Our daughter Mabel was at OMS for about 2 1/2 years, from 2-5. It's no exaggeration that OMS was…read moreone of the best parts of our life during that whole time. She has thrived there, making friends, loving her teachers, learning independence, learning about the world and just plain having fun. We looked at a few different Montessori schools as we were thinking about preschool, and a huge part of why we chose OMS was the amazing outdoor space. There are two separate classrooms (one for 2 year olds, one for 3-5) and they are separated by a huge outdoor space, so rare to find in urban preschools. It's fully fenced, safe and provides for children to have so much room to roam, explore and play. From the time she was two she was able to explore and have real independence. It was a very special part of her time there. The teachers are also wonderful. They are kind, caring and make the kids feel taken care of and safe while also giving them space to form friendships and choose what appeals to them. We'd frequently talk about how our daughter was a 'little citizen' at school: the manners they teach them, the ability to be in a group and interact with others, the skills to sit in a circle, pay attention, be heard, share. As she gets ready to go to kindergarten this year, we are so grateful that our time at OMS prepared her for this next phase. She is on the young side for K but we feel confident that she is ready for it and a HUGE part of this is her time at OMS. We'd recommend this school to anyone.

We pulled our two-year-old daughter out of this school within two months of her starting…read more Other negative reviews of OMS on Berkeley Parents Network and Yelp mention the same sorts of things we experienced. We regret not fully reading those reviews before enrolling. This was not our first preschool experience or our first Montessori experience. Our daughter was happily enrolled at another Montessori preschool in Oakland for a year. We had no real issues with that school, and our daughter seemed comfortable and engaged there. We moved to another part of town and wanted to switch schools to avoid a long commute. I was wowed during our OMS tour by the outdoor play area and the promises made by one of the school leaders. In reality, this school can be unsafe, unstructured, and understaffed, especially in the toddler class. Two good toddler teachers left within two weeks of the start of the school year and told parents they had been bullied by school leadership. Reviewing old reviews on BPN and Yelp, it seems this is not the first time good teachers have left in questionable circumstances. In the teachers' absence, a parade of substitutes came and went. There was very little continuity of care for the youngest students for weeks. One day, we saw a teacher roughly grab a child's arm in an inappropriate manner. The boy was not in danger, putting others in danger, or doing anything that warranted this treatment.  We ultimately pulled our daughter out after repeatedly seeing kids unsupervised near a gate atop a steep flight of stairs--a gate they could open. At one point, we watched a toddler unlatch the gate independently and go down the stairs without a single OMS staffer watching him. We informed them as to where he was, and no one seemed to take it seriously. At pickup, the kids sometimes seemed to be left to their own devices largely and sort of roaming around aimlessly. We know Montessori involves a lot of independent play and exploration. That's great and an approach we intentionally sought for our kid. However, this felt more like understaffing and disorganization. Our daughter frequently talked about kids crying at school and missing their parents. We didn't put excessive stock in this; toddlers say lots of things and aren't always reliable narrators. But we saw it with our own eyes at pick up. Kids were crying, and no one was appropriately responding to them or helping them through their feelings. The response was sort of clinical and rote. Since moving to a new preschool, she talks about fun things that happened at school and says sweet things about her teachers. She never talks about kids crying and missing their parents. Basic communication with parents was awful. Emails were confusing and haphazard, and critical scheduling information was poorly communicated. The only positive thing I can say about the administration is that they returned our full deposit and unused balance. In short, do your homework and really look into this school's online reviews before enrolling your kid here. It's a shame that this beautiful campus isn't better run.

TCU has 3 campuses and our child has been to all three. We find all three locations to be amazing…read moreand very Montessori oriented. I can't say enough great things about the staff- they're incredibly knowledgeable, patient and are very passionate about the Montessori philosophy and interacting with children. The children are exposed to so many topics at this school, ranging from foreign languages, reading and math to arts and crafts, performances, social justice and of course, practical life skills. Our child has grown and gain so much from going to TCU, and we love it. There have been some concerns and I'm here to say that you should take it with a grain of salt. It's possible that all centers have some sort of concerns to a degree, some of which are shared while others not. The nice thing about TCU is that there are cameras in the classrooms so there is transparency. None of the other centers that we toured have cameras access. From our experience, the staff at TCU really do act with integrity. They're there for the children. We would send our child here again if we had to start over. It's worth it, and again, just amazing staff overall.

This school, the teachers, and the parent community are incredible. We are so grateful for the warm…read moreand welcoming environment, and for the sense of community especially during these incredibly trying times of Covid-19. Our children are thriving here and are filled with daily joy at going, and having been, to school. We have always sought out Montessori education and have experienced another excellent school in Alameda and in another country. We couldn't be happier with the quality of education and environment at the Child Unique and MEISA. Our children are in different parts of the school. We have experienced the toddler program, enjoyed summer camps on another campus, and now the primary and lower elementary classes at Taylor. The teachers are brilliant: they are high caliber, passionate, dedicated, inspiring and engaging. The daily wonder they create is amazing. And the growth and change in our children is remarkable, especially after months of home learning early in the year. Ms. Cindy is a pillar of the local community who works tirelessly to create an inclusive, fair, calm and nurturing environment. The leadership she has shown to open the school safely, in light of Covid-19 challenges, continues to astound me. We are grateful every single day for this school, the teachers and staff, the parent community and the other children. The school is peaceful, loving and kind and helps individual children in their journey of enquiry, wonder and accomplishment.

My oldest child just started their 3rd year here and now my youngest has joined the St. Leo's…read moreFamily. The staff is great and the students are very pleasant and respectful. The principal has been at St. Leo's for over 20 years and that says a lot about both her & the school. The teachers are very attentive and invested in the children. You can be sure that your child is not just a body filling a space for a quoto or a paycheck. St. Leo's feels like an extension of your family. You know that your child is in good hands when they are there.

My son just started his fourth year at St. Leo's. I am very satisfied with the education he is…read morereceiving at this school. The classes are small this year and that has it's benefits. Academically, he is more advanced than most 7 year olds. His math, reading and writing proficiency amazes me. He is even been introduced to algebra and he is only in the second grade. He loves his school and that says a lot since most kids hate school. The principal, teachers, staff, parents and students is what makes St. Leo's a special place. Invest in your child's future and you can't go wrong as a parent.

I have found this school to be full of staff that are very thoughtful, intentional, and loving of…read morethe larger community that they serve. The founder/head Michelle is a passionate leader who is in her purpose and it jumps right off of her when you meet her. I strongly recommend Pear Tree as they really do an exceptional job of wrapping around the youth. They promote and build a strong sense of community and ownership of the youth's educational advancement here. My plan is to bring others to this environment. Our son loves it here. Fred Tatum

Our daughter has been enrolled in Pear Tree as a preschooler and is now a 4th grader. We loved the…read morepreschool so much that we were ecstatic that director, Michele Hamilton, decided to grow the preschool into a separate elementary school. We've watched the school grow from just a handful of students to its current enrollment and its new location in Montclair. What we love: Montessori curriculum - we have had a rethinking of the state of education in the United States. It is not set up in any capacity to create critical thinkers and dynamic creators which is what the future economy will require. Montessori in the way that Pear Tree implements it allowed our daughter to consistently test 2 grades above her level, while allowing her the opportunity to become an awesome drummer with Pear Tree's musical enrichment. With a no homework policy, she has ample time to explore her love of reading and is an avid bibliophile. This love of reading usually starts to wane around the upper grades as kids struggle with the rigors of grades-based academic performance. Social Justice emphasis - the kids are being exposed to history and sociology from the context of social justice. Focus has been on pre-colonial history and ancient civilizations in the primary grades. Project based learning, group and individual research papers have allowed our daughter to put context in her history lessons. This year, climate resilience as the number one social justice cause, has given our daughter the ability to look at our current situation and actually come up with solutions with her class. This has been done through in-house video and audio content creation. Small class sizes - with no more than 16 students in a class along with a teacher and an aide, our daughter has always felt supported. She came into the preschool shy and timid and is now a vocal leader at school and outside. We don't think she would have found her voice in a class of 30 or more. When it comes to raising kids, no parent's decision-making is perfect. But our decision to be at Pear Tree was perfect for our daughter.

We've been at UMCS for 2 years and our student is going into 2nd grade. She loves school and…read morecouldn't stop asking when school would start all summer long. Join this great community at UMCS and help it grow!

This is a great school! There are negative reviews here but all from many years ago. The teachers…read moreare warm and loving at UMCS and my 2 kids (ages 4 and 7) love their school. If you are interested in a Montessori education that is tuition free and offers two teachers in every classroom, I recommend scheduling a tour!

Our son attended Chatham for two years, from 2 to 4 years old, until we moved…read more Chatham and more importantly Maureen, Michael and the teachers had a huge impact in his positive development. They always have the kids best interests at heart, are honest and straightforward with the parents (because sometimes all parents are a little much, ourselves included!). There was community at Chatham, which we miss greatly. Events, education and most importantly play. Certainly superior to the other 2 daycares our son attended.

Extremely great school, I tried many nannies off the well known/expensive sites like care.com and…read morethen thoroughly checked all the local daycares, but where I truly felt I could leave my 15 month old rest assured and know she was being cared for a learn more than she would if she was at home was Chatham. I could talk about the staff but I think enough people have expressed how amazing Maureen, Michael and all the staff are, my daughters teacher is Christy, she is so so kind. Even though we've only been there for a few months now I feel already part of a great community/family.

My daughter was here for ~1 1/2 years. She was extremely nervous going into preschool and all of…read morethe teachers made her feel so at home and comfortable. She really thrived in the environment and made great friends. The campus is beautiful and very well maintained. The parents and teachers host many events throughout the year- bake sales, trunk or treat, spring socials, parent's nights out. It's truly a great community full of extremely kind parents and teachers. We will miss everyone dearly and can't thank the community enough!

Both of our girls have gone to Skyline Preschool for preschool and pre-k and our youngest is…read moregraduating this June and we are so sad to go. Nestled into a beautiful Oakland Hills setting, Skyline Preschool has been such a wonderful experience for both our very different daughters and for us as parents. With a hybrid model of play-based and educational learning, our students grew both academically and social-emotionally. The director Naomi, created a curriculum that is so well-rounded, inclusive, thoughtful, rich with pertinent themes in a very age appropriate manner. Both our kids thrived, and particularly our youngest, while we all dealt with the difficulties of the pandemic, she had an extremely physically and emotionally save place to make the most of this time. Naomi pivoted the structure of the day and shape of the class to adhere to safety guidelines so successfully, we are so grateful for the hard work and dedication it took to make our daughter's preschool safe for her and the entire community of families enrolled. All the teachers are great communicators, care deeply for the children, and are creative and skilled. I really can't say enough positive things about the school experience, from setting to curriculum to staff - it was an incredible part of our family's development. We will miss it so!

I sent my child here for less than a full school year, from the age of two to close to three years…read moreold. It's a beautiful school with great teachers. All that you want out of a Montessori education is here. He got a lot out of it and usually wanted to stay at the end of the day. He learned many interesting skills and they took good care of him. The only reason we left is that we had to move far away. Why 4 stars? In a word, it's expensive. The tuition is really high. It costs more than college. One kid at the age of 2 going full time was $1791/month. Add to this various fees. Also add to this that they are closed usually several times a month, and you have to find alternate child care or sometimes they have alternate care for $80/day (!) on top of the regular tuition. If you want to pay for a lunch through their program, it costs $6. Granted, it's organic and locally sourced, but seriously, $6 for a 2 year old's lunch that consists of a few steamed vegetables and a tiny slice of pizza? It was a drawback for me.

I really was impressed with this school for the two years my daughter attended. Her teachers worked…read morewith her, especially when her behavior got squirrelly during the worst days of my divorce from her abusive father. I LOVED this school. I raved about it to anyone who would listen. However, what happened at the end of her second year has led me to give them this negative review. My ex was on the hook for school fees per court order so he went in to the headmistress Helen Campbell and the business manager Nancy Haskins and told them I'd forged his signature. They had just offered her a 66% scholarship so she could finish her kindergarten cycle and prevent even more upheaval in her life. Rather than talking to me about it, they broke the contract and categorically removed her financial aid and dropped her enrollment. I could have straightened the whole thing out, even provided them with a copy of the forensic document examiner's report that I got after the fact showing my ex had manipulated them, but they weren't interested. To add insult to injury, they knew they were in trouble for breaking the contract so they made up a bunch of stuff about me in a letter to Community Care Licensing and distorted events that had actually happened to make me out to be a problem parent and that was why they broke the contract only weeks after they'd signed it. They provided a copy of this letter to my ex, who used it in custody court and then proceeded to make life even more miserable for me and my children. I was never informed by the school exactly why they'd dropped me. I just got a short, hostile phone call from Nancy Haskins that said it was all my fault and I could have prevented it if I'd wanted to. I didn't hear the "real" reason until my ex filed their letter in court as an exhibit in a pleading. During the first year that I was struggling to survive after leaving my husband, and dealing with his reindeer games, my daughter's teacher was very sympathetic, telling me that if she "had to choose a side, it would be mine." She compared my ex to Hans Reiser, whose children with Nina Reiser had also attended GLM. I can't help wondering if they treated Nina Reiser like they did me, and pulled their support from her when she needed it most. Sad to say, this teacher also ended up writing a distorted letter about me and that betrayal hurt the worst of all. I'm pretty sure I glimpsed her at Summitt Hospital last week; when she saw me, she turned around and walked the other way as fast as she could go. So at least she has the grace to be ashamed of herself. An apology would be nicer, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm most angry with this school and their unprofessional treatment of my child because they completely dropped us from alumni lists so we don't get invited to things like the Back to School Carnival, and all the parents of my daughter's friends started avoiding us and wouldn't set up play dates with her. I think it's despicable that my poor kid, who needed stability in her life, lost not only a stable educational situation, but all of her beloved friends in one fell swoop. This is after taking thousands and thousands of dollars of her savings for her education the previous two years. I guess once the money ran out, their concern for her welfare ran out too. They made all this noise about wanting only what is best for my child, and then stabbed her in the back in a most despicable manner. Nancy and Helen, if you're reading, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves. I hope that all parents reading this review think long and hard about getting involved with this school. The underhanded, malicious behavior of the administration of the school is something that should be avoided. In a word, sleazy. There are schools just as good for less money.