The Dougherty Valley Speech and Debate program, while on face seemingly an educational and positive…read moreexperience, is not worth your money or time. This review will highlight why, from the perspective of someone who both was a part of and has worked for the program for 7 years. Problem #1: Aleisha Readye Anyone who's had to work with Readye knows that she is difficult to work with, and not considerate of her students or coworkers' time. More than that, she openly picks favorites among students and speech/debate events, sabotaging those who she does not like. She keeps all her students constantly in fear, fear that she won't let them go to the next tournament, fear she won't let them have the partner they want, etc. and she uses this fear to control the students, forcing them to come to mandatory "retreats", events, and meetings during time they need to be studying, increasing the stress and anxiety on on the minds of her students. She'll seem nice on face, but say totally inappropriate comments to students. Once she told a student "stop talking, the sound of your voice is annoying." Does that sound encouraging to someone who wants to learn Speech and Debate? Should a teacher and coach be saying that? Goes to show the extent of her character, if nothing else. Problem #2: It's not a club, it's her business Building off the above problem, DVHS speech and debate is a toxic environment in which power and politics reign supreme, rather than a child's drive, motivation, and passion for practicing and getting better. If you're a parent whose child wants to join the debate program, odds are you've heard Readye talk about the importance of the summer camp, and of the middle school bridge program. Let me be clear: these are constructed by her fully. Other schools do much much better in their debate programs without having camps and bridge programs - these are programs that fill the coffers of the debate program for Readye to dole out to her favorite students in the form of coaching time and practice, leaving the rest in the dust. Furthermore, putting your child in these programs doesn't guarantee that they will succeed in debate - they have to be in the program for as long as your wallets allow, and Readye has to pick them as a favorite. Not to mention, Readye notoriously lacks transparency regarding how money earned by the camp and bridge program is allocated, for all we know she could be keeping most of that for herself. In fact, this is likely, considering how unevenly coaching is distributed for events. Problem #3: It won't be fun for you as a parent either. Earlier, I mentioned how Readye uses fear to control her students. This is so prevalent, that she uses this fear to manipulate students into using their own parents' time. If you're a parent about to join the program, be careful not to give Readye too much of your time, because she will take that and abuse it, forcing you to drive every single weekend while other parents do nothing. She will do this by scaring your child at the thought of not ever being able to compete. The distribution of parent volunteering is incredibly uneven and Readye herself seems to not have an ounce of respect for the parents' time, though when she wants your money she will be polite on face. The mandatory events mentioned above, for example, take place on random schooldays, weekends, and workdays, and each of these time you will have to drive your child to the location, you will have to reschedule family events because Readye is not considerate or tolerant of your child not being able to come to a mandatory social event, you will have to reschedule doctors appointments because Readye takes no excuses for the mandatory debate meetings, in essence your and your child's life will be controlled through the fear and threats she makes. In my opinion, it is incredibly low of someone to take this thing that these kids are so so passionate about - speech and debate - and use the fact that she controls that which they love doing to manipulate them. If you'd like, take this review with a grain of salt. Maybe your child will be selected as a favorite, and have an astounding debate career. But if they aren't, you're throwing your money away, because Readye will never put the resources into them to actually make them succeed. I would suggest other programs, other clubs, or private debate leagues if you would like to pursue a passion for public speaking and debate.

The Dougherty Valley Speech and Debate program is truly like no other. I can honestly say that…read morebeing a part of this club has changed my life. Not only have I gained public speaking skills and knowledge about real world issues, but some of my closest friends have come from being a part of this program for the last 4 years. With over 500 competitors in the program, it takes someone really special to be able to run it. The amount of work the program director, Ms.Readye, has put into the program is incredible, but not noticed by several. People often critique her methods, but don't realize the efforts she goes to and sacrifices she makes to maximize opportunities for us and give us the best educational experience we can get. Your success doesn't matter as much as the amount of dedication you show. She is definitely a hard coach, but that is what has motivated me to keep working hard. It is quite absurd to say she has "favorites." Ms. Readye respects everyone who shows true commitment to the club and shows her they want to put the time and effort to succeed. Moreover, it is bizarre to say there is a "lack of financial transparency" or even make the assertion that she pockets the money. None of that is justified or correct- Ms. Readye is one of the most ethical people I know who holds both herself and others to the same high standards, and utilizes all of the money the club earns to give back to her students. I have never met someone so dedicated and so honest. But most of all, she is there when you need her. I still remember rounds where she has calmed me down, prepared me, and rooted for me. The program quite literally couldn't exist without her and she deserves much recognition for that!

My daughter recently performed as Flounder in ICDT!'s Little Mermaid Jr. musical production, and I…read morecan't say enough wonderful things about this performing arts center. This was her first production outside of middle school, and she absolutely loved everything about the experience -- the directors, the supportive and welcoming environment, the incredible energy of ICDT!, and the kindness of the other students and families. We had explored other production programs before, but none felt as organized, communicative, or thoughtfully run as ICDT!. On top of that, ICDT! was incredibly generous in providing our family with a tuition scholarship, which allowed my daughter to have this truly memorable experience. I am forever grateful to ICDT! for supporting her, welcoming her so warmly, and making such a meaningful impact on her life journey. THANK YOU, ICDT!

For several years now have been following this Studio. Their Director Ryan Bernier recently knocked…read moreit out of the Park with " Something Rotten". He is a genius in bringing out the best performance with each student; and creating a unified troupe. He has elevated the school to a very impressive standard. Great Show! Great Gift for the actors!

We had the pleasure of sending our daughter here for art classes, and she truly loved Mrs. Ana and…read moreher time there. She had fun every visit and was always excited to show us the projects she worked on. Ms. Ana also shared end-of-day photos of the artwork created in class, which we really appreciated. Highly recommend.

I took my kids back in Jan 2022 to give Global Art a try. Thought I'd left a review but realize I…read moredidn't as I was sorting photos. My boys had expressed an interest in art classes for homeschool. It was amazing to see what they could do on a first visit here and both were so excited with their results. We were greeted warmly and I was presented information in a straight forward and easy to understand manner while my boys went off to class. My boys are both age 12 and liked the set up for learning, the options of the different plans and types of art they could choose from and the instructors were all warm and helpful. As someone with chemical sensitivities, one of the instructors there was heavily fragranced and I had difficulties staying for too long.. For me, that was the only downfall as my kids don't particularly like being around strong fragrance either, though they don't have the reactions to it that I do. Overall, this was a fantastic experience. You can choose from different plans and frequencies. The times ultimately didn't work out for us with baseball practice and the 20+ min drive from Livermore, but continue to consider some of the camps they offer and they will attend if it works into our schedule.

Great coaches! My son has been with them for 3 years and he has improved a lot on soccer skills and…read moreoverall fitness as well. This also helped him became a strong player in the BUSC leagues the last 3 years. The success also helped his self confidence and leadership in school and other areas. I would recommend greatly to kids that like to learn soccer and/or Chinese Kungfu, as well as building self-confidence and overall physical health. The soccer coach used to play in Chinese national team which at that time was a top 3 team in the world narrowly lost to US woman's team in the Olympics final penalty shootout. Coach Ding is also a national champion in Kungfu tournament in China, which is super hard to achieve based on the massive population practicing Kungfu and the long history in China. Both of them are very good at teaching and very dedicated, they always demand the best from their students and have a uncanny eye to spot the mistakes and improvements needed. Not like other programs that focus most on playing, coach Chen has a systematic plan to improve overall level of your kids' soccer playing, so usually kids will show a leap of improvement after training with her for a period of time. I highly recommend!

We love this learning center! My son has a wonderful time there and he always wants to get back to…read morethe center, even during the COVID-19 time. Luckily, the center offers free classes every week to give kids chances to meet and chat with each other, and learn together online during this difficult time. In the past two years, my son gets help on his academic learning as well as explores new interests in many areas, like aerospace knowledge, world war I & II, chess, public speaking, art, and most important one - outdoor fun. He makes friends from different grades, also with teachers: Mr. Chris, Mr. Armando, Mr. Marty, and some others. We are grateful to know about this place! Since another parent of my son's classmate recommended this center to us 2 years ago, we can always maintain smooth and efficient communication with Ms. Susan. With her help, we are confident that our child can have a meaningful and enjoyable time. Ms. Susan is very considerate. She is like a family and is willing to support you in raising children together. I feel like she is not doing this for money but for the future of our kids. We highly recommend this place to everyone. ****** below information is from my son ****** Ms.Susan is very caring. On holidays, she sometimes takes us to the parks or throws a party with yummy treats like ice cream, hot cocoa, donuts, candies, and even root beer floats and pizza.

We had a deeply disappointing experience with this daycare. Our family recently moved from Fremont…read moreto San Ramon, and we enrolled our two sons, ages 5 and 8, in the summer program before the school year began. Our 8-year-old was experiencing adjustment difficulties following the move and had some incidents involving aggression. After only two weeks, Susan and Art told us that our 5-year-old was "great," but referred to him as "the other one" while saying that our 8-year-old did not belong there. We found this comparison and the way the situation was communicated to be insensitive and unprofessional. We were also told that they were not equipped to support children who act out or do not fit their daycare's approach. Susan stated that they had not experienced this type of behavior from another child in 10 years. Rather than working with us on a transition plan or discussing possible supports, they made it clear that our son could not remain in the program. Our son had been academically successful in Fremont Unified, but he was struggling emotionally with a major move and needed patience, structure, and constructive communication. We understand that every program has limits regarding the behaviors it can safely manage. However, we were very disappointed by the dismissive way our child and family were treated and by the lack of compassion shown during a difficult transition. After only two weeks of enrollment, we now have to find new childcare for both children. Based on our experience, I would urge parents--especially those whose children may need additional behavioral or emotional support--to ask detailed questions about the program's capabilities and approach before enrolling. They conveyed to us that they had limited training, resources, and ability to support children who need additional help, and that their program is better suited only to children who fit within their narrow approach to childcare.

We toured La Petite Academy in San Ramon back in August 2025 while looking for a preschool for our…read moredaughter, Amber. From the very beginning, the staff -- especially Ms. Mamta -- really stood out to us. Everyone was incredibly warm, welcoming, and genuinely caring. Since this was going to be Amber's first experience in a school setting, it was very important for us to feel comfortable, and the teachers immediately gave us that confidence. Now, six months into our journey with La Petite, we truly couldn't be happier with our decision. Amber is thriving and learning so much from the curriculum. One of the biggest changes we've noticed is in her English speaking skills. Since we prioritized speaking our home language at home, it's been amazing to see how much her confidence and communication in English have grown. What stands out most is how caring the teachers are with the children. During nap time, I've seen teachers gently comforting the kids and patting them to sleep, which really shows how nurturing they are. A special thank you to Ms. Ronika, Ms. Monica, Ms. Veeda, Ms. Manju, Ms. May, and Ms. Deanna for being so kind, patient, and attentive with Amber. It truly means a lot to us as parents. I would highly recommend La Petite Academy to any family looking to begin their preschool or daycare journey in a warm, supportive environment.

Response to the reply from LPA below: I'm concerned that their remedy to my issues about using the…read morecall center, is to call the call center. I'm at a loss for words. I reached out for general information about their academic curriculum offerings + tuition $$) because La Petite Academy is not upfront about this on their website. You will fill out a Information Request Form and then receive multiple phone calls and messages from their national call center. Once they get ahold of you, they'll tell you that they're unable to tell you any tuition information unless you schedule a tour. And then they tell you that the location you are interested in has a waitlist. So essentially the call was a waste of time and the Call Center department is utterly useless. This is an embarrassment of a business. You can easily remove the middle man (call center) and employ a local/regional office manager who can filter and coordinate inquiries and manage the enrollment process. This is not what I was expecting at all. Be better. Suggest that the Academy publish academic/tuition information online or make an information packet available, instead of holding that information hostage. Jesus Christ, it's 2023 for crying out loud.

My 4 year old is getting trained with Coach Salah. My son enjoys the activities done on the field…read moreand the interaction with other kids. He is still getting used to playing outdoors in the sun for longer time. Coach Salah is very good with bringing back kids' focus on the field if they get distracted.

My 7 year old son has trained with Coach Salah for over three years now--both indoor and…read moreoutdoor--and the experience has been exceptional. He brings this rare combination of high-level technical coaching, genuine warmth, and a deep understanding of how kids learn best. What I appreciate most is how energetic, focused, and intentional he is with every single player. He doesn't just run drills--he actually teaches. He builds coordination, discipline, field awareness, and confidence in a way that feels both structured and incredibly fun. You can tell he believes in the kids, and they rise to that. In these past few years, we've watched our son's skills grow in ways we never expected--better footwork, smarter decision-making, more resilience, and honestly a deeper love for the game. He loves practice days. And the teams have real camaraderie... kids feel proud to be there. Coach Salah for the win!

I want to start by highly recommending The Goddard School, San Ramon and sharing our experience…read more I'd give more stars if that were an option! Moving from another city with a young child was a big step for us. It felt overwhelming, but we were comforted by Anju, the owner of The Goddard School. She was incredibly kind and patient, understanding our family's needs. The transition was made so seamless and welcoming for us. Right from the beginning, even before our child started school, Anju made sure we had all necessary documents, giving us ample time and accommodating our busy schedule. About the school and its activities: The team is fantastic, and the teachers are well-educated. There are tons of activities, all following a curriculum-oriented approach. We receive daily updates on books read (in case we want to share them at home), songs sung, circle time, outdoor play, and fun indoor activities when the weather doesn't allow outside time. Activities range widely--baking bread, painting, dancing, creative play, and so much more. With these daily updates, we feel connected and well-informed about our child's day. This school is a very happy place filled with positive reinforcements and encouragement, and our daughter had a wonderful time here. We will miss the school and only wish we didn't live so far away. Hence, I highly recommend this school for any parent looking for a supportive environment that promotes overall development for their child. Thank you so much, Anju and the entire team! And a special thanks for Andrea and Vaidehi (Class teachers of Parrots)!!

Both of my kids went to Goddard. They were ready for kindergarten and transitioned well. The…read moreteachers are warm and attentive. The staff especially Ms. Ingrid are incredibly approachable and responsive to feedback. Highly recommend!!