I like the staff and all, as i left school this year, and the staff is nice, but i was bullied a…read morelot and made fun of. And the students are very harsh, and will make fun of you, and day racial slurs, such as the n word, so on, so forth.

Do not send your kids here. I went here when I was younger, was bullied by a kid, and it was not…read moretaken seriously. He repeatedly bullied me and several other kids, and was able to get away with all of it. Even when several other children came forward to say that they felt uncomfortable with this other kid in the classroom, again, it was not taken seriously. I was able to get away with more things going to the school than I ever have in my life. They had a little to no supervision and I was uncomfortable with the staff there.

The main Ainsworth School was built in 1913. It added wings, colonies and adjacent classrooms. It…read moreis Portland's oldest continuously operating elementary school. Our group has meetings in the band room of the oldest part of the main school. Staff is great. Super cool, they have adult-size chairs and tables for meetings! My discovery was that an over 110 year old school building is perfectly excellent! I have had arguments with parent friends over the primacy of green schools and fancy new construction. My primacy is involved parents over everything, by a mile. The cleanliness, spirit of student work posted everywhere, the humbleness and economy of instruments, sheet music and more, demonstrates concretely what is really important for kids. Parents. Ainsworth School and any Portland school is a perfect venue to engage for meetings and to draw together all neighbors to do something in the neighborhood.

The transportation issue with this school is dangerous. No place to drop off kids. The buses pickup…read moreon dangerous streets. Seems like a good school but they have no place for student drop off so you are forced to drop kids off on busy streets.

Concerns Regarding Bridges Middle School I feel a deep…read moreresponsibility to speak candidly about systemic issues that impact both staff and students at Bridges Middle School. Although the school publicly brands itself as an inclusive, neurodiversity-affirming program, the reality behind closed doors tells a very different story. Inadequate Curriculum and Staff Training Bridges utilizes little to no curriculum designed specifically for students with learning differences. Much of the curriculum is sourced from Teachers Pay Teachers and then modified by educators-most of whom have received little to no formal training in curriculum modification. Historically, Bridges has employed general education teachers without licensure in special education and without providing them with meaningful training in best practices for supporting students with learning differences. These are major oversights by administration. Families who pay $32,000 a year deserve highly qualified educators using well-vetted, evidence-based curriculum. Unsafe and Unsupported Learning Environments Teachers are routinely excluded from the development of Behavior Support Plans (BSPs), yet they are held solely responsible for implementing these plans-even when they do not reflect the realities of the classroom or students' actual needs. Staff receive no formal training in positive behavior support strategies, despite being asked to manage increasingly complex student behaviors without the necessary tools or collaboration. Safety protocols are also deeply inadequate. During my time at Bridges, I witnessed serious incidents-including students choking peers with stools and threatening gun violence-that were met with little to no follow-up or transparent safety planning with teachers. Administrative responses occurred behind closed doors, leaving educators without guidance or protection. This places both staff and students at risk. Discrimination and Toxic Leadership A troubling pattern of discrimination has emerged over multiple years, resulting in high staff turnover. This past year alone, every staff member with a disability was terminated-each due to symptoms associated with their disability. Legal action has been taken by more than one former employee. Meanwhile, the head administrator-who publicly identifies as a "neurodivergent coach"-has engaged in repeated discriminatory and retaliatory behavior. When staff presented documented evidence disproving false claims made by her, we were explicitly told to stop providing evidence that contradicted her narrative. This not only undermines trust, but fosters a culture in which misinformation and ableism go unchecked. For someone who holds a prominent voice in Portland's disability community, these actions are deeply hypocritical and harmful-especially within a school that claims to serve disabled students. Leadership Instability and Family Misinformation The school principal, who also teaches future educators at a prominent university, has overseen the marginalization and removal of highly capable staff. Due to her own complex trauma, she struggles to set boundaries, often overcommitting and failing to follow through-then placing blame on staff for the fallout. Decisions are frequently made to appease the most dissatisfied parent, rather than based on what is best for students. This has led to a revolving door of educators and a loss of much-needed continuity for students with disabilities. Misalignment Between Public Promises and Reality Despite public claims, Bridges does not offer: - Rigorous, standards-aligned curriculum with measurable outcomes - Ongoing professional development - Equitable access to educational opportunities - A culture of fairness, honesty, or integrity When conflicts arise from this lack of transparency, administration often pits teachers against families and actively excludes educators from important family meetings. While I believe some administrators genuinely hope to create a school that reflects the values stated on the website, they are being actively undermined by longer-serving leaders who resist anything that isn't her idea. It is my hope that this testimony helps shine a light on critical issues that deserve immediate attention-not just from prospective families, but from regulatory bodies, funders, and advocates for educational justice.

Bridges changed my sons life. The teachers were patient and kind. They didn't use punishment as a…read moretool which too often happened at other schools. They treated him with respect and ended up getting it in return. This school actually loves LD kids and kids who think differently. And finally they did a great job his 8th grade year helping us find a good high school and preparing him for the next stage of his education. Nothing bad to say about Bridges Middle School.

Went here. Thought it was ok. Didnt get the triple layer 4 cheese smoothie i wanted. A bunch of…read morekids and they were unsupervised. Lame.

Very diverse school. Students can get involved in a lot of things except for things like language…read more(they ONLY have Spanish) and home ec. It's changed since new teachers were hired and tech stuff was added. Was much better like two years ago

The principal is super nice and the best part is the funny teachers and principal. I also love the…read moreschool because it's super secured and it's always so clean and most of the times it's really clean and the experience is top-tier but the bad thing is if you have younger children, I'd recommend keeping them a bit away from the playground because it's pretty big but other than that, it's super Duper fun. I recommend 100%.

Amazing school pretty old though maybe think about remodeling like Lincoln high school did lockers…read morejam and lock mechanisms are older than time but the teachers are amazing and the experience is top notch highly recommend!

Kinnersley is a great administrator, has really done a good job making the school a place that…read morevalues learning and diversity. My kids laugh when I talk about bullying, as they say it doesn't exist at West Sylvan. Not easy times, but folks here are doing the best they can and it is working. We've got kids in the 7th grade now, others in HS who went through WS so we've had plenty of experience with the place. We'd love it to be more intellectual and stimulating but in relation to PPS in general its a pretty good place.

Sharing our response to the denied acceptance email received pertaining to our son. Our daughter…read morewas accepted. We are completely caught off guard and very disappointed to hear you have decided not to accept Henri. After reading through the numerous emails from TPMS there was NEVER any information that his acceptance was pending a school tour. In addition to the emails, we specifically discussed our situation with Jessica during the tour and I followed up with telephone calls after. Jessica reassured us TPMS had children similar to Henri. We were worried about disappointing him and told her we did not want him to tour the classroom if there was a chance he would not be accepted. She assured us that it doesn't work that way and the tour was just for him to get familiar with the classroom and meet his teachers. I specifically told her I do not want to even apply if there was not room for both children. We had a secured/accepted a spot for Lillian at another Montessori school and had Henri on the waiting list, which we have turned down since receiving your "acceptance letter." It is too late in the school year to secure a spot for our children at another school. This decision is INCREDIBLY disruptive to our family and completely irresponsible per TPMS admissions staff. It is pathetic I had to email Braden to find out why we had not had any follow up after Henri's visit. It is also misleading Elisabeth did not indicate anything went wrong with his behavior during that visit. Her communication & demeanor with children and adults is lacking. Judging a 6 year old boy with special needs after observing him for 2 hours in a completely new environment full of strangers is unbelievable and inaccurate, and speaks volumes per your internal practices verses the montessori educational platform. Your policies should be clear that you don't accept children with an IEP or ADHD, to avoid wasting families time Lillian will not be attending TPMS. I HIGHLY suggest you take a look at your admission process and the way TPMS communicates with families. Because of your poor communication and decision our children will not be able to attend Montessori school in the fall. Considering our situation after much homework and clear communication on our part, we suggest TPMS advertises correctly and does't mislead people in the future as it's been a very disingenuous and incompetent experience that will greatly affect our family and our child's developmental plans. Parents are always going to be their children's biggest advocate and TPMS should be ashamed as your mission statement and admission process is severely flawed, and its obvious people should know the truth! In closing, I'm not looking forward to explaining to my son that he will not be attending the school we've been building up to be a great experience. He was greatly looking forward to the school & "new friends" and going to school with his little sister, both of which will not happen now.

After researching and visiting several Montessori schools in the city for a few years, we decided…read morein 2009 to send our daughter (at age 3) to Providence Montessori School. We love the guides, support staff and other families at the school for their genuine care and interest in children and for the overall school community. We live closer to another Montessori school on the West side but decided the commute was worth the reward of great care, education and community of Providence Montessori School. What I love about the school: *Low turnover rate of the school staff After having a daughter at another Montessori school where the staff turnover rate was high, it's wonderful to have the stability of having the same faces in the school and classroom for my kids. The staff are happy to be part of the school, and that shows through as an overall positive energy and focus in the kids. *Elementary Classes-availability and opportunity to continue the wonderful Montessori method of learning *Enrichment Programs & Holiday Camps Unlike some of the other schools in town, they have before and after school care on site with some of the same staff kids see during the day. Oh, and they have a dedicated Enrichment Director who constantly comes up with great ways to engage and entertain the students. I'm amazed at the creativity in projects and activities to keep kids' interest and the artistic, fun results contributed by the kids. *Involved Parent Community We have lots of opportunities to meet and get to know other families at the school: Parent night out, picnics at the playground, potlucks, Coffee Fridays (for parents to drink coffee, snack and chat), etc. The school has a Parent Advisory Board where families can come learn about what's going on with the school administration and have input in the operations and programs. *Large open green space as playground They have an amazing, large secure play area for the kids with a boat, a tree house, a garden and plenty of are to play games and run around. My daughter loves to lift up all the big rocks to look for insects and worms and climb on the tree house. *Indoor Gym space When the weather doesn't permit outdoor time, the kids have an indoor gym they can still play games and burn off some energy in an indoor gymnasium next door. *On-site after school programs Rotating classes of Spanish, Yoga, Soccer, Cooking, Violin to name a few *Cultural and Socioeconomic Diversity The school gives scholarship to about 12-15% of families throughout the year (fund raised through school auction) and tries very hard offer great education to as many types of families as possible. This was one of our main reasons for choosing Providence Montessori School. We wanted our children to have a diverse peer group as it is in the real world. These are some of my quick thoughts. I can't type as fast as I think or talk and believe this is enough info for families who are researching and thinking of schools for their precious little ones. Sincerely, Current Happy Providence Montessori Family

ISP creates joy…read more Happy and educated children is what I see at ISP whenever I'm on campus. The combination of language immersion and IB education (inquiry-based) is amazing. These children come out with a global mindset treating others with respect snd care. We looked at a number of schools in Portland and ISP is the best. Seeing 5th graders graduate fully fluent in Spanish, Japanese or Mandarin is amazing. And hearing stories of ISP graduates in college and beyond who use the skills and language they learned at ISP daily, reaffirms why we believe this is the best school in Portland. Additionally, the location makes school accessible to families living all over Portland. Being centrally located (near public transit, bike paths, highways, etc.) means the students learn about city and have easy access to museums, theater, and more for field trips. An ISP education builds a strong foundation to help the next generations follow their dreams.

Where else in Portland can a monolingual household, like ours, send a child to school at age 3 and,…read morewithin a few years, watch her become fluent in another language? Not only does our daughter speak Spanish fluently like a native speaker, she can write proficiently in both English and Spanish. Our now seven-year-old child has achieved something neither of her parents have managed, which has been a huge confidence booster. Before enrolling her, we were concerned about whether she could succeed in learning a foreign language at such a young age and whether she might fall behind in other subjects. However, our fears were unfounded. She, along with her classmates, quickly picked up Spanish. Additionally, attending a diverse school where Spanish, Mandarin, and Japanese are predominantly used has allowed her to appreciate and celebrate different traditions and cultures. If you are looking for true diversity, you will have trouble finding more of it at any other school in the area. Remarkably, she and many of her classmates significantly outperform state averages in reading in English and math as evidenced by standardized test scores, demonstrating that language immersion has not hindered her overall academic progress. The inquiry-based learning process of the school's International Baccalaureate program has fostered her curiosity, creativity, and independent critical thinking. In one of her classes students can volunteer to present "mini-lessons" on topics of interest. Recently, she presented a lesson on DNA, displaying an impressive understanding of a complex subject that I didn't learn about until high school or college. I've also been impressed with the quality of her art classes. Unlike the simple arts and crafts of my childhood, she has learned about art history and various artists. When we visited a Frida Kahlo exhibit, she provided insightful commentary on Kahlo's background and influences. Similarly, she recognized the influence of Vincent Van Gogh in a painting by Edvard Munch, showcasing her knowledge and keen eye for art. The small class sizes not only provides more personalized attention from the teachers, it also fosters a culture of kindness (her class this year had a 12:1 student-teacher ratio, about half of what it is at area public schools). While the school is located in downtown Portland, it's a bit hidden. It's a safe oasis on a quiet dead-end street, easily accessible by bike, streetcar, MAX, bus, and car due to its central location. When we lived in The Pearl District, I could bike my daughter to school on dedicated bike paths for most of the route. If you are looking for a truly differentiated education for your child that will lay a foundation for them to thrive in a shrinking global community & economy I'd encourage you to check out the International School of Portland.