As a current AMS parent with children in both Children's House and Elementary I'm so happy to share how positive our years here have been. The guides have been extraordinary. They know my children not just academically, but as whole people. Every conference leaves me emotional because of how thoughtfully they understand my sons' personalities, challenges, growth, and emotional worlds. There is a level of attentiveness and care that feels so beautiful and genuine. Academically I see my children thriving. One of them has a learning difficulty which the school has been so incredible flagging and supporting us through. The educational support person is such a valuable asset to the school. What I love so much is that she is consistently attending conferences to keep to up to date on all of the new learnings as the world navigates how to best support learning issues and neurodivergency. It shows a real passion for her field and I am so happy to see my child as the happy beneficiary of this. The work she has done with him and the support she has given us has been so thorough and helpful. What we value extends beyond the classroom- the sweet and delightful grounds, the emphasis on kindness and empathy, the thoughtful approach to nutrition and screen time, and especially the parent education offered by the school. Those classes genuinely changed how we approach parenting at home and have had a lasting impact on our family life. If you are after a deeply caring Montessori education. True Montessori. Then I couldn't recommend this school enough. As for the review below about the spirtual side - I've never seen anything like that. it's so far from what the school feels like to me. read more

Austin Montessori School has been a true safe haven for our family through some of the most challenging years of our lives. Through every obstacle and transition, the school held us with steadiness and warmth that I will never forget. The educators here are exceptional in the most genuine sense of the word. Lesley Williams stands out as a nurturing, loving, stabilizing presence who welcomed our entire family into the community from day one. Her care extended far beyond the classroom, and that kind of wholehearted dedication is rare. What sets Austin Montessori apart is its deep intentionality. Every aspect of the environment, the curriculum, and the culture reflects thoughtful commitment to children and families. You feel it immediately and you feel it consistently. We are leaving with profound gratitude. If you are considering this school, I recommend it without hesitation. read more

Wow so much of our children's experience was so confusing at AMS because they are so outwardly polite and mild mannered but it feels like pulling teeth trying to understand what my kids day was even like. There are 2 guides for the class of about 30 children and it was always weird when I wanted to just casually chat with the assistant teacher and she would say stuff like "oh i can't really talk about his/her day the guide knows more about his/her development". So strange and much different from the other preschools we know of. It all just feels so overly formal. I now have a child in elementary school and feel so welcomed there to volunteer, help the teacher, whatever. Walking into AMS always feels like it's so formal and that everyone has these very odd boundaries that just feel weird and like theres this unspoken code or something. Then some parents sued the school and AMS had to release their internal operations guide which at first reads like something normal for a school but then starts to feel super odd... Like AMS is NOT A RELIGIOUS SCHOOL... but there's all this stuff about spiritual community, spiritual practices, and apparently my kids' guides are also supposed to be the PARENT'S GUIDE?? Like, we can't be friends with one another because they are somehow in charge of my parenting? I mean there are a lot of true believers at this school... always got this vibe that some of them kind of do treat it like a religion but I never expected to actually see something in print that apparently their staff might actually have a bunch of beliefs they aren't tellling parents about. I don't know what they think Montessori really is but there's a ton of Montessori schools in Austin we know dozens of parents at other schools and none of them have these weirdly non-communicate experiences. They always act like they are right and that parents need to be condescended to as if we don't actually have a clue what our children are like or need. Hard to decide between 1 and 2 stars... epically annoying administration, but mostly nice guides and parents... just impossible to really know what happening behind closed doors there. Like is my kid learning to read when they're supposed to? I have no idea. Is my kid getting bullied? Yep, no idea. Don't love that I have no idea. But at least now I know why they try so hard not to give us any documents about our kids. read more

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Our family's experience at Austin Montessori School has been extraordinary. We watched our daughter grow for more than twelve years in a compassionate, supportive Montessori community that shaped not only her education but also her character. She began in the Children's House and blossomed into an empathetic, responsible, capable, and confident young person in the Adolescent Community. We especially appreciate how AMS integrates practical work, creative expression, meaningful relationships, and travel into the learning experience. The adults at AMS know and support students as whole people, and the community fosters independence, curiosity, responsibility, and care for others. For our family, AMS has been a deeply meaningful place for growth, connection, and belonging. We are grateful for the lasting role it has played in our daughter's life. read more

We initially chose Austin Montessori School because we fell in love with the AMI accreditation and the idyllic, peaceful environment of the campus. For the early years (YCC and Children's House), it felt like magic. Our child was independent, happy, and developing a wonderful sense of self. However, as we moved into the Elementary levels, the Montessori Magic began to feel more like a lack of oversight. While the school prides itself on a self-paced environment, we discovered that 'self-paced' can sometimes be used as a shield for a lack of progress. When we raised concerns about our child falling behind in core areas like literacy, the administration's response was consistently dismissive. We felt gaslighted--told that our child was "finding their own way" when, in reality, they were struggling with a learning difference that the school was unequipped (or unwilling) to address. The biggest heartbreak was the lack of transparency. We found that internal assessments weren't always shared with us in a timely or honest manner. There is a deeply ingrained culture of "trust the process," but when that process fails a child, there seems to be no safety net or humility from the leadership to pivot. While the long-tenured guides are clearly dedicated to the philosophy, the administration feels rigid and, at times, ethically questionable in how they handle families who ask tough questions. We ultimately joined a growing group of families who felt forced to leave to ensure our child received the actual academic support they needed. It is a lovely community if your child fits a very specific mold, but if they need any form of specialized intervention or clear academic benchmarks, you may find yourself feeling very isolated. read more

My children have attended Austin Montessori School for the past five years and are currently ages 8 and 6. Our oldest began at age four, and our youngest started at two and a half. Overall, our experience has been very positive. AMS truly feels like a close-knit community, with a strong emphasis on building relationships among families through regular community events that help both parents and children feel connected. The school also offers valuable parent education workshops--such as Positive Discipline, Wait Until 8th, and The Anxious Generation--which have been incredibly helpful in supporting my confidence and growth as a parent. Most importantly, my children genuinely enjoy going to school (they've even asked to go on weekends), which says a lot. One of the things I appreciate most is AMS's focus on social-emotional development and intrinsic motivation. The guides show deep respect for each child as an individual, meeting students where they are and honoring different strengths and learning styles. Academically, we've seen strong outcomes. Our younger daughter is significantly advanced in reading--two outside evaluators noted she is reading at approximately a third-grade level at age five--and she is also testing at a first-grade level in math. Our older daughter had early reading challenges related to sensory and visual processing differences. With outside support (OT, speech therapy, etc), along with thoughtful collaboration from the school, she has made meaningful progress and is doing very well today. We are grateful for the patience, curiosity, and consistent support shown by AMS educators during that time. Like any school, Montessori works best when families stay engaged and partner with educators. I've consistently felt heard by the administration, and the guides and staff are responsive and generous with their time. Many staff members have been at AMS for years--even decades--which speaks to the stability of the community. Our family's experience at Austin Montessori School has been nurturing and supportive, and we're grateful for the strong foundation it has provided for both of our children. I highly recommend touring the campus--the classrooms feel peaceful and inviting. Families should plan to get on the waitlist early, as there is strong demand, especially for the younger YCC and Children's House programs. read more

Love the school and all that it has given to our family, both in authentic Montessori academics for our son and parental support for me as I navigate through the Montessori pedagogy at school and home. read more

We are deeply grateful for our experience at Austin Montessori School. Recommended to us by close family friends, the school has been an exceptional fit for our family. Our child has thrived in both the Children's House and Early Elementary communities and genuinely enjoys school. We credit this to the strong relationships, thoughtful observations, and open communication with the guides, assistants, and staff. Their insights have helped us better understand our child and strengthen our approach to parenting. We feel incredibly fortunate to be part of the Austin Montessori School community and recommend it without hesitation. read more

My daughter came home from school with more than one tick on more than one day. School administration was defensive. How do we know she got those here? Because she didn't have them on her chest and tummy this morning. School said they don't do pest control because the chemicals are too much for kids. But tick bites are organic read more

The parent community is wonderful. They are why we stayed this long. Administration made the choice not to share information about our kids' reading and math. They started at the school from pre-school through part of elementary school. The younger years were great. We loved the teachers and staff, but then our kids had basic problems with math and reading. The school administration withheld the kids' reading assessments for years, while telling us a child needs to see this or that specialist. Guess what? Our kids are not dyslexic, but had trouble reading because their teachers failed to teach reading with phonics. It's hard on the child and family, when an 8 year old can't read. read more

While we initially chose Austin Montessori School for its reputation and beautiful campus, our experience was far from the "holistic" ideal promised during the admissions process. The "follow the child" philosophy sounds wonderful in theory, but in practice, it felt like a lack of accountability. Our child spent months focusing on the same few activities while foundational skills in math and literacy were sidelined. Without more proactive guidance from the guide (teacher) and administration, students who aren't naturally self-driven seem to drift or fall behind. There are different rules for staff children. The school's administration often felt insular and resistant to feedback. When we raised concerns about our child's social integration, the response was consistently to "trust the process," which felt dismissive rather than collaborative. Transparency regarding daily progress is minimal, leaving parents in the dark until formal conferences. Because the environment is so open-ended, we found that social conflicts and "playground politics" were not always effectively managed. The hands-off approach to conflict resolution often left quieter children overwhelmed by more dominant personalities. Adults observe. Austin Montessori may work for a very specific type of self-motivated learner, but for a child who requires clear boundaries or for parents who value consistent communication, it was a frustrating and expensive mismatch. We have since moved to a more structured environment where our child is finally receiving the direct instruction they need. read more

Our experience at Austin Montessori School has been phenomenal. From the moment I observed YCC at 8 weeks pregnant, I felt overwhelmed with "this is it". We have been thru YCC and Children's House, this is our 3rd year there and will be re-enrolling again. Like any healthy, growing community, AMS is actively deepening collaboration, trust, and shared ownership between families and the school--and I've been grateful to be part of that work through the Parent Association. These are growing pains, not shortcomings, and they are being approached with intention, care, and a genuine desire to do right by children and families. Personally, AMS has given me far more than a school for my child. I've built meaningful friendships, grown as a parent and a leader, and deepened my understanding of Montessori philosophy and positive discipline through the school's parent education offerings. Most importantly, my son is thriving. At not yet four years old, he is independent, confident, kind, curious, and--above all--safe and deeply known. I can't wait to see who he becomes at 15 (currently the last offering thru AMS), knowing this is the foundation he's building on. read more

It's hard to put into words how much Austin Montessori School means to our family. Being in a trustworthy, supportive, open-minded space feels more important than ever. Our child began at 18 months in the Youngest Children's Community and is now finishing up in Early Elementary, headed to Upper Elementary next year! We plan on staying through the Adolescent program if all goes as planned. I can say she truly loves school and is enriched beyond measure. The community continues to stand out in it's dedication to the development of the whole child, transparency and communication, multicultural inclusion, and a genuine 'feels like family' atmosphere. AMS is truly committed to Maria Montessori's vision even in today's modern world - this is not an easy task! We are extremely grateful. read more

We are completely broken-hearted and disgusted by how this school handles student safety and progress. For months, our child's emotional and academic progress plummeted. When we asked for updates, the administration repeatedly stonewalled us, claiming our child was just "adjusting" or experiencing "normal social development."The truth was horrifying. Our child was being subjected to persistent, targeted bullying on campus. When we finally discovered the extent of the abuse and confronted the leadership, they completely dismissed it. They brushed off severe physical and verbal harassment as "routine playground play" and normal childhood interaction.The lack of transparency here is dangerous. The administration deliberately hid these behavioral incidents from us to protect the school's image. They chose to gaslight our family and minimize our child's trauma rather than take accountability or enforce discipline. They completely broke our trust, both academically and safely. read more

My children have attended AMS from Children's House onward and it has been nothing short of transformational for both of them. Each one is very unique, and yet the Montessori focus on agency, community, and loving the process of learning manifested in such positive ways for both of them. We plan to keep our children here as long as we can as it is a very rare school and the kind of environment we could use more of in this age. Thanks for all you do AMS. read more

Wow! We are having such an amazing experience at Austin Montessori School. Our kids have had incredible support in reading, math, sciences and have initiated their own research into their areas of interest. We've loved seeing the work they bring home, the presentations they've created and the detailed information we receive at conferences about our children's academic development. Our children love their classrooms and look forward to going to school everyday. Every request for additional conferences with staff or teachers have been welcomed, and very generative, generous and creative solutions were brought by teachers and staff to help our children overcome their particular challenges. In addition to the education and support our children receive, there are so many opportunities for parent and family engagement, supported by the school. If you choose, your calendar will be full of parent opportunities that are fun, educational, or family and community building. We look forward to many more years at Austin Montessori School! read more

AMS does not take education seriously. While Montessori has many great benefits, this school does not have the means to monitor or ensure students are getting a well-rounded education as they like to proclaim. They allow students to fall through the cracks in critical areas including but not limited to reading, spelling, writing, and math. With student-led interests, it's the blind leading the blind in the classroom without any formal support to learning phonetics, correction of spelling or support in proper sentence structure and formation. At the end of the 2023-24 school year, there has been an exodus of parents taking out their children due to administration gaslighting and lack of accountability. They have had a KNOWN issue that specifically chose to cover up and intentionally hide from parents. We only found out at the end of mid-cycle that our child was extremely far behind and they tried to pin him with a neuro-divergency. Thanks to outside LLSP testing we found out the school had completely broken not only our trust in their programs but abdicated their handbook of teaching. AMS program lacks fail-safes and transparency, and many kids have fallen through the cracks. Even when questioned, they lie to the parents and try to make it about the individual child. It was statistically impossible to have 12 kids in 1 class have the issues they tried to pin our each child. Families will spend upwards of $15K+/per student to only find out they cannot read, spell, or problem-solve, and you'll spend more money on testing and tutors to resolve this for your child. And the school WILL NOT provide monies back as they do not have to follow any TEA or Federal jurisdiction due to how they are structured as a private school. The board and the administration should be ashamed of what they have put the parents and students through the last couple of years with continued passive-aggressive, dismissive, and gaslighting measures. They have knowingly covered up areas in their curriculum that fail students and will tell you your child is 'thriving.' Look for a school with actual transparency and accountability as AMS will need to fire too many on the administrative staff which at this time they have not replaced anything but the rotating door of students. Do not put yourself or your child through this because in the long run it will be emotionally and financially exhaustive vs. finding a school that has actual structure and accountability at the helm. read more

Don't want to get limited from being a pot stirrer. Never once reviewed any business or institution anywhere, but the experience was outrageous. Fascist Montessori would be a more appropriate name. All non-issues are an issue. If you aren't so far left that you are right, you are a problem at this place and it will trickle over onto your child. My child has received extensive unconscious programming that he's a bad, abnormal, problematic, unwanted child. Hopefully we can override these messages he was directly and indirectly receiving in the ethers and from his first hand experiences. read more

Austin montessori school is a perfect option for any child. The school is from toilet until 9th grade with EXTREMELY reasonable tuition compared to other private schools in the area. This Montessori school is an AMI school (which means all teachers have been trained at the AMI level: a 3 year highly rigorous training involving a deep understanding of child development in conjunction with a strong understanding of curriculum). The classrooms at Austin Montessori are multi-age, which is very beneficial for the child. Austin Montessori just received a new head of school this year, so the admin structure and team is being fine tuned. The school is internationally recognized in the Montessori community and is such an excellent alternative to public education. read more

AMS has been a great destination for our family and our children. We feel so grateful to be part of this community. Our children are learning how to learn, how to problem solve and how to be peaceful contributing people in a community. read more

I would give zero stars if that was possible. Two of my children attended this school for three years. It was not until the end of that three years that I found out that my son had been removed from the classroom every day and take into the office to sit by himself and do his work in isolation. My son is dyslexic, which they discouraged me from evaluating him for, and I only found out after I withdrew him from the school. They said that even if he were dyslexic, the Montessori method would be a perfect style of learning for him. Nothing could be further from the truth. After educating myself I realized that Montessori is absolutely terrible for dyslexic children, and thankfully I found a dyslexic specific school here in Austin to place him in. While he had been getting farther and farther behind academically at Montessori, and had started to hate school, once I put him in a school that recognized and treated his dyslexia he finally flourished. The combination of secrecy and idolatry at Austin Montessori is dangerous to children and unfair to parents. They seem to believe that their method can fix anything works for all children and should never be questioned by parents. This justifies that I'm not sharing with you information about your own child and what is happening during during there day. I strongly encourage parents not to believe the hype about this school. It is definitely not a place for all children. read more

Love, LOVE this school. Huge upgrade in comparison to other montessori programs we looked into. Beautiful facilities and campus, caring admin, and most importantly.. long term staff members! read more