim responsibility for her own literal failure to communicate vital information with us for months; for her own failure to properly staff and rotate teachers throughout classrooms to maintain consistency; etcetera. It truly is heartbreaking, to echo what some other parents have written, because it was such a good experience for my kiddo at one time. But when the teachers started leaving I should have paid more attention. It was wild, too, because one of the selling points, to me, of the school was they seemed to be treating teachers well-so that was either always incorrect, or something in particular happened last Fall. We're trying some other nature- or outdoor-based schools; I suggest you also shop around. Maybe this school will rise to its dream again one day but right now it ain't it. read more

We have been at The Native School for 2 years now (plus we attend the amazing camps during the Summer!) There is so much care and concern for the students and the community is pure magic. read more

What began as a promising nature-based program has devolved into an unstable, chaotic environment marked by leadership failure, high staff turnover, and a total breakdown in trust. We LOVED our teachers and our child absolutely thrived in this outdoor environment but in the final days of the school year, the entire teaching team resigned, citing a toxic and unsafe environment. Families, including ours, were left scrambling without notice, support, or meaningful communication. The founder, Shannon O'Donoghue Rine, has shown a disturbing pattern of behavior, rude, deflective, dismissive, and entirely unwilling to take ownership of the situation. She has blamed staff, questioned their integrity, and dismissed parent concerns. Shannon has characterized the teachers' departure as a "coordinated attack." That framing says everything. In reality, it's the natural result of years of mismanagement and unethical behavior catching up. Despite this public unraveling, the school is refusing to refund tuition for the upcoming year, even though the program we enrolled in no longer exists as promised. Teachers are gone. Trust is gone. What's left is a defensive leadership team more concerned with protecting image and revenue than doing what's right for the children and their families. We are so sad to be leaving under these circumstances. But we would never send our child back to an environment led by someone who uses children, teachers, and families to serve her own agenda. If you're considering The Native School, DON'T! Stay far, far away. read more

Native school was the first program our son went to on his own. It took him just one day to love it . He began 2 times/week at the age of 2.5 yrs then he requested 3times . He is now 3.5 yrs and goes 4 days a week . I am an early interventionist and speech pathologist myself and can tell you from both a professional and personal experience that finding the Native School has been a blessing to my son's world and our life. He gets to hike, run , jump, learn and be a boy without judgment . It's the perfect combination of caring teachers and a very well built curriculum for encouraging the love for books , exploring nature , language and friends ! read more

I'll write a longer post eventually, but the recent negative reviews are spot on. Teacher turnover has been a major issue this entire year (and every teacher we've interacted with has been lovely, so it's a clearly an issue with the admin). This week seemingly every remaining teacher has resigned and there has been 0 communication from the leadership team. I do not trust this school to care for my child. read more

I can't say enough great things about this program. We enrolled our daughter for the 2025-2026 school year. I'm so happy to have found an outoor, play-centric program that my daughter truly loves and thrives in. Her teachers are absolutely wonderful. They create a magical and supportive learning environment that I truly believe in. The park location is insanely beautiful and there are active rangers on duty everyday, so I am confident my daughter is in a safe setting. My husband and I also love reading the "daily reflections" (my fav), where we get to see pictures and read a summary about our daughter's day. Admittedly, I was apprehensive after receiving an email from the school about a data breach and "mass exit" of teachers. This happened in June before my daughter was meant to start. I do want to clarify, however, that when I was doing my research on forest/nature school programs long BEFORE June 2025, I saw only 5 star reviews. My husband and I found the whole thing super bizarre so we got on a call with the director, Shannon, to get a better understanding of what had happened. Even under, what I can only imagine to be an immense amount of stress, she warmly invited any and all questions, comments and concerns. She made herself available to us and was very transparent about everything. There were also several events leading up to the start of the school year for all new parents to meet the teachers, ask questions, see the "classroom" and for the children to meet their future classmates. All of this put my mind at ease and now several months into the school year we couldn't be happier that we decided to stick with the Native School. It's truly a one of a kind learning environment and we will def be returning for 2026-2027 and beyond! read more

My daughter attended a week long camp with the Native school and it was truly one of the best weeks of her life! She genuinely enjoyed every minute spent with her teacher Annie. The Native School did such a great job at balancing school work and outdoor explorative play. She came home with so many new things to share with me and absolutely loved all the time they spent enjoying the outdoors! I would definitely encourage other parents to give their children this experience! read more

I've enrolled my son in Native School's project week three times now and I can't say enough good things about it. He loves meeting out at San Dieguito Park to play, explore, and work on his school projects. The teachers and instructors are kind, patient, and experienced. They somehow are able to make it fun and adventurous while setting aside time to also work on his homeschool projects. They go above and beyond to make it a wonderful experience for my seven year old and even help to gather materials and print pages for his projects. He loves going and is so excited and proud of his accomplishments at the end of the week. The Native School is just amazing and I will definitely be signing him up for more camps in the future. Highly recommend! read more

Shannon... it took you 2 months to respond to my review. You most definitely owe these parents refunds and that'll be taken care of in court I'm sure. You don't fail a school and expect to take their money at the same time that's very inappropriate for a business owner to do and looks really bad as a business. You can't run a business with children without the proper licensing and without people being background checked to be working with kids and to have people hide the fact that you're not there for you. Also having a child roaming around in a parking lot I believe she was two or three years old without any supervision is beyond comprehension. I've been to that parking lot I've seen how fast cars move and cars can't see little kids we all know that so to have that happen and then not let the parent know? And then also to slander your staff is also beyond comprehension to me. So it's too little too late and you'll be facing repercussions I'm sure and I'm sure you already are as you should be. My grandson deserved better, his parents deserved better. read more

This school stole our money after ALL the teachers resigned. My son loved this school and we're devastated that the leadership was so awful it led all the teachers to quitting before the school year even ended. We paid in advance for summer school and they refused to give us our money back even after everyone quit. The services promised by this school were NOT rendered and we will be taking further action. read more

The school is very poorly managed, the majority of the staff quit all at once which says quite a bit. The management lack transparency and has no credibility. read more

As a single mom, it's been really difficult to come to terms with the idea of sending my daughter to schooling, summer camp at the native school would be her first time away from me. Upon enrolling, I spoke with Shannon. She was very supportive of me, and answered any questions I had. She also was very candid with me, sharing that she has similar experiences in her life, and that she could really empathize with me. Shannon was also very flexible , helping with scheduling issues and financially, working with what I could give. She really made me feel seen, and I could tell she cares about making sure I'm sending my child to a school I can trust. I'm really grateful to her. My daughter had a great time at summer camp and I am currently speaking with their team on fall enrollment. read more

This review is not a reflection of the wonderful and dedicated former staff at the Native School, nor is it a critique of the school's pedagogy, curriculum, or educational philosophy. It is a reflection of how deeply mismanaged the program has become under the leadership of its director, Shannon, who is both articulate and compelling, yet insincere, manipulative, and ultimately dangerous. We were initially thrilled to enroll our then-3-year-old at the Native School: Piccola class at Buena Vista Park. He loved it there and truly thrived. But over time, we witnessed a disturbing pattern. Teachers came and went; new faces almost weekly. New teachers were regularly announced, yet few remained for long. The exception was the main teacher and educational director, who was the only consistent, stabilizing presence in the class and fought so hard to stay there. Ms Jenn is exceptional and deserved far better. Staff turnover quickly became the norm, with teachers either quitting or being terminated at an alarming rate. It has now reached the point where most, if not all, of the original core teaching staff across all locations have left. Throughout all this, communication from the director, Shannon, was minimal to nonexistent. She routinely deflected responsibility, avoided accountability, and made decisions that prioritized her image over the well-being of students and staff. In one instance, she canceled class with the fabricated excuse that park rangers were spraying larvicides, when in truth, she lacked staff to operate the program that day. Another example is that Shannon was known to send emails to families posing as teachers, misrepresenting who was actually writing and leading communication with parents. This level of deception further eroded trust and highlighted her disregard for transparency and ethical conduct. Her actions are deeply troubling. The most alarming incident-- and our final straw--was when Shannon refused to cancel school despite not having enough licensed and trained staff to safely supervise the children. Instead, she sent her own young adult son to act as a "body" to appear in ratio, leaving only one certified teacher and reportedly a floater, who as not there during drop off, to lead two combined classes because the other core teacher had quit the night before. Families were not informed. We only became aware of the unsafe conditions upon arriving at drop-off. Her actions were unethical, reckless, deceptive, and in some cases, illegal. All done to save face, rather than protect the children and show due respect to the families in the community. This is not Shannon O'Donoghue's first failed business. It has come to my attention she has previously rebranded to "start fresh", evading accountability for past mismanagement. This speaks volumes about a pattern of instability and evasion, and troubling lack of character. I urge all parents (and teachers): Stay far away from this program and any business affiliated with Shannon O'Donoghue. Her leadership poses a risk to children, families, and staff alike. It truly saddens me that things had to end this way, and my heart is broken for the kind, nurturing, and dedicated teachers who endured so much under this toxic leadership. I feel for our beautiful children who were subjected so much inconsistency and instability in the months leading to the program's demise, and for all the parents who are feeling as equally disturbed, frustrated, and angry. But I'm also grateful to be in a position to share our experience so we can protect other families and teachers in the community. read more